East Gate Baptist Church

East Gate Baptist Church An Independent Baptist Church serving the spiritual needs of the community of Torrington
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09/05/2026

My Morning Perspective – Saturday, September 5, 2026

Contented In Christ

Our text today is thought to be the longest continuous sentence in the Word of God; some have said that it may also be the longest sentence in literature, although after reading legal contract and documents over the years I am sure I have seen longer sentences.

Good Morning, welcome to My Morning Perspective it is great to see you today, thank you for joining me. I trust you have your Bible with you, today’s text is from Ephesians 1, so please open your Bible to those chapters, and we will read the verses in a moment.

It is important to keep in mind that Paul has chosen to keep the subject central to his thoughts and purpose. It is that which he presents to his readers today and those who received them in the Church at Ephesus, namely, the purpose of God. Understanding this will help us to understand his message and intent as we study these verses because it will help us to keep his message in the proper context.

With that said, please join me in Ephesians 1:3-6: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ: according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

Paul will not be chasing themes, nor introducing some kind of new doctrine; he will keep the course throughout the Book of Ephesians which he presents beginning in verse three.

Our text introduces us to God the Father in verse three and will continue by presenting an emphasis on Jesus Christ, His Son, and Holy Spirit as he reveals Their participation, presentation, and purpose in the spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ.

The plan and purpose of the Father will be explained by the Apostle throughout the entire six chapters. The purchase by and the plan of the Father’s redemptive purpose is expressed by the Apostle within the 155 verses of this letter, in addition to the preservation and power of the Holy Spirit which is executed by the provision of the Father that was ordained before the foundation of the world.

This work of the Holy Spirit is experienced day-by-day, moment-by-moment, and step-by-step in the life of the child of God as He leads us in a path that is illuminated by the Holy Writ of the Scriptures.

Salvation through God’s redemptive plan, separation into His reconciling purpose, and surrender by His relative power through the Holy Spirit make this journey possible.

We are filled with wonder as we look wide-eyed to the spiritual blessings He has promised, filled with want and desire to walk in honor and holiness as we listen to the One Who would lead us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

He reveals we can be filled with whole-hearted worship to the One Who gave Himself a ransom for us and now sits on the right hand of His Father to make intercession for us. It is there we enter His Throne of Grace to learn to abide in Him as we turn away from all that would hinder us from being filled with the Spirit.

True to the Apostle’s form and style, doctrine and duty are presented as he explains to the believer what we have in Christ and then teaches us how to put the Word of God into action as we live in this spiritual journey.

The believer’s walk is a spiritual walk; every step is a spiritual step, and we cannot divide our side and His side. As a child of God, it is all His side. We are to walk in holiness if we are to be spiritual, but we cannot do this on our own or by our own power. We are not left alone to this enormous task; God is there to help us, and He lives within us.

The Apostle begins and ends with this spiritual plan and power. As we study the words of this great letter, we also recognize that we are not left unattended by God to do the best we can; rather, we are attended by God’s best and instructed to trust in Him so that we do not have to rely on anything we think we might have to do.

Paul introduces a small word that many might think to be insignificant or excusable. It is the word “in”; we see it in many places in Ephesians as we take notice of the spiritual blessings which are made possible because we are “in Christ”.

To begin, Paul announces that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ. He will begin to answer the questions that every serious and credible writer or author must answer which is, who what when, where, and how.

Notice the first few of the many references to “in” found in the first two verses of our text: blessed in Heavenly places in Christ; chosen in Him, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

To understand the depths of verse three it will be important to examine what Paul is explaining and what Paul is excluding.

There has been a movement and a trend in our generation which has taken this verse, at least in part, and developed a doctrine of prosperity from it. Basically stated, these new prosperity disciples explain that God does not want you to do without.

At first glance, that is a broad statement. Someone might ask; do without what? And their answer is, “God does not want you to do without anything”. One of the modern prophets of prosperity gave a definition for his theology by stating; “Look, unless you grew up in complete poverty, you can never know what a promise of prosperity can do for you.”

A couple things come to mind in listening to an explanation like that; first, it has been a very long time since he lived in poverty because he now a millionaire, and second, I grew up without wealth or any substantial possessions, but I have since learned that our riches in life are not measured by our bank account or possessions.

The prosperity doctrine taught today does not have a credible understanding of our text; if they are correct, then Jesus was a total failure while He walked on the Earth because He did not have a home or a bed in which He could sleep.

God may give us material blessing and provision, and He has blessed many with great wealth as He did with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; but He is interested first and always in spiritual blessing and eternal reward.

Everything Paul presents in the Book of Ephesians extends from the spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ introduced in verse three. He will not give a short definition because what we have in Christ is not a short presentation.

I would encourage you to take the time this weekend to read the entire Book of Ephesians, there are only six chapters, and it will only take you a few minutes to read through the verses. One of the most important truths the Apostle Paul presents is found in verse four of our text; it is the presentation of God’s purpose for every believer, which is to be holy and without blame before Him in love. Only Christ can provide that by His finished work of redemption to those who are in Him.

Our wealth is not found in earthly riches but being contented in Christ.

I am going to leave it here for today, but I do want to invite you to come back on Tuesday for another lesson in My Morning Perspective.

Until then, look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and I pray for God’s richest blessing on you.

Before we leave, please join me for a moment of prayer.

“Father, Thank You for blessings and for providing what we have and need in Christ. Help us to understand our wealth is found in Him and not in the temporary treasures in the world. Lord, we thank You for loving us and we especially thank You for the salvation we have because of Jesus. Amen.”

Thank you for joining me today, and I look forward to seeing you again next time.

Pastor

09/04/2026

My Morning Perspective – Friday, September 4, 2026

Power In Weakness

Jessie and I have made it back to Torrington from our trip to Montana, thank you for your prayers for us. God's hand of protection was with us as we drove over 2,500 miles. It is great to be back home.

The Lord always comes to us in the storms of our life. We may be like the disciples were on the stormy sea when they woke the Master and exclaimed, “Carest thou not that we perish”, but the Lord had all things under control for them and He will always be there in the midst of our storms.

Good Morning, welcome to My Morning Perspective it is great to see you today, thank you for joining me. I trust you have your Bible with you, I will be sharing a few verses, but today’s text is from Isaiah 43, so please open your Bible to those chapters, and we will read the verses in a moment.

We may try to convince ourselves that if we are completely obedient and submissive to the Lord, we will be immune from the storms of life. Somewhere we have mistakenly believed that following Him will produce smooth sailing and calm seas. The fact is that is not reasonable to expect, and we will set ourselves up for failure when things do not go smoothly.

With that said, please join me in Isaiah 43:1-3: “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed the, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.”

Sometimes we might think, “If only God could walk with us in the darkness or could hold us in our storms; if only He was a few feet away when things begin to shake and rattle and life’s waves try to overtake us, then we would not fear.” Well, God has provided something better than that because the Holy Spirit dwells in us and the Son intercedes for us. That means we are never left alone, and we always have His presence and power within to take care and control of the challenges we face.

The Psalmist wrote, “I love the LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications (Psalm 116:1). He was presenting his personal testimony that God had taken him from the depths of his despair, from the banks of death, and from the storms of devastation. It is little wonder that he prefaced his remarks by testifying that He hath heard my voice and my supplications, and I love Him.

I have used this illustration before, but it shows the simplicity of our trust and the majestic provision of God’s leading in the uncertain times in our journey of faith.

Author Rosalind Goforth wrote a story she heard from her grandfather when he was a boy. Several children had wandered into the woods and became lost. They were frightened and huddled together for strength and comfort. The little boy remembered that his mother once told him, “Always tell Jesus if he was in any trouble.” They knelt and prayed and when they opened their eyes a little bird was flying close to their heads.

The bird stayed close and led them for some time and then flew away. When it left, they looked up and realized they were standing at the edge of the forest safe and close to home.

The Psalmist rejoiced and testified that God had heard his voice and He delivered him.

The Apostle Paul shared God’s response to his request after telling him He would not remove the thorn in his flesh in II Corinthians 12:9, 10: “And He said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities…for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

I am going to finish out the lesson with an excerpt from a message Andrew Murray wrote after he read those verses; “There is almost no word that is so imperfectly understood in the Christian life as the word weakness.

Whenever the young Christian acknowledges and admits to his weakness, then he learns to understand the secret of the power of Jesus. He then sees that he is not to wait and pray to become stronger or to feel stronger. No, in his inability, he is to have the power of Jesus. By faith he is to receive it. He is to believe that it is for him, and that Jesus Himself will work in and by him.

It then becomes clear to him what the Lord means when He says, ‘My power is made perfect in your weakness.’ He knows to return the answer, ‘When I am weak, then am I—yes, then am I—strong.’ Yes, the weaker I am, the stronger I become. And he learns to sing with Paul, ‘I shall glory in my weaknesses’.

It is wonderful how glorious that life of faith becomes for him who is content to have nothing. How glorious to feel nothing in himself and to always live on the power of his Lord. He learns to understand what a joyful thing it is to know God as his strength. ‘The Lord is my strength and song.’

The Christian is strong in his Lord. Not sometimes strong and sometimes weak, but always weak, and therefore always strong. To be strong is a command, a mandate that must be obeyed. From obedience there comes more strength. David wrote, ‘Be of good courage and He shall strengthen thine heart’ (Psalm 31:24). In faith, the Christian must simply obey God’s command as written by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10, ‘Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might’.” (End of quote)

I am going to leave it here for today, but I do want to invite you to come back tomorrow for another lesson in My Morning Perspective.

Until then, look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and I pray for God’s richest blessing on you.

Before we leave, please join me for a moment of prayer.

“Father, Thank You for never leaving us to face life’s challenges alone. Thank You for the comfort and calm we find in You, and for the counsel and conviction of the Holy Spirit who will lead us to abiding in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Lord, thank You for Your strength that is made perfect in our weakness. Amen.”

Thank you for joining me today, and I look forward to seeing you again next time.

Pastor

09/03/2026

My Morning Perspective – Thursday, September 3, 2026

By Peace

People have desired, dreamed of, and diligently searched for peace; but it has somehow manages to elude them. The problem of securing peace has never been more evidenced as it is today. It appears the more people speak of peace, the further the rift between them becomes.

Good Morning, welcome to My Morning Perspective it is great to see you today, thank you for joining me. I trust you have your Bible with you, I will be sharing a few verses, but today’s text is from Ephesians 2 and Colossians 1, so please open your Bible to those chapters, and we will read the verses in a moment.

This is not new with this generation; this is an age-old story. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote of the false prophets who cried, “Peace, Peace.” When there was no peace, the people cried, “We looked for peace but none came; we looked for health and found trouble” (Jeremiah 8:15).

With that said, please join me in Ephesians 2:14: “For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.

Our society is divided by political differences, social differences, racial differences, and religious differences. On any given day we can add a hundred other ways to create division. The simple truth is there is no peace in any solution that any of the diverse groups offer in their philosophies or doctrine.

When Jesus came the world was torn and divided. But He came in peace, because He is the Prince of Peace; He came as the Peace Maker; and He came as the Preacher of Peace.

Our text will prove that in Christ we are all reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross.

Man is made for God; he will never find peace until he comes to know Him. Colossians 1:16, 17 presents the reason that statement is true: “For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”

People refuse to believe God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, but that does not change the reality of its truth. They equally dispute the idea they we are accountable to Him, however, regardless of how much they deny His existence to try to hide the truth, all things were not only made by Him, but they were also made for Him. The so-called experts can try to explain our existence outside a Divine plan, but Scripture reveals, by Him all things consist, which means all things are held together by Him.

There is an ad campaign that shows a few confrontational interactions among people which ends with a simple message that pops up on the screen that reads, “He gets us”. It is another attempt by our adversary to tell people, “We need a god who is here for us, not a God who tells us we are here for Him.”

Someone might ask, “What’s the difference, and what’s the problem with wanting a god who is here for us?” The answer is that was the narrative of Satan’s first lie to Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:5: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

Again, someone might ask, “What is the harm in knowing good and evil?” The answer is in the lie Satan told to try to hide the truth. He was telling Eve, “Look, God is trying to hold you back by keeping the truth from you, because He knows if you eat of the fruit He said is forbidden, you will become a god like Him and you will be able to determine what is good and evil.” The challenge of the adversary’s presentation of a misguided truth is that it is left up to us to determine what is good and evil, not God, because we are our own gods.

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father but by Me.” Jesus did not come to make military peace, political peace, social peace, or as odd as it may seem to say, religious peace; He came to make Spiritual peace with His Father in Heaven.

Christ is not merely a peace maker; He is our Peace. The Greek message is “He Himself is our peace”; or perhaps “He, and He alone, is our peace, there is no other”. Therefore, the preliminary source for peace is the Source of Peace; Jesus Christ. To receive Him is to have peace with God.

The ways of humanity are altogether different; they try to make and preach peace within their own schemes, ideals, and plans; but their plans often leave Christ completely out of the picture.

The picture that God has painted is completely foreign to man: it is a beautiful picture of grace that is signed with the blood of Jesus Christ poured out from His redemptive work on the Cross. He has secured and provided the title deed for eternal life and peace between God and man. He accomplished a tremendous work to all who were previously separated from God; namely all who have sinned and fallen short of His righteousness and glory.

By now you might be wondering, “What does the peace of Christ provide?”

It is a great question; here is the first part of the answer: “He has brought both together; Who has made us both one.” The “one” in this verse is passive in the Greek, which means out of both parties, (that is Jew or Gentile), He has made one whole; that He might create the two into one new man, making peace.

What does this mean for us today?

Paul uses the word “us” in our text; we, that is to say, Jew, Gentile, Greek, everyone who is saved, are now “In Christ” and made “one” in Him. There are no class distinctions, color differences, nor iron or bamboo curtain, or a wall that divides man from God. Jesus Christ has conquered each dividing issue and offered Divine peace. He has presented in Himself peace between the two and brought reconciliation. You ask, what two are you speaking of preacher? The answer is that regardless of who we are, together in Christ, all the obstacles can be removed.

Jesus dealt with the wall of separation between them politically and socially; but most important, He dealt with the wall of separation between God and man. The dividing factor was sin; Jesus came to pay the payment of death for sin’s penalty. His Finished Work of Redemption reconciled God and man once again.

There are few words that excite me more than the word “reconciliation”. Because of His reconciling work, we know that He does not give us peace; He is Peace. He does not give us victory; He is Victory. He does not give us hope; He is Hope. He does not give us power’ He is Power. And He does not give us life; He is Life. He is more than a peace offering, fulfilling the Old Testament sacrifices; He is our Peace.

Through His ministry of reconciliation and peace, Jesus Christ has broken down all barriers and now there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond or free, or national difference; “Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

That single message by Paul provides the final testimony and statement of faith of God’s provision of peace in Christ.

I am going to leave it here for today, but I do want to invite you to come back tomorrow for another lesson in My Morning Perspective.

Until then, look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and I pray for God’s richest blessing on you.

Before we leave, please join me for a moment of prayer.

“Father, Thank You for the peace we have in Christ. Many of us spent a portion of our lives trying to find peace in a variety of different ways, but we found real peace when we met the Giver of Peace at the foot of the Cross when we trusted Jesus as Saviour. Lord, gives us the courage and strength to share the message of Christ with others who are searching for peace. Amen.”

Thank you for joining me today, and I look forward to seeing you again next time.

Pastor

09/02/2026

My Morning Perspective – Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Getting Everything For Nothing

I met a young man who worked for the same company in Colorado I did many years ago. He was perhaps the brightest and most ambitious individual I have ever known. He was not arrogant nor rude; in fact, he was the exact opposite. As he began to move up from his entry level position many of his peers began to criticize and undermine him. Many were jealous of him and exhibited a critical and hostile spirit toward him because of their own insecurity.

Good Morning, welcome to My Morning Perspective it is great to see you today, thank you for joining me. I trust you have your Bible with you, I will be sharing a few verses, but today’s text is from John 15, Isaiah 55, and Jude 4, so please open your Bible to those chapters, and we will read the verses in a moment.

I was given charge by the owner of the company to help with a complete cultural overhaul of our company and was asked to assemble a team to help achieve our goal. I told the owner the first person I wanted on my team was this individual. “Why him?” she asked. “Three reasons,” I answered, “he has impeccable character, he is open minded and adaptable to positive change, and he is the only one I know I can train to be my replacement.” He more than met my expectations and did indeed replace me when I left.

With that said, please join me in John 15:7: “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”.

The instruction of our Saviour to His disciples in the Upper Room was more than a passive request that they could use to find the desires of their heart when they prayed; it was a command.

I have listened to many people over the past five decades attempt to explain how they tried to trust the Lord in the circumstances of their life only to be let down by Him. Somewhere in their reasoning this verse usually comes up, or at least the second part of it, and a dejected child of God explains that it just did not work like they thought it would. “What is wrong?” they ask.

Here is a test: how much time to you spend each day reading your Bible and earnestly praying to find God’s will for your life? How much time are you willing to commit to the Lord? This is more than reading a few random verses or even a chapter followed by a wish list of things you want Him to do for you.

Do you have a deliberate plan to spend daily time with God that is as important as any other scheduled task? Make an appointment with God, write it in your planner or calendar, and keep that appointment no matter what. Begin with at least 15 minutes a day reading your Bible followed by 15 minutes of diligent prayer. Try it for a week, then for a month, and then continue consistently for a few months; then ask God for His will for you.

Do you know what getting everything for nothing is?

It is grace! Jesus secured that grace with His own sacrifice for sin. The reality is that it was offered to the repentant sinner as the Gift of God, but it came at a great cost which was paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53 presents the evidence of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sin, and Isaiah 55 presents the essence of His grace made possible by that sacrifice.

Look now with me at Isaiah 55:1-3: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come buy w**e and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

What is the essence of God’s grace? It is that which He has given that you could never afford to buy. You could never afford to purchase forgiveness, so God purchased it with the blood of His only begotten Son and provided it to you for free.

The offer He makes to you is the gift of eternal life. You could try to buy your way to God, but you would be wasting your money because God has already purchased it for you. There is no amount of money or busyness of deeds that could ever satisfy the favor of God.

Only Jesus can satisfy your soul, and only Jesus can satisfy the Father. Your only hope is found in Jesus, why try to find satisfaction in any other way? The invitation of God is to come to Him and receive that which is offered freely.

Jude 4 explains, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I have seen thousands of people come through the churches where we have ministered over the years. Some of them had the type of thinking that is described in this verse: they thought they could live any way they wanted and then just turn it over to God for His grace to clean up the mess. Their immoral, drunken, lascivious, or wicked behavior turned the grace of God into a joke.

People who have this kind of an attitude believe they are bigger than the righteousness of God. Paul warned that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, (Titus 2:11, 12); and John added, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, (I John 2:15).

A believer who truly understands the grace of God will admit their sin before God, repent it, and immediately turn away and flee from it. Any other attitude denies the Lord and diminishes His grace to meaningless faith.

I am going to leave it here for today, but I do want to invite you to come back tomorrow for another lesson in My Morning Perspective.

Until then, look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and I pray for God’s richest blessing on you.

Before we leave, please join me for a moment of prayer.

“Father, Thank You for Your grace and the forgiveness of sin through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please help us to understand this grace and consider our responsibility to righteousness. Lord, search us and know our hearts, and try us and know our thoughts, and give us the strength and desire to repent of that which does not please You. Amen.”

Thank you for joining me today, and I look forward to seeing you again next time.

Pastor

09/01/2026

My Morning Perspective – Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Just A Little Ray Of Hope

We all have moments when we need a word of encouragement from someone. As a child of God, you and I have an opportunity to say a kind word, do a kind deed, or maybe send a card or a text to someone to let them know that you are thinking of them. You have no idea how much that can mean to them, and the timing is usually perfect for them; after all, if God has laid them on your heart, He has a reason for you to minister to them and encourage them.

Good Morning, welcome to My Morning Perspective it is great to see you today, thank you for joining me. I trust you have your Bible with you, I will be sharing a few verses, but I will take today’s text from II Corinthians 2 and I Thessalonians 5, so please open your Bible to those chapters, and we will read the verses in a moment.

The Word of God is filled with words of encouragement, and I especially find great comfort and encouragement from the verses I will be sharing today.

With that said, please join me in II Corinthians 2:4: “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.”

Oh, how my heart breaks when I witness the ugliness of how Christians treat one another. Like the Pharisees of old they stand ready to cast a stone to wound or kill their offender, breathing out unkind and malicious accusations that rip the life out of their perceived enemy.

I have seen it my whole life since I was a young child, people walking into the church house, God’s house, and tearing down someone else. It is not long until they have formed their own little following of discontented people who are ready to listen to their cries of dismay and disharmony.

Someone once said that misery loves company, but I say misery breeds, multiplies, and populates much quicker than righteousness. People do not really want to hear about the good in someone, but they love to hear about the bad in someone; well as long as that someone is not themselves.

My Dad did not allow criticism of others; he taught us that we should pray one for another. He told us that if we earnestly and fervently prayed for them, we would not find room to criticize them. He is one of only a few people I have not only heard say that, but more importantly practice it. Oh, how I miss him; how I would love to hear a kind word from him.

I remember attending a church as a youngster and hearing criticism and anger directed at Dad; it would have been easy for him to lash out at those people, but instead he prayed for them and then prayed that his attitude toward them would please God.

Jessie and I had only been in the ministry for a short time when we began to hear criticism and harshness from members in the church we were serving. I cannot begin to tell how it broke my heart, and how my heart was grieved because the words of God’s people were so damaging. Jessie grew up in a pastor’s home and explained to me that she had heard that kind of criticism her whole life.

A friend who was also a preacher’s kid told me the one thing that had not changed in over fifty years in church is how people in the church treat each other. We expect opposition from the devil, even an unkind word from a lost person or someone who does not go to church; but it seems to always catch us off guard when a believer attacks.

I believe Paul knew something of this grief and experienced a heavy heart from the actions of those whom he loved. Our challenge then is to love them as Christ would have them to be loved and extend only God’s grace in return.

Jesus’ words are clear on this in Matthew 5:44: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” More than once, He commanded us to love one another. That love is what motivates us to continue despite criticism or conflict. It is not enough to love people; we must first love God so we can love people the way He wants us to love them.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “If you live to please people, misunderstandings will depress you; but if you live to please God, you can face misunderstandings with faith and courage.” (End of quote)

Job’s friends were unmerciful in their criticism of him, his wife gave him blasphemous advice, and he had no one to whom he could turn for a kind word. I am sure he was looking for just one single ray of hope; but then God came to visit with him and set all things straight with His counsel, conversation, and convicting words. Job found not only a ray of hope, but he found eternal hope in the mercy given by his Heavenly Father.

The ministry is not enough, trying to serve people will never satisfy, and delivering God’s message without His power will never work; our only satisfaction is found in God and in God alone.

David asked himself, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me?” And he immediately answered, “Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore I will remember Thee” (Psalm 42:5, 6).

David found his help in the Lord and Job found vindication from the criticism by his friends in the Lord when He personally set things straight with each of them.

When you find yourself in a disparaging place remember David’s words, “Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42:5).

Come to think of it, who needs a ray of hope when God gives Himself, the Eternal and Blessed Hope of Glory?

Before I close, let me share one more verse presented by the Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 5:9-11: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

Just remember, all others may fail, some may forsake, but God has given His word that as His child we have been given His salvation so we can abide in Him down here and dwell with Him eternally in Heaven. Amen!

I am going to leave it here for today, but I do want to invite you to come back tomorrow for another lesson in My Morning Perspective.

Until then, look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and I pray for God’s richest blessing on you.

Before we leave, please join me for a moment of prayer.

“Father, Thank You for being the God of all comfort, the Giver of grace, and the Extender of mercy. Your love is unmatched toward us, and we have been the recipients of that love since before the foundation of the world. Lord, please help us to love one another through the heart and compassion of our Saviour, being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”

Thank you for joining me today, and I look forward to seeing you again next time.

Pastor

Address

1715 East L Street
Torrington, WY
82240

Opening Hours

Wednesday 7pm - 8pm
Sunday 10am - 11am
6pm - 7pm

Telephone

3075323007

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