I Can't Wait Until...

Proverbs 16:3; Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 3:13-14; 1 Timothy 6:12

Several months back my wife and I went on a day trip to the mountains; Boone in particular. I always look forward to those little day trips to just be able to get away and enjoy being together for a little bit. As we started out I asked her if she wanted to get some breakfast locally or wanted to get on the road and eat somewhere along the way. She commented something to the effect "you can go on, I know how you like to get on the move."

I realized that is what I usually do. I am one of the worst when it comes to wanting to get to the destination as fast as I can. However, on this day, I said "let's just get something here. I'm not worried about what time we get there, as long as we are together."

Is it all just about the destination, or is the journey important? When I look back at vacations and day trips, I have to admit, for me, it was usually about getting to the destination as fast as I could. I would try to get there with as few stops and as quickly as possible. I wonder how much enjoyment I missed out on just being with my family by focusing all my efforts on "getting there."

Too often, our journey through life can be lost in our worry about what tomorrow will bring. We can't enjoy today for worrying about what the future holds. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 "do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself." He had just instructed us not to worry about where our next meal would come from or if we would have enough clothing, but to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (verse 33).

God wants and expects us to trust Him to meet our needs. He doesn't want us to worry about our lives but longs for us to enjoy a relationship with Him. In fact, He gave His life to make that possible. Just trust Him today and enjoy His presence. He'll take care of the rest.

Matthew 6:31–34 (NASB)“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Pastor Mike Deese

Cross Walk

Isaiah 8:14; Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42-44; Luke 2:34; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:32-33; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:4-8

This past Friday, Good Friday, our church participated in a Cross Walk in remembrance of what Jesus did for us nearly 2,000 years ago. About 80 Christians from several denominations walked through Forest City, from First Baptist to the First United Methodist Church, taking turns, three at a time, carrying a 12 foot cross. It was my 2nd year of walking. It is a very humbling and emotional experience. 

What Christ did for us on that cross, and what happened on the third day thereafter, is what separates Christianity from every other religion in the world. Many can accept that Christ was a real man; a good prophet, good leader, and a great example for us to live by, but He was so much more than that. We needed more than a great example. What we needed was a savior. And that is exactly what He did, He came to save us from our sins. He paid the price that you and I could never pay for ourselves. He was the perfect lamb that was slain for you and me, so that we could be reconciled to God, restoring the relationship that we had broken through our sin.

We read many New Testament scriptures, referring back to the Old Testament, depicting Christ as a stumbling block to those that can't accept who He is and what He has done. Paul puts it a different way in 1 Corinthians 1:18 saying For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Is this all just a story to you or do you accept God's Word as truth? Do you believe? Your life depends on it... literally.

1 Peter 2:7–8 (NASB) This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

Pastor Mike Deese

The Invitation

Psalm 62:1; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; Titus 2:11-12; 2 Peter 3:9; Acts 4:12

Jesus tells an interesting parable in Matthew 22 as an example of the kingdom of heaven, about a king that holds a wedding feast for his son. The king sends servants to call on those who had been invited, but the guests refuse to come. He sends them out again with a mouth watering invite, announcing all of the wonderful preparations that have been made; a celebration you do not want to miss! Yet, they still refuse to come. Some were just too busy to bother coming, while others mistreated and killed the servants. The king is enraged and sends out his army to destroy the murderers, and their city. The king sends out more servants, this time to the highways, and tells them to invite all who will come. The hall was filled with guests.

There is so much truth here in this little parable. God's desire would be that all would come to accept salvation through His wonderful grace. He provided for your salvation through the death of His Son on a cruel cross. Sin brought death into the world, and the only one worthy enough to pay the price for your sin and my sin was God Himself. He had to send His Son Jesus Christ, to lay down His life so that you and I could have a relationship with Him once again. That truly is His amazing grace. 

