​Song of Solomon 8:6-7 ~ “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.”
 
If you are in Christ, you live in the unquenchable love of the Savior. In this grand exclamation of love’s great power, it conveys for us the remarkable connection that the church has with the LORD. We are the bride of Christ and He is our Husband. We live in His bountiful love and have our lives enriched in His mercy and grace. It is the church that cries out “set me as a seal upon your heart.” We long to be so connected to Christ that our lives are imprinted upon His heart. And He has done so! Paul exclaims with certainty, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
 
But the heart is hidden away, unseen by those who would give attention to His love for us. Thus, the church longs for a public expression of love when she says, “as a seal upon your arm.” And the LORD is pleased to do that as well. He delights in His bride and is not ashamed of her. We delight to see husbands and wives walking hand-in-hand in the public square, joyfully bound to each other in the eyes of all. And so it is with the LORD and His bride. Eventually, even those who are the enemies of Christ will be forced to acknowledge that the LORD has loved His church, “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9).
 
Oh, dear Christian, know that the LORD loves you with an everlasting love. In our text today, see four great attributes of this Divine love of the Savior.
 
First, it is a powerful love: “for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave.” Death conquers all who dwell on the earth, and such is the love of Christ. It conquers the heart. I ask you, dear ones, has the love of Christ conquered your heart? Look to the cross and see the great love of the Savior, bleeding and dying for your salvation. His love for you is so great that He endured the cross because of love.
 
Second, it is a passionate love: “Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.” Like an inferno that flashes up in brilliant flame, so is the love of Christ. It is no hidden thing, no speculative or uncertain thing. The love of Christ is like the glory of God, it fills everything and is impossible to be ignored. There is no doubting that Jesus has loved us with a love that burns with His glory.
 
Third, it is a persistent love: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.” Oh, how quickly the candle of human love can be quenched by the trivialities of temporary difficulties. But the LORD has loved us with an eternal love, it is persistent and will continue forever. Let the enemy try to throw water on the fire of His love for us and His love for us will burn all the more.
 
Fourth, it is a precious love: “If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.” The love of Christ is not so cheap that it can be purchased by all the wealth of this entire world. The LORD will not sell His love to the highest bidder. But to those who are contrite, who come to Him in humility, He will freely bestow His love upon you and will call you His very own.
 
Oh, reader, do as the Psalmist says in Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Be overwhelmed by the love of God in Christ, but do not shrink back from it. He calls you to come and receive His love. By His love He will redeem you, and in His love He will keep you. He has publicly proclaimed His love for His bride, let us do the same for Him.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​2 Peter 1:19 ~ “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
 
The LORD Jesus is the confirmation of all that was spoken in the Old Testament and the fulfilment of all prophecies and promises from God. Paul told the Corinthian church, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20). And, dear ones, we have to pay very careful attention to what we have been given in the Word of God in order that we will not stray or step away from faithfulness to the LORD Jesus.
 
We begin in our text today with the grand statement, “we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed.” This is an indication that the prophetic word was absolutely authoritative, and is now confirmed. Many want to cling to their experiences and their subjective moments where it seems as if the LORD had given them some providential moment that indicated His involvement in their lives. Peter is not doing that, but he is looking at the fulfillment of God’s word. He begins with the Scriptures—the prophetic word—and looks to see if the LORD Jesus is the confirmation of it. He proclaims that he, himself, was an eyewitness to the majesty of Christ—even hearing the fearful voice of the Father concerning the Son. But it is the prophecies of the Old Testament that are at stake. Not unlike the Berean believers in Acts 17:11, “Now these [Berean] Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” It is important to understand that the work of the LORD Jesus is of no value if it is not the fulfillment of the promises of the Father. If Jesus merely came to be a martyr, and give His life, yet did not fulfill what was written concerning Himself, then His death is nothing more than a loss of life. What a powerful truth—Jesus fulfilled ALL Scripture concerning the Messiah. He is the LORD of glory and the One who was to come.
 
Which brings us to the next statement, “to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” If Jesus is the fulfillment, then you best pay attention to the word that is written of Him. How pertinent is the illustration that Peter uses—a lamp in the darkness. Beloved, when we are in darkness, the one thing that is of critical need is a light. David penned in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” There are many who walk around this world in spiritual darkness. They think they can see, believing their own opinions and ideas, and never coming to the Scriptures to see if God would say otherwise. There are those who will attach spiritual terms to their notions and pursue them as if they are following the LORD. But, dear Christian, pay attention to the Scriptures for they are the illumination we need for life. Jesus spoke of the Pharisees as blind guides. Consider Matthew 15:14, “Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” But, as our text for today declares, that if you do pay attention to the Scriptures—being the light for your life—you “do well.” In fact, I would encourage you to know that those who follow God’s word, believing on the LORD Jesus Christ, do best of all.
 
And, finally, we come to the great fulfillment of our text and of our lives, “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Has Jesus risen in your hearts? Do you walk by the Light of the World or do you drift through the shadows of darkness? Jesus promised in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Oh, dear ones, there will come that day when Jesus shall shine with such glory that He alone will be the only light needed to illuminate creation itself (see Revelation 21:23). Even now let us hold the lamp of His word as the means of finding our way through this dark world. And soon we shall behold His glory. When that illuminating day dawns, with the Son of God enthroned, then, beloved, we shall walk in the full light of His presence.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Mark 5:19-20 ~ “And he did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”
 
We know very little if we do not know the great deliverance the LORD Jesus has given us. By His grace and His sacrifice, we have been set free from our sins and set in our right minds. The encounter of the man possessed of a legion of demons is illustrative of our great rescue as well. I would encourage you to read Mark 5:1-20 and let your heart be drawn into the moment that Jesus delivered this man.
 
This was a man of two conditions. He was a man desperate and a man despicable. We see in Mark 5:6-7 this dichotomy, “And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’” He was man desperate, for he ran and fell at the feet of the LORD. This was pleading behavior in his coming to Christ, a desperation for rescue that could only come from the One who had the authority to deliver him. He was also a man despicable, for he was filled with all manner of unclean spirits who tried to invoke God’s name to keep Jesus from tormenting them. The demonic intruders already knew who Jesus was, and surely the man did as well, for he came to the feet of Jesus. And there the LORD commanded the deliverance of the man and the demons departed and drowned a herd of pigs (see Mark 5:10-13). When the crowd came out to see what happened, the demonic man was changed, transformed from a violent and dangerous man to one who was set right as we see in Mark 5:15, “And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.”
 
The demons were gone the man’s mind was clear—perhaps for the first time in his adult life. And now we come to our text today, for the man wanted to travel with Jesus wherever the LORD would go (see Mark 5:18). I fully understand the desire of the man, and I am sure that as you’re reading this you do as well. Yet the LORD tells the man, “Go home to your friends.” I would venture a guess that it had been a very long time since the man had experienced true friendship. Yet, the LORD knew that there were those who loved the man, were friends with the man and now that the man was set right, would welcome him and listen to his testimony. Not unlike the Philippian jailer who brought the message of the gospel to his entire household, “And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.” (Acts 16:31-32). And so, the man freed by Jesus went back to his city.
 
Yet the LORD did not send him without a purpose. We find in our text for today that Jesus commanded, “tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” What a joy it is to declare to those we know and love, and to those who know and love us, that the LORD has been so very merciful to us. And such was the man’s desire to do as the LORD commanded that he not only went to his friends, our text tells us that he, “went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.” The Decapolis was a group of ten cities that occupied the region where the man lived. He did not contain his gratitude at what Jesus had done, but spread the news across the region that the LORD had delivered him and shown him mercy.
 
Dear Christian, do you know how much the LORD has done for you and how He has had mercy on you? Most who are reading this probably do not know what it is to be delivered from the insanity that this man experienced, but all who belong to Christ know that from their sins they have been set free. In John 8:36 the LORD declares, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
 
If you know the salvation of Christ, let us take upon our own hearts and lives the charge laid by Jesus to go and tell all that the LORD has done and how He has had mercy on us. They may marvel at you, but let them. In hearing the gospel from you, they may themselves find the LORD to be merciful to them as well.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​2 Samuel 6:6-7 ~ “And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.”
 
Let us take warning from our text today that we should not try to do what God commands without first understanding how God has commanded it. The LORD Almighty does lay before us the entirety of His book in order to give us knowledge and instruction in His will. Without the Scriptures we would be at a loss to know how we are to obey the LORD. As often is the case, it would be good for you to read all of 2 Samuel, chapter six, for the context of the text we consider today.
 
