DEVOTION, January 7, 2021

ther of our Lord Jesus Christ! God has given us a new birth because of his great mercy. We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Jesus Christ has come back to life. ⁴ We have been born into a new life which has an inheritance that can’t be destroyed or corrupted and can’t fade away. That inheritance is kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:3, God’s Word Translation).

Peter’s heart is overflowing with praise as he reflects on the Gospel of Jesus. We receive a new birth when we place our faith in Jesus. That new birth comes to us from a merciful God. We don’t deserve it; we can’t earn it; we can only receive it as a gift from a merciful God. Peter then adds that this new birth leads to a new life. The resurrected Christ dwells in our hearts and leads us to live a new kind of life.

He then adds that we have an inheritance. Again, we don’t earn an inheritance. We receive it from one who loves us. An earthly inheritance is nice. The inheritance I received from my parents is long gone (they were not wealthy!). The inheritance we receive from Jesus can never be lost or destroyed. It will never fade away. It is waiting for us in heaven.

Thank You, Father, for the new birth we receive when we trust in Jesus. Thank You for the marvelous inheritance that awaits us in heaven. We are overwhelmed by Your love and mercy. In Jesus name, Amen, 

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God has given us a new birth because of his great mercy. We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Jesus Christ has come back to life.We have been born into a new life that has an inheritance that can’t be destroyed or corrupted and can’t fade away. That inheritance is kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:3, God’s Word Translation).

Peter’s heart is overflowing with praise as he reflects on the Gospel of Jesus. We receive a new birth when we place our faith in Jesus. That new birth comes to us from a merciful God. We don’t deserve it; we can’t earn it; we can only receive it as a gift from a gracious God. Peter then adds that this new birth leads to a new life. The resurrected Christ dwells in our hearts and leads us to live a new kind of life.

He then adds that we have an inheritance. Again, we don’t earn an inheritance. We receive it from one who loves us. An earthly inheritance is nice. The inheritance I received from my parents is long gone (they were not wealthy!). The inheritance we receive from Jesus can never be lost or destroyed. It will never fade away. It is waiting for us in heaven.

What a blessing it is to be a Christian. Whatever comes our way in this life we have an inheritance that will never fade away.

Thank You, Father, for the wonderful blessings we receive when we trust in Jesus. Thank You for the new birth and for the new life we receive. Thank You for the inheritance with which You have blessed us, a legacy that can never be destroyed. Blessed be the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen. 

DEVOTION, Jan 5, 2020

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1, NIV).

Paul refers to Christians as those who have been raised with Christ. Our final resurrection has not yet happened, but Paul speaks of it as a present reality. As a Christian, we are spiritually joined to Christ, and where He is, we are there with Him. We have already been raised to new life by faith in Jesus. Therefore, we are to set our hearts on things that are above.  What does that mean? “These “things” include deeper knowledge of Christ, closer fellowship with Him, the experience of His resurrection power, victory over sin (vv. 5–11); the development of godly virtues (vv. 12–17); the fulfillment of domestic and social responsibilities (3:18—4:1); an effective prayer life (4:2); fruitfulness in witnessing (4:3–6)—in a word, the attainment of Christian maturity, and all the spiritual benefits God has for His people during their days on earth. To have been raised with Christ and not to seek these blessings would be a contradiction.” (Quest Study Bible).

We are so often caught up in things below. Personal problems, family problems, health issues, financial issues, and the like. Yes, we have to deal with things below, but we don’t want to be consumed by them. We want to continually remind ourselves that our real home is heavenly, and we want to focus on heavenly things. As we set our hearts on things above, we will find greater wisdom to deal with things below, primarily as we focus on Jesus. He will pour into us His wisdom and guidance. There is a saying, “Some people are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.” I think a better aphorism would be, “Some people are so earthly minded they are no heavenly good.” The truth is we do have to cope with both things below and things above. Which one has priority?

Father, help me to remember who I am as a believer in Jesus. I am united with Him, and where He is, I am also. Help me to keep my main focus on the things above, especially on Jesus and all the things I possess because of Him. In His holy name, Amen. 

I know that you all join with me in praying that 2021 will be a big improvement over 2020!

Today (Monday) we say farewell to Shirley Cave. Her memorial service is at 1 PM at the church.

The men will have their monthly breakfast meeting at 8 AM on Tuesday. The women will meet at 9:30 on Wednesday.

At 3:30 on Wednesday we will resume our weekly Bible study continuing our study on discipleship. We will be looking at the important topic of forgiveness.

On Sunday I will resume the series from the Book of Genesis. We will be looking at Adam and Eve.

Happy New Year and God’s blessings on our church family!
Pastor Bowman

DEVOTION, January 3, 2020

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual [that is, you who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit] are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness [not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness], keeping a watchful eye on yourself, so that you are not tempted as well (Gal. 6:1, AMP).

Here is advice on what to do when you become aware that a fellow Christian is engaged in sin. It is certainly a reminder that Christians do sin. We want to obey Jesus but we find that we can too easily fall short. What does a Christian who falls into sin need? Will behind the back-gossip help? Will speaking harshly in a judgmental spirit help? Paul gives us the proper response. If we are spiritual (mature believers guided by the Holy Spirit) we will treat the wrongdoer with gentleness, seeking to restore him or her. When we approach another with an attitude of superiority or self-righteousness we are as guilty of wrongdoing as the one we are trying to correct! Most of us do not respond well when others approach us in a spirit of superiority. Gentleness is called for.

Then Paul reminds us of another important truth. You have caught a Christian in a sin. Are you so righteous that you are above temptation? Be careful! You also face temptation, and you are well capable of yielding. While we do not approve of sin, we need to keep in mind that we are capable of falling. When that happens, we want others to be gentle with us, so let us be gentle with others.

Father, thank you for reminding me that I must be kind and gentle with others. I certainly want others to be gentle with me and I need to return the favor. I thank You for dealing gently with me. By Your Spirit lead me always into righteous paths. In Jesus’ name, Amen.