But this story doesn't end here. Jesus goes on to say that the king comes in to look over the guests and notices one that is not dressed in wedding attire. He asks for an explanation and the man was speechless. He was bound hand and foot and thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (v. 13)

At first glance, this may seem cruel. How could the king be so brutal? But if we look at the context during the time that this was written, those that were invited to the wedding were given wedding clothes to wear. The king would have made sure that everyone had the opportunity to be dressed properly for the occasion. This man had just decided that he didn't want to play by the king's rules. He wanted in without wearing the proper attire. Of course, the analogy would be that our King provides us with a garment of salvation. We are all invited to come to the wedding feast. We are provided the gift of salvation (clothed in righteousness) through His Son. But we have to first accept the invitation, and then trust in His Son Jesus Christ as our savior, trading our filthy unrighteousness for His perfect righteousness. Have you made the decision to come? Have you trusted Jesus Christ for your salvation? The invitation is currently open but will be ending one day soon. Don't wait another day. Today is the day of salvation!

Revelation 19:7–9 (NASB)“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

Pastor Mike Deese

In The Word

Deuteronomy 11:18; Psalm 40:8; Psalm 119:9-11; Proverbs 4:20-21; Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 2:2-3

I was reminded this morning of a lesson from a book titled Living By The Book by Howard Hendricks. This book was my first study at Fruitland Baptist Bible College and was truly one of my favorites. In turn, I have taught at least 3 discipleship courses at our local church using that book. 

The lesson I was reminded of this morning was on why we need to study the Bible in the first place. Dr. Hendricks makes a great point recalling a story about a man he ran across at a Bible teaching conference that had driven his family 1,200 miles across the country to be at that conference. Hendricks asked him why he came so far and the man's answer; "because I wanted to get under the Word of God."

As Hendricks points out, that sounds pretty good on the surface, but when it gets down to it we need to be not only "under" the Word of God, hearing great teaching and preaching from those that God has called to do such, but "in it" for ourselves. Again as Hendricks puts it, sitting under great teaching "ought to be a stimulus - not a substitute - for getting into it for ourselves." 

There are plenty of scriptures, Old Testament and New, that teach us to study and remember the Word of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6 is one that comes to mind. Verses 6–9 say “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Sounds to me like God is pretty serious about us keeping His Word in our hearts and on our minds.

Our gracious and merciful heavenly father has provided for us His very Word. He longs for us to learn from it through those He has called to teach and preach. But more than that, He longs for us to dig into it for ourselves, asking Him to reveal to us what He would have us learn. Will you make plans to study His Word each and every day? He will guide you if you ask Him.

Joshua 1:8 (NASB) “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

The Best Bible You Will Ever Own!

Joshua 1:8; Nehemiah 8:3; Psalm 119:11; Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:12

About a month ago I got a new phone. It wasn't just an upgrade from the phone I had been using for years, not even the same platform I have used for probably the last 15 years. No, I couldn't just make a simple upgrade; I traded my iPhone in for an Android. And while I am having a few separation anxieties, for the most part I am happy. 

My break up with Apple wasn't an angry separation. For me it was about the cost of the new phone. The LG I bought was on sale for 50% off. There are a few other reasons that I won't go into here, but if the latest iPhones had been 50% off, I would probably own a new iPhone right now. It was that simple.

One of the things I have noticed about my LG is that the GPS synchronization is apparently not the same as my iPhone 6 was. When I run my normal 3 miles, it is about 2/10 of a mile different overall. It could be that my iPhone's GPS was inaccurate, but from what I see online, it is probably my LG. Since I don't really know for sure which one to trust, I could just give up and quit running. (Sounds like a really lame excuse, doesn't it?) One thing I know for sure; whether I was running 3 miles or 2.8 miles three days a week last year, my main goal was achieved. I set out to lose weight and lower my blood pressure, and with the Lord's help was able to do both. My point is, it doesn't matter which phone I was using or exactly how far I was going, I got the results I needed.

When it comes to Bible study, some folks get caught up in what version is best to study from. There are those that say the KJV is the only way to go and another camp that says some of the newer versions are actually more accurate, since they are translated from more numerous and older manuscripts (those closer to the time the originals were actually written). My purpose in this post is not to argue either point. I would encourage you to use whichever one that you can read and understand. My only suggestion would be that you have a couple (or even a few) different versions to read as you study. It's not that difficult in this day and age to get multiple versions online for your phone, tablet, or computer.

Just like my issue with the varying GPS readings from different phones, don't let various versions of the Bible keep you from studying it. Regardless of your choice of version, you can achieve your main goal; to have a deeper relationship with the One that gave it to you. Let Him guide you as you read. Pray that He will help you understand. He longs for you to know more about Him. Get a copy of the Bible that you will read. That will be the best Bible you will ever own!

