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."

09/14/2026

Good morning!

Today is a reflection day*

Want a booster? Read Psalm 121 aloud. It is a powerful reminder that we are in good hands. It begins like this:

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

When my mother was on her death bed, I read this to her. I still am blessed by the memory her smile and peace as she nodded in agreement with each verse in turn. The Lord has us in His safe keeping... and will hold us close "forevermore". Amen.

in Him, Mike

09/13/2026

Good morning!

Text: Job 16-18; Isaiah 1

Isaiah opens with a volley of indictment against Judah for their rebellion and injustice. Recall that Judah is the family that is carrying the promise of the King to come. God always protects and preserves the children of His promise, even when they have rejected Him. The Lord is calling the people of Judah to turn to Him in repentance (1:16-17), and then He promises that they will be cleansed. The Lord says (1:18),

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."

Sounds a lot like the promises of Jesus and our healing from the cross, doesn't it? "Scarlet" and "crimson" are both glaringly bright and indelible. Their stain could not be removed by any known cleanser or bleach. Just like our sin, they could never be completely erased by any human effort. Yet, when God washes us in the blood of Jesus, our sins are wiped completely away. No stain, no blemish, no memory or guilt left over. Absolutely gone! Wonderful!

God's plan has been in motion from before the foundation of the world. Isaiah wrote eight centuries before Jesus, yet we will see the Lord Christ appear over and over again in this precious book. Isaiah is also some of the most beautiful Hebrew poetry to be found. We have a lot to look forward to as we read through Isaiah together.

in Him, Mike

09/12/2026

Good morning!

Text: Job 13-15; Psalm 122

As Job responds to his friends' remarks, he struggles with the great mysteries of life, God and eternity. One question Job asks is this:

"If a man dies, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14)

For us, many of Job's questions have been answered, as we have the full sweep of the Bible, we live after Jesus came and revealed the Father to humanity, and for those of us who are in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit. So we know the answer to Job's question. Of course a man who dies shall live again. This life we now live is only temporary. Like Job's experience, this life is "few of days and full of trouble." (14:1). But, praise be to God, this life is not all there is. This is the hope of the Christian; the resurrection to come. Here is a challenge then. Do we live this life knowing that the life to come is the real deal? Do we live in that hope?

in Him, Mike

09/11/2026

Good morning!

Text: Job 10-12; Psalm 121

As Job wrestles with his grave troubles, he receives "advice" from his friends which comes down on him like contempt. Only "losers" get treated by God as poorly as Job. As Job replies, his brings this word:

In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
it is ready for those whose feet slip. (Job 12:5)

When we see people struggling, do we speculate about what choices they have made? Do we wonder what sin led to their troubles? Do we condemn? How do we see them? Is our response compassion, pity, apathy or contempt? This word challenges me to ask the Lord to make me a man of mercy. May He fill me with love for those who are suffering, even when their pain is self induced.

in Him, Mike

09/10/2026

Good morning!

Text: Job 7-9; Psalm 120

As Job wrestles to understand his plight and to respond to his three friends, he laments his very existence. In 9:32-33 Job delivers up a fundamental truth of the human predicament:

For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should come to trial together.
There is no arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.

Our great God is so far above us, so different from us, and so white-hot holy, that we cannot come close to Him. We are sinful, small and impure. We need an arbiter - one who can bridge this great gulf. Job expresses his longing for such. The NIV translates verse 33 thus: "If only there were someone to mediate between us."

The great news is that we do indeed have a mediator, an arbiter, who allows us access to the Father. He is Jesus, and by His death on the cross, He bridged the gap. This very moment, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father - alive - and making intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). Hallelujah!

in Him, Mike

09/09/2026

Good morning!

Text: Job 4-6; Psalm 119:161-176

I wrote earlier that some consider Job the most intellectually challenging book in the Bible. As we get into Job, let the games begin! After the opening two chapters where we see God and Satan and Job's great losses, we then hear Job lament and his friends respond. They will wrestle with the great and deep questions of God and man. Why are we suffering? Who is to blame? Was it our own sin or the sin of others? Where is God? Is He good? A vital tip to the reader is that many of the lines of reasoning in Job are just examples of how foolish the thoughts and hearts of men are before God. There are profound truths, but also subtle lies. Read with care, and pray, and wait until the end of Job to draw any broad conclusions.

In today's reading, Eliphaz asks a potent, rhetorical question;

"Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?" (Job 4:17)

Eliphaz's answer would probably be "no." But we know better. Because of His great love, God who is rich in mercy, "made us alive together with Christ" (Eph 2:4), having chosen us to "be holy and blameless before Him." (Eph 1:4). The point is that, as we read Job, we should set it against the backdrop of Jesus and the rest of Scripture. Then, the precious gems of truth will be easier to pick out. Here is one such gem, also from Eliphaz:

"As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause." (Job 5:8)

in Him, Mike

09/08/2026

Good morning!

Text: Job 1-3; Psalm 119:145-160

Job is characterized as the most intellectually challenging books of the Bible. Many scholars also believe it to be the oldest - written before the time of Moses. The stage is set when Job, a man who "was blameless and upright," has his possessions, his children and his health stripped away be Satan. Satan is attempting to demonstrate that Job's faith in the Lord is false. In these opening chapters, we learn some about Satan. Satan, a fallen angel, appears among the assembly of angels before the Lord in heaven. Set in this context, verses 1:7 and 2:2 say the same thing:

The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”

Earth is Satan's domain. He is ruling here on earth, and he is among us. He is a dangerous adversary, he is nearby, and he is able to intervene in the lives of people. But notice that Satan in all this remains under God's sovereign restraint. When we trust in the Lord, we need never fear Satan.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4).

in Him, Mike

09/07/2026

Today is a reflection day.

Good morning!

Text: Esther 4-7; Psalm 119:97-112

Psalm 119:105 is one of my favorite verses;

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

The picture is of an ancient lamp - a small clay vessel with a wick and a single flame like a candle's - being carried on a dark night (no street lights back in Bible times). All it illuminates is the area around one's feet. You can only see the center of the path ahead, the edge to the left and the edge to the right. All you can see is where to put your next foot fall. This is exactly how the Word of God guides us.

He does not show us our life ahead in full, like some map application on our phone. He does not tell us all the outcomes of our every decision. What He gives us in His Word is all that we need to make the right next step. It is simple. Here is the path. Stay in the middle. Do not step off the path. Keep moving forward. Next step? In the middle of the path. You will get there. I have heard it said that the Christian life is lived by just doing the next right thing. His Word is always enough to make that work.

in Him, Mike

09/06/2026

Good morning!

Text: 2 Timothy; Psalm 119:129-144

I am always delighted when God's Word says something fresh and new when I read. In the opening passage of 2 Timothy, this treasure speaks:

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands... (2 Timothy 1:6).

The Bible teaches us that, as Christians, we each have been given particular gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as teaching, serving, giving, encouraging and so on. These word - "to fan into flame the gift of God" speak to the idea that while the gifts are ours, they can either burn bright and hot or can shrink down to just glowing embers. The suggestion here is that whether our gifts burn brightly or not is in part in our hands. We need to "fan" them into flame. I am challenged by this. What ought I do that my gifts might be strong? For one thing, using a gift strengthens it. Actions like confessing sin, prayer, time in God's Word, forgiving others, spending time with those who encourage godliness and choosing to surrender self are all on the table as well. So, how are your gifts, ablaze or smoldering?

in Him, Mike

09/05/2026

Good morning!

Text: Esther 8-10; Psalm 119:113-128

The Book of Esther is unique in the Bible in that God is never mentioned - not even once. But, the only conclusion the reader can come to is that the story is about God's sovereign protection and blessing of His chosen people. Esther's becoming queen, Mordecai's discovery of the plot to kill King Ahasuerus (aka Xerxes), the King's sleepless night, Haman's ex*****on and finally the miraculous deliverance of the Jews all point to the Hand of God at work. It is left to the reader to point to Him.

Part of seeing God's hand at work is hindsight. In Esther we read how the events were to be commemorated by the feast of Purim - still celebrated by Jews today, 2,500 years later. Remembering what God has done is vital to our faith. It is what our celebration of Communion is all about. What specific things in your life can you point to that only He could have done? Wouldn't it be great of we celebrated our spiritual birthday - the date on which we were born again in Jesus - with the zeal of our earthly, first birth day?

in Him, Mike

Address

54 John Perry Road, PO Box 177
Eastford, CT
06242

Website

https://www.cceastford.org/

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