The Pastor's Pocket

   We all know about Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”. He perceived it as something that kept him from being exalted above measure (2 Corinthians 12:7). I guess none of us would consider the thorns to be the nicest part of a rose. However, I read once of a blind preacher in Scotland who wrote in his journal this prayer: “O God–I must thank thee for my thorn! Teach me the glory of my cross, my thorn. Show me that I climb to Thee on the path of pain and that my tears have made my rainbow”. It is a step toward Christian maturity when we can truly be thankful for the crosses we have to bear and the thorns we have to endure. “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians 5:18).  Let your tears supply the moisture for your own rainbow and allow your personal pain to take you closer to God. The Pastor’s Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman

   I John 5:3 says that God’s “commandments are not grievous”. In other words, they are not difficult to obey for those who love the Lord. Christianity is not just dos and don’ts. However, they are in the Bible for our benefit. God knows that certain boundaries are needed for our well-being. Moral, physical, and spiritual boundaries are given so that we might live full and abundant lives. The truth is, when we put God first, we are happier. When we follow the restrictions found in God’s Word, the quality of our lives is much better overall. The Book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom ready to be harvested. It also is full of dos and don’ts. For example: don’t envy the wicked (24:1). Don’t try to get even with people (24:29). Don’t boast of tomorrow (27:1). Don’t brag or praise yourself (27:2). Do fear the Lord (24:21). Do love your enemy (25:21). Do discipline your children (29:17). Proverbs contains a host of other instructions that indicate your wisdom if you follow them and ...

  All throughout the Bible we see the benefits of a “team effort”. Two or more joining forces in the cause of Christ. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas prayed and sang together from prison confinement, and God showed them supernatural favor. In Acts 3, it was Peter and John going into the temple to pray together. They witnessed a miracle for a lame man.  In James 5:15, we are instructed to confess our faults to one another and to pray one for another, that we may be healed.  Psalm 133 speaks of the beauty of harmony between two or more. It seems God has in His marvelous plan, designed blessing and victory in partnership. Two or more joining forces in ministry and in life. Perhaps this is one reason God designed the church. He knew we would need each other for encouragement, for fellowship, for motivation and inspiration. Have you neglected your church connection and participation with other believers? Remember, there is victory through partnership. Join with those God has placed...

  The close of another year suggests a time for review. Self-evaluation, self-examination, is encouraged in scripture (2 Corinthians 13:5). All successful businesses and organizations do inventory from time to time. Why not do some personal inventory as another year comes to a close.  Let me offer some soul-searching questions you might want to ask yourself today as you look back on 2016: Did I love enough? Did I love my Lord and Savior enough? Did I love the members of my family enough? Did I love those around me that need Jesus? Did I care enough? Did I care about the needs of others enough? Did I care about my church enough? Did I forgive enough? Did I forgive those who hurt me, wounded me, or offended me? Did I learn enough? Did I take advantage of opportunities to grow in grace, wisdom and understanding of the Word of God? Did I learn anything in 2012? Did I share enough? Did I share the resources God put in my possession? Did I sow enough financially in places it would m...

   Whatever Your Need–God Can Meet It! We can all use some good news in today’s climate of bad news everywhere. Troubled souls are all around us; burdened down with cares, troubles and heartache. The gospel is “good news”. The Bible has the answers to all of our needs. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden (burdened down, weighted down with care) and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Whatever the need, God has a solution. To the troubled–He offers help To the weary–He offers rest To the hopeless–He offers a way out To the weak–He offers strength To the confused–He offers truth To the lost–He offers salvation To the brokenhearted–He offers love and acceptance To the fearful–He offers peace To the stressed–He offers comfort To the lonely–He offers His presence To the suffering–He offers His grace To the sinful–He offers forgiveness To the backslidden–He offers restoration To the dying–He provides a promise (Psalm 23:4 ...for thou are with me”) So cry out to...