David had struck down the Philistines. And with this enemy defeated, the king of Israel wanted to bring the ark of the covenant to the capital city. Let us first understand that the motive of David was honorable, his intentions were good. He wanted to worship the LORD and have the ark present as it represented the LORD going before His people (see Numbers 10:35). It was a holy article, a representation of the Almighty that required absolute adherence to a prescribed method of transport. In fact, all the articles of the tabernacle (later, the temple) were purposed by God to be handled a particular way, and were not for common or independent use. It was not up to anyone to do as they saw fit with the instruments of worship that God had designed, but to use them only in the method that God had determined. Psalm 96:9 states, “Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!” What does it mean to worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness? To be “holy” is to be separated from all that is common and worldly. It is to be set to do what God had commanded, as He has commanded it. No other interests or instructions will come into view, as being holy means to be separated unto the LORD.
 
And as we come to our text today, we see that they were transporting the ark of God, but doing so according to their own ideas. 2 Samuel 6:3-4 says, “And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.” I’m sure it seemed like a splendid idea—for God’s covenant ark deserved a new cart at least. Their desire was to worship the LORD for we find in 2 Samuel 6:5 this statement, “And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.” Beloved, their hearts were right but their actions were wrong. They did not do with the ark as God required.
 
We see in our text today, “the oxen stumbled.” The man driving the cart, Uzzah, only wanted to steady the item and settle it so that it would not pitch out of the cart and be damaged. Surely God would not want His ark broken upon the ground. Yet we read in Numbers 4:15, “And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.” Despite the intention of his heart, Uzzah did in a moment of casual concern that which would cost him his life. “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.”
 
So, beloved, consider for a moment your own life and the life of the church today. How much of what is done comes from the command of God in His word, and how much of our activities of worship and service to the LORD is derived from our own minds? Shall we handle that which is meant to be holy unto the LORD with worldly designs? In many aspects of our life, we are given liberty to live and serve the LORD as best we know how, but there are some things that are regulated by God Almighty with stern warnings. Let us take heed against such actions by learning from God’s word what must be done. David was angry with himself (see 2 Samuel 6:8). Had he read the book of Numbers, he would have learned the right way to transport the ark. Let us, dear friends, learn the right way to worship the LORD by doing as God prescribes.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

Titus 1:16 ~ “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”
 
We looked upon the dreary condition of the troubled Christian soul yesterday, learning that our own self-condemnation does not weigh upon God’s heart when He has already given us His pardon and discharged our debts in Christ.
 
But there is a greater danger lurking, a deception that is deadly and borne in the heart of those who make some acknowledgement of God but have nothing that bears testimony of belonging to Him. These are the false professors who bear no identifying marks of being born-again. Now there is no way of hanging false fruits upon the life. Religious orthodoxy, no matter how pristine in external appearance, will not be of any value when the heart still loves its sin. The Pharisees were of such a condition and our LORD Jesus condemned them, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). And this condition in any heart, no matter how vocal the profession, will leave the person within God’s Divine judgment.
 
As we take a look at our text for today, we read: “They profess to know God.” Here, dear ones, you will need a minor Greek lesson, for there are two distinct words concerning what it means “to know.” One word is “ginosko” and the other is “eido.” The former word means to have an intimate knowledge or to know by experience. The latter is to have a knowledge of intellect or to know by intuition without experience. In our text today, it is the latter and not the former that is in play here. These who “profess” in our text have no real faith in Christ Jesus, but only an intellectual or, worse, a self-defined knowledge of God. Having an intellectual awareness of God is not a bad thing in itself. It is necessary to have some awareness of the Almighty and let that understanding move you to seek to know Jesus by faith. But for those who refuse to come to Christ, deciding that they are sufficient in themselves with the knowledge that they have about God, will find themselves on the receiving end of God’s condemnation.
 
How, then, will it be evidenced that a person though professing to know God, shows themselves apart from Him? Our text continues: “but they deny him by their works.” Now, the works of the sinful nature are evident. Paul describes them in Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” But there are other works that may not be as evident as the works described above. Our LORD Jesus describes them in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” The two texts above seem to pose an unassailable paradox. Yet, they do not. The first text describes the evident wickedness of man. The second text above describes the self-righteous pride of man. For in the text from Matthew, we see those who claim the LORD as the motivation—but themselves as the agent. “Did WE not...” is the cry of the self-righteous. You could read it like this: “we did all these things and that should be good enough.” No love for Christ or faithfulness to Him, only an effort-driven desire to prove to God that they could do the works of Christ on their own.
 
And that brings us to the final statement of our text today: “They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” It is a dreadful judgment against the false professors, claiming an intellectual knowledge of God without any real desire to know Christ in humble submission to Him. Their works are sandcastles and when the tidal force of God’s judgment hammers against them, they will prove to be insubstantial. Beloved, it is a detestable thing to God to claim a knowledge of Him that has not moved you to truly know the Savior. A heart that loves sin and yet believes their self-righteous efforts will gain them glory are found in the false professors. My dear Christian friends, it will always be humble repentance and loving submission to Christ that marks the true believer.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​1 John 3:19-20 ~ “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”
 
God does not have opinions on matters. He does not hold onto speculations nor does He guess concerning His understanding of all humanity. The Almighty is never confused, confounded or deceived. He knows all things and is Himself the very essence of truth. God said of Himself in Isaiah 46:10 that He is the One, “declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.” David declared in Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Not one day that you have lived, or will ever live, has been missed by the LORD. He has seen them all, and He knows you even better than you know yourself.
 
And it is for this that I want to bring your thoughts upon today. I fear there is a crippling, debilitating condition that rests in the minds of many struggling Christians. It is a snare upon their hearts, a heavy load that keeps them from walking in confidence and joy with the LORD Jesus Christ. There are believers in Christ that hold to the notion that the LORD Almighty takes the same view of them as they do of themselves. We look to the middle of our text for today as we consider this. It says: “for whenever our heart condemns us.” Is this you? There are many—multitudes even—of God’s children who are born-again that will look at themselves in the mirror and wonder, even question, the very love of Christ. Not that they doubt that Christ does love, but that they will doubt very strongly that He could possibly love the person looking back at them in the mirror. And so, their hearts condemn them and set themselves apart from the wonderous grace of Christ—even though He has already delivered them.
 
Dear ones, let me tell you this with all candor, it is a lie of the enemy to think that you have to be “lovely” to be loved by God. Romans 5:8 debunks that notion immediately, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” You may have fallen into some snare or trap of temptation and found yourself sullied again, and grief has stricken you with such sorrow that you condemn yourself. But let that grief move you to repentance not to hopelessness. Run to the Savior, not away from Him. He is ready and willing to forgive the humble and repentant heart. He will receive you with mercy and grace. He tells the Apostle Paul that His grace is all-sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). Be sure of this—it is sufficient for you as well.
 
And consider this next statement in our text today: “God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.” If your heart condemns you—God is greater. You do not have an authority higher than the Almighty, even over your own heart. You cannot go to the Judge of all mankind, who has received you in Christ and accepted His sacrifice in your place, and then tell Him that you still must fall into the prison yard of hell. It will not happen, for you have been redeemed by that which is of far more worth than the debt of your sins. Do not fail to believe Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Are you in Christ Jesus? Have you received His mercy and grace and believed on Him? Do you look to Jesus now as the only hope and source for your salvation or do you think you need to add something more to His redemption for you? Oh, beloved, if you are in Christ leave off your self-condemnation and embrace the everlasting mercy of Jesus.
 
What then do you do when doubts creep in and your heart begins to condemn you again? How do you reassure yourself and find confidence before the LORD? This is how our text opens, “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him.” Yet, what is the “this” he refers to? I would have you read all of 1 John, chapter 3, but let us venture upon verse 14 just for a highlight, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” Look to the love you have for those who belong to Christ. In that, you will discover the grandeur of God’s salvation within you. But let me caution you: do not measure love by worldly standards. Genuine, godly love, is far more than the sentimental affections offered by the world. When you do find that God’s love abides in you—then set your heart at rest, and be assured that you are not condemned.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael 

​Numbers 14:8-9 ~ “If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
 
They were rescued from slavery in Egypt. God’s mighty hand delivered them through plagues inflicted against the nation that held them captive. Having plundered their captors, the nation of Israel departed and were led by a pillar of fire and cloud. They had crossed through the Red Sea on dry ground. In a display of absolute authority, the LORD God commanded the waters to separate and a great wind put a wall of water on either side as they crossed through. And now they stood on the brink of the promised land, having seen the great and mighty works of the LORD that brought them there and they were discouraged by the report of ten spies.
 
