Out of the Ashes

I think we are all familiar with the Phoenix, the legendary bird from Greek mythology. As you may remember, it was consumed by fire, but miraculously rose from its ashes to conquer death and deliver the promise of new life.

It sounds strikingly similar to the experience of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He endured brutal scourging and an agonizing death on the cross before rising above it all to overcome sin and death and provide a pathway to salvation for all who would choose to believe.

Next week, we will relive the Lord’s journey as we usher in another Lenten season with our Ash Wednesday Service. Please consider joining us on March 5 at 7 p.m. as we commemorate the mighty act that brought us from death to life. His sacrifice enabled us to rise from the ashes of hopelessness to the promise of glory in God’s Eternal kingdom.

Lent is a time of preparation as we look forward to celebrating Jesus’ glorious resurrection that transformed the prospect of eternal death into everlasting life. It provides for us an opportunity to reflect, repent, reconcile, and renew our covenant with Him.

The ashes symbolize the utter destruction and devastation of a life of sinfulness, but the lilies of Easter represent purity, rebirth, new beginnings and hope in the glory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

May your Lenten journey be meaningful and even transformational, as we seek to live a life of righteousness, reverence, and respect. In His Holy Name we pray. Amen!

Following God’s Roadmap for Life

Nothing reveals our age quite like the top of our hands. As we grow older, our skin wrinkles, our veins bulge, and mysterious brown spots appear almost overnight, providing somewhat of a metaphorical roadmap of our journey in this world.

So as you look at your hands, what do you see? Do they help you recall the joy and heartache, the victory and defeat, the satisfaction and frustration, and the many other emotions you have experienced over the years?

We have known from an early age that this journey would be filled with exhilaration and exasperation. Highs and lows are implicit in everyone’s life, so what is the best way to navigate and remain on the pathway of righteousness?

Scripture provides plenty of valuable guidance in this regard, including this very familiar and oft-quoted passage from Proverbs 3:5-6, which advises us to “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart, and do not lean on [our] own understanding; in all [our] ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight [our] paths.” 

Isaiah 41:10 also offers helpful advice with this passage: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” There will always be adversity in life, but the more we lean on Him, the safer, smoother, and more direct our journey will be. So let him lead the way because, as we know from Proverbs 16:9, “the heart of [humans] plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” 

When It Comes to Evangelism  

I will admit to being more than a little envious when I drive by some of the  megachurches in our area on a Sunday morning. Whether it’s Grace, Church of the Nazarene, or **, I am blown away by the number of cars in their parking lots.

Why are they so appealing to so many people? What are they doing that we’re not? It’s perplexing and sometimes even distressing, but then I am reminded of what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew (18:19-20), “Again I assure you that if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, then my Father who is in heaven will do it for you. for where two or three are gathered in my name, I’m there with them.”

Jesus never set quotas for us. Sure, he told us to make disciples of all nations, but he never assigned a number. The truth is that if we facilitate the conversion of just one person, God will be pleased with our efforts. I need to remind myself not to get caught up in quantity, but rather to focus on quality because each precious child of God means so much to Him.

Some of you have been so good about reaching out to others and inviting them to join us for worship, and we are so very grateful! Perhaps in February, the month of love, each of us can reach out to just one person (or one family) with a warm invitation, and allow God to do the rest.

Escaping the Flames of This Life and the Life Hereafter

It’s almost impossible to ignore the widespread devastation of the wildfires in Southern California that have engulfed homes, business, churches, and just about every other structure in recent weeks. Residents escaped the flames with little more than the clothes on their back and the tragic revelation that all of their possessions had been destroyed.

Those who experienced the conflagration likened it to the flames of Hell. One person described it as a “war zone;” another called it “a gut punch.” Either way, it is an unimaginable ongoing tragedy that causes us to both marvel and shutter at the destructive nature of fire.

The Book of Revelation makes many frightening references to fire as a symbol of God’s judgment and wrath in the end times, including the “lake of fire” where the wicked will be tormented for eternity. This is obviously a place where none of us wants to wind up, but there is hope in Scripture’s most well-known passage, John 3:16, which states, “For God so loved the world that he sent His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Sometimes, we hear that passage so often that we fail to recognize the magnitude of its meaning. In order to avoid Hell’s fierce flames and secure a place in God’s Heavenly Kingdom, all we have to do is proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Savior and pledge to follow Him all the days of our life.

Seems like a pretty easy choice to me, so let us embrace that passage and live without fear, regardless of the fires that may burn around us. And let us not forget to spread the Good News, so that all might hear, see, and believe.

A New Year’s Commitment to Prayer

Happy New Year! Yes, ready or not, 2025 has arrived. It is time once again to take stock of our lives and ponder what adjustments we might make in our daily routine.

We used to call these changes New Year’s Resolutions, but I’m not sure anyone makes those anymore, because so few of us are able to keep the vows we make.

Could this year possibly be different? Could we possibly honor the pledges we make? I think so! The problem in the past is that we have tried to change on our own. Maybe this year, we can enlist the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the power of prayer to get us where we would like to be.

Indeed, change begins with prayer — not just any prayer, but fervent, unceasing prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 provides some helpful advice in this area with this passage: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God“.

Last month, we made a pledge to be a praying church, and we have the t-shirt to prove it. Now, we can follow through on that pledge by praying each and every day, not only asking the Lord for that which we want, but also lifting up and praising His Holy and Precious Name. With that type of approach, there is an excellent chance that 2025 will be a very good year.