   Jesus was the master of illustration. Remember the parable of the seed and the sower (Mark 4:1-20)? The seed is the Word of God and it is sown into various kinds of soil (different kinds of people). In verse 19 the Lord says the cares of this world (among other things) choke the Word and it becomes unfruitful. Let’s face it–a lot of people are “choking” from poor decisions, misplaced priorities, pleasure, and the desire for more stuff. The Word of God is pushed to the back burner in their life. They are unfruitful in God’s Kingdome because they are not really serious about their spiritual growth. Have you ever choked on a piece of food? You swallowed wrong as you ate something and you coughed really hard for a while. It’s no laughing matter. In fact, it can be life threatening. In the spiritual realm, it is no laughing matter either when your relationship with God gets choked out by the cares of life. I’ve never seen anyone choke on too much Word, but I have seen people cho...

All of us will open gifts today. I’m sure we will get some nice things, but the Christmas gift from God is not some-thing, it’s some-One – Jesus. Paul describes it as God’s “unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).  Some things about this gift: It’s very expensive - the best heaven had to offer. It’s a gift everyone needs (Romans 3:23). It’s a gift everyone can have (Romans 10:13). It’s a personal gift. It wasn’t wrapped in paper and bows but in swaddling clothes. It comes with a lifetime guarantee (guaranteed to bring joy and peace to your soul).  You’ll never need to exchange this gift. It truly is the “gift that keeps on giving”. Have you opened it friend? You open it by faith. Don’t let this Christmas go by without having opened the most precious gift ever offered. The Pastor's Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman

   “...Whether others do or not, I will”. That is a partial quote from a young 18 year old Jonathan Edwards, a great preacher who God used in New England during the first “Great Awakening” in America to lead this nation in a great revival. Here is the rest of the quote: “Resolved first, that all men should live for the glory of God. Resolved second, that whether others do or not, I will.” I am challenged by that kind of attitude and that kind of determination. So often people stick their finger in the wind, find out which way it’s blowing and make decisions according to what everyone else might be doing. What we need in the church today are some saints with some backbone who will say to themselves, “I will pray, whether anyone else does or not. I will worship, whether anyone else does or not. I will live by the Bible, whether anyone else does or not. I will win souls, whether anyone else does or not. I will stand for Jesus, whether anyone else does or not. I will honor the Lor...

   “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”(Acts 1:8) God never gives us instructions that are impossible to obey. No matter what the Lord told one of His servants to do–He always provided the power for them to get it done. When the church was about to be birthed, it was those cowardly disciples that God was going to use to spread the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, and regions beyond. He gave them power and they had tremendous success. Today, we have that same power made available to each of us who believe, so why don’t we tap into it more often than we do? The power to overcome our adversary, the power to witness and share our faith, the power to endure hardships, the power to do uncommon things, to exhibit kindness when ill-treated, to forgive when wronged; these and many more things we can do through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. In the early days of computers, when the power went out, if you had not saved your files, you lost it...

  If you have navigation in your car, you have probably missed a turn before, and the voice on  your GPS quickly says, “please make a U-turn”.  Life offers us the opportunity to make U-turns. Many wrong turns that we’ve made can be  turning points if we approach them properly. In Acts chapter 9 we read the amazing account of a man  whose life was completely turned around because of his personal encounter with the Lord Jesus  Christ. Saul of Taursus, persecutor of Christians, religious but lost. After his encounter and conversion  to Christ, became one of the finest, most affective missionaries the world has ever known. We know  him as the Apostle Paul. A lot of things in our life can lead to turning points – U-turns – if we allow God to use those  circumstances for His glory. Have you made some wrong turns in your life lately? Ask the Lord to show  you how to get back on track. Swallow your pride. Admit you made some mistakes and make th...