Two spies, however, had a different report. Caleb and Joshua ventured into the land with the others and came back with a better view. For they had their eyes not on the challenges that lay before them but on the God who was leading them. Consider the beginning of our text today: “If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us.” Who does the LORD take delight in? Those who fear the LORD and trust in Him, who love the LORD God and will obediently do what He commands, these are the ones whom the LORD takes delight. Samuel reported this to be true in 1 Samuel 15:22, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” Consider also the word of God in Jeremiah 9:24, “But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”
 
This great nation delivered out of the grip of Egypt had already been promised the land that lay before them. God had promised it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was to be given to them by the LORD, but not on a silver platter or with no effort of faithfulness on the part of Israel. They were to go in and conquer the land. God had promised it, but they needed to have faith and move forward. Joshua and Caleb urged the people against two things: rebellion and improper fear. Our text today continues, “Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land.” How were the people of Israel set to rebel against the LORD? It is found in Numbers 14:4, “And they said to one another, ‘Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’” They were ready to reject God and His chosen servant, Moses. They wanted choose a new leader to take them back into slavery and were ready to discard ever reaching the promised land. Why did this come about? Because they feared the people of the land more than they feared the LORD who delivered them from Egypt. Where did this fear arise except from the faithless ten spies who had gone into the land. Consider Numbers 13:32-33, “So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.’”
 
Oh, my dear friends, let us trust in the LORD with all our hearts. Having faith in God does not mean that we are merely passive observers in life. We are commanded by God to trust Him and go forward in faithfulness to His word. Faith requires that we trust Him to do all that He has promised, but we only will experience such promises when we step in obedience to what He has commanded. Proverbs 29:25 states, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” Has Christ Jesus called you to walk in this world along paths of ease? No, for troubles assaulted Him and we are to follow in His steps (see 1 Peter 2:21).
 
Do not fear, beloved. If God has called you to walk through times of trial, then He will uphold you in the journey. But do not turn back to the world. Even if you have troubles as a Christian, you are headed to a promised land wherein is everlasting life. To be enslaved to the world is death. Let us, instead, have faith in Christ and go forward.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Ephesians 5:15-16 ~ “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
 
In a world filled with amusements that are meant to steer your mind and attention away from that which is of the LORD, how well do you “look carefully?” In truth most of humanity flirt with all manner of distractions that steal our time and rob us of the precious commodity of minutes in our days. How often have I taken time away from that which is noble and spent it upon frivolous pursuits that garnered me nothing and offered no real glory to God. And I am convinced that most of those who read this today must honestly confess that they’ve done so too. Teachers must now work with students who have such a limited attention span that it takes most of their effort just to keep the children engaged in the work. Preachers of the past, who provided lengthy expositions of deep truths, have been replaced by modern-day presenters who offer little more than a montage of platitudes. Oh, my dear friends, let us take this command seriously and look carefully.
 
But what shall we look at? We must look carefully at “how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.” This journey that we are on from the cradle to the grave is littered with all manner of obstacles and frivolities that will deceive and trip us up along the way. It is an easy thing to walk with the foolish things of this world. The entire demand of our society today is to give in to the base natures of our sinfulness and conform our lives to our passions. Titus 3:3 states, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” To go through life in that manner is truly foolish. But we must walk as one who is wise. And, beloved, there is no wisdom greater than the wisdom of God. Let us strive to walk in His wisdom, learning and determined to step forward by faith in His word and trust that He knows better than we the course we are to take. Consider how James describes the wisdom of God, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17). Dear ones, if you have been walking a foolish road, stepping away from faithfulness to the LORD and trusting in your own instincts and your own understanding, then stop immediately and commit again your walk to the LORD. Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.”
 
Our text today continues, “making the best use of the time.” Let there be no more wasting time, but let us strive to make the best use of the time that we have. We read in Ecclesiastes 7:8, “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.” The end of a thing is its summation, the conclusion and final tally of what the life has become. You, dear Christian, reach out and comprehend your heart’s final beat so that each one would be counted for the glory of God. Let us fill our hearts and minds with the wisdom of God that we should redeem the time we have. Many moments lay before you, what will you do with them? Will you overwork when you ought to rest? Will you lounge when you know that God has commanded you to strive? Our LORD Jesus tells us, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). The plow is to follow Christ and your hand your faith. If you have put your hand upon the plow, do not look back to the world.
 
Our text today clearly tells us why we must make the best use of our time: “because the days are evil.” These are wicked days we journey through and it requires the wisdom of God to walk through them. A soldier behind enemy lines will not take lightly his situation. He will keep himself vigilant and aware of his surroundings. So you too, dear Christian, must know that you are upon enemy territory, making incursions to rescue those who are held captive to sin. Now is not the time for indifference. If you decide to play with the world, you may discover that there is a trap waiting for you. The alluring illusions that the world will display are like the mirage in the desert, or worse, the bait for the prey.
 
There are two roads upon which the world can travel, but only one will lead us to the LORD. Guard your steps, beloved, there still are devils at work around you. Let us hold our feet firmly upon the road of faithfulness to Christ.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​1 Samuel 30:23-25 ~ “But David said, ‘You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.’ And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.”
 
Have you labored hard for the Master and worked His fields through the strong efforts of your tested endurance? Perhaps you have seen the spiritual battle up close and fought on behalf of our King of kings through long days of difficulty. Or, perhaps, you were not selected for such assignments from our LORD and you see those who have gone to great lengths for the sake of the gospel and wonder if your work is of any interest to King Jesus. Maybe some have returned from great missional quests with an air of superiority. 1 Samuel 30:27 illuminates such persons, “Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, ‘Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.’” I want you to know, beloved, that the LORD does not look upon our labors as man does. God has assigned each his portion and his tasks and our King is glorified and satisfied when we serve Him.
 
In our text today, I would have you read all of 1 Samuel 30. The Amalekites had taken captive all the women from David’s contingent. David and his fighting men went after the raiders, leaving behind 200 men to guard the camp and the provisions left behind. After David’s victory, they returned with all their wives, and rejoined the 200. Yet, those who fought with David viewed their efforts with greater glory than those who remained at the encampment. But David would have none of it, establishing the precedent that all who were with him would enjoy the same victory and receive the same reward.
 
And this is the point I want to make for you today. The LORD leads out His church on a rescue mission to recover those who are held captive in sin. He goes forth as the King of kings, leading His host into the spiritual battle that lay before us. What we must never do is begin the process of making comparisons of one person’s task over another’s. Consider the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:13, “But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.” Not one person who belongs to the LORD Jesus can have any boasting over another, for we are all assigned to the duties and responsibilities that the King has commanded. There are some who take to the streets with the gospel of Christ, spreading His message of salvation to all who will listen. There are others who, unable to go to the streets, remains at the encampment of the church and offers prayers and support as they are able. All are sharers in the work, and all will be sharers in the rewards. We find this sentiment in David as we consider our text today, “For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage.”
 
Jesus gives us a parable to illuminate this. If you have a moment, read Matthew 20:1-16. We find the telling statement in Matthew 20:14, “Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.” It is the determination of the King of kings to give as He has purposed. All who belong to Christ are inheritors of the kingdom. In Luke 22:29 Jesus says, “and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom.” We must not set it in our hearts that there is a greater or lesser service for the LORD. Dear ones, if you are assigned a task to perform by the King, take it as a great and high honor to be chosen by Him to fulfill a task. Let us do as Jesus speaks in John 4:36 and rejoice together, “Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.” In so doing, we will discover that we shall take no selfish pride in our work, nor shall we be ashamed of our tasks. But each will receive His commendation from God and we shall rejoice in the victory of Christ together.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael 

​Galatians 6:1 ~ “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
 
Let us not be swift to condemnation nor discard a brother or sister in Christ who has been overcome in some transgression of life. For be sure of this, there is no sin which has overtaken any man that is not seeded into the heart of all. You and I may find some sin so horrible that it would be impossible that we should act in such a manner. If that be the case, then give praise to the LORD God who has given you a special grace in your conscience that keeps you from falling. Not all are so gently dealt with, and you may find that the LORD will lift the restraints upon your heart to test you as well.
 
The enemy may have tested and tried a believer, shooting his cannons of temptations until a breach in the hull has occurred. He has punctured a hole in the waterline of the ship of some person’s life and they are now taking on water and will sink into despair and anguish of soul. This person is now, as our text today reads, “caught in any transgression.” Dear reader, are you one such soul? Has there been a war against your resolve to walk with Christ, and temptations have sorely tried your endurance? The idea of being “caught” is not the notion of being “found out” but of being entangled in a net. It is to be overtaken, ensnared in the spider’s web and you’re the fly. Let me tell you this, my dear, dear friend: there is mercy with the LORD. James 2:13 reminds us, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Call out to the LORD Jesus, for He will grant you mercy and grace. The very name God revealed to Moses is rich with the promise of grace to those who seek Him. “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness’” (Exodus 34:6).
 
