The Pastor's Pocket

Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”   From His birth to His death, Jesus suffered. In the scripture verse for today, Christ is preparing His disciples for the suffering. He was about to endure the final stages of His ministry on earth. He describes how He will suffer, how He will die, and then be raised on the third day. All of this was the Father’s plan for our redemption, our salvation. For that plan to be carried out, Jesus had to enter the world. His entrance came through a lowly manger in Bethlehem.   The sufferings of Christ begin with His birth. Jesus left the glories of heaven and subjected Himself to the limitations of time and space. He confined Himself to a body for the first time. If baby Jesus bit His tongue, He experienced pain. He got thirsty for the first time. He expe...

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” Ephesians 5:20.   “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18.   Give thanks always? For all things? Really? Yes.   The Bible teaches us to give thanks, to praise the Lord, to be grateful – always. This sounds impossible, but it isn’t. God never requires something of us that is impossible to do. Giving thanks always, requires trusting God, knowing that God is sovereign. He is always in control, and He never makes mistakes. He either causes all things in our lives or He allows them. We can be thankful for each event in our lives, knowing that God is in the middle of it.   Everyone can give thanks after a blessing comes their way. That’s not hard, and it doesn’t require much faith. Have you learned to thank God before a blessing comes? That is evidence you are trusting God and by faith, you are beli...

Our daughter was shopping at a wholesale store recently and sent my wife this text, “Insane how packed it is on Wednesday afternoon!” My wife’s reply to her was, “Tis the season”. The busy shopping season has begun. It’s a great time of the year for retailers.  During this season as Christians, we mustn’t venture out without asking the Holy Spirit to fill us with patience and give us the strength to maintain a Christ-like spirit.   This is a shopping season when many people are searching for, hoping for, something that will satisfy a craving, fulfill a longing, or give them a thrill. For some it will be a party, alcohol, a new car, new clothes, a new boyfriend/girlfriend perhaps. For some, their happiness comes from a sale at the mall, and their many purchases. It’s a season when many are looking for a “high” which turns out to be only temporary.   Friend, there is a “high” you cannot buy. It’s righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). It’s not some...

When I think of a military veteran, the word “service” comes to mind.  Those in the military serve their country to keep us safe.  We all owe a great debt of gratitude to military veterans who loved their country enough to fight for it, and even to die for it.   Despite the way military personnel are portrayed in the liberal media, those who serve and have served are among our nation’s finest.   Several years ago, Tom Brokaw wrote a book titled, “The Greatest Generation”, in which he sought to provide evidence that it was the World War II generation of men and women who sacrificed all for America’s Freedoms. Those who made it back home, went to work, married, and had families. They went on with their lives without complaining. They understood and believed the concept of sacrifice. Whether you agree with Brokaw’s assessment, you must admit that service and sacrifice go hand in hand.     May we all salute our veterans. Thank them for their service. That’s the...

In Major League Baseball, each team has a Bat Boy. They are most often young kids who retrieve bats after a player has hit the ball and taken it to the dugout.  They also retrieve other items, shin guards, elbow pads, etc. These young boys have no name on their jersey and the cameras almost never show them while they work during the game. They go unnoticed, but their tasks are important. They are there to serve the players.   This past summer as I was watching a game and as I really took notice of what the Bat Boy does, some scriptures came to mind. Romans 12:10b, “in honour preferring one another;” Philippians 2:3b says, “in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Other scriptures I encourage you to read: I Peter 5:5 and Proverbs 3:34.   Someday in heaven I think we will meet a lot of Christian people who, in a sense, were “Bat Boys” for Jesus. They served others. We never knew their names. They were never in the limelight. People who were the un...

It’s that time of the year when the animals are getting ready for winter. They make sure their nesting place is ready for hibernation. They are gathering food or eating a lot of food now to sustain them during the winter months.   In the mornings when we wake up, we get ready for the day. When we are expecting visitors, we get ready for their arrival. The airline industry works hard to make sure their planes are ready to fly. Athletes warm up to get ready for competition.   Jesus tells us to get ready because He is coming.  Are you ready for His return? We must be prepared, for one day the Lord will surely come. How can you be sure you are ready for that moment? (1) Make sure you are saved, born again. (2) Be serving Christ in some capacity. (3) Make sure you are doing the will of God. (4) Be a worshipper. Practice now praising the Lord because that is what you will do in heaven (Revelation 4-5).   Are you prepared for an encounter with the Lord today? Have you posit...