Ironbridge Church | Pastor’s Corner

Nobody likes to wait. Ours is a culture that deifies “fast.” We want what we want, when we want it, which is usually “right away.” As followers of Jesus, we can fall into this “fast answers” trap when bringing our needs and concerns to the Lord in prayer. “O.K. Lord, right now would be fine. Any questions, Lord?”

Daniel was a great man of prayer and intercession. In Daniel chapter ten, Daniel fasted and prayed for three entire weeks. And for twenty-one days, he received no answer at all from the Lord. How many of us would have given up after just a few hours of prayer?

After three full weeks, an absolutely amazing thing happened. His answer came. An angelic messenger of the Lord delivered God’s answer directly to Daniel. “…Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.” (Daniel 10:12)

The angel revealed the spiritual warfare that had been raging for three weeks. The battle was so intense that God dispatched the archangel Michael to help the messenger break through the demonic forces that were trying to prevent the answer from reaching Daniel. (Daniel 10:13)

As you pray, don’t give up! There may be an epic battle raging in the unseen spirit world. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12)

Today’s Scripture Promise: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14—NASB)

There are many unsung heroes in the Bible! When we get to heaven, we’ll have the opportunity to meet many of the unnamed champions of the faith. Four of these anonymous heroes are mentioned in Mark’s Gospel, chapter Two. They had a paralyzed friend who desperately needed Jesus. The crowds around Jesus made it impossible to get anywhere close to the healing power of Christ.

These four courageous friends were not willing to let anyone or anything stand in their way of getting their friend to Jesus. And they were willing to do the unthinkable! They literally raised the roof, “…they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.” (Mark 2:4)

Because of the faith and tenacity of these four nameless heroes—their friend experienced the forgiveness and healing power that is found only in a personal encounter with Jesus!

Do you know anyone in your circle of friends and acquaintances that needs Jesus? What are you willing to do to get them to Christ? Are you willing to poke a hole in the roof of an outdated perception, attitude or accepted practice to get them to the Lord? When these four tore a hole in the roof, they didn’t care much about the opinions of the crowd, or the owner of the house. They relentlessly kept “the main thing the main thing”—getting their friend to Jesus.

Our spiritual house is a very crowded place these days, are we willing to raise the roof so that the lost and dying can get to Jesus?

Today’s Scripture Promise: “And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5—NASB)

Designer sunglasses have long been a status symbol in our culture. The shades of the rich and famous become the must-have accessory that defines ultra-cool. On the shimmering slopes outside of Torino, both Olympic athletes and fans alike need protection from the blinding brightness of the Alpine scenery blanketed in blazing white snow.

As followers of Jesus, our future is so extremely bright that we should provide complementary sunshades to every believer! Moses got more than a sun burn, he actually glowed. Peter, James, and John got a glimpse of His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17. “And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.” Paul was on his way to arrest Christians when he was blinded by the overwhelming brightness of the resurrected Jesus. John, a prisoner on the isle of Patmos, fell at His feet as a dead man.

No matter how dark and dreary your present situation may be, the future is bright! If you’re a born-again believer, you’re headed to a place illuminated by the magnificent outshining of God’s glory. The sun and the moon will soon be in the unemployment line.

If you’re tempted to be sad or gloomy today, lift up your eyes because Jesus is coming soon! When the clouds of discouragement descend, remember to Praise the Lord and put on the sunshades…the future is bright ahead!

Today’s Scripture Promise: “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Rev. 21:23—NASB)

The “truth” has become elusive and controversial in our culture. Many in this postmodern world would even consider “truth” to be an outdated relic of antiquity. Many say, “Truth is whatever you want it to be.” Others proclaim that there’s no such thing as absolute truth at all.

In John 18:38, Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” The reality is that “truth” is not a vague principle, an abstract concept, or a theory. Truth is a person! He is the Way, He is the Truth, and He is the Life! If you want to know the Truth, get to know Jesus. Susan Thompson sang a powerful song on Day 1 of our 77 Days of Prayer and Fasting entitled, “Take Hold of Christ.” This song beautifully captures the essence of what these 77 Days are all about—embracing Christ! The word “embrace” means, “to clasp in the arms: Hug; cherish, love; encircle, enclose; to take up readily or gladly.”

It was early on Easter morning when the women encountered the risen Jesus! They couldn’t contain their enthusiasm. They reached out to embrace Him. Matthew 28:9 says, “…And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.” To embrace Christ means to know Him personally. To “know” the truth in the biblical sense means, “to be transformed into it.” As you spend these days embracing the Truth, understand that you’re grabbing hold of Jesus Himself. And this encounter with the person of Jesus will transform your life—starting today!

Take Hold of Christ right now…in prayer.

Today’s Scripture Promise: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6—ESV)

Today is Valentine’s Day! (Men—consider this your final warning! You can thank me later.) Today is the day when we express our love to the special people in our lives through the giving of cards, candy, flowers and other acts of kindness.

One of the enduring symbols of Valentine’s Day is the perennial symbol of a heart with Cupid’s arrow right through the middle of it. One of the most beautiful ministries of Jesus was foretold through the prophecy of Isaiah. This mighty prophet wrote, “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.” (Isaiah 61:1) This verse powerfully reminds us that Jesus came to completely heal the hearts broken by sin. The Hebrew word for “sent” in this verse is shalack which means “to shoot forth.”

Psalm 127:3-4 says, “sons are a heritage from the Lord…like arrows in the hands of a warrior…” (NIV) As we celebrate this day dedicated to love and romance, let us remember that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” God only had one arrow in His Divine quiver. He shot the perfect arrow, His beloved Son Jesus, to penetrate our hearts hardened and broken by sin to give us the free gift of eternal salvation.

