Don’t be deceived by the title of my devotional. It isn’t a secret. We all know what it takes to be holy before a holy God. It is the fruit of a life totally surrendered to God.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. Psalm 24:3-4 1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; Psalm 15:1-2 We all have the privilege of standing before the throne of God, or should I say spending time in God’s Word and praying each and every day. The enemy of our soul knows what impact that will have on your life so he will try to keep you from this very important appointment. During your time with the Lord, you are opening your life up for the Holy of holies to come and purify your heart, cleanse your hands, sprinkle your conscience with the blood of Christ, and clothe you with white robes of righteous deeds. Why wouldn’t the enemy try to distract you with the busyness and cares of this life? The pursuit of holy living isn’t a burden but a place where we find our highest potential. Holiness isn’t something we do. We have proved over and over that we can’t live up to the holiness of God. Holiness is derived from being filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s something we take on. Only God is holy in and of Himself, we are holy because we are close enough to God that His Holy Spirit has filled us up to completeness. It is only then that someone can accuse us of being holy. Your holiness is derived from not only who you are in Christ but where you are. I pray you don’t miss that. When David fell hard to sin when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, he thought he got away with it by covering his tracks. He did a pretty thorough job but forgot about the One that matters the most – God! God knew what he had done. David was able to fool most of the people most of the time but was not able to fool all the people. David probably continued to grab his harp and lift up songs to the Lord but because of his sin the fire of holiness wasn’t there. When Nathan pointed out his sin, he repented immediately. He knew he wasn’t where he should have been by just going through the motions. That’s when he penned Psalm 51. Holiness isn’t just simply clean living, it is living in the presence of God and dwelling daily with Him when no one else is around. I want to encourage you to never give up your time with the Lord. It is where God makes you who you are. I pray you will never forget that simple truth. I am looking forward to a wonderful Marriage Retreat this weekend. If you haven’t signed up, do it today. It will be worth it all. Your marriage is worth the effort. Can I tell you that your children will thank you later? Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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It’s a good morning! I am so grateful for what the Lord is to me each and every day. We are a blessed people knowing that God dwells with us wherever we may find ourselves.
One time the disciples were out and about praying for people and there was one in particular that nothing happened. They came to Jesus asking for Him to heal their son. The disciples were not able to help this family. Jesus rebuked the enemy and he was healed instantly. The disciples are seeing all of this unfold. They waited until they had Jesus’ attention in private and asked, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus responded and said, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” The Gospel of Mark focuses on prayer and the Gospel of Matthew adds that it was a lack of faith. Both are one and the same. We need to have faith enough to put it to prayer and fasting. Have you been desperate enough to do whatever it takes for the Lord to hear your prayer? Beginning tomorrow, February 1, we will be entering into a fast for the month of February. I have my Fasting Covenant signed and ready to implement. I believe God is going to do miracles through our faithful fasting. When we gather on Sunday to worship, I am asking for the Lord to give us a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on our services. I long to see the lost come home, the depressed find wholeness, the spiritually blind to receive their sight. We are living in a day when the enemy has pulled out all stops in erasing the fingerprint of God in His awesome creative work – from the earth (created things) to our bodies. I am also praying for our marriages. Would you pray with me for the weekend of February 9-10? This will be our Marriage Retreat: Marriage on the Rock. Pray that schedules will free up so that many will come seeking for the Lord to heal and grow marriages. Pray for Mike & Doris Courtney as they come as our guest speakers from Tennessee. If you are able to tune to a prayer gathering this morning, I want to encourage you to go to https://praydc.org/ . It is the National Gathering for Prayer & Repentance held in Washington DC. Members of Congress, religious and business leaders will be praying prayers of repentance. There will be representatives of the nations of the world leading in brief prayers. We are living in a critical time in our nation’s history, and we need God to come in a powerful way and touch us once again. May God bless you today and everyday as you seek the Lord with all of your heart. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike I want to highlight a few things happening this month that we are praying will be fruitful. This morning I met with our Front Row Ministry and prayed for our church, the ministries, and for the Lord to reign in our lives, our homes, our community, and our Nation. We are so blessed to have faithful people calling upon the name of the Lord together each and every week.