   “Go from the presence of a foolish man...” (Proverbs 14:7a) “Make no friendship with an angry man...” (Proverbs 22:24a)  When you bond with the wrong people, bad things usually happen. Relationships in life are critical; none are without significance one way or another. Earthquakes result when two plates on a fault line shift against one another. That’s what happens when you bond with the wrong kind of people. We must choose our friendship with discernment and wisdom. Avoid bringing into your “inner circle” people who are takers (but never give), liars, manipulators, joy robbers, strife and contention breeders, people that tend to drain you, confuse you, or belittle you. Intimate, close relationships should be earned–not freely given. True friendship is a reward, not a requirement. Only those who respect you, share your values and affirm you should be rewarded a relationship. If you don’t monitor your friendships closely, you can find yourself influenced by people that...

   Love Never Fails! The word of God says so in I Corinthians 13:8. Scripture tells us to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). As Christians, who have the love of Christ in our hearts, we are to rise above the evils of this world with a love that never fails. Love overcomes. It wins in the home, in the church, on the job, in the street. Let’s face it; our world is filled with hatred, jealousy, anger, revenge, and spite. But Paul says, “Be not overcome with evil...” In other words; don’t be overwhelmed by it, conquered by it. Instead, let love rule-out and it will. Why does the Bible teach us that in the end, Jesus will conquer all His foes? Because “God is love” (I John 4:8). And why does Jesus then command us to love? Because love conquers evil.  Let me challenge you today to love on. When you are hurt, mistreated, falsely accused or your heart has been broken by others–love on!  Love never fails to win-out in the end! The Pastor’s Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman

   “The love of Christ constrains us...” (2 Corinthians 5:14) Human beings are unpredictable creatures. People don’t always act the way we think they should and neither do we. Jeremiah says the heart is “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked... who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Every person born into this world has a sin nature, so it shouldn’t surprise us when someone does a bad thing or acts inappropriately. People are motivated by greed, pride, the lust for power. Sometimes they lie, cheat, kill, and don’t even feel remorseful because they are controlled by an evil heart. Salvation and a personal relationship with Christ changes all that. God expects us, who are saved, to be constrained, motivated by love–His love–that flows through us into a messed-up world. So why do we try to do the right thing; evangelize the lost; build schools, hospitals, orphanages, shelters for the homeless, unwed mothers, alcoholics and addicts? We do all these things because we love J...

   “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name forever.” Psalm 34:3 Magnify the Lord...how do we do that? God is already “huge” in every way. He is greater in His wisdom, His power; nothing is too hard for Him! The idea is to expand our thinking about Him. For example, when you put something under a microscope and then look at it, it’s not that what you’re observing through the microscope is actually any larger, but it appears bigger to you because of the lens. The truth is, our God is Great; truly Awesome and Glorious; and it’s time we saw Him “bigger” in our mind and in our spirit. He’s bigger than your problem, bigger than the Doctor’s report, bigger than your enemies, bigger than your burdens, bigger than your financial troubles, bigger than your pain, bigger than your failures, and yes, bigger than your sin! (Romans 5:20)  Learn to see God bigger than anything or anyone and it will lift your heavy heart and increase your faith! The Pastor’s Pockets Pastor ...

  It was Solomon who gave us this principle over three thousand years ago. In Ecclesiastes 4:9, he said, “two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour”. Then he continues to say in the next verse, “For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow…” We can go back further than Solomon to Moses who recorded what God said in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” As we search the scriptures, we find it over and over again, two are better than one.  There is just something about partnership, joining our efforts with someone else that the Lord honors. Jesus provides us with this powerful promise in Matthew 18:19, “if two of you shall agree…” It is a reference to prayer and the possibilities that open up to us when we partner with someone in prayer. It’s the power of partnership, two people of faith, joining together to  intercede in prayer. It is double the faith. Besides your own efforts,...