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NASB) All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Pastor Mike Deese

Pain, Pain, Go Away

Psalm 34:19 Romans 5:3-5; 1 Peter 5:10; James 1:2-4; Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 

Paul opens his second letter to the Corinthians with his usual greeting and then begins a discussion on comfort through affliction. Pain is something we certainly don't like to deal with. There's no simple way around it, suffering is not fun. But in these first few verses of this letter, Paul lists several helpful results from our afflictions and the comfort we receive in them.

First, through the comfort we receive from the Lord,  we are able to comfort others in their suffering. We are to share in one another's burdens and walk through difficulties with each other. We are to encourage each other in God's mercies and compassion. God is able to sustain us through all kinds of difficulties. He is our strength. We need to remind one another of His goodness and His comfort.

Secondly, our afflictions direct us towards patience. Verse 6 says if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. Suffering will cause us to patiently endure. We can endure because we know the hope that is in Christ Jesus. 

Thirdly, our sufferings direct us toward a deeper trust in God. Through our pain, we cry out to the Father. When things are too unbearable for us to handle, we have nowhere to turn but God. Only He can provide the comfort that we truly need in our deepest sorrow and pain. Without hope in Christ man is truly lost and pitiful.

Lastly, through our pain and suffering, we are encouraged to unite in prayer. We are one body, the body of Christ. We are to pray one for another, lifting our petitions before God in unity, trusting that as I pray for you, you will pray for me. Prayer, and the great need for it as we journey through our difficulties, brings us together. And as Paul says in verse 11, it is all for God's glory, so that many will give thanks to Him. 

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Pastor Mike Deese

You Remind Me of Someone

1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21; Ephesians 5:1-2; John 13:13-17; Romans 12:2

Have you ever noticed how people often act or sound different based upon who they are speaking with or have been hanging around? Not only have I noticed it in others, I am certain that I have done it myself. We often tend to take on the characteristics of those we are talking to, dealing with, or who we've been hanging around. 

In Acts 4,  Peter and John are getting into trouble with the Jewish leaders for teaching the people and proclaiming through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. (v. 2) They had also, through the power of Christ, just healed a lame beggar, which stirred up the crowd even more to believe in Jesus.  They are thrown in jail and the next day brought before the leaders to testify; and testify they did!

What I find so interesting here is what the priests and elders noticed about Peter and John. Verse 13 says Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. (NASB) Now that's an association like no other! What an honor to be recognized in such a way. And notice how, through the Holy Spirit, the unlearned are educating the highly educated! Their education came not from man but from God. Their learning came by hanging out with the very one they were learning about.

You don't need a college education to tell people about Jesus. Just let him transform your life and then tell them about your transformation. Tell them what He has done in and through you. Tell them how you once were lost, but through His mercy and grace, were saved. Spend time in His presence and then don't be surprised when others recognize that you have been with Jesus!

1 John 2:6 (NASB) the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Pastor Mike Deese

But Who Do You Say That I Am?

2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 9:10; Psalm 13:5; Psalm 31:14; Psalm 84:12; Proverbs 28:26

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples what is being said about who He is and then asks them who they believe He is. Of course Peter answers correctly that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus calls Peter blessed, recognizing that he had not received that information from man but from God the Father. However, Jesus rebukes Peter just 6 verses later for trying to convince Him that this plan of dying was a mistake. Surely if He was God, He could take care of the sins of the world in some other way. Jesus recognized that Satan was trying to stop Him from what He came here to do; to die so that we might have everlasting life.

I think it's funny how we can acknowledge the existence of the God that created and upholds the universe and everything in it, yet have difficulty fully trusting Him to know what's best for us. We often feel as if He doesn't understand our situation. "He just doesn't know what I'm going through." 

Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus does know and understand what you and I are going through. Hebrews 4:15 says "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." He understands your pain and sufferings. He chose to come to this earth as a man and feel pain the way that you and I feel pain. He knows what it is like to be human.

