Daily Devotional 9-10-20

A Leader We Can Believe In

Have you ever had to go through the dreadful experience of having to work or serve under a really bad leader? Before I became a Pastor, I had my fair share of difficult jobs, but I had one job in particular with a really bad boss. He would walk around like a tyrant half the time, yelling, cursing, throwing stuff. Everything was about the bottom line, and no matter how hard the crew worked, it seemed it was never good enough. I dreaded going to work for this guy every day. Eventually, I had to quit. It wasn’t the exhaustion of the work, but the exhaustion of his leadership that drove me away.

Unfortunately, God’s people throughout history haven’t been immune from bad leaders, bad shepherds either. However, when it happens in God’s church, it is far more destructive. After all, it’s one thing to be driven away from a job, it’s quite another to be driven away from God and His gifts.

That’s exactly what happened throughout much of the Old Testament. The children of Israel (God’s sheep) were often ruled by corrupt and cruel politicians and religious leaders (or as God would call them: bad shepherds- see Ezekiel 34). As a result, the sheep had nowhere to turn, were driven away, and were spiritually slaughtered.

After going through such experiences it becomes entirely natural to distrust authority and to look with suspicion on any who would claim to lead us. One need only look at politics in America to see evidence of this gigantic distrust of authority. We’re all pretty sure our politicians are lousy shepherds.

So when Jesus shows up in John 10 referring to Himself as the “Good Shepherd”, your first response might not be joy at the thought of His leadership, but fear or cynicism. I get it. I do. But Jesus isn’t any ordinary leader. In spite of all the ways the leaders of our world may let us down, you can trust Jesus to always lead you well.

Why? Well, first of all, in the very statement “I AM the Good Shepherd” Jesus gives us reason to trust Him. We might not pick up on it naturally, but if we look at those first two words in the context of the rest of John’s gospel and for that matter the rest of the Bible, it becomes apparent that Jesus is alluding to the fact that He is God. By him using those words, he is referring back to the name God gave Himself in response to Moses’ request in Exodus 3: I AM. He is telling us that He knows everything, that He is above everything, and that He is creator and sustainer of everything. He is far more than any earthly leader could ever be.

That should be sufficient reason in itself for us to trust Him to lead us, but our Lord knows we are frail and afraid. Our sinful nature makes us believe that God is just like the flawed leaders we experience here and therefore cannot be trusted to lead us. So Jesus goes deeper…. Listen to John 10:14-15: “I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.”

Folks it cannot get more loving and intimate than that. When a couple would consummate their marriage they were said to have “known each other.” Jesus compares the closeness He has to his sheep to the closeness He has to His Father. The very Father He has known for all eternity! When I think about the leaders of our world, often there is a great distance between the leader and his disciples. Not so with Jesus.

Think about this for a second and have your mind blown: Because He is God we know there is nothing hidden in his sight. He sees everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly about us. No matter how many fig leaves we pull over ourselves to hide, He sees our nakedness. And yet, because He is such a Good Shepherd He draws near to us in love. It is not because we have anything attractive in ourselves, but rather it is as Luther said, “Sinners are not loved because they are attractive; they are attractive because they are loved.”

So you say, “That sounds great, but how can you prove that you care for me, Jesus? His answer: John 10:15- The Good Shepherd “lays down His life for the sheep.” Vs. 17: “I lay down my life for the sheep.” And again in vs. 18,“I lay it down for the Sheep.”

How many leaders in this world will do that?!

Unfortunately, our sinful nature tells us to look to temporal blessings to prove God loves us, and of course, when difficulties and challenges come, we assume He doesn’t love us. I got a raise, God loves me. My family’s doing well, God cares for me. I got demoted, God’s mad at me. My family’s doing poorly, God must not love me… But my friends, that is not the voice of the Good Shepherd. That is the voice of the Wolf named Karma. Karma is the antithesis of the Good Shepherd’s Gospel of Grace.

