Daily Devotion, March 17, 2021

By grace, you have been saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8).

Faith is one of the key words and concepts in the New Testament. We spoke of it yesterday, and we continue the conversation today. What is faith? Faith in the natural world is a belief in something or someone. We have faith that our automobiles will not suddenly burst into flames (although it does happen!). We believe that our commercial airplanes will bring us safely to our destination (although they do crash occasionally!). Christian faith is different. By faith, we believe things that we cannot see but are revealed to us by God in His Word. We believe Jesus died for our sins, but we have no actual first-hand knowledge of that event. We believe it because God tells us it is so. We believe in a heaven we have never seen, but God has told us heaven is real.

How do we obtain saving faith? Paul writes, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). We open our minds and hearts to divine truth revealed in Scripture, believing what we read. The more we engage in this practice, the stronger our faith.

How does saving faith act? Back to yesterday’s devotion. True faith loves the commands of God and seeks to obey Him. When our faith is weak, it is time to go to the source. The Bible is like a gas station. The more we fill our hearts with divine truth, the more our faith grows. God has shown us how to develop a strong faith. If you have a Bible it’s not difficult!

Merciful Father, I thank You for making it clear how I may obtain a strong faith. Please guide my daily life so that I always find time for Your Word. I want to be a doer of Your Word and not just a hearer that Jesus Christ may be honored by my life. In His glorious name, I pray. Amen.

Daily Devotion, March 16, 2021

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ⁶ He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked (1 John 2:2-4).

John wrestles with the question, “Who knows God? Who is truly abiding in Him?” Many people claim to be Christians. They have confessed faith in Jesus. They have been baptized. They are members of a church. While confession, baptism, and church involvement are important, they do not guarantee that we are redeemed. John reveals the heart of the matter, the centrality of keeping the commandments of Jesus. True Christians are obedient Christians.

What does God call persons who profess faith in Jesus but do not obey Him? He is blunt. They are liars who know not the truth. Wow! I would hesitate to call any professing Christian a liar, but God is not hesitant to speak the harsh reality. True faith brings a new birth, a desire to follow and obey Jesus. True Christians embrace a new way of life governed by the commands of God. If that is lacking, true faith is lacking. That is what the above verses teach. We need to listen!

Almighty God, our Father, open my ears to hear Your Word. I love the idea of forgiveness and eternal life, but I know my obedience is weak. Keep me from going through the motions of being a Christian while neglecting the heart of the matter. True faith leads to obedience to Your commands. Please help me in my quest to walk with Jesus. In His name, I pray, Amen. 

Our church board met last Tuesday and discussed the Coronavirus. We are pleased that many in our church have been vaccinated. However, the virus is still with us, and for now, no changes in our services will be made. We will continue disinfecting the sanctuary and fellowship hall before services. We will continue to practice social distancing. Masks are recommended in the sanctuary and required for those in the fellowship hall. We look forward to achieving herd immunity soon. This church survived the Civil War, and we will survive Covid 19!

Bible study on Wednesday at 3:30. We continue our video series on Jesus’ last week. The emphasis will be on Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.

This Sunday, I will be doing a first-person sermon on “Demetrius the Silversmith.” His story is found in Acts 19:23-41. The following Sunday is Palm Sunday, followed by Easter. I will be sharing sermons prepared a year ago but canceled because of the virus. Better late than never!

We will have a candlelight communion service on Maundy-Thursday at 7:30 PM. We still need more sign-ups for the Good Friday 24 hour prayer vigil.

May you all have a week blessed by the presence of God!
Pastor Bowman

Daily Devotion, March 13, 2021

 ^…that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15).

Paul reminds us of what we are called to be and what we can be as disciples of Jesus. As children of God, we are to be blameless and harmless and without fault. Even if we live in a society characterized by wickedness, we are to shine as lights in our world. How is this possible? I think there are two sides to this situation. 

First, how do we live blameless lives? As Christians, we know that we still fall short of God’s will and hence are not innocent. The answer is simple. When we know that we have offended God, we immediately repent and turn to God for forgiveness, asking Him to help us live in harmony with His will. As our sins are forgiven, we stand before God blameless. 

Second, we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. As we live relying on His presence and power at work in us, our light shines even brighter. We can live life at a higher level as Christians. If we are not living a higher life than those who know not the Savior, our faith is suspect. So, let your light shine that others may be drawn to the Savior.

Dear God, I know that I am not blameless. Help me not to excuse my bad behavior by saying, “nobody’s perfect.” Help me to confess my sins to you and to receive your forgiveness and cleansing. I want to live my life at a higher level, that the light of Christ shining out from my life may draw others to You. In Jesus name, Amen.  

I forgot to update you on my daughter, Cindy, yesterday. Bad dad! Anyway, thank you to all who asked about her condition. Her surgery was successful and she is out of ICU. She called us on Saturday and was in a lot of pain but improving. Thank you for your prayers.

Tomorrow night is our monthly board meeting (Tuesday, March 9) at 6 PM.

Wednesday Bible study will continue our video series on the last week of Jesus life. This week we will focus on Jesus entry into Jerusalem. We meet at 3:30 for about an hour.

The next two Sundays will be a transition time leading up to a series on the Thessalonian epistles. This Sunday, March 14 I will be doing an important sermon on salvation. It is a topic I have focused on often over the years. What I will attempt to do is to distinguish between trusting Jesus as Savior and trusting Him as Lord. We do both, but there is a difference that impacts our understanding of salvation. Who is really a true Christian? I hope to shed some light on that question.

Blessings on all our church family. With the coming vaccinations, I look forward to seeing many of you who have not felt safe to come to church. The virus is still with us but the end is in sight

Pastor Bowman