Daily Devotion

Ok so you might be tired of my Hawaii examples, yet this morning as I woke up to the wind swaying palm trees, the Lord spoke to my heart of how the believer is to be like a Hawaiian palm tree.

The fruit bearing palms in Hawaii have a band of metal around them about 15-20 feet up the tree.  It’s a piece of aluminum about 18 inches wide and it goes all the way around the tree.  What is it for?  What is this ugly piece of metal?   It’s a “rat guard.”   If a rat tries to climb that tree it can only get as high as the guard, its claws can not dig into the metal and he slips down.  So the rat can not get the fruit.

What a vivid example for the believer in Jesus Christ.   There are rats out there that want to rob your fruit, the rat of bitterness, the rat of temptation, the rat of sin.   So like the palm tree in Hawaii there needs to be a protective band around the believers life to keep those pesky rats from getting to the fruit. 

Isaiah the prophet spoke about the Lord Jesus and his ministry, and how he came to make the believer into a tree, an oak of righteousness. 

Isa 61:1-3  The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,  to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Oaks of righteousness, a tree that produces good fruit, a tree that has a “rat band” of protection about its trunk.   How does the believer protect themselves from the rats that are trying to destroy this work of God?  

Ps 1:1-3  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.   He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

The blessed man, the protected woman is the one who delights in the “law” or the word of God.  They consider it all the time, they are a tree that is planted where the water is deep and its roots go deep.   Whatever is done for the Lord will prosper.   The “rat band” of the word of God will protect and help the believer to prosper in their faith.   In Acts 2:42 we find the priority of the first century believers, it was the word of God, the fellowshipping of the Saints, prayer, and communion (worship). 

As modern day disciples of Jesus Christ we too see these priorities as the “rat bands” that put up protection from whatever keeps you from flourishing in the Lord.

PRAYER:

“Lord, put a hedge of protection about me your servant, help me to continue daily in my devotion to you and the things that keep the rats of sin from overwhelming me.”

Aloha, Blessings, and Grace

Pastor Rich <><

As I write this blog Suzanne and I are in Hawaii and I have to tell you Hawaii is paradise in some sense of the word.  Today we have major cold front coming in and of course that means we will be in the low 80’s.   Its green, its lush, it everything people think of when you think of paradise.    Of course being on vacation makes paradise even better.  No agenda, no schedules, no rush.   Shall we beach?  Shall we hike?  Shall we shop?  Who cares?   Its all no problem because we are in “Paradise”.  

Yet at the heart of this tropical wonder of a land is a vivid reminder that paradise will never really be found here on earth.   Hawaii has one of the highest crime rates (at least toward tourists), every parking place for a trailhead, a tourist destination, or sight seeing place is frequented by thieves.   There are warnings everywhere not to leave anything of value in your car.  Of course the thieves can tell the rental cars and that is what they target.  

Graffiti abounds everywhere, even on a hike into the deep rain forest someone “tagged” every sign and vandalized anything they could.  Beer bottles and litter are more prevalent here then in the Sierra.   There is a huge sex industry here on the Island of Oahu, strip clubs, escort services abound to meet every carnal pleasure.   There is a lot of homelessness, drug dealers, and prostitutes obvious in several places on the Island.  

Then there is a reminder that this is not a perfect paradise found in nature.  Cockroaches, huge beetles, and mold are found even in the nicest of places.  So is this not Paradise? 

The bible reminds us that although life may be good and creation declares the glory of God by its beauty still this is a fallen world, a fallen creation distorted by sin. 

Rom 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

We know that the human nature is sinful and flesh rules this world.

Rom 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature…

So – is there a hope of finding paradise?  Oh yes!   When Jesus spoke to the thief crucified next to him, as that young man acknowledged Jesus’ divinity, our Lord have him a future hope of Paradise.    Not paradise lost, or paradise fallen, but a real eternal place.  Now we know that man was whisked into the presence of God when he breathed his last, yet there is an eternal paradise that is coming when all is complete.  I like to call it “The Place of No More.”

Rev 21:3-4  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

No more pain, sorrow, health issues, and best of all no more sin nature, the flesh is done away with now is the dwelling God with mankind.  Now flesh can see God face to face.  Yet we know for that to happen something must change, mortality must put on immortality.   Flesh must be changed to spirit.  

So in the mean time, we have the abiding Holy Spirit as a down payment of this promise of God.  We have the beauty of creation and paradises like Hawaii, to remind us of the promises of God for believes.  

Aloha and Grace.

Pastor Rich and Suzanne <><

Well, after what seems like years and years of campaigning we have finally come to the home stretch in the Presidential race. Finally the phone calls, the polls, and the commercials will stop (Hallelujah!

Yet what comfort there is for the believer in Christ, comfort knowing that God has even this election in control – lets consider God’s word.

Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

What comfort there is in knowing that God establishes all authority on earth. When Caesar Nero was terrorizing the world Peter tells us in his Epistle to submit to and give respect to the king. Wow now that really gives me hope for the Lord is in control even if my guy does not win! So what is the Christian to do? A few thoughts.

    1. PRAY

Rom 13:4 … For he is God’s servant to do you good.

The authorities that exist are God’s servants, pray for them, pray that they might recognize that they are given their authority from above. In the bible we read of kings both pagan and Israelite who did not know that their authority was given by God. Their outcome was sometimes bad, so we pray for them to make wise decision and we pray for our nation to be godly.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

No stress, no anxiety in how the election turns out for God will give you peace when you bring your requests to him. What a wonderful promise that is.

2. VOTE.

Just as we recognize that God brings to power the man or woman he wants we also believe that God has place us in this time and place in history where we have civil rights and can exercise our right to vote. So we are as active in the election process as we feel led to be and we vote.

3. OBEY THE LAWS OF THE LAND (unless they go against our faith)

We are blessed in America with freedoms, I know of no law that I can not obey because of my faith in Jesus Christ. Yet the scriptures demand civil disobedience if the laws of men are against the laws of God.

Acts 5:29 “We must obey God rather than men!

As long as we have freedom of worship, freedom of speech, and freedom to assemble, we will do so. If the governments of men becomes totalitarian and we can no longer serve God, we will continue to serve the Lord.

Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

So, remember to pray, remember to vote, remember to live in peace with everyone.

Blessings and Grace  –  Pastor Rich <><