Thought for October 2024

Welcome to Fall! The glorious season of changing colors here in Upstate New York. One reason why many of us live here is for the four seasons, each one drastically different, unmatched as they change right before our eyes.

In a world of change, we long for the constant, the things that we can count on. We read in 1 Peter 1:22-25, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’”

What a great treasure we have in this enduring word FROM God. The Bible, God’s truth, His breathed-out Word, alive and powerful, given to us so that we might be changed by it as it purifies us through our obedience to it. Timeless truth passed down from days of old, yet never out of date. Always able to affect and impact of life right where we are today, I am so thankful for this.

And to think that this comes from the greatest constant of all, God Himself. “I the Lord do not change.” (Malachi 3:6). “…The Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.” (James 1:17). Throughout the pages of the Bible we learn about this amazing God. He is unlike anything that we have ever seen or heard. We cannot fully comprehend what He is like, and yet, He invites us to learn about Him and grasp just a small portion of understanding regarding His nature. Oh that we would desire to open the Bible and focus on discovering key qualities of Who God is and what He is like.

May our minds and hearts be open to understand more and more about this Great God that has loved us!

Thought for June 2024

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the water. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.” Psalm 24:1-6 (NIV84)

How amazing to know that we live in a world that is completely and totally under the control of our Great God! It is all His!  The days may be busy or full of potential worry, yet God is still there and is keenly aware of all that is going on. He gives us life and breath for each day and the privilege of walking with Him. He has placed the Holy Spirit inside of us so that we might have power to live a life that pleases Him. 

In these days may we take the time to reflect on His loving care for us. May we also seek Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Longing to walk closely with Him. Longing to have clean hands and a pure heart. Being appreciative for His love that has been shown to us. Being thankful for the forgiveness of sin. Striving to not allow sin to master us, but for us to master our sin nature. Striving to honor Him with our daily life.

I pray that we may be the generation of those who seek the face of our God! Faithfully living each day and passing on the Good News of the Gospel to our family and friends. To the praise of His glory and grace!

Thought for February 2024

In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul wrote to those who had believed in the city of Rome. As the center of the Roman Empire, it was a critical place for the truth of Jesus Christ to be preached. For those who lived there, their impact in the world around them was to be influenced greatly by their understanding of the Gospel and Paul goes into great detail to make sure they are clear in their grasp of the truth.

The same is true for us - as we strive to be effective as a “City on a Hill” that will not be hidden, we must also have a clear understanding of the Gospel message. In this book we see God’s magnificent plan of redemption - how we as lost and guilty human beings can be forever delivered from the penalty of sin through the righteousness of Christ. This is the truth that we are called to know and believe. And also in this book, we learn that this truth must be lived out as well. The positional truth that we understand is to be lived out on a daily basis. What we know is also what we should practically apply in our life.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ’The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:16-17

Thought for January 2024

A new year is upon us!

Much is shared about a new start in a new year. Yet there is also the need for reflecting on what is most important in one’s life. Through the holidays we have been reminded  of the importance of family and friends. And, of course, our faith has been in the mix as we have thanked God for all His blessings at Thanksgiving and then celebrated the birth of a Savior at Christmas - the most wonderful gift we could receive at the most wonderful time of the year.

I would hope and pray for each of us that these things would rise to their proper place of importance. That the lesser things would not take over the most important things. Sadly, many have allowed some things to supersede the truly important. Family relationships are failing and in dire need of attention. Churches are declining as many chose to be in other places. The impact of people with a true relationship with God is no longer evident in the society around us. Secularism is more impactful than spirituality.

As God’s people that are to live in community, we are called to put the most important things back in their proper place. God is to be first and foremost in our lives. He has loved us so greatly and done so much for us that we are forever indebted to Him. He calls us to love Him, love His church, and love the people He created. His Word is to be read and applied in our lives.

May God give us the eyes to see what He is doing and how we might be involved in His work, both in the church and the community in the year ahead. May we join with Him - serving Him as we serve and show love to those around us. The great hope of the Gospel is ours to share. May we do so joyfully and faithfully in the year ahead and may God richly bless us as we give ourselves to Him.