As we further consider our text for today, we move into the actual work of restoration. Our text continues, “you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” There are three thoughts I want to give you as we explore this word. First, there are those who are qualified to restore. Second, there is a definite effort to be made. And, third, there is an attitude that must be expressed.
 
The qualification is simple: “you who are spiritual.” This does not mean those who consider themselves superior to another, as if they had a better view of Christ, but those who have the mind of the Spirit of Christ, who are humble towards their brothers and sisters. All you have to do is go back to Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Those who bear forth the fruit of the Spirit will be the ones who are “spiritual.” The effort is real—you “should restore him.” The term describes the process of being “repaired” in order to bring it back to its proper condition. An illustration of this can be found with James and John mending their nets, “And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them” (Matthew 4:21). We are to help “mend” those who have been torn apart by transgression. And we must do so with the right attitude, “in a spirit of gentleness.” Let us not run rough-shod over those who are caught in transgression, but with patience and humility, let us walk with our brothers and sisters out of their sin. Ephesians 4:2 tells us we are to walk, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”
 
There is a strong caution that comes with this command of God to restore our fallen brothers. Our text concludes with the statement, “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Beloved, you must take heed for your own soul. You are not immune from that which has captured another, and if you do not keep watch, the risk of falling is great. 1 Corinthians 10:12 tells us, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
 
What a remarkable call it is to be used of God for the rebuilding of a broken life. Dear Christian, walk in humility and live with mercy. God can use such a person to help another out of their transgressions. And if you are in such a state of brokenness, where the webs of sin have entangled you, cry out to the LORD and seek His mercy. Find those who are walking in humility and grace. They are there to help you in the work of restoration.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Amos 8:11 ~ “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the LORD God, ‘when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD’.”
 
The world suffers from a dearth of hearing the Scriptures proclaimed. Many Christian outposts facilitate programs and structure their days with a plethora of activities, but who is offering the word of God? Communities perish for a lack of food and water, and they will go to great lengths to find the basic necessities of life. But how quickly do the Scriptures get dismissed with seeming indifference. Let me ask you this, as we press into our text for today: if the Bible was taken from you and you no longer had access to the words of God, would your life change in any way? Would you feel the hunger pangs of the soul, craving the spiritual food that the LORD has given to His people? 1 Peter 2:2 tell us to, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” What a precious thing it is to have the word of God, for its removal is a judgment from the LORD.
 
And this is where we begin, as the text for today states that this “famine” is from the LORD. God Almighty has the authority to withhold His own word. He will keep silent, even removing those who proclaim it, as a judgement against the nations. Consider what the LORD said in Jeremiah 8:9, “The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them?” Those in this world who are considered wise, and yet have rejected God’s word, cannot have any wisdom in them at all—for they have rejected the very source of Divine wisdom. How dreadful it will be upon a society that upholds as great thinkers those who have forsaken the Scriptures.
 
This warning from God must be heeded with great interest. Imagine you were convinced a famine of food and water was declared for the future. It was a certainty, and you were given fair warning. What would you do? Would you not store away all the necessary commodities in order to weather out the days of deprivation? Even as Joseph did for Egypt, “And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine” (Genesis 41:35-36). Should you not take warning from the LORD and store up in the reservoir of your memory the very words of God? Would this not be a good time, while we still have opportunity, to listen often to the preaching of the Scriptures? If we are in a day of plenty, let us not set upon our beds of ease but actively engage our lives in the word of God.
 
For, as our text today says, “behold, the days are coming.” Have those days arrived? As we gaze out upon the world and consider the various societies and communities where we live, it is easy to see the drought of hearing the words of the LORD. Like looking at a river when there’s been no rain, the once rushing torrent has become merely a trickle of water. There is still a stream, but it is fast becoming dry. Jesus our LORD said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38). If there is a drought of God’s word, could it be that it is caused by the lack of true belief in Christ according to Scripture? Let us then be God’s people and believe on the LORD Jesus according to His word and not according to our imaginations. The rivers are running dry and a drought is coming on the land. Let us be as Psalm 84:6 describes, “As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.” The Valley of Baca was an arid place, and yet as the faithful pass through they will make it a place of springs. As we pass through this barren world, should we not flood the land with rivers of living water—the word of God? If in God’s sovereign judgment there is to be a famine and drought of hearing the words of God, let us not be the cause.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Ezekiel 47:12 ~ “And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
 
As we enter into the season of Autumn, and the warm air of summer gives way to the crisp breezes that signal the end of the growing season, we light upon a reminder today of the great abundance of the LORD, promised to His people. The day is coming that we shall no longer fear the dreaded disappointments of this world. Though this world is rich in resources and the labor of the hands of man bring forth its bounty, yet in that everlasting home the LORD will sustain His people with plenty.  It does not mean we shall no longer have tasks to do, for work is a glory to the LORD. But the curse upon man was thus: “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground” (Genesis 3:17-19). It is through intense labor that we bring forth the needed bounty, but in that holy place we shall work with joy, filled with the delights of a perpetual harvest. Consider what the LORD says in Amos 9:13, “’Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.’”
 
As we look upon our text for today, we read: “And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food.” What a tremendous promise; there will be access for all who are in that heavenly kingdom. Neither on the one side or the other will there be a lack, for both sides shall produce in abundance from all kinds of trees. How dreadful it is today that there is such scarcity of the necessary produce for life. The famines of food and water are dreadful, and we must uphold the call of God to do what we can with what we have to help those in need. Someday, however, all that will be over for the children of Christ. Even now we see in nature the illustration that illuminates what will come. Numbers 14:8 says, “If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.” Consider this: the mother cow produces more milk than is needed for the calf and the honey bee produces more honey than is needed for the hive. In both, God uses them to provide for His people. This is a rich illustration of the abundance of God promised to those who enter into His heavenly promised land.
 
We glance again at our text and we see the sustaining source of this abundant life flows from the very temple of God: “Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary.” In our world today, we watch the turning of the leaves as autumn gently pushes summer from her place. The fresh fruit will be harvested and the trees will grow dormant as winter draws near. But in His Kingdom it will be ever green. No leaf will wither, for death cannot enter the place of everlasting life. And there the fruit will not fail, for it cannot help but grow ripe as it drinks deep the water of life. All that flows from Christ gives life—for He is the way, truth and life (see John 14:6). Jesus spoke to the woman at the well in Samaria and said, “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Drink deep, beloved, this water of life and let it sustain you unto eternal life.
 
Finally, we gaze upon our text today and read, “Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” This world is riddled with famine and disease. Life cannot be sustained without the one and it becomes deficient because of the other. Our LORD Jesus walked through this world and His power healed many of their diseases, even reversing the effects and decays of death. And, someday, the very river flowing from the temple will enrich the trees of the LORD so that they will always sustain His children and restore them from all illness. Revelation 21:4 declares, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
 
While we dwell in the autumn of this world, let us look for the glorious sunrise of that everlasting day. Even as I write this, I long for the day when I will be with my LORD. His love will wash away my sorrows and from His temple will come the full and fruitful life, the abundance promised to all who believe. I hope this has stirred in you a longing for Jesus as well.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Ecclesiastes 7:20 ~ “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”
 
My dear Christian friends, let us quickly dispense with the notion that there is any among us who has, within the full vigor of their daily lives, behaved in such a manner as to have never sinned. The rich young ruler who came to Jesus with the desire for eternal life opened the conversation by addressing Jesus with the moniker, “good teacher” (see Mark 10:17). The response of our LORD is the only true response when it comes to anyone in this world, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). I, as with all who belong to Christ, have a deep yearning for goodness, and yet it is often an elusive trait. Even the great Apostle Paul understood the vaporous condition of his own desire to be righteous. Consider his words in Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” And yet, how quickly we are caught in the trap of considering ourselves in a category of being “good.” We’ve achieved certain levels of success, or have arrived at some moral high ground that gives us the illusion that we are good. Or, worse yet, we merely compare ourselves with those around us and default to the idea that at least we are good in comparison. Let us depart from such perceptions.
 
Our text today opens with the inner condition of every person as it states, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth.” In truth, we are all unrighteous within. The idea of being “righteous” in our text today is akin to being a person who is “just” or “having the quality of righteousness.” In truth, at the core of every human heart is a state of being that is unjust and unrighteous before God. Romans 3:10 tells us clearly, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one.’” Before the days of Noah and the flood, Genesis 6:5 describes the condition of mankind, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Dear Christian, let us acknowledge the truth that there is not one good person upon the earth—including us.
 
And then, as our text continues, we read that the behavior follows the inner heart when it says there is not a man on earth, “who does good and never sins.” There are those who do good works. There are many who embrace causes that are beneficial to others and seemingly altruistic in their pursuit. However, it is the second part of the phase that must be addressed—and never sins. Sinless perfection in every thought, word and deed is a state of being that is foreign to every person on earth. We know that the Bible speaks the truth when it declares, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Not one person—including all Christians—has ever done good with no drop of sin attached. And though, as believers in Christ, we would like to divorce ourselves from the nature that causes us to fall in sin, we discover that sin is still a constant companion.
 