Trust the Lord to take you down whatever path He knows is necessary for you to grow in. Trust Him to make you stronger. Trust that He knows what tomorrow holds and what you need better than you could ever know yourself. Just trust Him. He will never let you down.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NASB) Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

Pastor Mike Deese

Mark My Words

James 2:14-17; James 1:23-25; Titus 1:16; 1 Peter 2:12

Words are important. They can be encouraging, uplifting, and inspiring, or they can be discouraging, hurtful, and even damaging. But the truth is, our actions are so much more important. We've all heard the old saying a father tells his children; "do like I tell you, not like I do." I can think of countless times I didn't want my children to act the way I did. 

One song that has always made me think about having my actions line up with my words is Make My Life A Prayer To You, written by Melody Green, wife of the late Keith Green. (https://youtu.be/PNww8F6G9U8) That should be our true desire; to live out what God wants in our lives. Not just say the words, but live the life. To put into action our love for Him. I fall so short and fail time after time, but I will not cease to make that my goal; to die to self and live for Christ. To allow Him to use me as He sees fit.

As many of you know, as I write these words it has been just under a week that my mother went to be with her Lord and savior. One thing that can definitely be said of my mom is that she did her best to keep her word. She tried her best to live out what she told us kids to do. She taught and led by example. She touched many lives because of her selflessness, always putting others first, and living out what she believed.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works. That's not to say that our good works will save us. It's not our good works that make us worthy. Only He can make us worthy. And the good works are not done to bring us any glory. That very verse ends with; and glorify your Father who is in heaven. All that we do we should be doing for Him. If there is anything good in us it is to the glory of God. Without Him we are nothing. So let us do our best to live out His Word, being examples of Christ to all around us, and being the light of the world as He shines through us. And let us declare, "to God be the glory."

1 John 3:18 (NASB) Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Pastor Mike Deese

Choose Whom You Will Serve

Deuteronomy 6:13-15; 1 Samuel 7:3; 1 Chronicles 16:25; Psalm 96:4-5; Psalm 145:3; John 4:23

In a recent discipleship study of Joshua 24, Tony Evans comments on the worship of idols and false gods by the children of Israel. Joshua had challenged the Israelites to worship God and God alone. He reminds them of all that God had brought them and their fathers through; how God had delivered them time and time again. Then he warned them that they would not be able to worship Yahweh. He knew of their history of making commitments that they had failed to keep. Of course as Joshua 24:24 points out, they reply “We will serve the Lord our God and we will obey His voice.”

Dr. Evans brings up a great point in his commentary that the worship of false gods would be so tempting because these false gods made no demands on or had any expectations of them. It's easy to worship something that requires nothing in return. Joshua affirms in verse 19 that our God is a holy and jealous God. He will not share His glory. As Dr. Evans also points out, God's expectations haven't changed. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever so we know that He is still holy and He is still a jealous God. He will never share His glory; never has and never will.

In Luke 14 we see large crowds following Jesus. He turns and says to them “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?" (verses 27-28). Have you counted the cost of following Christ? Are you willing to take up your cross and follow Him? The cost may be high but the benefit is out of this world!

Joshua 24:15 (NASB)“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Pastor Mike Deese

Lose Something?

John 15:5; Ephesians 3:17-19; Colossians 2:6-7; 1 John 2:24; 1 John 3:24

Recently I have been reading Charles Spurgeon's daily devotion Morning and Evening. I'm certain that you can relate to going over a lesson, devotion, or scripture reading when something just sticks out and really grabs your attention. One such devotion from Spurgeon did just that for me. The basis for that particular devotion, as is for so many, was on where you are in your relationship with the Lord. He began with the statement:"Tell me where you lost the company of Christ, and I will tell you the most likely place to find him." The entirety of this particular devotion can be found at http://www.heartlight.org/spurgeon/0119-am.html. 

As I read those words I began to take a closer look at my walk with the Lord; not just where I long to be, but a true assessment of where I am. Am I trying to convince myself and others that I am further along than I am? Am I really where I want to be? Am I really where I should be? Such questions are not meant to discourage but to encourage. We must constantly determine where we are in our relationship with Christ, for our strength lies not within ourselves but in Him alone. 

If we are not careful we will find ourselves in a situation similar to Samson when he was abruptly awakened by Delilah; and as Judges 16:20 records ”did not know that the Lord had departed from him." His strength was gone and he was seized by the Philistines. Of course we know the rest of the story; Samson was avenged as he asked the Lord for his strength to return in one final action as he kills 3,000 Philistines, dying along side of them. Although he was avenged and had his strength returned, the consequences of his disobedience remained. 