Fasting in February A week from today will begin our corporate fast as a church. We are praying for the Lord to break the chains of the enemy and for us to experience spiritual breakthrough at many levels. Have you prayed and prepared for your fast? There are pamphlets available at the church for you to prepare. Please come and pick one up and consider going on this journey with us. Night of Worship On Sunday, January 28, we will come together at 6pm for a time of worship and baptize several believers. This is always a highlight as we bring our services together as one and see what God is doing. Bring the whole family and help us to invest in all generations. Marriage on the Rock Retreat February 9-10 We are excited for this powerful weekend. This is an in-house retreat that is only $30 per couple. When we say in-house, that means you will be staying in your own bed at home and coming to our church for the retreat. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided on Saturday. It will begin at 7pm on Friday night and go until 9:30pm. On Saturday it will begin with a light breakfast between 8am – 9am and will go until 3pm. We are going to pull out all stops and support our families as a whole church. We will have a list of potential babysitters, encourage our people who are not married to help during Upward Basketball during that day, and pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our marriages. We want it to be a no excuse retreat in order to seek the Lord to build up our families. Mike and Doris Courtney, from Branches Counseling Centers in Tennessee, will be with us. Mike is a Life Coach, author, and speaker with 25 years of experience counseling families, individuals, and couples. He wrote the book based on his own recovery and restoration entitled Failure And How I Achieved it: a journey from addiction to hope. It will be well worth the effort to change up your schedule to attend. 11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. 12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:11-12 May you find yourself rejoicing and singing for joy because of the Lord’s shield today. I am looking forward to coming together on Sunday as we express to God how much He is to us all. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike 18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:5-8 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 According to the previous Scriptures, God is into making things new. People who put their trust in God, repent of their sin, and believe in Jesus as their personal Savior, will be made new. He takes our life, transforms it, and shows us the way of truth in a dark and chaotic world. He will also set things new when He returns. As we go through Revelation, we are seeing the signs that His return is forthcoming. I am so glad that God does not limit His newness to salvation. Making things new can expand to the physical, spiritual, and emotional. He continues to create newness and allows us to participate in new things all the time. He renews my soul and my outlook on a daily basis. When I spend time in His presence I feel as if He is creating in my mind and heart a new thing. As a church we have the privilege of helping our families point our children in the way in which God wants them to go. In February, we are starting a new format where our children’s ministries will be able to help kids go deeper and our ministry to go wider. Do you realize that our children ages 12 and under are establishing their worldview? George Barna research has studied this a lot. In their teenage years they will apply and refine it, only to live it out from ages 25-59 years old. When they get in their 60’s and above they recalibrate and reflect. Needless to say, it is important that we invest and teach our children. On Sunday beginning in February during the first hour at 9:15am, our 1st-3rd will be in Powerplant while our 4th-6th will be in Discipleship Class. Then during the second hour at 10:45am, our 4th-6th will be in Powerplant while our 1st-3rd will be in Discipleship Class. The Powerplant gives our kids a large group experience while Discipleship Classes give them a small group experience. They are both essential. We will be fasting in the month of February as well. This is where the Lord will be cultivating newness in our prayer life, our thought life, and our serving life. We are so excited as we enter into this time together. Be praying as to how the Lord will have you participate. Brochures are available on Sunday as we prepare. God continues to show us where He is moving, and we want to continue to be in the middle of it. I pray for each one in our church to watch for the things He wants to make new in your life, your family, and in our church. May God be glorified! Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike How is 2024 panning out so far? Are you still on task with the goals you began with on January 1? I know that many do not do new year resolutions. I still think it is good to set goals from time to time.
If you were to live out the slogan that is in the title above, it could take you away from many good things. So let me explain what I mean by, “No more in 2024.” It really does matter what things you place behind “No more.” The things that fall behind the “No more” could be anything that hinders or distracts you from getting closer with the Lord. For example, one of the most important things that you can do as a follower of Jesus Christ is to think on the things that are true. It is basing your life and your decisions on Truth. The enemy of our soul too often tries to place subtle lies within our thoughts. Not enough to attract our attention, but they are enough to put doubt in the things you ought to be thinking or doing. To remain in the truth, it is good to dwell on the truth. Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. The Apostle Paul is reminding us of what we ought to allow our mind to dwell on. Have you ever walked away from a conversation, and you can’t get what was talked about out of your mind? I know I am not alone. Let’s just say that the conversation was sprinkled with nontruth or half-truths. The way in which we can know if things are true is to have the Word of God dwelling in you and acting like a filter, filtering out all of the things that are not true. To have a routine of saturating in the Word will help it to become a part of who you are. The fact remains that you cannot dwell on both the things of God and the lies of Satan. I am excited for our Men’s Legacy Breakfast this Saturday. If you have not signed up for it yet, then you can contact the church office (419-422-8660) to do so. I would love to see all of our men coming to sharpen each other. We come together for breakfast three times a year. Let me encourage you to put up with “No more in 2024” when it comes to your deep, enriching relationship with Jesus. It will be worth it all… Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12
It is going to be a great day spending Christmas Eve with our Church Family. Sunday will be a special day filled with everything Christmas. We will have our 9:15am / 10:45am Morning Worship services with no Discipleship Classes. Then at 3:30pm / 5:30pm we will have our Christmas Eve services. May the Lord bless you with Joy overflowing this Christmas. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike There are two extremes that just can’t seem to meet in the middle during this Christmas Season – Hurrying and resting. So many people spend a lifetime hurrying up to get somewhere only to find that they have to wait when they get there. Have you ever been late to a doctor’s appointment and then after rushing to get there you find they are running behind? Then you spend the next hour just sitting and waiting patiently thinking of all the things you need to do. Then the nurse comes and calls out your name. The mention of your name never sounded any better after waiting for so long. In preparing for Christmas parties, concerts, services, shopping, decorating, and eating of course, it is easy to leave no room for margin. Jumping from one event to the next and just barely making it through seems to be a common occurrence for people these days. I don’t want to say that these things are not important but there has to be better timing for some of the things that I feel I need to do. Saying “yes” to some things is saying “no” to other things that may be important. The book of Ecclesiastes talks about there being a time for everything. It doesn’t say that I have to do everything.