   It’s true! All of us face decisions every day. When we make good decisions – the right decisions – according to the standard of God’s Word, there is both an instant joy and a long term joy that goes with that. It’s amazing how complicated and tangled life can become when we sin against God. Study the lives of those in scripture who made major mistakes – did the wrong things – made the wrong decision – and you will find sadness and sorrow. By contrast; follow the lives of those who did right by God and you will find they were rewarded with a happy life for the most part. Psalm 144:15 says, “Happy is that people...whose God is the LORD.” Proverbs 16:20 tells us, “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.” Most people would choose to be happy than to be sad. The truth is, we make that choice every day when we make wise choices. Make sure that you follow the Lord and do right by Him. You will find yourself a happy person! T h...

   Our God is an Awesome God! Has anyone reminded you of this truth lately? I Chronicles 29:11-13 says, “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.” David penned these words after God’s people had freely given a huge offering for the temple. He was overwhelmed by the generosity of His people and their love for the Lord, and yet, the King knew it was God who was responsible for this offering and so he offered up praise to Him. Have you ever heard this Preacher say, “It’s not about us, it’s all about Him”? Sure you have. I’ve declared this many, many times, and it...

   I Samuel 2:30 says, “...for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” God deserves to be respected! We show Him respect when we obey His Word and follow His commandments. As Christians, followers of Jesus, we must learn to honor God’s name, God’s Word, God’s ways, and God’s people. When we do this on a consistent basis, we provide the Lord with opportunity to honor us back in many ways. God is a “rewarder” (Hebrews 11:6). He will reward good behavior. He will reward our efforts to please Him. He will respect our endeavors to do right, to live right, and to walk in love and kindness. So let’s get creative! Look for ways to honor the Lord and you will find that what you sow will come back to you in multiplied blessings and the favor of God on your life! The Pastor’s Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman

   Compassion Makes a Difference (Jude 22) Most likely, we have all read or heard the story of “The Good Samaritan”. It’s found in the gospel of Luke 10:30-37. Jesus used the illustration to answer this question posed to Him by a lawyer; “who is my neighbor?” He told of a man traveling down a road who was mugged by some thieves and left for dead. After several others passed him by, doing nothing to help, a Samaritan man came upon the troubled soul and the scripture says, “when he saw him, he had compassion on him” (vs. 33). Because of his compassion, he went the extra mile to help the injured man recover. If only we could see hurting people through the eyes of compassion. What might we do to try and help those in need of our Savior’s love? Hurting people are everywhere! We can’t help everyone, but we can help someone. What if we began each day with a prayer; “Lord, who do you want me to help today?” That request just might lead us to the one God would have us to help that day....

  We must learn to trust God with everything, even when what He’s doing doesn’t make sense to us. Trusting Him brings Him great pleasure! Abraham followed God not knowing where he was going. Hannah waited on God’s timing, not knowing when her baby would come. Mary expected a miracle not knowing how it would come about. Joseph trusted God’s purpose, not knowing why things happened as they did. God wants to be in control of every area of our lives it we will just let him. Many Christians have not learned to trust God with their money, so they don’t tithe. Some believers fail to trust the Lord in their relationships, so they push and try to manipulate people in their life. Let’s just “let go”! Quit trying to control every situation ourselves and let God work His sovereign plan. It’s His purpose that matters! Trust the Lord my friend, and remember this: nothing under His control is ever out of control. The Pastor’s Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman

  Have you ever really studied a map that shows the journey the Israelites traveled from  their exodus in Egypt all the way to the river Jordan and finally into the promised land? It’s  not a straight line – it is a north, south, east, and west route. Their journey took them all  through the wilderness before they finally reached their destination. Seems to me there us a  principle here: With God, there are no shortcuts. It took only one day to get the Israelites out of Egypt, it took 40 years to get Egypt out  of the Israelites. In other words, after years and years, generation after generation of  paganism, idolatry, and the worship of false gods, it required a long time to get all of that  out of their hearts, and to teach them monotheism (the worship of only one God). That  being Jehovah God, the Almighty (Deuteronomy 6:4). It takes time to develop a close personal relationship with the Lord. There are no  shortcuts. We cannot skip t...