So, why do I tell you this? Am I suggesting that we can never be fully free from the despicable nature that continues to drag us down into the mire of sin? Not at all. Beloved, I tell you this for three reasons. First, that you should be merciful to those who find themselves struggling in sin. We are commanded in Galatians 6:1, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Second, that all who read this will take to heart the caution in this text. We must be vigilant to avoid temptations. To use this command of Jesus as the basic principle, hear the words of Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And, third, if you have found yourself ensnared in sin, then run to the LORD Jesus who has come to forgive and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 is a very familiar passage for many, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
 
As we close this out for today, let us strive to show the same mercy and grace that the LORD has shown to us. Proverbs 17:9 states, “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.” There is not one man in this world who can say they have never sinned. Only our LORD Jesus was perfect, sinless and completely holy. Someday we will be made so in Him. But while we walk this earth, we discover our opening text is still so very true of us.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Psalm 103: 13-14 ~ “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”
 
How quickly we forget who we really are. But the LORD does not forget. Our hubris rises to heights of unparalleled pride when we think that we have our lives figured out. However, a sober analysis of one’s life will bring with it a humbling understanding that we have no cause for such arrogance. God, the Almighty, knows what we often forget—that we are merely dust. Lest we forget, let us recall the moment that man took his first breath. “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7). It was God who made us. It was God who breathed life into us. And it is God, through it all, that sustains all creatures called man.
 
But, dear Christian, let us first take comfort in this knowledge that has not escaped God Almighty. I would encourage you, even now, to read the entirety of Psalm 103. It is good practice to gain the context of any Scripture and it will give you insight into our text for today. You may be asking how can one gain comfort from the statement, “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust?” We find comfort here for it is the testimony of God who knows that we are without strength of our own. God knows our weakness; He knows that we are as feeble as an anthill in a tornado. One quick brush with trouble and we are blown by the winds. The worldly enticements that abound, the inner passions that rage and the ever-ready enemy of the Almighty would tempt us to oblivion. The compassion of the LORD is upon those who fear Him. Even as it says in our text today, “so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” Consider what it says it says in Psalm 103:10, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” We have a loving, gracious, merciful Savior who will forgive our trespasses and deliver us from the penalty of our sins—for He, Himself, was crushed for our iniquities (see Isaiah 53:5).
 
Now, beloved, let us next take wisdom from this statement. Perhaps you’ve asked, what wisdom can be found for us in this declaration: “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” There are several that could be gleaned from this text, but there are two that I want to make clear for you today. The first is this: you have not one ounce of strength to be able to withstand the onslaught of the temptations that abound in this world. That might sound rather defeatist. But, my friends, let us take our understanding of ourselves from God’s knowledge of us. If He knows our frame, let us know it as He does. If He sees that we are merely dust, let us remember that for ourselves. And, then, with that knowledge firmly set in our thinking, let us run to the only One who has the strength and grace to uphold us—the LORD Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The second is this: every other person around you is also in the same condition that you are. There is not one person less “dusty” than you. Every person you have ever seen, known, or are aware of is a person who is merely dust as you are. They are weak without God and need His mercy and forgiveness as much as you or I. Every human that has failed has merely proved their weakness and every person who has seemingly remained steadfast either is able to disguise their weakness or has found that Christ alone secures them. The LORD spoke to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
 
Dear Christian, have you discovered that you are weak, frail and merely dust? Then, I would urge you to run to your Creator and find His grace sufficient and His strength secure. He will forgive your transgressions and remove your iniquity. Let us do as Psalm 103:2 says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” We must remember who we are as God knows us. But we must also remember the LORD as He has revealed Himself. For those who fear the LORD, they will find God Almighty to be a Savior who is slow to anger, abounding in love, and filled with mercy.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​1 Peter 4:19 ~ “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
 
It is a difficult for some to comprehend this, but the suffering that a child of God experiences is bound up in the will of God. At the conversion of Saul, the man who would become the Apostle Paul, the LORD spoke to Ananias in Acts 9:16, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Ananias was sent to Saul by the LORD Jesus and was told that Saul of Tarsus was a chosen instrument to carry the gospel. Yet, connected to that work of service, there was a definite promise of suffering that would accompany the task. We suffer “according to God’s will” for the purpose of bringing glory to His name as a witness of the salvation wrought within our hearts. 1 Peter 4:12 tells us this is not something strange that is coming upon the Christian. We are directed, then, to rejoice, “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13).
 
But why does God allow suffering? Why is it in His will for His children? An old adage states that the warrior is not proved on the practice field but the battle field. It is only in times of strife that any believer has the full opportunity to put on display the enduring salvation of Christ. Peter expounds on this in the beginning of his letter. Consider 1 Peter 1:6-7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Your faith is being tested and proved genuine for it withstands the stresses of suffering and endures the variety of trials.
 
So, my dear friends, what is a Christian to do when facing trials of various kinds? How should a believer live in times of strife? Our text today gives us the response we need to make when walking through the fiery trials: “entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” There are two qualities from this response that we will look at today.
 
First, we are to “entrust” our souls to a Faithful Creator. This is to place, as on deposit, our entire life in the care of the LORD and be committed to follow Him through all circumstances. Why, in times of suffering, are we commanded to entrust our souls with the LORD? Because, when difficulty happens in our lives, there are those who will decide for themselves that God does not act in such a manner. Peter reiterates the idea that it is God’s will that His children go through times of hardship, “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17). The classic example of trusting God through suffering and recognizing it as God’s will, is Joseph. Genesis 50:20 says, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Hated by his brothers and sold into slavery, Joseph endured years of suffering. And, yet, that was all part of God’s purpose to bring about the deliverance of two nations, Israel and Egypt. Our LORD Jesus went to the cross for the will of the Father. Every Christian who desires to walk in faithfulness to the LORD must trust the LORD even—or, especially—during times of strife.
 
The second is simple: “while doing good.” Do not use strife as an excuse for a lack of doing good. We must continue to do good even when the going gets rough and the way is hard. Galatians 6:9 tells us, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” You might say, “what if they hate me?” Then, you trust the LORD and do good. “What if our faith is outlawed?” Then you trust and do good. What a wonderful testimony it is when God’s people do good even to those who hate them. It is a testimony of the power of our gracious God who can work in a person even when they are facing strife. The greatest example is of our LORD Jesus who, on the cross, looked down to His mother and still took care of her earthly needs. John 19:26-27 illuminates this, “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
 
God has not lost hold of you, even when you are going through times of strife. You can entrust your soul to the care of our all-wise Savior and God. And, dear Christian, you can do good wherever you are. Your circumstances do not dictate the heart with which you work to help those around you. You may not be able to do everything you want, but you can still do good.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Matthew 12:20 ~ “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.”
 
Oh, broken saints of Christ, do not fear that you’re going to be set aside by the LORD Jesus. The compassion and care that Jesus has for you is far more than you can comprehend. He has taken you into His hands and will not release you. Perhaps you cannot see His tenderness in this moment, but know that it is abiding always and He will never quench the fire of His love for you. You may sense a growing apprehension within your heart, but it is not from the LORD, for His love never ceases as we see in Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” You may have suffered at the hands of this world, you may be in the throws of difficulty, and your strength has failed. Yet you are not forgotten by the Almighty Savior. As our text declares, He will bring justice to victory—and His victory will be shared with all who are His own.
 
As we read in our text today, “A bruised reed he will not break.” Take this to heart, dear ones, for Jesus holds you and will not let you be destroyed. The children, in the days when our LORD walked this earth, would fashion small flutes from the reeds along the shore. They would play them with joy in their adolescent delight. Yet, it was not long before the constant use would cause the reed to grow feeble and weak, eventually becoming flimsy and bruised so that it would no longer play a tune. With little thought the child would simply break the reed and pluck a new one from the rushes to make a new flute. Are you, my friend, a bruised reed? Do you find that your life has little music left to play? Consider the words of Psalm 137:1, “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.” Perhaps you remember the days when it seemed that your life was filled with the joy of the LORD and your heart sang for delight in His great salvation. And now your bruised with the sufferings of this world. But take heart, beloved. Your Savior still holds the bruised reed and He will not break it. He will hold you until the day of victory, and you will again be made new in the presence of the King.
 
