Pastor's Ponderings, August 24, 2024

Happy Running In Christ!

 

Saturday, August 24, 2024, is a great day for the 2024 HAP CareSource Crim Festival of Races in Flint Michigan!  Although I was unable to participate this year, this remains one of my favorite races and I hope to run next year.

 

People ask me and other runners, why do we run? Why are we trying to get faster and beat our previous time?  I recently saw a posting on @thebizsecrets that our main competition in life is our own procrastination, negative thoughts, doubts, fears, insecurities, and even our comfort zone that allows us to stay where we are when we should be up and about the Master’s business (Luke 2:48-49).

 

We are not running against other people in life, but against a spiritual enemy that is committed to preventing us from reaching our God given potential (Ephesians 6:12).  We all were born with purpose, and we must run through our lives until the day is done.  Now is not the time to give up, give out, or give in.  

 

We should lay aside every hindrance and run our own race with endurance and patience so that we can finish our course.  We can do this while focusing upon Jesus who began our faith in Him and will bring it to maturity (Hebrews 12:1-2).

 

It is time to get up and write the vision that God has given us (Habakkuk 2:2).  We must write it down, check it twice, avoid the distractions, disregard the naysayers and forget the discouragers.  We have a race to run, and it is a great day to forget the past and run toward our outstanding future in Him.  Happy running in Christ!

 

Luke 2:48-49

New King James Version

48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?

 

Ephesians 6:12

New International Version

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

 

Hebrews 12:1-2

New International Version

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Habakkuk 2:2

New International Version

2 Then the Lord replied:

“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

Pastor's Ponderings, August 14, 2024

Getting the Right Perspective

When I was a child, I thought, spoke and acted like a child but when I grew up, I put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11). Childhood can be a wonderful time of innocence, of learning and exploring mysteries and of seeing life from different points of view.  

 

I watch children learning to walk, talk, create, make music, play and exercise, they are using parts of their bodies that are initially strange to them, but with proper guidance, they develop their talents along the paths that God has intended for them.  

Just like children, God wants us to grow spiritually to maturity in our salvation.  God expects us to grow up in Him.  He says to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10). As saints of the most High, He expects us to feed on His word, take His word in our hearts and learn and grow in Him.

 

We should be stronger in Him day by day so that eventually some of the things that upset, discouraged and stymied us when we were young in Christ should be relatively unimportant as we mature.  The gossip that hurt you, the schemes that blocked you and the confrontations that disappointed you look very different as we grow in the Lord and have a mature perspective on life in Christ.

 

The Bible tells us that as we spend time with Him and grow into maturity with Him, He has different expectations of us. We thank God for the spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2, 3), but God expects that we should become teachers of God’s word and eat solid foods for the mature (Hebrews 5:12-14).

 

God is looking for His children to share the good news and help new believers in their walk with Christ. We learn from our mistakes and failures and can then turn around and share our struggles with others and tell them that God delivered us and can do the same for them.

 

Today, God is calling for us to have a new and mature perspective on life with Christ. Old things have passed away and behold all things have become new (1 Corinthians 5:17). We have new blessings, new benefits, and most of a new perspective as we learn more and more about the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

 

1 Corinthians 13:11

New International Version 
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

 

Ephesians 6:10

New International Version

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

 

1 Peter 2:2, 3
New International Version

2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 

3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 

Hebrews 5:12-14

New International Version

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 

13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 

14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

 

1 Corinthians 5:17

New King James Version

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new

Pastor's Ponderings, August 5, 2024

 Building Up Our Hope

When I was young, I sang an old hymn called Hold On To God’s Unchanging Hands.   The lyrics were, Time is filled with swift transition, naught of earth unmoved can stand, build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand. Hold to God’s unchanging hand, hold to God’s unchanging hand; build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand.

It is astounding how things are changing.  In the sixties, I remember happily looking forward to the boxy Apple Macintosh 512K. Now, I have 8 gigabytes in my cell phone.  (Update, in 2024, my iPhone has 16GB). In education, politics, science, and industry, our world is changing at a break neck pace.  Most of us are trying hard to keep up with changing paradigms, career patterns, culture, philosophies, and religions.

But thank God that He never changes and lives forever (Psalm 45:6).  He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  His word never changes (Psalm 119:89). The world may redefine behavior and call it acceptable in polite company.  However, what was disobedience to God years ago is still disobedience now. Obeying God still brings great benefits and disobeying has terrible consequences (Proverbs 15:6).

I know that it is important to know what is happening in the world and to appear to understand how people act and think.  However, let us remember that while men will change on a dime, our hope for our future rests on an eternal God. He is consistent and obeying Him will always benefit us.

Psalm 45:6

New International Version (NIV)

6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

Hebrews 13:8
New International Version (NIV)

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Psalm 119:89
New International Version (NIV)

8 Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

Proverbs 15:6

New International Version (NIV)
The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the wicked brings ruin.