Somebody’s Watching Over Us All the Time

In 1949, George Orwell’s prophetic book, “1984” was published, providing a frightening overview of the future with “Big Brother” watching our every move. We now know that Orwell’s vision was surprisingly accurate in many ways. With surveillance cameras just about everywhere these days, we have come to realize that someone is always watching us.

Of course, as believers, we have known that someone has been watching over us from the very beginning. Even when we fall victim to temptation and slink into crevices of darkness, we feel the presence of God. No matter where we are or what we are doing, He is always within an earshot through prayer.

The Book of Psalms brings us assurance of this in several passages, including Chapter 121, versus 5-8, which states, “The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 32 also reinforces this message when it states, “The Lord looks down from heaven; He sees all the children of man; from where He sits enthroned He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.”

And finally, Proverbs 15:3 sums it up quite nicely with these words: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

Let us not forget, as Advent comes to a close, that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, among his many titles, is known as Immanuel, “God with us.”

Christmas Hymns Evoke Memories of the Good Shepherd

As someone who has a hard time carrying a tune, I am in no position to comment about music in the worship service. However, just because I can’t sing doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the many options that we have.

Jen Moser is a terrifically talented musician, and her instrumental and voice contributions to our services lift up and inspire all of us. We are so fortunate to have her, as well as those in the choir who lend their voices to our choral music each week.

Music is especially important this time of year when we sing the familiar hymns that evoke memories of Christmases past. My favorite Christmas hymn, among many, is “Angels We Have Heard on High.” I really like the music, but the lyrics also have special meaning, recounting the angels’ presence as the shepherds watched over their flocks the night Jesus was born. This stirring hymn invites us to raise our voices to proclaim that the long-awaited Savior has come, and because of Him there is hope on earth.

It also reminds us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his flock. After overcoming sin and death through his sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the tomb, he continues to watch over us and always will, so that we are never alone. Therefore, we have nothing to fear because, as the Gospel of John (10:10) reminds us, “he came that we may have life and have it to the fullest.” 

Simple Biblical Guidance to Life’s Complicated Situations

As much as technology has improved our lives, it has also caused it to be infinitely more complicated. Case in point: I just bought some waterproof headphones so that I could listen to music when I swim, but I have no idea how to make them work, even after reading the directions. I long for the days when the Sony Walkman was the latest technology, and you didn’t have to have a PhD to figure out how to use it.

Fortunately, we don’t need advanced technology in our spiritual journey. We can always return to the basics in the Bible. Here are three well-known passages that might help us to simplify our daily routine and slow our rigorous pace.

The first comes from the Gospel of Mark (12:30-31) in what we know as the Greatest Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” and then, having done that, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Pretty simple and straightforward. Imagine how much better our world would be if we embraced that commandment.

Another key passage comes from the Gospel of John (8:31-32) in which Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” There is so much deceit and dishonesty in our world today. How much better would things be if we held to the teachings of Jesus and committed ourselves to lives of honesty, integrity, and sincerity?

And finally this from the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy (6:18), which states, “Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight.” Much as we might be inclined to deny it, Jesus is always watching, so would it not be in our best interest and the best interest of others to “do the right thing” always and everywhere? In this complicated world, the answer to that question is quite simply, yes, is it not?

Best wishes for a blessed week!

New Leadership, Same Doctrine

 We woke up on Wednesday morning to new leadership in the highest office in
our land. Some were pleased with the outcome, others were disappointed, but one thing
has not changed: we are still one nation under God and one church rooted in faith.

Throughout my ministry at Oak Chapel, I have been intentionally apolitical, and I
will continue to follow that practice, but sometimes pastors fail to speak up and speak
out about issues outside of the four walls of the church when they really should be
vocal.

Obviously politics and faith intersect in many unavoidable ways, but today, I want
to remind all of us about the importance of unity. Satan seeks to divide and conquer,
and he has been very successful with that strategy in recent years. In order to combat
that, we need to engage in open dialogue with one another so that we can at least
respect the right of others to express their opinion.

For spiritual wisdom on this matter, we turn to Scripture, and it is there that we
find wisdom in this passage from Romans 12:16, 21, which encourages us to “live in
harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim
to be wiser than you are. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” 

Remember, Jesus instructed us to love our neighbor, but he never said we have
to agree with them on every issue. Let us go forth this week in peace, respect,
understanding, and forgiveness as we seek to find common ground while preserving our
right to practice our faith with confidence and joy.

A Pathway to Healing Through Prayer

It’s hard to match the excitement of football on weekends in the fall. From Friday-night lights on the high school gridiron to autumn Saturdays in sold-out stadiums across the country to Sunday match-ups that feature our favorite professional team, football is ingrained in our culture this time of year.

It is a high-intensity game with thrilling acrobatic plays as well as bone-jarring collisions, and those collisions often result in a range of injuries. Fortunately, most of these well-conditioned athletes heal relatively quickly from their physical wounds, although many deal with pain long after their playing days come to an end. 

Regardless of whether you played football or not, all of us deal with pain of one sort or another — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual — and very often the healing process can be agonizingly tedious.

So the question becomes, how do you heal, and how do you help others overcome pain and suffering? We know that the Bible is filled with examples of and references to healing, including this from Psalm 147:3, which states that our God “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” The Book of James (5:14-15) tells us that “faith in the Lord is the key to receiving healing.” That passage continues in verse 16 with a reminder about our responsibility to help others heal by “pray[ing] for one another.” This helps all of us to heal.

Pain and suffering are unavoidable realities in life, but prayer is the great elixir, so as Matthew West says in one of his popular songs, “Don’t Stop Praying!”