2 Peter 3:8-14 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Peter reminds us that God’s timetable is not the same as ours. He is not bound by space or time. During Advent we watch and wait for the Lord’s coming. If God seems slow about coming to us, that is only because God is giving us more time to be ready. What are you going to do with more time? It’s always the right time when you spend it serving others and sharing with others what God has done for you. It’s always the right time when you spend it in holiness and godliness. It’s always right when you allow Jesus to be in you so much that He spills out on all things you are involved in. Just as I referred to being bumped into on Sunday, what will come spilling out is what you have been filled with. So don’t forget to spend time to allow the Lord to pour into in the midst of your schedule. As we finish up much needed shopping, remember to get on God’s timetable. What is it that He wants you to accomplish as we finish this blessed year He has provided? I am looking forward to a wonderful Sunday with our choir and orchestra. May the God of peace interrupt your goings on… Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike I never get tired of observing Advent each year. I love the anticipation this brings of remembering and experiencing the new life only Jesus can bring. I love watching the world open their hearts to a Savior. I realize that not everyone will use Advent to mature in their faith and invite others to be open to the Savior of the world. Yes, there is a physical element that so many people promote. But I am not going to let that steal my joy and the reason for the season. My focus is fixed on Jesus.
Matthew 1:20b-21 “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” When the angel brought Joseph the truth of the matter of what was unfolding in his life, he could have just mentioned that a Son was being born and that he was to call him Jesus. That could have created some confusion. The name “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew name “Yeshooah” or “Joshua,” which means “deliverance” or “Salvation.” His mind would have immediately recalled Joshua who followed Moses as the leader of Israel. He led the people of Israel into the Promised Land. He was a strong leader that led them across the Jordan River. God used Joshua to “deliver” the people from the wilderness of death and led them to the land of life. He could have been led to believe that Jesus was going to be the next political leader and military commander of Israel. That’s why the angel went on to say, “For he will save his people from their sins.” The angel didn’t say anything about Jesus dying here. But there is a connection between saving people from their sins and Jesus’ death. It’s rooted in the character of God. God is holy. Part of what comes with holiness is separation from sin and sinners. If that is the case, then we are in trouble. How do we get right with a just and holy God? For no impurity nor evil will escape a holy God. He cannot overlook things that go against his character. So how can a just and holy God accept imperfect people? How can He forgive unholy people? The answer lies in God sending His one and only Son during this Christmas season. Something has to die for God’s wrath toward sinners to be appeased. Someone has to die in order for sins to be forgiven. Forgiveness always comes at a great personal cost. When we forgive someone who’s wrong us, there’s cost involved. We give up our right to retribution and we give them what they don’t deserve. In the same way, our forgiveness came at a great personal cost to God. In order for God to forgive us, He became a man to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins. God can’t die so He had to become a man so He could – His name is Jesus. So God put on human flesh and was born to die for sinners. Christmas points to the cross. Jesus’ death doesn’t mean that everyone gets to go to heaven. He was sent by the Father to purchase, through His blood, a people for Himself. Titus 2:13-14 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Jesus died to purchase His bride, not to make his marriage to her a possibility. He died to give her salvation, not just to give her a chance. At Christmas, parent’s don’t give their children the possibility of gifts, they give them real gifts that have already been purchased. This Christmas reminds us that Jesus loves us each individually. He died for each one of us. He doesn’t reserve His love for the one who cleans up their life and then dispenses His love all at once. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us – He loved us before. Now be zealous for the good works that overflow from receiving the gift and love of Christ. Merry Christmas! Pastor Mike During this Advent season, we will be traveling together as a church through the story of Jesus. To help our families, we have provided a devotional book from Focus on the Family with daily readings, faith activities, an advent poster, and different activities. I know that our classes along with our children’s and youth ministries have strategic times of usher our families into the presence of God. This year could be the most significant Advent season you and your family have ever experienced.
