Congregational Church of Eastford

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Eastford, CT
Congregational Church of Eastford

A community of followers of Jesus - we love Jesus and we love people. Our motto is "To know Christ and to make Him known."

Our motto is "To know Christ and make Him known."

06/14/2026

Good morning!

Today is a reflection day. Enjoy!

The story of Elijah is compelling. When he has his showdown with the prophets of Baal and Asherah up on Mount Carmel, the Lord shows Himself glorious as he sends fire from heaven that consumes Elijah's sacrifice. The people are blown away,

And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” (1 Kings 18:39)

We live in a time and place where people are chasing so many gods other than the one, true Living God. Their pursuit of the gods of self, s*x, money, power, fame and comfort lead only to death. Sadly, these gods rule and reign in our world. Oh that God would get their attention like He did atop Carmel. May the Lord bring such fire in our lives that the people around us see our lives and cry out "The Lord, He is God!"

in Him, Mike

06/13/2026

Good morning!

Text: 1 Kings 16-19; Psalm 82

The story of Elijah's showdown on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal and Asherah (1 Kings 18) is spectacular. Not only are the idolatrous priests destroyed, but the Lord ends the terrible drought. There is great victory, and the Lord's power and glory are on display. Immediately following, Elijah's life is threatened by the wicked queen Jezebel, and he falls into a funk:

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. (1 Kings 19:4-8)

It is curious how, after the great spiritual victory, Elijah is not jubilant, but downcast and exhausted. I can tell you that this is not uncommon for people who serve the Lord wholeheartedly. But, the Lord is so good. When we find ourselves spent, done, ready to quit, the Lord provides the rest and replenishment we need. Feeling wiped out? Pray. Sleep. Eat. Repeat. And trust in the Lord.

in Him, Mike

06/12/2026

Good morning!

Text: 1 Kings 13-15; Psalm 81

The kings of Israel and Judah we are reading about have "issues." One of the "good guys" however we meet is Asa. Asa was a reformer.

And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. (1 Kings 15:11-13)

When we get serious about doing things God's way, there can be some difficult choices. Asa had to take action to get rid of idols in the land and even had to depose his own grandmother because of her sin. I bet that was unpleasant.

This makes me think. We are called to holiness in the Body of Christ and in our own households. That means we may need to confront sin even when it is difficult. Here is a challenge: Are there any uncomfortable things we need to do for the sake of holiness that we have been avoiding?

in Him, Mike

06/11/2026

Good morning!

Text: 1 Kings 10-12; Psalm 80

In Psalm 80, three verses say the same thing (v3, 7 and 19):
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Wouldn't it be wonderful if an awakening of God's people might come? For it to happen, God must act. It is the Lord of hosts - the great armies of God, the I AM, who does the restoring. And the picture of His face shining upon His people speaks to His attentive heart, His gaze, His white-hot holiness, and of His incredible ability to impart His holiness to us. This picture is at the center of our prayers for revival today. We are God's chosen ones, His people, His very own possession. We once were newly alive, just born-again, and on fire for him. He is able to reach into our hearts and bring us back to that place of excitement, commitment and joy.

And so we ask Him. He has the armies of heaven at His command - who can destroy any enemy that separates us from His holy presence. So we ask Him. His gaze roams the earth looking for whomever seeks Him, and when we pray we should expect that His face will shine upon us. So we ask Him.

Are we asking Him to revive us? Are you asking Him to restore and revive the wonderful new life? Ask!

in Him, Mike

06/10/2026

Good morning!

Text: 1 Kings 7-9; Psalm 79

King Solomon builds the temple in Jerusalem. In 1 Kings 8 we read of the temple dedication and of the priests placing the ark in the Holy Place within. The Lord's promise to His chosen people was that He would meet with them in the Holy Place in the presence of the ark of the covenant. Our great God keeps His promise:

And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. (1 Kings 8:10-11)

My first thought reading this is, "Cool! I wish I could see something like that." But consider that you and I, as believers in Jesus, also have God's promise of His continuous presence. In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 we are told we are God's temple and that the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Just think, the same glory of the Lord is right within our hearts, filling our lives. As I contemplate this truth, my outlook for today is improving.

in Him, Mike

06/09/2026

Good morning!

Text: 1 Kings 4-7; Psalm 78:40-72

Solomon has the wonderful privilege to preside over the building of the first temple. Inside the temple, two great angels are placed:

In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. (1 Kings 6:23-24)

A "cherub" is an angel - not a chubby little baby with wings - but a mighty and imposing agent of God's power and authority. In my reading of this today, I was struck by the size of these figures. They were fifteen feet tall and had wingspans of fifteen feet!

How often do we think about the unseen realm that right now surrounds us? Do we realize that the agents of God's power and authority are right at hand, even right now? Many of us have been experiencing spiritual warfare of late. What comfort there is in knowing that those who would guard us are right here with us.

in Him, Mike

06/08/2026

Good morning!

Text: 1 Kings 1-3; Psalm 78:1-39

After Solomon's demonstration of wisdom when the two mothers quarrel over the baby, the text tells us how the people viewed him as king:
And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. (1 Kings 3:28)
These words caught my attention in light of today's culture around us. How much do people value wisdom - true wisdom? How much do they appreciate proper justice? Both are wonderful blessings, and can only come from the Lord. Sadly, the world around us seems to have lost their regard for genuine wisdom. And, we can find even ourselves squeamish about justice - especially when the proper course is condemnation.

May we all be praying that the Lord might reestablish the virtue of wisdom, the integrity of justice, and that He would raise up leaders who exercise both.

in Him, Mike

06/07/2026

Good morning!

Today is a reflection day.

Yesterday we read Colossians. A verse close to my heart is 1:17.
"And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
When I was a Navy flight student and began helicopter training, I learned that the mechanical nut that fastened the rotor to the top of the shaft was known as the "Jesus Nut." We were taught to inspect it carefully before any flight, because if it failed the helicopter would crash for sure. I had not yet come to faith, but was prompted to share that with my parents.

Soon after, my sister had a bout with cancer. My mom put a hardware store nut on a jewelry chain and sent it to my sister, telling her it was a "Jesus Nut." She could wear it as her constant reminder of the truth of Colossians 1:17. About 15 years later I met Jesus and discovered the power of this truth. Without Jesus, not just our lives, but the entire universe would fall apart!

in Him, Mike

06/06/2026

Good morning!

Text: Colossians; Psalm 77

Colossians is a rich yet compact treatise on our Christian life. One challenging gemstone can be found in Colossians 4:5-6 -

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

For me, a lot of my interactions with people outside the body of Christ can be very superficial. I chat with neighbors about their gardens or some shared irritant like a noisy dog that was barking late one night. When the conversation turns to something more significant - maybe an illness, concern over a child's life struggles or the loss of a loved one - I can find myself unprepared. As a pastor, I usually know what to say to a Christian - but when an unbeliever's heart is troubled, it gets much harder. These few words from Colossians remind me how I need to be thoughtful, prepared, and eager to bring Jesus' love and, if the door is opened, the Gospel.

How about you? Will you cross paths with people outside God's household today? Are you ready?

in Him, Mike

06/05/2026

Good morning!

Text: 2 Samuel 21-24; Psalm 76.

In 2 Samuel 24, David takes a census of the people, an apparently sinful move that brings serious consequences from the Lord. The text does not tell us why this was a bad thing, so we have to figure it out. It is reminiscent of Moses' sin of striking the rock (Numbers 20:8-12) and thus being denied entry into the promised land.

In David's case, the issue is that he is trusting something other than the Lord. A big army means safety, power and prestige. Of course we can bring to memory all sorts of stories that teach that safety and power come from the Lord rather than a big army (i.e. Gideon), and prestige belongs only to Him. To seek these things from another source is actually idolatry. The lesson is harsh, as many, many Israelites die as a consequence of David's sin. What irony that David's opening to his song (2 Samuel 22:2) were ,

"“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer."

I am challenged by this to ask myself where I might be at risk, and the answer is scary. When pastors meet, a common question is, "How big is your church?" The answer is usually expressed in numbers rather than in terms of our dependence upon the Lord. We seek our comfort from so many things other than God. Our savings account balance, our position, our health, and our skills all give us our sense of strength or weakness. When the number is too small in whatever category, our worry is just as much a symptom of idolatry as our smug sense of well being when the numbers are big. May our strength come from our desperate dependence on the Lord. Amen.

in Him, Mike

Address

4 County Road, PO Box 177
Eastford, CT
06242

Website

https://www.cceastford.org/

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