The Good Shepherd says, “You wanna be sure I love you? Look to the cross!” You wanna be sure I’m on your side? Look to the Cross!!!!” Thus Romans 5:8 says, “God shows his love for us (for you and for me!) in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

He is the Good shepherd that goes to the ends of the earth, leaving the 99 sheep in pursuit of the 1 lost sheep. He does not only visit the sheep of the swing state in order to temporarily persuade them to trust Him. No, He is the One that goes to that one lost sheep, and reveals nail-scarred hands to persuade that lost sheep that perhaps He really is a different kind of shepherd…. a truly caring Good Shepherd: A Leader We Can Believe In!

From: https://www.1517.org/articles/a-leader-we-can-believe-in

Fisherman’s Call: Fondue Fest Mission

Dear Ambassadors of Christ,

Would you be willing to give some of your God-given time to make an impact for eternity on those in Fond du Lac? In these important times where many events are being cancelled, here is a great opportunity to share with people where they can put their hope, trust and confidence..in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fishermen’s Call has purchased a site at this year’s Fond du Lac’s Fondue Fest. Fondue Fest is a free, one-day festival commemorating the world’s largest fondue set while celebrating family, fun and community. Fondue Fest attracts over 15,000 visitors throughout the day of the festival. 

This effort will be evangelistic. We will be there to engage in conversation and to provide Gospel literature. This is a prime opportunity for us to obey our Lord’s command to seek and save the lost. Could you sit at a booth and pray for the Lord to bring souls to you and then have the joy of communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them? All you need to bring is a passion for Christ and a heart for the lost. Tracts and materials are provided by Fishermen’s Call.

The event is held in Downtown Fond du Lac. Admission is free. The hours of Fondue Fest 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2020. Any time you can commit is greatly appreciated. 

Please reply if you would be interested in assisting OR call Duane at (920) 948-5594. Those who reply to confirm their participation will receive more information on the location of the Fishermen’s Call booth at the Fondue Fest.

If for any reason you cannot commit, please pray for us and for those whom the Father is drawing. Thank you. We look forward to laboring with you in preparing the way for the Lord.

Daily Devotional 9-9-20

Talking About God in a Troubled World

Heraclitus the 5th century BC Greek philosopher wrote: Unless you expect the unexpected you will never find truth, for it is hard to discover and hard to attain. He was commenting on the creative thinking required to understand the nature and meaning of life. His wise words make a great deal of sense: many discoveries within science are unexpected; many of our experiences in life are unexpected.

Twelve months ago no one predicted the rise of a novel coronavirus that would impact the lives and livelihoods of millions around the world. Covid-19 has shown us that we are not in control of life and that we should expect the unexpected. Indeed, the discerning will ask, ‘Is there more to life?’

So, how should we respond? Come with me to Colossians 4:2. Paul the Apostle writes: Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.

Prayer. The French philosopher, Blaise Pascal observed: God instituted prayer in order to allow his creatures the dignity of causality. God has made the universe in such a way that we can make an impact with our prayers – within certain limits of course. It’s an amazing thought. God has given himself the discretion to act within his overall plan according to our prayers.

Prayer is not just a means of keeping the lines of communication with God open. God listens to our prayers and answers them in ways that are for our good. Prayer of itself is not powerful. Prayer is only powerful because we are addressing the all-powerful God.

This is why Paul urged the Colossians to be steadfast in prayer. He knew, for example, that effective outreach begins with persevering prayer. To devote ourselves to prayer is to bring our requests to God in much the same way that the energetic widow of Jesus’ parable did. In this parable in Luke 18, the widow gave her local magistrate no rest until her cause was settled.

The first Christians were committed and enthusiastic in their prayer. Humanly speaking it is one of the reasons for their terrific success in spreading God’s good news. Perhaps Paul’s Colossian readers had become apathetic. That’s why he insists, Continue steadfastly in prayer… ‘Never give up praying’, he is saying. ‘Your prayers may not be answered immediately. But never give up.’ Indeed, the Bible tells us it is God’s great passion that people turn to him. This is a prayer we can be assured God will answer.