Our destination is to the birthplace of Jesus so we can celebrate God’s gift to mankind – the hope of the world. On our way to the manger, our paths may look different according to what we are experiencing in life right now. Many are at a different place in life. Some have young children that are totally dependent on you to survive. There are some parents who are what we call, “empty nesters,” and their children are off to college or have their own home. They are sitting back and wondering where did the time go. Some have experienced loss, and this is the first Christmas without that special loved one. There are some who are living in a broken home due to disagreements on a larger scale. I could see some families who are experiencing rebellion to a whole new level and are finding it hard to sleep at night. Some are enjoying a new arrival and thanking the Lord for His provision. I could probably list more scenarios that could encompasses every conceivable situation whether it is a challenge or a blessing. Then this devotional thought could go on forever. So, I will resist the temptation. Let me remind you that you are not alone. The Scripture says that Jesus has experienced all that we go through. Hebrews 4:15 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. As we travel together, my prayer is that you will not let anything get in the way of what God wants to do with you and your family this season. I pray that your eyes will be opened to experience new sounds, new smells, new thoughts, and new directions that will glorify the Savior of the world. We need to remember that our destination is going to be a wonderful place to be when we finally arrive. But it is the journey that makes all the difference. Jesus is still here. He is waiting for you to embrace Him through the journey. Matthew 11:28-30 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Enjoy this Advent as we journey together and seek the Christ child together. Are you ready to receive what God has for you? What is it that God is wanting to show you? There are several things available this month to make this the most wonderful time of the year. On Sunday our services will be filled with hope, inspiration, and the truth of God’s Word. Make sure you keep posted on the serving opportunities and events that will happen. The chance to meet new friends and serve others will be delightful. I look forward to all the things God has instore for us. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Hebrews 13:15
There are two aspects of worship mentioned in Hebrews 13:15 – lips and service. They are both important as we look at living out worship in every aspect of life. Our lips are to praise the Lord – but “the fruit of lips that confess his name” will be lives that are continually lived for God’s glory in a “sacrifice of praise.” It is not an “either or” but a “both and.” Let me explain. Our lips delight in praising the Lord as we come together and worship. We corporately come together on a Sunday Morning and lift up the name of Jesus. It is a dynamic time of expressing how much God is worth to us. One of the early signs of revival is a worship that comes alive in the church. When the King makes his presence known, it’s only natural that his people will want to praise Him. According to our services, we are in the middle of revival. I enjoy coming and worshipping with our church. Our services are an inspiration and we are truly in the presence of the Lord. I always look forward to what the Lord is going to do with our time together. Even in the midst of a pastor’s feeble attempt to preach the Word, there is a spirit of excitement when we laugh together. There is also personal worship when you get caught up in a song or the presence of God when you are alone or with a couple of friends. No one can duplicate the sweet spirit of God that falls down on you when you least expect it. There is also a dynamic that takes place when we serve each and every day. There is an element of putting fruit to what we say and bringing glory to the name of Jesus. It is in the expression of our worship that serving opportunities arise. I mentioned on Sunday how our classes are growing, and how we needed to multiply classes and classroom space to create smaller groups. As a matter of fact, many of our classes from nursery to adults are growing. We are seeing new faces each week. A few people have responded and felt the Lord nudging them to serve as a teacher or an assistant. Our service is the overflow of our worship. There is still room for more to step forward. What better time to put fruit to our lips than Thanksgiving. We should always be a thankful people but especially when we gather with friends and family, around the table, sharing the many blessings God brings to our lives. What a great day to express the Lord’s goodness. During the Advent season, our theme is for everything we do will be “Journey to the Manger.” Each week we have family devotionals available in the foyer and we run out every week. Another supply will be here on Sunday. Speaking of Sunday, our building is looking amazing. Please look for all the things available to make this season joyous and purposeful. Many thanks for the people who decorated our church. My prayer is that the Lord will fill our church with the hope and love that will be life changing this Christmas. Invite a friend and let the church be the church. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike |
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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