Or, you may find your mind dwelling on the second part of our text today, “and a smoldering wick he will not quench.” In the night, when the lamps that illuminated the darkness dimmed and the wick was burned down to a mere fragment and little oil could rise up and keep the flame bright, the lamp would smolder and smoke so that it needed to be changed. They would quench the remaining embers of the wick and replace it with one fresh and new so that the oil of the lamp could rise up and again illuminate the room. Has the fire dimmed in your heart which once burned bright with the oil of faith? Has the well-lit flame that broke through the darkness and gave light to all has diminished to a smoldering ember of its former self? You may have given up, but the LORD will not quench the remaining spark that could again be refreshed into a radiant flame. He does not quench even the smoldering wick, and will bring hope again to despair. Hear the words from Isaiah 61:3 as it is promised that the LORD will grant, “the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.” Dear, faint-hearted Christian, there is great hope in the LORD. His Spirit will refresh you with gladness, for Christ has anointed all who belong to Him that that should be forever His.
 
And, even now, by faith you can find your heart renewed in Christ. If you are a bruised reed or a smoldering wick, the LORD Jesus can restore the joy of your heart and the fire of your faith. Consider the words of 1 Peter 5:10, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” If you belong to Christ Jesus, then you are held in the hands of the One who does not break or quench His children. He restores. Look to Him and know His love and grace. It is yours in abundance. When you do, you might just discover the music of your heart returning to sing with joy for the LORD and the fire of your faith ignited to burn ever brighter than it did before.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Acts 9:31 ~ “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”
 
It is good for the church to live in a state of peace. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Sometimes it does depend on us, holding fast to the peace of Christ and living in society for the betterment of those around us. Sometimes, the church has no effect upon the state of peace that it will experience. The rampaging hatred of Saul of Tarsus gave evidence to this. Acts 9:1-2 testifies to his violence against the church, “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” And yet the LORD Jesus would bring the gospel to light for this man and save his soul. Once that was done, the key agent against the disciples of Jesus became the advocate for the gospel and apostle of the LORD.
 
Once the principal instrument against the church was converted to Christ, the current climate softened for the believers and they experienced a time of peace. We look to our text for today and read, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up.” This was more than a localized experience for this peace occurred in all the regions of Israel (Judea, Galilee and Samaria). Though Saul, as a new believer in Christ, faced his own persecution and death threats (see Acts 9:23-30), the vitriol against the entire church had subsided. It is true that hardship and persecution strengthens the church, but the LORD will also use these times of peace for the building up of the body of Christ. And what a sigh of relief must have come over the churches of the region when this peace arrived.
 
Let us borrow a principle from Colossians 4:5, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” It is important for the church to make the best use of the times of peace that are experienced. It should never be a time for the church to lounge in repose and become soft and unconcerned. If God has granted to us a season of peace, let us make the most of it. If we can freely gather, and do not have to congregate in fear of persecution, we ought to find ourselves often in fellowship. If the Word of God is openly proclaimed and taught and not banned and burned by the world, let us do all we can to use this time to easily learn and grow in the knowledge and application of Scripture. These times of peace are not always ours to enjoy so when they come, let us use them wisely, which is the second half of our text today.
 
We read in the second part of the text, “And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” In times of peace, it is not the time for any believer to walk carelessly in their Christian faith. In fact, there is a greater need for us to walk in the fear of the LORD when we are experiencing a time of peace. In such times, it is an easy thing to grow thoughtless about our relationship with God. Consider the warning of Deuteronomy 8:13-14, “When your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Becoming comfortable in this world can lead to an apathetic condition in the soul.
 
So, let us do as the text expresses and walk in the fear of the LORD, understanding that God is sovereign over all things, whether times of peace or pressure. And, in knowing the fear of God, we discover that we also have the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Our journey forward ought to be with those two conditions as part of our daily experience—the fear of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. When both of those qualities become the order of our lives, then we will also see that the church is multiplied. Why? Simply this: those who know us will discover through us the very salvation that God has given to us—even in times of peace.
 
It is good for the church to live in times of peace. Let us make the most of it when it comes.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​2 Peter 1:1-2 ~ “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
 
We elevate those who are written in Scripture with an idealized conception of their great standing with the LORD. Some might think that truly the apostles of Jesus were of greater worth and possessed a status far superior to the common Christian who responded to the call of faith. Yet the Apostle Peter, himself, testified in this opening of his second letter he knew that all who belong to Christ have equal standing with God.
 
There are two different qualities that Peter addresses in this greeting he gives to the church. Consider what he says about himself, “a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.” Those two qualities are thus: his relationship with the LORD and his responsibility from the LORD. First, he knows himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. It is a simple term that means “slave.” This is the relationship of all who belong to the LORD. All who come to Jesus by faith are bound to Him in absolute trust and have no other authority over their lives. It does not mean that there is enmity or discord—for the servants of Jesus Christ has found Him to be a loving and benevolent Savior and LORD. Second, Peter has received a responsibility from the LORD that is required of him to fulfill. His responsibility does not make him of greater standing, for all of God’s people are called upon by the LORD to serve in their various capacities as directed by God. As an apostle of Christ, Peter had authority given him by Jesus. But even then, he was as all believers—a servant of Christ.
 
With that in mind, it eliminates the idea that a person is of greater standing. The second part of our text today clearly reveals that Peter did not hold himself as someone of greater worth than others. As he writes in his greeting, “to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” We think back to the time when James and John posed the question before the LORD about sitting in positions of authority (see Mark 10:35-37). Yet, let us hear the words of our LORD as He responds to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45). Dwell on this thought for just a moment—you have obtained a faith of equal standing with the very apostles that Jesus first called. You are not in a state of second-class citizenry or considered of less worth than those whom the LORD appointed as apostles. For, beloved, you were called in the same manner that they were—"by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” The same righteousness that you needed, they needed. The same mercy and grace that came to you, came to them. If your faith is placed in Christ alone, you have been brought in and numbered among the redeemed.
 
With that knowledge squarely set upon your minds, we draw ourselves to the final statement of Peter’s greeting and the final portion of our text for today. “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Two grand qualities of the Christian life are grace and peace. We need grace to endure the long struggle against sin, and we need peace to stand calmly in a world going mad. We know God’s grace is sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). We know that Jesus has promised us peace (see John 14:27). And Peter shows the potential for these qualities to grow abundantly—but only in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our LORD. How plainly true it is that the more you grow in the knowledge of God, the greater awareness of His grace and peace grows within your heart. But this is more than just knowledge of awareness, it is knowledge of relationship. This is as different as a man in the desert versus a man out to sea knowing that the ocean is wet. One has information, the other has understanding.
 
Peter closes this letter where he began, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). You, dear Christian, have been given the same faith as the apostles. So I encourage you to let this prayer be yours: that God will fill you with the knowledge of Christ and be enriched abundantly in His grace and peace.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​1 John 2:1 ~ “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
 
Sin, dear Christian, is the direct enemy of your soul. We wage wars against foreign adversaries, and go into great confrontations with various ideologies, and sometimes those are necessary conflicts. But who goes to battle with the sin that would devastate your very life? 1 Peter 2:11 states, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” They may start out as little things, merely small agreements with minor sins that would cause no one harm. Except that even those small sins stain and corrupt the heart. For a small sin tolerated in your heart will ultimately lead to a mighty wickedness that devours everything within you. Small lies will grow into great deceptions. Minor angers will expand into grand hostilities. Little indulgences soon devour the soul with unrestrained desires. Within every “small” sin is the seed for a great iniquity.
 
As we consider our text today, we find the Apostle John, with tender concern and yet quite direct, giving us the reason he wrote this letter: “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” There are ample reasons to come to the Word of God. We learn and grow in His grace, or we find more of the LORD Jesus and grow to love Him and discover how to serve Him. Yet, how many of God’s people come to the Scriptures for this reason—to find what is needed that we might not sin? It should be the desire of every believer to walk in this world for the glory of God. We must desire righteousness and forsake wickedness. We must come to “these things” that are written for just that purpose. David wrote in Psalm 119:11, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” There are many who, of their own power or effort, or with their own wisdom, try to overcome sin and find the means by which they can live to please the LORD. Beloved, let me encourage you to come to God’s word. He has already told you what He requires, and He has made the way for you to be made righteous through Jesus Christ.
 
And, as you read this, you, like many others including myself, have to face the discouraging (sometimes even debilitating) truth that we do not live up to the righteousness that God requires. We read that we are supposed to “not sin,” and then in despair, look at the person in the mirror and realize that we do. Sin still afflicts us. We understand what Paul meant when, in Romans 7:18-19 he says, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” What can a believer do when the sinful flesh overcomes the righteous desire? Let us draw into the second part of our text, for in it is great hope and grace. We read, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” It is a testimony of the grace of our LORD Jesus that, though He commands us to holiness and calls us to righteous living, yet He comforts us in the promise that He will still advocate on our behalf before the Father. He has not abandoned us upon our first failure as His child. Nor will He abandon us. His blood is our defense, for He is the propitiation for our sins (see 1 John 2:2).
 