Amazing love, Amazing grace! How unsearchable are the riches of His love. If you have personally experienced the love of Christ in your life—let your life be a channel of God’s love today…and every day.

Today’s Scripture Promise: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins.” (I John 4:10—New American Standard)

The eyes of the world will be on the little village of Torino, Italy for the next two weeks as the games of the 20th Winter Olympics unfold. More than 2,600 athletes from more than 80 countries have gathered for “the glory of sport.” The Olympics began in ancient Greece, and when Christianity began to spread to this part of the world, the Olympics had been going on for seven centuries!

The apostle Paul well understood the passion of Olympic competition when wrote to the followers of Jesus in Corinth. He used the Olympic games as a metaphor for serving Jesus. Self-discipline, personal sacrifice, and steadfast dedication are needed to win the race. The athletes that we’ll be watching over the next two weeks have dedicated their entire lives to excellence in their particular sport. Only a very select few will ever win an Olympic medal.

Paul challenges us to compare the significance and permanence of our quest compared to the fleeting victory of the Olympians. “…Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” (I Corinthians 9:25b-NKJV) The clear context of Paul’s discussion is his passion to win people to faith in Christ. (see v.19 & 22)

When it comes to winning people to faith in Christ, our commitment, zeal and devotion to duty should leave even the Olympic athletics in the dust.

Today’s Scripture Promise: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” (I Corinthians 9:24—New American Standard)

As you begin this new day, remember that it’s a special day. Today is the Lord’s Day—Sunday, the first day of the week. The followers of Jesus began worshiping on Sundays (instead of the Saturday Sabbath) after the resurrection as a way of commemorating and celebrating the fact that Jesus was and is alive! Nowhere in the New Testament are the believers ever corrected or rebuked for not gathering on the Saturday Sabbath as commanded in the Ten Commandments. Jesus’ resurrection changed everything, including the accepted day of worship for God’s people.

The Lord’s Day should have a special place in the hearts of all believers. Although our busy and hectic lives scatter us throughout the county, Richmond and different parts of the country during the work week, Sunday worship gives us an opportunity to gather together in the Lord’s House to exalt the Lord’s Name! When we come to the Lord’s House, we–the scattered community, become the “gathered community” experiencing the Spirit of God at work in us, through us, and among us.

The Psalmist declared, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’” (Ps. 122:1)

Today’s Scripture Promise: “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24, 25—New Living Translation)

As God’s people, the nation of Israel stood on the border of the Land of Canaan in Numbers 13, twelve spies spent 40 days checking out the situation. When they reported back to Moses, ten of the twelve spies responded in unbelief and brought back a negative report, “we are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” (Num. 13:31)

In stark contrast, Caleb and Joshua responded in unwavering faith, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” (v.30) Two important things happened as a result of this split decision from the twelve spies. The ten unbelieving spies died immediately. (Num. 14:37) And God blessed Joshua & Caleb with long life. They were the only adults of that entire generation that were allowed to live through the 40 years of wandering in the desert and actually go and live in the Land of Canaan.

When we doubt God, it has a deadly effect on our lives. When we put our faith and trust in God, it rejuvenates us spiritually, physically, and emotionally. As you stand on the border of the next thing God wants to do in your life, are you willing to trust Him?

Today’s Scripture Promise: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6–ESV)

Our God is a miracle working God. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He performed many amazing miracles. He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead—and the results were often immediate and instantaneous! And yet, at other times Jesus chose to work a second kind of miracle—an unfolding miracle. Jesus’ feeding of the five-thousand in Matthew 14 is a great example of this kind of unfolding miracle. “…taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” (Matt. 14:19)

The disciples were not suddenly sitting on a mountain of bread and fish. This miracle unfolded, almost imperceptibly, each time a piece of bread was broken and each time a piece of fish was shared with the next person.

It’s so easy to want instant, dramatic signs of God’s wonder-working power. But don’t forget that God often works miraculously in another way–inch by inch, bit by bit, and piece by piece. In the end, the miracle is an undeniable result of the provision and power of a loving, gracious Savior.

Even if you don’t see the visible, instantaneous power of God at work in your life today, you can still trust Him and know without a doubt that He’s working miraculously in your life today and every day.

Today’s Scripture Promise: “And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.” (Matt. 14:20–ESV)

Nike, the global athletic apparel company, has achieved an amazing level of marketing success with its simple but effective tag line “just do it.” It’s hard to argue with success, especially when the principle behind the slogan is so amazingly biblical. As followers of Christ, the victory is not in our talk, or our intentions, but in our actual doing of God’s will. While Jesus was attending a wedding in Cana, the wedding party ran out of wine—a social disaster. Jesus’ mother Mary asked Jesus to intervene and help. Her instructions to the servants serve as a profound reminder of what really matters in our life today. “His mother said to the servants, ‘whatever He says to you, do it.’” (John 2:5)

The secret of our spiritual success today lies within the realm of a simple, yet profound axiom—whatever Jesus tells you to do today—just do it! Jesus told a simple parable to underscore this truth. One son said he would do what his Father asked him but ended up not doing it at all. Another son first said he wouldn’t, but he later changed his mind and actually did what his Father asked. Pop quiz: which one did the father’s will? Of course, the son who actually carried out his Father’s command! Talk alone is cheap—our actions speak much louder than our words.

Today’s Scripture Promise: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves’” (James 1:22–ESV)