The Pastor's Pocket

On our way to and from church, we drive through a construction zone where they are building a new highway. It’s a major project and at this point you can’t tell how and where it will one day reach completion. There are a lot of earth-moving bulldozers, dump trucks, and a lot of other machinery moving all over the place. At this point, only the architects and engineers really know how it will eventually come together to become a major highway.   It’s like that with our lives. Sometimes we go through trials, pass through the fires of hardship, and we wonder how it all fits together in God’s ultimate plan for us.   The Apostle John wrote in I John 3:2, “It doth not yet appear what we shall be”. In other words, right now, only the Divine Architect knows how it all fits together. But this much we do know, He does have a purpose and plan. John goes on to say in that same verse, “when He shall appear, we shall be like Him”. One day, we will come to the completion phase of His plan, a...

A lack of genuine holiness is the predominate reason God withholds His awesome power in our lives. When we pray and God does not respond, we need to consider the reason why. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” Isaiah 59:1-2 says, Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” God has not gone deaf, but there may be an underlying problem and it’s not with Him, it is with you and me.   God is serious about how we deal with sin. If we fail to confess sin our prayer life will be hindered. I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” The word confess means that we agree with God about our sin and admit we have sinned. When we say to Him, we failed to obey and we are sorry, ...

“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for Thee”. Psalm 25:21   Waiting seems difficult, useless, and even impossible to do, but it does have a significant role to play in our development and growth process.   This generation is one of rush, rush, hurry, hurry.  I believe one of Satan’s tactics is to speed us up, bypassing the blessing that comes with lingering in the presence of God.  We must learn to enjoy the now, to savor the present moment.  After all, it has taken us a lifetime to get here.   Yesterday is in the tomb, tomorrow is in the womb. Today, this moment, is all we have.  So why do we find it so hard to wait on the Lord if that’s what He instructs us to do?  I have made many a blunder by failing to wait on God.  Pushing through my agenda seldom works out.    Here are some tips to help you and I wait on the Lord: (1) Waiting is hurry’s enemy.  Patience brings power, vision, motivation, and perseveran...

All doctors agree that stress levels in today’s society are extremely high. Pressure, if not processed correctly can affect us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The Lord never designed us to bear all burdens, that’s why He tells us in I Peter 5:7, “Cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” If we commit our ways to Him, He will sustain us.   There are many pressures we face in life. The pressure to conform, to attain, to meet schedules, to measure up, to finish, to perform, to be something or do something. These can all lead to stress. So how do we overcome the temptation to give in to the pressures we face. Here are some stress busters that will help us: (1) Depend on the Lord for the strength and grace you need. (2) Pray in times of distress, anytime, anywhere. (3) Accept the things you cannot change. (4) Work at changing the things within your control to change. (5) Learn to release your anxiety to the Lord. (6) Simply refuse to let the pressures cont...

Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt of the earth”. Put salt on any kind of food and it will change how that food tastes. Salt has an influence. Notice that Jesus said, “salt of the earth.” That goes way beyond our own church family. Jesus would have us influence those beyond the walls of our church.   It’s time we all reevaluate our level of saltiness. How much influence do we have on those who desperately need to be touched by the love of Jesus? Many in this world need salvation. We can’t reach them all, but we can reach some, with our influence, sharing our testimony, giving them the gospel – good news.   Here is a test of your level of influence: Do you believe in the potential of others? Do you serve those who can’t serve you? Do you love those who don’t love you back? Do you give to others expecting nothing in return? Do you reach out to anyone outside of your own church family?   Might our influence in this world be that of loving, giving, praying, and...

The ministry of intercessory prayer is a powerful thing.  When we pray for someone, in essence, we are touching God with one hand while reaching out to the one we are praying for with the other.   Think about that when you pray for someone who is not saved. They are lost in their sin and far from God. When you pray for them, you intercede on their behalf. You are going before God in faith, praying for their salvation. The Bible tells us that the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving sinner so that they are unable to see the glorious light of the gospel message (2 Corinthians 4:4).   We must always be active in the ministry of intercessory prayer.   Paul was a great intercessor. In most every letter he writes, he tells the believer he is praying for them.  Although he was separated from them at the time, he knew he could minister to them through intercessory prayer.  What joy and encouragement it must have been to those believers to kno...

Do we really need the Church? Many people ask that question today. People who claim to be Christians conclude the Church is irrelevant to their faith. They say they can worship God anywhere. Although that reasoning may seem sound, it isn’t.   Here are some solid reasons why every Christian needs the church: (1) The local church holds us accountable. (2) We need other Christians to keep us on track. (3) We need encouragement from our church family when disaster or crisis strikes in our lives. (4) We must be challenged by other believers to keep the faith. (5) We need to be fed spiritual food by pastors and teachers.   Keep in mind these comparisons: Like sheep who tend to get caught in thickets, we sometimes find ourselves in trouble. Like a puzzle, we need all of the pieces to complement each other and complete the puzzle. Like babies who cannot raise themselves, we need to be nurtured through the growing process. Like one log, who by itself, can on...