January 2, 2019

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

You have had it happen and so have I. It always happens at the most inconvenient time. You hurry to your car, slip the key into the ignition and turn the key but - nothing happens. Maybe you get a click or maybe not, but your battery is dead and your car is not going to start. What a horrible feeling! Your car needs a source of power to get started and your battery has no power. You are stranded! What will you do?

Obviously, you need to find a source of power to help start your car. You need a jump start. You need to get next to someone who has a poweful battery that your battery can draw power from. And since you are unable to move from where you are, someone needs to come and bring the power to you. When that helpful person arrives, either they or you should have some jumper cables to connect the powerless to the powerful. That transfer of power will get you started and on your way again! What a relief!

God sent His powerful Son, Jesus, to a powerless world to help jump start your joy. That is what Christmas was all about! God doesn't want you to be spiritually stranded. He is not pleased when your spiritual battery runs down. And since you were powerless to move, God sent Jesus to you! Jesus came with the power to jump start your joy! 

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

"He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— " John 1:11-12

That is the "good news of great joy" that the angel was sharing with the shepherds! That is the good news I share with you! You don't have to start a new year powerless! You don't have to be stranded in some lifeless useless unfulfilling spiritual place. God wants to connect with you to jump start your spirit and restore your joy! Jesus is the key! Not only is He the power source - He is the jumper cable. Not only does He recharge your spiritual battery, he replaces it!

On this second day of 2019, do you need a jump start? 

Are you tired of being spiritually powerless? 

What will it take for you to connect - or reconnect with Jesus!

January 1, 2019

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"   II Corinthians 5:17

Happy 2019! 

May God bless you with a healthy and joy-filled year!

Time marches ahead relentlessly and a new year is upon us! Will you make the New Year new or will you drag the same old pain and problems across the threshold of time?

Speaking of time, the Apostle Paul reaches across the centuries with this solid reminder that only in Christ can all things be made new! So, the New Year cannot be truly new unless you are "in Christ".

What needs to be gone in your life? What did you carry in 2014 that you don't need to drag into 2015? Is there a sinful habit? Is there shame over your past? Is there an unhealthy relationship? Is there a spiritual stronghold? Is there a lack of discipline? Is there discouragement or depression? Is there spiritual apathy? Is there outright rebellion against spiritual truth?

The promise is that if you are "in Christ" you can be made new and the old, painful, unproductive, and harmful things can be gone!

So, what does it mean to be "in Christ"?

It means to live in trust. When you trust "in Christ" for your salvation and stop trusting in your own goodness or righteousness, then you can enter into a spiritual relationship with Him.

It means to live in truth. When you are "in Christ" you surrender to His truth and "lean not unto your own understanding". His truth is expressed through His Word, the Bible. Living in truth means that you commit to defining what is real in your life based on what the Bible says is real. You live by its principles. You order your life by its priorities. You shed your past and plan your life according to its promises and you prevail in life according to its power.

The New Year can only be new if you are made new! It can only be happy if you are made whole - and holy!

As you turn the page on the calendar will you turn a page in your spiritual experience? Will you be "in Christ"? Will you trust His truth to transform you into a "new creation"? Will you allow Him to make "all things new" in you?

You can be "in Christ" or in crisis. It's up to you.

December 31, 2018

"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."  Joshua 1:1-8

A promise made nearly five centuries ago was about to be fulfilled as Joshua prepared to lead God's people across the Jordan River and into the land promised to Abraham and his descendants.

But, there were some choices that needed to be made first:

Once he decided to venture out of his comfort zone and answer the call of God, Joshua faced another choice: Would he choose God's courage or his contentment?

Twice Joshua is urged to be courageous. 

What does it mean to be courageous? Several insights are giving in these verses.

Courage is conformity to God's Word. "obey all the law my servant Moses gave you...."

Courage begins with a willingness to shape your life around God's Word.

Courage is consistency. "Be careful....."

Obedience would not be required just once, it would require consistent and continual care to remain obedient. Each time would take renewed courage.

Courage is conviction. You can be courageous if you are convinced that God has the power to deliver on His promises. Joshua was sure of that!

Courage is commitment. Because Joshua was sure that God would do what He promised, he found courage to do his part.

Entering into the promise land will require courage! Courage that is found in God and His Word.

Joshua had the courage to conquer and he wouldn't be content with less!

Are you courageous or contented?

December 30, 2018

"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.  No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." Joshua 1:1-6

The Promised Land was to be a place to believe, a place to belong and a place of blessing!

If anyone needed such a place as this, it was these people who stood on the banks of the Jordan peeking across to the Promised Land. After 400 years in slavery and 40 years of circling in the wilderness, they were ready for a place like this!

But, they still had to cross the Jordan River at flood stage and then conquer the land from the Canaanites. There were some decisions they needed to make to God and to their new leader, Joshua before they crossed into the Promised Land. These are the same decisions that will be required of us at FredWes as we seek to lead people into God's Promised Land.

Here's the first decision: Will I live for His calling or my comfort?

There was nothing comfortable about being in bondage in Egypt. Nor was there anything comfortable about living in tents like nomads in the desert. Crossing the Jordan and possessing the land was going to be uncomfortable. I would imagine it had to be tempting to settle in on this side of the Jordan and get comfortable for awhile.

God was calling Joshua out of his comfort zone and Joshua was expected to call God's people out of theirs.

When you think about it, nothing is comfortable about being a Christian. If it is you probably are doing it wrong.

To become a Christian the Holy Spirit has to convict you of your sin - that is VERY uncomfortable because sin is what you have become comfortable with until now.

Once you accept Christ you face the discomfort of your will struggling with His will. He hasn't called us to comfort He has called us to conformity with His will and purposes.

Growing in Christ involves helping Him develop His nature within you until you more comfortable with obedience than you with sin.

Joshua had to decided if he would live for his comfort or for God's calling. You will face the same decision. Perhaps you are at that point now. 

Will you step out of your comfort zone?

December 29, 2018

"just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”  Therefore know that [only] those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, [saying], “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”  So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."  Galatians 3:6-9

By reviewing the call of God to Abraham and recalling the covenant that was made we can get a clear understanding of God's purpose for the Promised Land. It was to be a place of believing, a place of belonging and a place of blessing.

That sounds like a place I would want to be! What about you?

Believing is important. It was through believing that Abraham journeyed to the Promised Land and this new land was to become a place where believing God would be easy.

Belonging is crucial spiritually, emotionally and psychologically. Each of us need a place where we feel accepted and valued and safe. Belonging makes it possible to have an identity, to enjoy intimacy and to have involvement in the lives of others.

Blessing is God's stamp of approval on your life. It signifies you have found favor with Him through your obedience and faith. God's blessing crowns you with significance and supplies your needs. The blessing of God also gives you a way to bless others.

As I think of these things, it occurs to me that not only are these three purposes important to God's Promised Land but they also form the foundation for a healthy home.

Believing, belonging and blessing should also form the dynamics of a healthy church fellowship. 

I want FredWes to be a place where it is easy to believe God is real and His Word is true because if the strength of our faith and the sincerity of our fellowship.

I want Fredwes to be a place where it is easy to belong because of the acceptance and affirmation people receive when they come to visit. I want us to make it easy for people to be assimilated into the life and ministry of FredWes.

I want Fredwes to be a place of blessing where we experience His presence and favor. I want us to be a blessing to others as He blesses us.

God designed His land of promise to be characterized by these three things because He desired the Promised Land to not be just real estate, He planned on it being a relationship! God is our promise! Only in Him will you find true belief, true belonging and tremendous blessing!

Are you dwelling in the Promised Land?