May 9th, 2023

I was reading 1 Timothy 6 today and came across verse 6. And my first response was - but will it pay my bills?

It seems that Paul was writing to Timothy to instruct him to avoid false teachers and those who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth - they are imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Paul says that couldn’t be farther from the truth - in fact Godliness with contentment is great gain. He goes on to talk about how we came into the world with nothing, and we will leave the world with nothing. Those who sinfully desire riches will fall into a serious temptation because, as verse 10 says “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” and that craving has caused many to fall away from the faith. Further on in the chapter Paul writes that people are to do good and strive to be rich in good works. Our goal is not to desire to be rich in earthly possessions, but desire those eternal riches - those are the things we ought to seek to store up in heaven.

But back to the bills… cost of living is on the rise, everything is more expensive, and we can easily get caught in the snare of wishing we had more money, or more time, or more resources, or a bigger house or a better working car… the list goes on and on. While I can identify with that, it can easily lead to discontentment, which leads to all kinds of trouble. Rather - remember what Matthew 6 tells us. In Matthew 6:31 Jesus tells His disciples… ‘Your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all’ (food, drink, clothes). So don’t be anxious about it. God will provide you what He wants you to have. Our #1 priority is to be focused on seeking and living out that which concerns God’s Kingdom. All the rest will be added to you. God will take care of it - trust Him.

I’m not saying God will rain money down from heaven if you just trust Him. The Bible says seek God first. Seek to be content with what you have - remembering that contentment springs from gratitude. You might be down to your last package of Ramen noodles. You might be wondering where the money for your next car payment will come from. And these are legitimate concerns! What God tells us is before we act - or react! - respond to these problems in a godly way, and don’t let anxiety disrupt your walk or drive you to sin. God knows what your needs truly are, and He is standing by ready to help. He’s asking us to trust Him, to be satisfied with His help and provision. Learning to trust God and love God through every challenge - that is truly great gain!

May 2nd, 2023

This past Sunday, we were privileged to hear from a missionary who is serving the Lord in India. He told us what God is doing there, how people are coming to know the Lord. Believers in India are growing in their walk with Him and being bold in their public witness, even though in some places they do so at risk of imprisonment.

These reports are an encouragement to my own walk of faith. I remember what Jesus said in John 3:16 - about God's great love for the world - a love so great He did not spare His only Son! Eternal life is offered to all - to anyone, anywhere. It takes faith - trusting in God's plan. Believers around the world are placing it all on the line for Christ.

So what about us? We've got it easy here, for sure. Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ? God tells us in His word about His great love for us. I hope you have experienced that love. If not - do so today. If you have questions about this I would love to talk to you more. Head over to our website at www.cbcwalnut.com and you can find out more about God's great love for the world.

So, what in the world is God doing? He's saving the lost, He's growing His church. God is just as active today as He's ever been.

Do you belong to Him?

April 18th, 2023

There’s a simple command given in 1 Thessalonians 5:17: 'Pray without ceasing.' Oh, is that all? Easier said than done! I think it’s easy to look at prayer as either an Aladdin’s lamp or a final 'Hail Mary' pass.

For example, do you tend to pray, 'Lord, here is my list of demands for today. Please give them to me, or it’s obvious You don’t really love me anymore'? Well, that escalated quickly! Sometimes we pray, 'Lord, I’m down to my last straw, last option, last bit of strength, nowhere else to turn. I better pray…' If you only begin to pray when you are already at the end of your rope, you messed up somewhere down the line. 

Prayer must be our first step in anything. It must be a part of our daily life, whether things are going well or poorly, whether we are on the spiritual mountaintop having great victory, or whether we are struggling through the valley of the shadow of death. God wants to hear from His children.

1 Thessalonians tells us to pray without ceasing - the Greek word that is used describes a persistent cough. In other words, we are either praying or ready to pray. Let me encourage you: do not begin your day without the necessary, effective time of prayer that God calls His children to.

This week, on Thursday at our church, at either 1 pm or 7 pm, I invite you to gather together with us as we pray. We are praying for one another's health. We are also praying for growth, both spiritually and numerically, and for our church and national leaders to have wisdom. We offer up praises to the Lord and draw strength from fellowshipping together with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as we pray. It’s a great way to revitalize your spiritual life!

If you are in need of prayer, please leave a comment, call the church office, or send me an email, and I’d be happy to add your request to our list.

April 11, 2023

I love Matthew 6:25-34. I first came across it early in my Christian journey, and God used it to help me address some struggles I was having in my life - does God really care for me? 

You might have had thoughts like that. You might wonder if anyone cares for you. You might be anxious or worried about what things will happen tomorrow. Now we know the reality is that there’s nothing we can control about tomorrow. I know that - but that doesn’t always stop me from worrying. 

Jesus tells us to stop being anxious about the things of this world. Easier said than done right? But what I love about this passage is how He illustrates this truth that God will take care of you. Jesus tells us in verse 26 - look at the birds - they are taken care of, they find food, they find shelter. They are small and weak and helpless - and yet God provides for THEM. And aren’t WE more precious to God than a bird? (The answer is yes…)

I was thinking about this verse the other day as I watched the birds coming to our feeder. Their food is being provided for them. They didn’t grow and harvest and store up the seeds for themselves. You’re not going to find birds out on little tractors planting fields of safflower seeds so they can eat during the winter. Although that would be a cute thing to see… 

And this ought to remind us how much God loves us. God didn’t send His Son to die on the cross for the birds or animals. Yes God provides for them, and I’m willing to guess that He even loves His creation. But remember His love for us is far greater. His care for us extends to providing for our greatest need that no one else could meet - salvation. 

And if God is willing to go that far to show His love for us… don’t you think He’s more than capable of helping us in our day to day struggles?

So today, I encourage you to trust in God’s day to day provision. Trust Him in the big things - but remember you can also trust Him in the little things. Sometimes it’s those little things that are hardest to remember Him. But He cares for you. He holds you - He loves you more than anything. You can safely trust and rest in the hands of God.