In John 15:4, Jesus gives this instruction: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. Let us continually assess where we are in our relationship with Christ, lest we be awakened in a time of desperation only to find that we have unknowingly drifted much further off course that we could have ever imagined. He longs for a deeper relationship with us. Are we truly longing for a deeper relationship with Him?

Judges 16:20–21 (NASB) She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison.

Pastor Mike Deese

Pick Me, Pick Me!

Deuteronomy 20:1-4; 2 Chronicles 20:15; Psalm 33:16; Proverbs 21:31; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Corinthians 2:14

I never liked the picking process of pick-up sports in school or with the neighborhood kids. That's because I was usually near the end of the line to be picked. You tend to sense the captain saying "well, I guess we're stuck with you so come on over here." You kind of feel like you should just stay out of their way and let them play.

I think Gideon must have had a similar feeling when he met up with the messenger of God under the oak tree on his dad's property as we read in Judges 6:11. When the messenger of God tells him that he has been chosen to deliver the Israelites from the hand of the Midianites, he begins to immediately explain why the Lord has picked the wrong guy. He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15). The Lord assures him that He will be with him and that he is the one that the Lord has chosen for this job.

We all know the awesome story of how God whittled Gideon's army of 32,000 down to 10,000 and eventually 300, to go up against an army of 135,000. We don't even have to wonder why God would do such. He gave the reason in chapter 8, verse 2: The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’ God wanted to make sure that Gideon, and all of Israel, knew how this victory was going to be secured. The part that Gideon was responsible for was to trust and obey the Lord. 

Maybe you've felt God tugging on your heart to do something for Him. Maybe you have felt like it MUST be a mistake; there's just no way that you could possibly do what God is asking. Well, you would be correct; you can't, at least not on your own. But if God is calling you, then He will provide. All that is required of you is to trust and obey. He'll take care of the rest! 

Judges 6:15–16 (NASB) He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

Pastor Mike Deese

Where Did The Time Go?

Psalm 39:4-5; Psalm 102:25-27; Hebrews 1:10-12; Hebrews 7:23-25; Revelation 1:17-18

When we are young we tend to pay very little attention to eternal matters. We think that our time is unlimited. We tell ourselves that we can take care of those things later. But as each year passes, our prospective changes more and more. 

In 1 Peter 1:24, Peter quotes from Isaiah 40, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off...Sounds kind of depressing if you ask me... until you read a little further. Verse 25 says But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And he goes on to say... And this Word is the good news that was preached to you.

So just what is this good news that Peter is speaking of? We can back up a couple of verses and get a good glimpse of it...1 Peter 1:18–19 says "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."

My friend, those who have trusted in Christ Jesus as savior have been restored to a right relationship with God. Our sins have been paid for IN FULL! We have been made sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26). Jesus says in John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 

Thank God for the good news! If you have put off making a decision to follow Christ, thinking that you can take care of those things later, take heed of the wisdom in God's Word - The Good News! As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION.” Why not make Jesus the Lord of your life, and let the Good News of the Gospel transform your life... today!

Isaiah 51:6 (NASB) “Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane.

Pastor Mike Deese

Be Right Back

Matthew 16:27; Matthew 24-25; Luke 12:35-40; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Hebrews 9:28; John 14:3

I'm going to bet that I am not the only parent that has left the house with one or more of my children at home alone and told them I would be back in a little bit, not really wanting them to know how long I was planning to be gone, thinking that if they were expecting me at any time they might stay out of trouble. Bosses do the same at work, to keep their employees on their toes. A fifth grade teacher never leaves her classroom full of students without someone in charge or leaving the impression that she will only be stepping out for a few seconds.

In Matthew 23, Jesus prepares His disciples about His soon departure, the end times, and His return. In the next chapter He tells them to be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:42) He then speaks to them in parables that would be a reminder to be ever ready and watchful, eagerly anticipating His return at any given moment. Even as they watched intently into the sky as He was being lifted up into the clouds in the first chapter of Acts, they were reminded that He would return in just the same manner. It would be the last time that they would see Him this side of Heaven, but they certainly didn't know that. They were not meant to. 

It's obvious that the writers of the New Testament believed that Jesus' return could have been during their lifetime, even expecting that to be the case. They worked desperately to reach as many as they could for the cause of the gospel. The same should be true of us. We should be ever ready and watchful, keeping the thought of His return fresh in our minds. We should treat each day as if it were our last. We should be making disciples as if there were no tomorrow... because that just might be the case. Are you ready for His return? It just might be today!

2 Peter 3:10–12a (NASB) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.

Pastor Mike Deese

Letters of Commendation

2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6-7; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 13:20-21

Most of us have either received or written a letter of recommendation for a job or school application. Maybe you've had to have one for a mission trip or some type of event that you attended or assisted in. They usually contain things like work ethic or academic performance, reliability and responsibility, ability to work with others, personal character, etc.

Common practice in the first century, letters of recommendation were carried by the opponents of the Apostle Paul as an effort to offer credibility, despite their incredible falsehood. Paul also followed this practice, as shown in Romans 16:1-2 commending Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchrea, and in 2 Corinthians 8:22-24, commending Titus and a couple of other brothers he calls messengers of the churches. But in 2 Corinthians 3, Paul argues that he doesn't need a letter of commendation to or from the Corinthians, stating You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; (v.2) He then goes on to remind them that they were a letter of Christ... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (v.3) 

No greater letter of recommendation exists than that of our creator. And best of all, as Paul points out in verse 5, our adequacy comes from God Himself. Our letter of recommendation is based on His performance, reliability and character, and not that of our own. Paul's confidence was founded not on human sources but on God's. His confidence in the Corinthians was based on the Holy Spirit working through them. 

Let us be mindful as we go about our daily business that we are a letter of commendation from Christ. This lost world is looking for the answer and, if you are born again, the very answer they need lives inside of you. Will you let His character shine through you today?

2 Corinthians 3:2–3 (NASB) You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Pastor Mike Deese

Listening For The Cues

Psalm 81:8; Proverbs 8:32-34; Matthew 7:24; Luke 11:28; Romans 10:17; James 1:22; Revelation 3:20

I have an app on my phone that I use when I go running. It keeps my stats and will give me cues while I run. I can set it to call out my distance, time, average pace, current pace, split pace (since last cue), etc. 

Sometimes when my mind goes wandering, I miss my cue. I catch myself thinking "I just missed what she said." If I am trying to beat my best time or just trying to keep a certain pace, it really helps me to hear those cues. I don't like it when I miss them.

We also get cues from our GPS devices or apps. Turn by turn cues keep us on the right path to our destination. But again, if we are busy talking or in deep thought we can miss those cues... and the correct turn.

I wonder how many cues we miss from God? The times that He wants to whisper a word He knows that we need or action He wants us to take? Maybe a rebuke, or warning. I think we would all agree that we would fare much better if we were attentive to His every cue. 

In Jeremiah 7:23, the Lord, speaking to Israel of their fathers said “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’ 

God knows and wants what is best for us. He longs to have a relationship with us. He wants to converse with us and have us respond. Just like in any relationship, it is only worth what you put into it. Are we listening to the voice of our Father or are we too busy to hear from Him? He wants to speak to you today. Will you be listening?

John 10:27 (NASB) “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

Pastor Mike Deese

Once Upon A Time

Isaiah 43:18-19; Ezekiel 36:26; Hebrews 8:13; Revelation 21:5

We all love second chances. How many times have you needed a new beginning or fresh start? You just wanted to wipe the slate clean and needed a chance to start all over. Maybe you would like to reset your life story back to once upon a time. 

A new year can give us renewed hope as a time for starting over. Of course there is nothing magical about January 1 that takes all of your bad habits or actions and does away with them. But we can have a sense of renewal when the calendar resets to day 1 of 365. It's a good time to set some new goals, or to fix things that we may not like about ourselves.

In reality, there is only one way to truly wipe the slate clean with a genuine, legitimate, and absolute new beginning. It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for you on the cross. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. God truly does make all things new. He doesn't just overlook your sin when you come into a relationship with Him. He paid for it. He gave His life so that you could live.

If you have not given your life to Christ and know Him as your savior, I pray that as this new year begins you will not hesitate to accept His offer, the greatest gift ever given to mankind. This is your chance at the greatest once upon a time you could ever live out... for all eternity.

Ephesians 4:22–24 (NASB) that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Pastor Mike Deese