Yesterday  I challenged you to “walk with God”, and in doing so, to trust God, to believe God in all things and He will reward you richly. Three things tend to hinder us from doing that: fear, pride and ignorance. Fear and worry are the opposite of faith. Fear says, “what will my life be like if I surrender everything to God”? Pride says, “I want to control my own life, do my own things my own way”. Ignorance implies that we just don’t realize how good God is. We question His love for us. However, if by faith we conquer our fear, we discover we really had nothing to fear! By faith and humility, we conquer our pride and we discover God is able to run our lives better than we could anyway. And by faith we conquer our ignorance and find out that God is good and loving, and can be trusted! By faith, I know I can lay every circumstance before the Lord and He can handle it! I don’t have to manipulate people or situations. My God is in control! This greatly reduces my stress level and hel...

   “And Enoch walked with God...” Genesis 5:24 This man did so when most of his peers did not (Genesis 6:5). I am amused at all the excuses people make these days for not having a close, intimate relationship with the Lord, claiming it’s “just too hard to live for God now”. Well, how did Enoch do it? It wasn’t any easier then. Hebrews 11:5 gives us a clue. It says Enoch had this testimony. “he pleased God”, by faith. Yes, by faith, he walked with God. In other words, Enoch trusted God in every way and this pleased the Lord. You and I can walk with God today! We accomplish this the same way Enoch did. By faith, we choose to trust our Heavenly Father and whenever we do just that, we please Him. Throw all the excuses aside and determine to walk with God. It doesn’t get any better than that.  The Pastor’s Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman

   All of us have a race to run. Hebrews 12:1 We all have a life to live out, and we must take responsibility for the way we choose to live it! Influences come from all directions; family, friends, the media, etc. But in the end, we are all accountable for how we live our lives (Romans 14:12). We who know Christ as our Savior, often stumble and fall, but we have a Shepherd (John 10:11). One who seeks to guide us, protect us and comfort us as we travel along our journey. Only the Christian can claim the mercy and forgiveness offered by the Shepherd to those who fall. What is the alternative to the Christian life and the journey of faith? It is not pretty! It is a crowded path, a path of darkness (John 3:19). A path that is filled with peril and danger and at any time the unbeliever can step into eternity without Christ. You have a choice! You can go with God and enjoy a path of blessing, unconditional love and forgiveness, or you can go it on your own, walk in darkness, and ris...

   There’s no doubt it, we live today at a frantic pace. Our whole culture seems caught up in the life-in-the-fast-lane. It is like everybody has A.D.D.! The danger though is that we are so busy, we don’t take time to slow down and listen for God’s “small still voice”. Rare is the Christian or the Church that takes the time to seek God’s face. I’m always somewhat stunned when I read God’s message to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3. When He repeatedly says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”. How can we hear what God is trying to say to us if there is so much noise and busyness in our lives and His voice is drowned out?  Jesus was one of the busiest people who ever lived! He constantly had people approaching Him with their problems, sicknesses and disease, and yet He often withdrew to quiet places to get alone with His Father (Luke 5:16, Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46). If Jesus saw the need to slow down and get alone with the Father a...

  In the sport of baseball, major league baseball in particular, each team has a “bat boy”. These  are most often kids who retrieve bats after a player has hit the ball or made it first base. Other items  may be retrieved like shin guards, elbow pads, etc., and taken back to the dugout by the bat boy.  These young boys have no names on their jersey, the cameras almost never show them while they  work during the game. They pretty much go unnoticed, but their tasks are important. They are there  to serve the players. One day this past summer, while watching a game, I thought about those young boys and what  they do. Some scriptures scripture verses came to mind: Romans 12:10b, “In honor preferring on  another”, Philippians 2:3b, “In lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves”.  (Read 1 Peter 5:5 and Proverbs 3:34b) Someday in heaven I think we will meet a lot of Christian people who, in a sense, were “bat  boys” for J...