Notice also the emphasis on thanksgiving. True prayer can’t exist without heartfelt thanks, any more than thanksgiving can exist without prayer. They feed and fuel each other.

In this context Paul wanted the Colossians to pray, not that the doors of his prison might open, but that opportunities might open for him to declare the mystery of Christ – even while he was in prison. Yet how often do we pray that God will open up doors of gospel opportunity for us?

The way we live. But there is more. Consider verses 5 and 6: Conduct yourselves wisely towards outsiders, making the most of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

Paul has two pieces of advice for the Colossians, and for us – about life-style and speech.

We are all obliged to act wisely and graciously towards people we live and work with. We are to live out the new resurrection life that Paul has been writing about in chapter 3, with wisdom and integrity.

We are also to cultivate conversations that are gracious and yet seasoned with salt. We are not to be bland, insipid, and gossipy, in our conversations, but rather we are to start doing the unexpected, pushing back against the culture, looking for, and even creating opportunities to raise questions about the meaning of life. We can do this over coffee or a meal, or online. As we do this, we need to be prepared to answer people’s questions.

With people you know you might ask: ‘How are you really doing in these troubled times?’ You might also consider ways you can bring a comment from a book such as John Lennox’s very readable, Where is God in a Coronavirus World? Remember, our aim is to explore ways to introduce the notion that there is more to life than this material world.

You might look for an opportunity to ask: ‘Do you think there’s anything beyond this life?’ ‘Friends of mine feel we only have one life and we should make the most of it. What do you think?’ If the response is that there’s no future beyond the grave, you could ask: ‘Are you sure about that?’ You could also add: ‘For me the Christian idea of resurrection has a lot going for it’.

If their response is that there’s a future beyond the grave, you might ask: ‘Can we be sure of this?’ It’s worth remembering that Jesus’ resurrection is foundational for Christianity. Every sermon recorded in the Acts of the Apostles refers to it.

Furthermore, be prepared to tell your own story of faith in no more than three minutes. Begin with a brief account of your life and then focus on two or three unexpected events that led you to faith in Christ. Because it’s your story, it’s important.

And don’t forget, it’s worth pointing enquirers to one or two introductory courses: ‘Christianity Explored’ and ‘Word One-to-One’ are very good.

Above all, continue steadfastly in prayer – perhaps for five people you know – that the Lord will provide unexpected opportunities for you to introduce them to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose love and compassion are far greater than we ever dreamed.

From: https://anglicanconnection.com/talking-about-god-in-a-troubled-world/

Daily Devotional 9-8-20

Climbing Out of the Mire

Our souls cannot climb out of the mire of sin because they are dead. Salvation comes not to those who cry out, “Show me the way to heaven,” but to those who cry, “Take me there for I cannot.” 

Lest we see the sinner’s prayer as mere technique, we must remember that Christ raises the dead that they might walk. We do not mumble the magic words and then wait to die. Christianity is about spiritual growth as well. It is about work, the hard work of sanctification. Regeneration is monergistic, God’s work alone. Sanctification, the process by which we are made holy, is synergistic, God’s work with us. 

God’s part is easy for Him. He needs no shortcuts because He never tires. We, though, must ever fight the temptation to seek the shortcut. No technique will make us holy. No technique of the Devil’s, though, can stop the process of Christ making us into His image. Those whom He calls He sanctifies.

Our sanctification requires the Spirit of God and, because He has so ordered His world, sanctification requires the disciplined and repeated use of the means of grace. Five minutes a day of Bible study smells like technique. Arid, it is sure to fail. We must immerse ourselves in the Word of God. Then, as Jesus promised, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. Then we will be His disciples (John 8:31–32). 

Coram Deo

Remember, God is at work in you. He never tires. Give thanks for the process that is underway.

Passages for Further Study

John 8:31–32

John 8:36

Psalm 40:2

From: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/climbing-out-mire/

Daily Devotional 9-7-20

Marital Stress

When God created the first father and mother, He gave them instructions for living. He said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over…every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). In essence, God told this father and this mother to build a society on the earth, which would honor Him. Don’t overlook the fact this “cultural mandate” was given to both the man and the woman. The man and the woman were to combine their efforts to accomplish a single mission to the glory of God. Of course this combined effort required unity of purpose and work.

Enter sin. God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of a single tree. All the tees in the world were at their disposal except one. They rejected God’s direction in this one area. As a result, Adam and Eve found they were not only at odds with God, they were at odds with each other. This made it impossible for them to work together to build a healthy society on the earth.

There is an important lesson here. Seemingly insignificant sin against God can and often does develop stress within a marriage. In fact, any sin can be disastrous for a marriage. The real remedy is to recognize your sin and return to God.

Today’s Podcast is “The Source of Marital Stress.”

From: http://dennyprutow.com/daily-devotions/

Daily Devotional 9-4-20

Moral and Spiritual Balances

Weights and scales and measures were all to be according to the standard of justice. Surely no Christian will need to be reminded of this in his business, for if righteousness were banished from all the world beside, it would find a shelter in believing hearts. There are, however, other balances that weigh moral and spiritual things, and these need to be examined often.

Are the balances in which we weigh our own and other men’s characters quite accurate? Do we not turn our own ounces of goodness into pounds, and other people’s pounds of excellence into ounces? The scales in which we measure our trials and troubles—are they properly set? Paul, who had more to suffer than we have, called his afflictions light, and yet we often consider ours to be heavy—surely something must be wrong with the weights!

We must see to this matter, before we get reported to the court above for unjust dealing. Those weights with which we measure our doctrinal belief—are they quite fair? The doctrines of grace should have the same weight with us as the precepts of the Word, no more and no less; but it is to be feared that with many, one scale or the other is unfairly weighted. It is a vital matter to give honest measure in truth.

Christian, be careful here. Those measures in which we estimate our obligations and responsibilities look rather small. When a rich man gives to the work of God the same amount as the poor contribute, are things properly weighted? When pastors are neglected, is that honest dealing? When the poor are despised, while ungodly rich men are held in admiration, is that a just balance? Reader, we could extend the list, but we prefer to leave it as your evening’s work to identify and destroy all unrighteous balances, weights, and measures.

From: https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/daily-devotionals/latest/?gclid=CjwKCAjwnK36BRBVEiwAsMT8WCR8UteIwaWlAyP4o9ZIuAWio8l7qmAM1nDcB3pFiYr-jOUNkgMsShoC68IQAvD_BwE

Daily Devotional 9/3/20

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?” are words from the hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” How often has this happened to us, when friends aren’t friends anymore? All the saints have experienced this at one time or another. The patriarchs, prophets, and Jesus himself felt the sting of betrayal by those who called themselves their friends but were not there when needed.

When Judas came to Jesus and kissed him, Jesus said, “Friend, why have you come?” Judas did not come to prove what a loyal friend he was, and Jesus knew it. In the same way, the Psalmist spoke about friends who despised and abandoned him (Psalm 55). He lamented to God that he couldn’t become like a dove so he could fly away and find rest, and escape the coming storm.

We are directed to pray, “Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and hear me. I am restless in my complaint” (Ps 55:1-2).

It’s not enemies that we have to worry about. They’re obvious to us as they speak and act in ways that betray their true intent. It’s supposed friends that are the most dangerous enemy to us because they earn our trust only to hurt us and cause us the greatest heartache, which can tempt us even to question God’s grace and mercy. It doesn’t matter whether we’re young or old, rich or poor, influential, or humble; we’ve all felt the pain of betrayal by a friend who abandoned us when we thought we could depend on them.

We’ve all felt the pain of betrayal by a friend who abandoned us when we thought we could depend on them.

This occurs in families and in churches. Betrayal doesn’t have any set boundaries. We can be sick or unemployed, hungry, or in need of a word of encouragement, and suddenly our friends turn their backs to us. It’s at those moments that we, like the Psalmist, lament that we can’t transform into a dove and fly away. We, too, pray to flee and escape the coming storm of regret, heartache, and self-judgment.

So where do we go to find rest? Where do we turn to hear a word of encouragement? Where do we go to find a tried and true friend who won’t betray or abandon us when we need them most? We find our rest in the One who laid down his life for his friends.

As the Apostle Paul wrote, “God demonstrates that his own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). What greater friend could we have than Jesus?

Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and he calls us “friends.” He gave his life for us and our sin, and we know that he will not despise or abandon us. That is why we flee to Jesus in the storms of life, to his Gospel words, his gifts of salvation, and gather together in his name as his body, the Church.

For Jesus, he proves himself to be our true friend because friendship is life-giving, not just words said to pacify troubled souls. He doesn’t hide from us. He doesn’t ignore our supplications. He attends to us through his promise and gifts, listens to our complaints, and calms our restless hearts.

From: https://www.1517.org/articles/what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus

SBO ’21 Preparations begin!  Please pray….

Bill’s at the Raymond James Stadium announcing the beginning of SBO ’21.  Pray for our labors! 

Thank you for praying with us!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

~ Psalm 103:1

• I had the privilege of preaching 3 times a week in Chapin, mostly with Ken White and with the help of Scott Riles. We have had great Gospel conversations, and one young man, AJ, says he is very interested in joining us. It is exhausting, but such exhilarating work. Thank you for praying for us.
• I am currently working on 3 prayer events coming up in September and a prayer training event in January. I praise God for the increasing desperate and fervent prayer in His people.
• My burning passion to see the lost saved, preaching the Gospel, and training others continues to grow. I praise God for the Holy Spirit working powerfully in my life. I am humbled that the Lord has led me to this prayer, evangelism, and discipleship ministry. 

• Please continue to pray the Lord would raise up others who will join us to preach or pray and hand out tracts as we open-air preach. This is not an easy ministry, but we are called to plow the ground and prepare for the upcoming harvest of souls.
• Please pray for the Lord to powerfully meet and transform men this season through GRIP. Please pray specifically for Paul, Willie, Edwin, Ryan B, Daniel, Dale, Ryan M, Joe, and Smiley.
• We begin a new season of our men’s forum at MECA on Main Street this Wednesday morning. Please ask the Lord to reach new men with the Gospel and grow the men currently involved. It has been amazing to see several of the men walking to please the Lord.
• Pray for a renewed desperation in the church to seek the Lord and for spiritual awakening among the lost.

 

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Worship is Joy in the Lord

What do you really enjoy? A night out on the town? What gives you the greatest pleasure? An evening at home with the one you love? Listen to the Psalmist, Asaph, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:2526).

Asaph’s greatest joy was in the presence of God. We can put our theme in terms of worship. We say various sports icons are idols. Young fans literally worshiped athletes like Troy Aikman or Michael Jordan. They delighted in watching these men throw the ball or glide through the air. Such sports icons are highly paid because people go to great lengths to see them. This is all a matter of the inclination of our hearts. Some folks gravitate toward football. Others enjoy basketball. My mother loved watching golf and tennis.

We can look at the worship of God in a similar way. Psalm 37:4 in the Bible urges, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart”. Many churches have slim attendance because we delight ourselves in all manner of activities other than coming before God in worship. Young people, especially, want the flash and hype the world gives. We not only don’t delight in God, we find Him to be an absolute bore. This too is a matter of heart; it has eternal significance.

Today’s podcast encourages us to understand the “ Worship is Joy in the Lord .“ From:  http://dennyprutow.com/daily-devotions/