This does not open the door, however, for the unleashing of our fleshly desires. We run against the question: “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1). And the answer is: “by no means!” Again, as we began, we must go to war against our own sins. We struggle and strain against that which wars against our soul and combat those desires that are contrary to the LORD’s clear word. And when we find our feet slipping in the mire of our sinful flesh, we cry out to Jesus in confession of sin and He will forgive our trespasses and cleanse us from sin. He does not comfort us in our sin, but will cleanse us from it.
 
 But how do we combat this ever-present enemy? Take a moment and read 1 John 1:7-9. First, we are to “walk in the light, as he is in the light.” Second, we are to “confess our sins.” As you walk in the light, it will reveal your sin. When your sin is revealed, confess and repent and trust the Advocate who will forgive, cleanse and be your sure defense.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael 

Genesis 22:14 ~ “So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’”
 
Many know the famed story of Abraham taking Isaac up the mountain in obedience to God’s command. If you are unfamiliar with it, I encourage you to read Genesis chapter 22 in its entirety. It is in Genesis 22:2 that we hear God’s command, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” It seems like an unreasonable request. Isaac was the son of promise, through whom the LORD God would ultimately bring forth the nation of Israel (see Genesis 21:12). Why would God command Abraham to end the life of his son?
 
If you know the story, or have now just read it, it was a test of faith for Abraham, to see if the patriarch feared the LORD God and would not hold back even his most precious son. We read God’s word spoken by the angel in Genesis 22:12, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” Abraham had become so true to God that even that which he valued most he would willingly sacrifice if God required it. Hebrews 11:19 testifies concerning Abraham’s faith, “He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”
 
But why did Abraham call the place, “the LORD will provide?” Simple: because the LORD did provide—God Almighty provided a ram caught in a thicket that Abraham could offer a sacrifice in place of Isaac. A precious, innocent, substitute was given by God for the life of Isaac. Abraham trusted the LORD with such faith that even before he tied Isaac upon the altar he said, “God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). And this is the part that we must cast our mind upon.
 
Many think it cruel of the LORD to command Abraham to take his son and kill him. And, from our vantage point of human understanding, it may very well look like that. However, God has the right to command the death of every single person who ever walked this earth. He is the Just Judge of all mankind, and we are all guilty of capital crimes against the LORD. God says in Ezekiel 18:4, “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.” Paul clearly tells us in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And then we follow up that statement with this judgment, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). Dear ones, God is just and righteous and if He commands the death of someone, there is no injustice with that sentence.
 
But now we come to the profound statement of our text today: “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” What shall be provided? Surely Abraham was not speaking of some vast quantity of earthly treasures or some wealthy enrichment of this temporary life. Several have misconstrued this text to mean that God will provide them with some measure of prosperity or worldly fortune. All you have to do is read the text and ask a simple question: what was provided on the mountain? It was the substitute, the lamb that took the place of Isaac, the ram caught in a thicket who became the sacrifice in Isaac’s stead. That, beloved, is what it means that it was going to be provided on the mountain—that your atonement and mine would be paid by another.
 
Let us look, then, to the same mountain in 2 Chronicles 3:1, “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” There the temple was built. And from there the LORD Jesus was taken out of the city and up to Golgotha to be executed. It was there that the LORD gave His life as a substitute for us. It was there, on the mountain of the LORD that the Lamb of God was provided.
 
Before we conclude for today, it will benefit us to read Hebrews 13:12-13, “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.” Dear friends, let us go to Him. Wherever you are right now, stop and look up to Jesus who is the Redeemer and thank Him for taking your place and being the atoning sacrifice for our sins. And know that salvation was provided by Jesus on the mountain.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Proverbs 13:20 ~ “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
 
Have you ever evaluated the company you keep? There is a journey that all of us will travel, a road through life that we must navigate correctly. Much of what we discover and the way that we often go is influenced by those to whom we associate. Our LORD Jesus warned us in Matthew 15:14, “Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” This was in response to His disciples when they told Jesus that the Pharisees were offended by the LORD’s words. My dear Christian, the world is often offended by the word of God. Do not hearken to them, for they, like the Pharisees, are blind guides.
 
There is such a difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom that comes from God. James describes the difference for us. We see the wisdom of the world in James 3:14-15, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” However, the wisdom that is from God is described in James 3:17, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” As we consider our text for today, let me ask you a simple question: with which “wisdom” would you prefer to keep company?
 
Our text opens with a simple premise, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.” Let’s begin with the idea that you’re on a walk. This is not a run, sprint or marathon that you’re racing to finish. This is a walk, a journey, an intentional and determined progression from one point of life to another. One of the most detrimental statements ever made of a group of people is in John 6:66, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” After what? The LORD Jesus spoke words that were hard. He told them of the absolute exclusivity of His salvation. He told them that without Him, they will never have life. And, just as the world does when it hears the hard truth come from Christ, they turn aside and walk away. They would not walk with the One who is wisest of all. Compare that to the two men on the road to Emmaus. As they journeyed and Jesus talked with them, they begged the LORD to stay with them, “So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent’” (Luke 24:28-29). Why did they desire His company? Read Luke 24:32, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
 
Who do you journey with? What companions keep you company on the way you go through life? I would implore you to walk with those who are wise—those who have journeyed with Christ according to His word and can give you His instruction along the course that you travel. You will find that God’s promises are true, and that you will grow wiser as you go.
 
The second half of our text today is a warning, “but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” The interesting idea of this companionship is derived from “one who stops to graze.” That is, foolish companions are not moving anywhere, but have stopped in the field of worldly desires and have determined to graze together. They have no desire to grow in wisdom, but they are quite content to enjoy their own foolish delights. Psalm 1:1 gives us the downward progression, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” They begin with walking, but then they decide to stand, then, finally they take a seat and remain comfortable in their foolishness. And, unlike those who walk with the wise, the companion of fools will suffer harm. They will often come to some ruin that is the result of foolishness. Consider the example given to us in Proverbs 22:24-25, “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.”
 
Beloved, bad company corrupts good character (see 1 Corinthians 15:33). Just as the one walking with the wise grows wise, so the one who takes companionship with the foolish will find their foolishness to rub off on them. It may not be something that many people consider, but you will grow to be like those with whom you pal around.
 
So, let us keep close fellowship with those who love the LORD and seek to walk according to His word. Then, as promised, we will grow more and more to be like Christ.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

Luke 12:32 ~ “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
 
How often does the heart of a believer sink down into the well of anxiety and find themselves stuck in the muck and mire that lodges at the bottom? Plagued with a heart that trembles, not at the majesty of God, but at the circumstances of this world, the struggling saint finds little comfort from the platitudes often offered. I, myself, have been dragged down to the bottom of that well, seemingly tied with weights that hold fast. For all my effort to try and reach up to the surface and break free from the staggering grip of fear, I needed another to come and pull me out. Psalm 40:1-3 says, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.”
 
The first two words from our text today would ring hollow except for the One who tells us to: “Fear not.” This is not a shallow platitude that provides no means of actual accomplishment. These words are from the LORD Jesus and they are backed up with all the strength and power of Almighty God. And though we might be but a “little flock,” we are not ignored or forgotten by the Mind that knows all things. He does not see you or I as insignificant. You may be battered and struggling, but the LORD Jesus will not break a bruised reed or extinguish the smoldering wick (see Matthew 12:20). But what is it that might cause us to fear? What brings forth the command to “fear not?” Simply put, it is the fear of losing the very basics of living. In Luke 12:22-23 Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” These are elemental things, necessities by any measure, and yet the LORD tells us to not let them become the weight that drags us into despair.
 
What we need is a better perspective, a heavenly one, that looks to the LORD as the provider and anchors ourselves to Jesus as we wait for His kingdom. The second part of our text says, “for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Two things stand out as we consider the LORD’s words. First, the Father will give us the kingdom. Of course, not that we should rule over it, but be found in it, belonging to it and having our fears assuaged because it is a kingdom rich with God’s provision. If we fix our hope on earthly treasures and the temporary circumstances of this world, there is much cause for anxiety. However, if our desires are fixed elsewhere, set upon the kingdom of Christ, then we need not fear the loss of it—for it is promised by the One who cannot lie. Second, not only will the Father give us the kingdom, He does it with pleasure. God is delighted to bring all who believe into the glorious kingdom on high. Where Jesus reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords, His subjects are also His adopted brothers and sisters. And this is all to the Father’s pleasure.
 
So let me ask you, as you consider this text for today, do you grow anxious and fearful of the coming days before us? If you belong to Christ, you have no cause for such fear. The days on this earth may grow harsh and difficult, but they are truly temporary conditions. Paul said to the Philippians, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Philippians 4:11-12). When we begin to consider that we are heading toward a heavenly land, a dwelling place where God, Himself, will be with us and dry every tear (see Revelation 7:17), how then can we be fearful of any worldly circumstance.
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Let us do as the text commands this day. Let us “fear not” for we have our eyes fixed upon another shore, and our hopes fulfilled in greater promises than any that this world could provide. If we have our lives hidden with Christ in God—let us then, rejoice!
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​Joshua 24:14 ~ “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.”
 
Let us take a moment to consider the great deliverance wrought by the LORD and how, with a mighty hand, He has rescued us from our captivity in sin and provided for us a lush and fruitful home in glory. We may not yet be there, for we are still in the wanderings of this life, journeying ever closer to the promised land. But we will arrive someday, and the LORD will have vanquished all those who oppose Him and war against the people of God. With our eyes fixed upon the victory that is found in Christ, let us consider our text today.
 
In the book of Joshua, the LORD brings the nation of Israel into the promised land. Their wanderings are over and the wars have been fought and won. They now will settle into a land flowing with milk and honey, and have only God to thank and praise for His great deliverance. Read Joshua 24:13 as we consider our text, “I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.” These are the LORD’s words and His promised action for the nation of Israel. The first two words of our text: “Now therefore,” calls Israel to remember God’s great liberation from their captivity in Egypt and the subsequent provision of the promised land as the motivation for their faithfulness. Because of this, our text continues: “fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.” This was the required response. And, my dear friends, it still is.
 
Two ways to serve the LORD are illuminated for us: with sincerity and with faithfulness. There must not be a service we render to the LORD that is more show than substance. Jesus said in Matthew 15:8, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” This quote, taken from Isaiah 29:13, is a direct rebuke to the disingenuous approach that some might have. We must not merely give lip-service to the LORD, but with a true heart and genuine desire, let us serve the LORD. And then, let us serve the LORD with all fidelity. Let us not turn back if the way grows hard. We must not give up. The last part of Revelation 2:10 states, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Faithfulness to the LORD gives clear evidence that you belong to Him and love Him. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
 
With all that God has done, why then would any of His children continue to hold onto worthless idols? They are of no value, provide no comfort, can fulfill no promises and they give no guidance. As the second part of our text declares, Joshua, told the Israelites, “Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.” Perhaps Joshua was reckoning back to the disastrous event with the golden calf (see Exodus 32:1-6). Maybe he remembered the idols of Egypt, destroyed by the LORD through the plagues that they suffered (see Exodus, chapters 7-12). Whether in Egypt or just beyond the Jordan River, there must not be room in the heart of God’s people to serve Him and also hold onto their idols.
 
Which begs the question for today: what idols do we hold that, since we have been delivered from sin and unto the eternal kingdom, we must put away? What worldly ideologies do you still hold that are in conflict with the LORD Jesus Christ? What systems of belief do you embrace that contradict the Word of God? It is time to put them all away in the fear of God. Colossians 3:5 says, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Or, perhaps we should hear the words of 1 Corinthians 10:14, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” You may be asking: what is an idol today? Simple, anything that is held up as greater than the LORD, anyone that is considered of greater worth than Christ, any desire that goes against the pure and sincere devotion to Jesus is an idol. God spoke to king Saul in 1 Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.”
 
As God delivered the nation of Israel into their earthly promised land, so He has delivered us in Christ to a heavenly kingdom. Let us not become ensnared with worldliness again. Be patient, beloved. It will only be a little longer and we will enter in the eternal promised land, where our faith will be fulfilled and our joy complete.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

​1 Corinthians 3:1-3 ~ “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”
 
No one expects an infant to be able to devour a sizable steak. There is no means by which a newborn can digest the very complex foods that an adult can tolerate. They need milk, and need much of it in order to grow up and be able to consume the more intricate cuisines. The Apostle Peter would say in 1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” However, if a fully grown adult only consumes the basic foods that is meant for the infant, if they have never moved away from the simple forms of food to the more complex and hearty meals, then something has gone wrong in their maturity.
 
And thus it is with our Christian walk. There are those who have been with the LORD Jesus for years and have barely begun to crawl. The Apostle Paul concerned himself with this condition in the church at Corinth and was troubled by their lack of maturity. Consider the first part of our text for today: “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” What is an immature Christian? It is simply one who still holds on to the disposition of their former life—as people of the flesh. He describes their condition at the end of our text: “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way.” To evaluate your own growth, ask yourself this simple question: is there still jealousy and strife within your heart? In the company of adolescents, there are personality contests that cause great strife. The immature always seeks to find themselves in with the “popular” crowd. All they really know of their Christian life is the basics of their faith, and everything else is merely of their own making. Hebrews 6:1-2 describe the elementary doctrines as this: “repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” Every new-born Christian knows the first two elementary doctrines, for salvation is found in them. The remaining are the basics that, once known, need to be built upon—even as a house is built upon a foundation.
 
Beloved, all Christians need to be in a state of continual growth. And though there is no final elevation that we will fully achieve while we walk in this world, the goal is Christ-likeness. Romans 8:29 says, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” That’s the target—to be conformed to the image of Christ. Paul told the Philippians that it was his aim to press on to take hold of it, and that the mature will think along these lines (see Philippians 3:13-15). Paul told the Corinthian church that they were not ready for solid food. So, let me ask you a question: are you ready for it? Are you ready to step up from the basics, to move away from milk and begin the growing process toward maturity? We are commanded in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” To grow up we must be willing to forsake our childish ways—those behaviors and attitudes that reflect back to our fleshly desires. Paul later told the Corinthians, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways” (1 Corinthians 13:11). Will you give up “childish ways?” This is where maturity begins.
 
It continues with a willingness to personally practice biblical truth. Hebrews 5:13-14 states, “for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” To become skilled in the Scriptures you need to be trained through constant practice. It is not enough to merely read the word; you must apply it to your life. And in those places where you do not understand, God has established the church with pastors and teachers who will help you (see Ephesians 4:11-16).
 
As an infant grows into adulthood, so, my friends, let us all put behind us those former ways from our adolescent years and strive to the growing up of our lives in Christ.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

Ezra 6:16 ~ “And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.”
 
The years had continued in the exile of the nation of Israel. A generation that had rebelled against the LORD endured the disciplining hand of God while their captivity continued. But time passed as it will and the days of their reproach from the LORD had come to an end. By the hand of God, the exiles were granted the opportunity to return to the land of promise. If ever there was a reason to rejoice, truly the people of God had many.
 
And this is our thought today—what moves you to rejoice? The Bible commands us to rejoice. Philippians 4:4 declares, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Beyond merely the happiness of a beneficial moment, are there experiences that have brought to you causes for joy? From our text today, we will look at some very crucial conditions that brought to the people of Israel great joy—and should establish for you, I hope, an avenue of looking to see that you also can rejoice.
 
First, these were, as our text declares, “returned exiles.” There is much that can be made of this statement. The people, priests and Levites, all those who returned, were both back in the land of their birth as well coming to the end of God’s disciplinary action against their rebellion. With patience the LORD had endured the slipping away of His people as they descended into idolatry. But now, as promised through Jeremiah, the LORD is sending His people back into the land of promise and they are filled with joy. Consider the words of Psalm 126:1-3, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” Let me ask, are you a “returned exile?” Have you come back from the captivity of sin and been restored by the grace of the LORD Jesus? Then, my friends, you have much cause to rejoice! Jesus says in Luke 15:10, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” If the LORD rejoices over your repentance and restoration, then, my dear Christian, open your heart to rejoice as well. The LORD has granted you pardon from sin. He has delivered you from eternal death and brought you into everlasting life.
 
The next aspect of our text is the restored worship of God. The returned exiles, “celebrated the dedication of this house of God.” It was not as the former house of God; it did not quite measure up to the previous temple. Ezra 3:12 states, “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy.” Those who knew what used to be, the former glory of the temple, could not help but weep at the changes that happened. But what is the house of God? It is the place for the people of Israel to meet with the LORD, offer the sacrifices and worship the Almighty. And though it was not as in former times, the rebuilding of the temple was needed to reestablish the nation of Israel with the LORD. And that, beloved, is a great cause for joy! Paul told the church in Romans 5:11, “More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” There are some who see the worship of the LORD as a dreadful task, one that must be accomplished but it affords them little joy. They are like those described in Malachi 1:13, “But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts.” Oh, beloved, let us offer our worship before the LORD with joy.
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If no other blessing came into your life, does the redemption of the LORD from your sin and the opportunity to draw near to Him in worship give you a cause for joy? There is no greater gift than His salvation and no more magnificent place than to be than in His presence. Both of these are great causes for joy.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael