What to do when change comes

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Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. --Hebrews 13:7-8 I remember back in 1965 when our church got its very first drum set. Up until then, all we had was a piano and an organ. Well, I thought we were going to have to put cardiac arrest equipment in the foyer. And the interesting thing is I was the drummer… so I heard the worst of it! “How could you bring that instrument into the house of God?” one lady asked. Another said, “It’s terrible that our church has come to this!” Well, after some time passed and some very delicate conversations took place, we kept the drum set. Today, drums are commonplace in many churches, and most people don’t think twice about them. But the battle over drums in my church was just an example of the different perspectives that are present in any church. It may be instruments, preaching style, or carpet color, but each of us comes into church with a pre-conceived idea of how things “should” be. But the reality is that we’re not always going to get our way and, at times, will have to acquiesce to change. So while you may have a different background than others in your church, keep the main thing the main thing. Stay unified in the Body and work together to worship and serve the Lord! KEEP UNITY THE FOCUS IN THE BODY, EMBRACE CHANGE, AND WORK TOGETHER IN THE SERVICE OF CHRIST! Defeat from Victory Thursday, October 31, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.” Luke 22:1–5 In 280 BC, the expanding power of Rome reached into what is now the Balkans and was confronted by the Greek state of Epirus. Led by Pyrrhus, their king, the Epirote army defeated the invaders. The next year they launched an attack against Roman territory. In the Battle of Asculum, Pyrrhus was once again victorious, but his army suffered great losses. According to Plutarch, “Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one other such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits.” This is where we get the term Pyrrhic victory. The ultimate Pyrrhic victory in all of history was Satan’s at the cross. Satan conspired, plotted, and worked to end the life and ministry of Jesus. To human observers it must have looked like an utter defeat for the rabbi from Nazareth whose preaching and miracles had drawn so many to follow Him. But it was this “victory” of Satan that sealed his doom. This was the fulfillment of the promise God made to Adam and Eve. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This was the ultimate victory over Satan, sin, death and the grave, and Jesus won it for us. Today's Growth Principle:  Our hope of victory over Satan was eternally settled when Jesus went to the cross and defeated him.

The Most Important Ingredient for Rebuke - Repost

Salt + Pepper: The Most Important Ingredient for Rebuke: SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 The Most Important Ingredient for Rebuke Article by  Marshall Segal Staff writer, desiringGod.org If you ...

The Prayer of Jesus

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And they came and said to him, “Teacher… is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”… Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”      --Mark 12:14-17 I heard about a fellow who wrote the IRS one day and said, “I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately and I think it’s because I haven’t paid my taxes. So enclosed with this letter is a check for $200.” Then, at the bottom of his letter, he wrote, “P.S., If I still can’t sleep tomorrow night, I’ll send you the rest of what I owe.” Now if anyone could’ve thought himself exempt from paying taxes, it would’ve been the Lord Jesus. But He paid His taxes because He knew the importance of fulfilling His earthly obligations. He owned the world and everything in it, yet knew He had a responsibility to fulfill with the government. As Christians, we aren’t exempt from meeting our earthly obligations. Whether it’s your taxes, settling your debt, or tipping your waiter at dinner, each of us has the responsibility of giving to others what is due to them, regardless of whether we think they deserve it or not! Part of being a good witness for Christ is being a good citizen. So represent Christ well by submitting to the proper authorities and meeting all your earthly obligations. In the end, the reward will be yours and God will get the glory! BE A GOOD WITNESS FOR CHRIST BY MEETING YOUR EARTHLY OBLIGATIONS! The Devil’s Attempt to Divide Wednesday, October 30, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Romans 8:33–35 Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been working to separate people from God. He knows that the closer we are to the Lord, the less power he has in our lives. That is one reason so many Christians endure tribulation, distress, and persecution. The devil is trying to do to them the same thing that he tried to do to Job—to separate them from God, undermine their faith, and render them ineffective in service to Him. These possibilities are very real. I have talked to people who have been put in jail for their faith. I have talked to widowed spouses of those who were killed for their faith. I have seen the pain and sorrow these attacks bring. They are not figments of the imagination. They are not easy to face, but they are utterly incapable of changing God’s love for us. We can allow them to defeat us, but that is not a failure on God’s part. When trouble comes, it should drive us closer to God rather than further away from Him. David wrote, “In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” (Psalm 11:1). No human refuge can sustain in trials. There is no fortress that can defend us. Only God can overcome the power of the devil. Our responsibility is to maintain our relationship with Him, trusting in His love just as much when things go wrong as when they go right. Today's Growth Principle:  Do not let anything that happens shake your faith in God’s unfailing love for you.