   I John 2:15 clearly says, “love not the world, neither the things of the world...” If we are instructed to not love the world, then obviously we are to strive to change it! What many Christians do is alienate themselves from the lost around them. Remember John 3:16? The verse clearly says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten...” Now wait a minute; John forbids us to love the world and yet Jesus did and does love the world. There must be an explanation for this “seeming” contradiction. There is! When the Bible tells us “God so loved the world...” it means the people in it. God loves the people of this planet; lost people, mixed-up people, weird people. He loves them so much He was willing to send heaven’s best for the world’s worst. John (in I John 1:15) is referring to this world system; the ungodly entertainment industry, the corrupt systems of government, the dishonest practices, the messed-up culture that we all face every day. If we pull away from th...

   I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks...” At first glance this seems impossible. How can we possibly give thanks to God in everything, at all times, and in every situation? The truth is there is a huge benefit for any of us who learn, by faith, to be grateful. It’s an attitude that we must develop if we are ever to become grounded believers. Being thankful helps focus on God rather than our circumstances. It is no test of faith to rejoice and shout when the sun is shining and when all is well. We must learn to be thankful when all is not so well. That’s faith! It’s the example of Paul and Silas in Acts 16. They were in prison! They were uncertain of what the next day might bring, and yet the scriptures tell us “...at midnight, they prayed and sang praises to God”. They were giving thanks to the Lord who held them in His care. So here is my challenge for you today: When your world turns upside down, thank God-when sickness visits your house, thank God. When h...

   Time is the currency of the earth. How so? You go to work. You trade hours of your labor for your paycheck. With your time invested in your work, you made money! You have friends. You invested your time in those relationships, resulting in wonderful friendships. It’s very important then, that we learn to manage our time well. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:16, “redeeming the time...” We are to make the most of every opportunity to serve the Lord and to glorify Him. How are you spending your time? You only have so much to spend you know! The Pastor’s Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman

It’s shopping season (for retailers, a good thing I suppose), and yet I wonder how many people are out there searching for, hoping for, something that will satisfy a craving, fulfill for a while a need, a momentary “high”, a thrill that lasts an hour or two at best.  For some it will be a party, some booze, a new car, new clothes, a new boyfriend/girlfriend maybe, or a sudden bump in adrenaline when they make a purchase at the mall.  Let me tell you about a “high you cannot buy”.  Its righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).  It’s not something temporal, but something that’s eternal and lasting.  It comes to us as a gift when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.  The “high” I’m talking about gets sweeter as the days go by!  It’s a God thing!  It stays with you.  It’s the ultimate experience, the greatest joy, and provides maximum satisfaction. It’s spiritual, not temporal or earthly.  It’s being lifted up by a Go...

  “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen...” 2 Corinthians 1:20 We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by believing the promises of God. My friend, you cut yourself short if you accept anything less than God’s best for your life. Claim the promises of God! They are for our generation as much as any others. A couple of things about God’s promises: (1) What God does, reveals what He is. When God makes a promise, He reveals His character. He is faithful, and powerful. He is truthful, which means God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He has the power to bring to pass what He declares He will fulfill. (2) God’s only pain is to be doubted, His only pleasure is to be believed. God is pleased when we claim His promises and believe Him. We grieve the heart of God when we act in unbelief, or doubt His Word. (3) What you believe, determines what you overcome. Jesus asked the blind men in Matthew 9:28, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” They replied, “Yea, Lord.” Verse...

   Satan hates finishers! He loves quitters however. This is why we must determine to be faithful believers and complete the things God calls us to do. If the devil can discourage us and influence us to give up on the things God has assigned us to do, the tasks will go unfinished. Consider this; Jesus was a finisher (John 19:30, 17:4, Hebrews 12:2). The Apostle Paul was a finisher (2 Timothy 4:7). These examples encourage us and help us realize that even though the temptation to quit on God is always there, we can complete the tasks that the Lord has given us. No matter where you are in your Christian journey; near the beginning of your walk with God, near the end, or somewhere in the middle; determine to be a finisher! Work hard, run well, and never, ever, ever, ever give up. The Pastor’s Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman