Ironbridge Church | Pastor’s Corner

In a land far, far away, and a high-school basketball tournament long, long ago, one particular high school team learned an important lesson the hard way. It pays to be prepared.

This particular high school team was not known as a basketball powerhouse. It was a small school and the talent pool was limited.

Every year this small school would participate in a regional tournament. As the tournament began, the coach attended the early games to scout future opponents. Sadly, only one student athlete bothered to watch the other teams in action.

The coach came, but the team players didn’t. The results were, to say the least, devastating. When this school played in the tournament, they were not beaten–they were annihilated! Losing by seven points in basketball is a wide margin of victory. They were humiliated by seventy (70) points. I’m sure it was painful to watch.

As followers of Jesus, the tournament is coming. The tournament is not athletic competition but the challenges and questions that our culture fires at us as Christians! We better know our opposition well enough to defend our faith and be ready to answer the questions that unsaved people are asking. If we don’t prepare, we’ll be “blown out” in our culture’s tournament of ideas.

The resulting lose won’t be a game, but the heart and mind of a seeker that turns away from Christ because we couldn’t give them a reason to believe. The tournament of truth has already started in our culture.

As a faithful team player, will you be in the bleachers, scouting the opposition?

Today’s Scripture Promise: “…always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (I Peter 3:15)

Today is the Lord’s Day when followers of Jesus gather together in the Lord’s house, in the Lord’s name, for the Lord’s glory. As your faith walk with Jesus Christ becomes more rich and meaningful, do you find yourself filled with joyful anticipation of our time together as a spiritual family?

The prophet Balaam was looking out over the nation of Israel as they journeyed to the Promised Land. On several occasions from a high elevation, he could only see portions of the camp. And then, as he walked along the heights, he came to a scenic overlook where he could see the entire nation. He couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. Filled with the Spirit of God, his heart leapt, “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!” (Numbers 24:5)

The pure delight of meeting with God was expressed by the Psalmist who wrote, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:1, 2)

Each and every believer has an important role to play in making our day of congregational worship what God has intended it to be. Don’t be deceived into thinking that only the “high profile” ministries are important. The truth is, every ministry, no matter how seemingly insignificant, matters to God and sets the tone for the day of worship and praise.

The Psalmist even considered being a “door greeter” in God’s house as a great honor, “…I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10b)

Today’s Scripture Promise: “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!” (Psalm 84:4)

When the nation of Israel reached the border of the Promised Land, twelve leaders spend 40 days on a special reconnaissance mission to spy out the Land of Promise.

When the spies reported, only two were willing to trust God for the conquest of the Promised Land. Their names will forever be etched in the Hallway of the Heroes—Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim, and Caleb from the tribe of Judah. Despite the very real challenges of conquering the land, their unwavering faith was soul-stirring. Caleb cried out, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Num. 13:30)

The majority report from the ten spies was complete unbelief. God then punished the entire congregation and said that no one over the age of twenty would live to see the Promised Land—except Joshua and Caleb.

God rewarded their faith with a supernatural dose of His strength. An amazing thing happened. Joshua and Caleb added birthdays to their age but their stamina and strength remained just as strong as ever! They didn’t age! The stamina of their faith carried them into the Promised Land. Caleb said, “The Lord has kept me alive, just as He said, these forty-five years…I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today…my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.” (Joshua 14:10, 11)

When we trust God, it has a spiritually, emotionally, and yes—physically invigorating effect on our lives!

Today’s Scripture Promise: “But those who wait for the Lord–who expect, look for and hope in Him–shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Isaiah 40:31–Amplified Bible)

Yesterday we began talking about Springtime people! In A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway reflected on the fact that “people are always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that are as good as spring itself.” Hemingway is describing springtime people. In reality, there has only been one true springtime person in all of recorded history–the risen Christ Himself.

There are many kinds of people in the world. There are far too many “Wintertime People.” To use the language of Narnia, wintertime people have a disposition where it’s “always winter but never Christmas.” Have you ever known anyone like that? I’m sure there are summertime and autumn people as well. What the world needs more than anything else is springtime people. And only Jesus makes this possible. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and then rose three days later, He was the first springtime person. But it doesn’t stop there. Romans 8:29 says, “…in order that He might be the firstborn of many brethren.” Jesus, with His resurrection power, is melting the ice-cold, frigid hearts of wintertime people and transforming them into springtime people. The kind of people that even a Hemingway could recognize–”the very few that are as good as spring itself.”

For the followers of Jesus, it’s not about our buildings, our programs, our budgets, or even the size of the crowd that gathers. What ultimatley matters is “who we are” and not “what we accomplish.”

The trees and the flowers and the plants can’t help themselves. They are doing what God has made them to do. They’re bringing forth new life and new beauty that we can feast upon with our eyes our our noses! Ah, the sights and smells of springtime when the flowers are blooming and the trees are budding. Our lives as springtime people should be in bloom as well, bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit…”love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22,23)

Live your life today in a way that is “as good as spring itself.”

Today’s Scripture Promise: “Until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13–New Living Translation)

God’s glorious creation is giving us a foretaste of spring. Spring is a wonderful time of rebirth, renewal, and resurrection. All creation is bringing glory to the Creator who made it all.

In A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway reflected on spring’s unfettered joys. “When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.”

What is God up to in our world? Raising up springtime people, the very few who are as good as spring itself. The world desperately needs springtime people. Aslan is on the move, and spring is coming.

As followers of Jesus, we have God’s invitation to become springtime people—transformed by His amazing Grace. The writer of Solomon’s Song leaves Hemingway in the dust.

“Listen! My beloved! Behold, He is coming, climbing on the mountains, leaping on the hills! My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he is standing behind our wall, He is looking through the window, He is peering through the lattice. My beloved responded and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along. For behold, the winter in past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning the vines, and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened its figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along!’” (Song of Solomon 2:8-13)

Today’s Scripture Promise: “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29)

Let me encourage you to become a connoisseur of contrails. A “contrail” is simply “a streak of condensed water vapor created by aircraft flying at a high altitude.” Look skyward on a clear day and you could see as many as a half-dozen contrails filling the sky at the same moment.

Contrails are especially vibrant at sunset. The last shimmering vestiges of sunlight reflect on the streaks of vapor and the many and varied contrails become a kind of brilliant skywriting at twilight.

Contrails are a present-day fulfillment of a little-known, end-time prophecy found in the book of Daniel. “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time: many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” (Daniel 12:4) Contrails remind us that we’re living in the last days where “many will go back and forth.” We have the ability to go “to and fro” more than any generation in the history of the world. And the explosion of knowledge, information, and technology has made this air travel possible.

Contrails also remind us of another interesting dynamic of the last days. Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14) Contrails give testimony to the fact that followers of Jesus can now travel to virtually any place on the globe with the Gospel!

Lift up your eyes! The signs in the sky–including contrails–point to the reality that “…your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)

Today’s Scripture Promise: “…Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:3b)

Yesterday we looked at the Parable of the Persistent Widow. Jesus concluded the story with an intriguing question. “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8) It’s an important question that Jesus is asking each and every one of us, “Do you believe in Me, Do you trust in Me with all of your heart?” The Bible clearly teaches that “…without faith it is impossible to please Him…” (Hebrews 11:6)

One of the saddest moments in the earthly ministry of Jesus occurred when He returned to His hometown of Nazareth to preach and teach. In Matthew 13:58, the tragic consequence of the people’s unbelief is revealed. “And He did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” Imagine the heartbreak and disappointment of having Jesus visit your town only to miss out on all His mighty miracles because His own people wouldn’t believe in Him.

How many miracles do we miss in our daily lives because we refuse to believe God?

It’s not a coincidence that Jesus asked this question at the end of a story about persistent praying. Jesus said, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matt. 21:22) There is a strong connection between prayer and faith. As we bring our petitions to the Lord, it is critical that we pray in a spirit of absolute trust and dependence upon God. When our intercession is characterized by an unwavering trust in Him, our prayers become a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Today’s Scripture Promise: “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6—ESV)

I’m sure it’s crossed your mind. Why 77 Days? Seven days, O.K. Thirty Days…reasonable. Even Forty Days…it’s Biblical and Rick Warren has made it popular. Seventy-Seven (77) Days? That is a long time. Indeed, 77 Days is significantly longer even than the season of “Lent” (forty days before Easter) or the season of “Advent” (four weeks prior to Christmas). What’s the deal?

As believers, our intercession often lacks the Biblical persistence that was taught by Jesus. In Luke 18, Jesus told a parable to teach us that we, “…ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1—ESV)

The story goes like this. There was a widow who made an appeal to a judge who didn’t fear God nor respect man. At first, the widow was rebuffed by this stern judge. Her request was not answered. But then this widow did an amazing thing—she didn’t give up! She persisted.

There’s a happy ending to this story. Finally, the judge gave in to the woman’s petition. He said, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.” (verses 4 & 5)

Jesus concluded the story with a question. “And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?” (verse 7)

Are you asking God for anything that would require “crying to Him day and night” for seventy-seven days?

Today’s Scripture Promise: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8—NASB)

Elijah was a mighty prophet of God who experienced both great triumph and great tribulation. Elijah was God’s ambassador on the top of Mount Carmel when he single-handedly faced down the 450 idolatrous prophets of Baal. (read I Kings 18:17—40 for the full story)

It was Elijah who uttered these immortal words, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.” (I Kings 18:21—New Revised Standard Version) Then Elijah made an interesting statement in verse 22, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord…” While Elijah thought that he was all alone to serve God, Obadiah had already rescued 100 prophets of God. (I Kings 18:13)

After Elijah’s victory on Mount Carmel, the wicked queen Jezebel promised to kill Elijah. In the midst of his despair, Elijah bemoans his situation, “…And I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” (I Kings 19:10, 14)

Elijah’s deep discouragement and depression was probably a result of the fact that he was disconnected for the larger community of believers. When you are fighting strategic spiritual battles, you need other believers like never before. The reality is, in Kingdom service—we’re better together! When we allow ourselves to become isolated and separated from our brothers and sisters in Christ, it has a weakening effect on our lives.

Today we gather together as God’s people. Take time today to tell one or two of your spiritual companions what a blessing they are to your life.

Today’s Scripture Promise: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20—English Standard Version)

Long ago in the age of sailing ships, a minister of the gospel had booked passage on a long ocean voyage. During the voyage, while the ship was still far out at sea, the wind stopped suddenly. The ship was dead in the water. The minutes turned to hours as the crew patiently waited for a breeze to blow again so they could continue their journey.

As the hours turned into several days, the captain became desperate. “Tell that preacher to meet me in my quarters,” the captain said. The man of God made his way into the presence of the captain. “Can I be of help to you, captain?” the minister asked. “Yes indeed!” said the captain. “I need you to pray to God that He will give us a strong, steady wind so we can be on our way.”

“Captain, I’d be happy to intercede for you, your ship, and your crew.”

The minister noticed that the sails had all been lowered during the time of persistent calm. “Captain, please have your men raise the sails.”

“Don’t be a fool, man. There’s no wind,” the captain complained. “Pray to your God and when He sends the wind, then we’ll raise the sails.”

There was a momentary pause, and the minister answered. “Captain, if you don’t have the faith to raise the sails, I’m not willing to pray for wind.”

The captain raised the sails immediately. The man of God prayed, and God sent the wind.

Are you willing to raise the sails in your life today…before…God sends the wind?

Today’s Scripture Promise: “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:20, 21—New American Standard)