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If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. --Colossians 3:1 Down in West Palm Beach, Florida, where I pastored for 8 years, just a few miles off the coast is the Gulf Stream. Now the Gulf Stream is like a river flowing through the ocean. It was used by early explorers to get from the Caribbean back to Europe. And if you’re out on a boat and come across the Gulf Stream, you’ll move from blue-green water to almost purple water. When I think about believers in the world, I’m reminded of that Gulf Stream. It’s part of the ocean, but it’s very different from the ocean. It has direction and purpose, a different consistency, and is most definitely distinguishable by the common observer. As we Christians go about our lives here on earth, each and every one of us has a call to be in, but not of, the world. We go about our days surrounded by the ordinary. Yet we know we’re wholly different because we have the Spirit of God inside of us and we have a real and deep purpose for our lives. Just like the Gulf Stream powers through the Atlantic Ocean on its way to Europe, live powerfully today on your way to heaven. Your life has meaning and purpose. Carry with you the knowledge that you’re not wandering aimlessly, but have a firm destination as a child of God! LIVE WITH THE CONFIDENCE YOUR LIFE HAS MEANING AND PURPOSE BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST! The Prayer of Jesus Tuesday, October 29, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” John 17:15–20 At the conclusion of His observance of the Passover with the disciples, just before going out to the Garden of Gethsemane where He would be arrested, Jesus prayed. He poured out His heart to the Father, not just for Himself, but for His disciples—and for us. We are a part of “them also which shall believe” that Jesus spoke of in this prayer, and He is still praying for us today. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). There are times when we face opposition and obstacles that seem to be overwhelming. In these moments we often feel like we are all alone and there is no one who cares about us. Even if that is true in the earthly realm, it is never true in Heaven. We are saved because of the love God extended to us, and we are still loved when things are going wrong. It is a great encouragement in dark and difficult days to be reminded that Jesus is still praying for us. Robert Murry McCheyne said, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me!” Today's Growth Principle:  Remember that you are not alone—the same Jesus who saved you is praying for you today.

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And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom… but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.         --1 Corinthians 2:1-5 I once heard Billy Graham speak to a group of about 100 very affluent men and women at a dinner party. These were some of the smartest, wealthiest, and most successful people in America. Yet Billy Graham spoke to them like they were children: lovingly, tenderly, and simply.  Many people may have doubted there would much of a response that night from such a dignified crowd. But I saw about half of those men and women come to Christ with a simple presentation of the Gospel. It wasn’t clever words; it was the truth and the power of God that provoked a response. One excuse I constantly hear for not sharing the Gospel is that people don’t know what to say. They don’t think they have just the right words or can explain everything perfectly. But the truth is that clever speech shouldn’t be what attracts people; the simple Gospel should. Don’t let your uncertainty turn you away from sharing God’s truth. Tell others that Jesus died for their sins so that they can be saved through faith. That’s all it takes. And when you do, people will be attracted to that truth and will come to know Christ through your message! KEEP THE GOSPEL SIMPLE WHEN YOU SHARE AND LET GOD ATTRACT PEOPLE THROUGH THE TRUTH, NOT CLEVER WORDS. Missing the Benefits Monday, October 28, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Psalm 68:17–19 I read the story of a poor family from Europe that had saved all of their money to purchase passage on a boat to America hoping for freedom and opportunity. Because they had spent nearly all of their money on the tickets, they packed bread and cheese to eat on the way. After several days of that, the son complained, and his father gave him a nickel to get ice cream for a treat. He was gone for a long time, and his family began to worry. He finally showed up with a huge smile on his face, and said excitedly, “I had three ice cream cones and a steak dinner!” “All that for a nickel?” his father asked. “No,” the boy replied. “The food is free. It comes with the ticket.” David said that God loads us up with benefits, and it is true. Every day we are richly blessed by the good things He provides for us, yet too often we miss out on even more that He could do for us. We lose battles that could have been won, we do without things we could have; and we work in our own strength when His power is available to us. We miss out on the benefits God is ready, willing, and able to provide for us. “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries” (Psalm 81:13-14). Today's Growth Principle:  Do not miss out on the blessings God has in store for you by rebelling against His direction.

Songs in the Night

Sunday, October 27, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven? There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.”

Job 35:10–13

Thomas Chisholm had a path for his life planned out. Born in Kentucky shortly after the Civil War, Chisholm chose, after his conversion, to train for the ministry. However, his pastoral career was cut short after just one year by serious health problems that left him unable to handle the responsibilities of the job. Rather than turning away from God in that darkness, Chisholm began writing poems. He eventually authored more than one thousand, including one of my favorites:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
And all I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

Heartaches, trials, and struggles should come as no surprise to us. We have the promise of Jesus that these difficulties and hardships will come: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The key for us to maintain joy and victory is found in seeing God’s hand in the events of our lives—and when we cannot see it, trusting Him anyway. Those Christians who follow this course are the ones who still have joy in their hearts and a song on their lips in hard times.

Today's Growth Principle: 

God is faithful to provide hope to us in the midst of our deepest sorrows and struggles.

Defining Moments

Saturday, October 26, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”

1 Peter 5:1–3

One of the most famous plays in baseball history happened on October 25, 1986, in the sixth game of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets. With the score tied in the tenth inning, Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner allowed a softly hit ground ball to go between his legs into right field, giving the Mets the opportunity to win the game, and eventually the championship. Despite twenty-two successful years of professional baseball, Buckner’s error on that one play became the defining moment of his career. 

If there is anyone in the Bible whose life could have been defined by one moment of failure, it was Peter. The denial of the Lord that he issued again and again after Jesus’ arrest was a striking lapse, all the more because it came so closely after Jesus’ warning that Peter would not stand with Him when the moment of testing came. “Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matthew 26:33).

Peter could have given up, but instead he responded to the renewed command he received from Jesus and spent the rest of his life winning the lost and building the church. Peter did what all of us should do—he obeyed what Jesus told him. And later in his life Peter passed on the same mission to those who would come after, instructing them to feed their flocks.

Today's Growth Principle: 

It is not our failures, but our response to those failures that determines how our lives will be remembered.

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So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. --Philippians 2:1-2 Several years ago, there was a lady in our church who needed an urgent blood transfusion. So some members of our church got together and decided they were going to go donate the blood she needed. It saved her life. The blood donors made a card for this dear woman and wrote, “We gave our blood for you because Jesus gave His blood for us.” It blessed her immensely. And it gave all of us at the church a good perspective on what it means to give ourselves for the sake of one another. We do that when we forgive, when we show favor, and when we give sacrificially to one another. That’s what the body of Christ is all about! As we look at the early church, we see a group of men and women who really did share life together. There was no physical need that went unmet because they cared so deeply for one another. And with so much individualism in our culture today, we can learn a lot from them! All believers are united in Christ. And just as you’d miss any part of your body that was cut off, each individual believer is important in the overall function. So be united in Christ with other believers and you’ll experience the joy of sharing life with others. SHARE LIFE WITH OTHER BELIEVERS AS ONE AND YOU’LL EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF UNITY IN CHRIST! Just Don’t Quit Friday, October 25, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:55–58 While Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made their famous moonwalk, the capsule that would return them safely to Earth was being flown by Michael Collins. He was their vital lifeline to get back home. And despite being trusted with that vital role, just a few years before, Collins had been told that he didn’t have what it took to be an astronaut. The West Point graduate and test pilot applied to NASA following John Glenn’s flight around the world, only be to rejected. He later called it, “a big flop, a big failure,” but he refused to give up. He continued working and applying until in 1963, he was accepted into the astronaut program and chosen for the Apollo 11 mission. There are many times in life when we do not immediately succeed at what we try. The temptation in those moments is to give up and accept that we cannot do what we have set out to do. However, defeat should not discourage us. This is even more true in the spiritual realm than it is in any other part of our lives. Paul pointed out to the church at Corinth that Jesus through His resurrection had already defeated the greatest enemy we face—death. In light of that victory, he called them to faithfulness in service to God. Not everyone to whom we witness gets saved, and not everyone for whom we pray gets healed; but the ultimate victory has been won. We must not quit serving God. Today's Growth Principle:  Failure is never final until and unless we give up and accept it as final.

What God Says about Himself

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There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.            --Romans 8:1 Years ago, I heard about some men who were out camping when they were caught in a terrible forest fire. Fire was all around them, there was no way out, and it looked like they were going to perish in the flames. One man was a seasoned camper, so he got some kerosene, poured it on the ground in a big circle, and lit a match. Several of the campers asked him, “What are you doing? Why are you trying to light a fire?!” As he threw the match on the ground and set the grass ablaze, he told them, “Once the grass burns away, stand on the charred ground. The fire can’t come where it’s already been.” And with that, the men were saved from the fire that burned all around them. When Jesus died on the cross, the flames of a holy God fell upon Him. And when you go to the cross and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then He has accepted your penalty. That means the fire that fell on Him can’t fall on you! Those who are in Christ can never be condemned. So be confident in your standing before God if you’re in Christ. You’re completely clean and will escape judgment when it comes! IN CHRIST, YOU CAN STAND BEFORE GOD WITH CONFIDENCE, KNOWING JESUS TOOK THE PENALTY FOR YOUR SINS.

What God Says about Himself

Thursday, October 24, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:5–7

When you ask someone about themselves, the answer they give tells you a lot about what is important to them. Some people speak of their jobs. Others talk about their families. Some focus on their hobbies and interests. When God presented Himself to Moses and the Children of Israel, He identified some of His traits, and one of those was that He was “abundant in goodness.” God is not just partly good or somewhat good. His goodness is perfect and overflowing.

There are times in all of our lives when we are tempted to question the goodness of God. When the doctor gives us a bad test report, when the company issues layoff notices, when the relationship fractures and seems like it cannot be restored, God is good. When the doctor gives us the all clear, when the company announces raises and bonuses, when hearts are knit back together, God is good. He never changes. And understanding and remembering His goodness is vitally important to maintaining our faith through the hard times. David said, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13).

In his poem “The Eternal Goodness” John Greenleaf Whittier wrote:

Yet, in the maddening maze of things,
And tossed by storm and flood,
To one fixed trust my spirit clings;
I know that God is good!

Today's Growth Principle: 

No matter what our circumstances may be, we can always rejoice in God’s abundant goodness.

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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” --John 14:27 A pastor friend of mine was telling me about his trips to the hospital to visit people who are facing surgery or dealing with an illness. He said that one question he always asks the people in the hospital is, “Are you worried?” He said that most people answer something like, “Oh no, pastor. I have the peace of God.” But when he asked that question to one particularly outspoken church member, she looked at him and said, “Worried? Are you crazy?! People die in this place!” He said it was one of the most refreshing things he had ever heard. With so many church people feeling like they have to put on a strong spiritual face in front of their pastors, someone who was brutally honest was a welcome change! Yesterday, I shared about the faith of Daniel in the lions’ den. And if you’d have asked Daniel if he was worried, he would’ve said, “Are you crazy? People die here!” But despite his worries, he had faith and trusted God for the outcome. Don’t feel like you have to be worry free to have a strong faith. Instead, look worry in the face and say, “You’re nothing compared to my God.” That’s what it means to have faith in the face of worry! FACE YOUR WORRIES WITH FAITH, KNOWING THAT WHILE CHALLENGES ARISE, NOTHING IS BIGGER THAN GOD. Nothing to Add Wednesday, October 23, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Matthew 5:3–6 George Kaufman was a noted playwright and director in the early 1900s. He is probably best remembered today for writing material for the Marx Brothers comedy movies. Kaufman often directed his own plays, though it was not uncommon for him to launch a new production and then go on to work on another project while someone else took over the director’s duties. The story goes that a couple of months after he turned over one of his plays, Kaufman went to see it. Over the weeks of the run the cast and new director had made some additions and changes to the material. Kaufman went backstage and put up an announcement: “Rehearsal tomorrow at 2:00 to remove all the improvements.” God has given us a perfect Word to follow throughout our lives. But often over time people add interpretations and traditions that change the meaning. Jesus dealt with that in His day. What He pointed out was that when we follow the traditions rather than the actual things God has said, we diminish the power of the Bible to nothingness in our lives. There is no need for us to improve or update or rewrite the Scriptures. They are perfect, given by God and kept by His power—His message to us just as surely as when human authors were inspired to write the words. There is nothing to add to what God has said. Today's Growth Principle:  Whenever we add to what God has said, we are hiding the truth and heading for error.