Bascom Methodist Church

Matthew 3:16-17
New King James Version

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [a]He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Friday Fixin’s

What a great morning as the sun starts to shine on the tree tops. Sometimes when you need fixin’…a cup of coffee, God’s word, and the peace and solitude in God’s creation is all it takes!

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. We are so blessed by the Father,Son, and the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus was baptized, all three were in place, the voice of the Father from heaven, the decent of the Holy Spirit of God descending as a dove, and upon the Son of God.

We are children of God and as such we inherit the kingdom that Jesus prepared for us in God’s presence. As God’s sons and daughters, we should endeavor to seek God’s love and to please Him in all that we do.

Have a great day today. God loves you!

Wednesday Sunrise

Watching the news is depressing and can be frightening. My first tendency is to react with fear about the future. But I can’t get around a couple of things that Jesus said about worry.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today”(Matthew 6:34, NLT)

But Jesus was not saying that my concerns are not valid or even important. He was saying that worrying about the future misses the point of what really matters. Living in the moment in the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

The key word is need. I long for wants but our Father promises only that my needs will be met. And over and over God tells us another thing.

Do not be afraid.

Over 80 times you find the phrase “do not be afraid” in the Bible. Perhaps the most relevant example is when Jesus was preparing His followers for His departure. His words are comforting for us today.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 12:27)

I am concerned about the state of the world, our country, and particularly our dysfunctional and divisive discourse. But I am not afraid. I stand with the author of Hebrews who wrote these words during some trying times.

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6, NLT)

The song, “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”, was written in 1950 by a traveling preacher named Ara Stanphill. He wrote the song during a time of agony and doubt in his life.

I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

I believe in those words. I don’t know what is going to happen. I am concerned but not afraid. I put my hope not in politics but in Jesus. I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.

Being bold in our faith, trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and diligent in our prayers will carry us through the hard times.

Have a blessed day today!

Monday Morning Forecast

The sky is getting light in the East as the dawn is bringing light to a new day. A hot cup of coffee, greeting my yard rabbits as they snack on breakfast, and listening to the doves talking to each other as they perch on the power line…what a great start to a new day and a new week.

One of the points that we shared in the service yesterday morning was the Trinity is experienced through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we experience God’s creation in all its splendor, we realize that we too are created to enjoy and engage in a personal relationship with our creator. When we profess our belief in Jesus Christ, the son, we are blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit as our guide in our journey of faith as we grow in our relationship with the Father.

Matthew 28:16-20
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This is the Great Commission – We are all called. Our prayer is that by the example of our lives others will see the results of our faith and in turn seek what we believe. Have a blessed week and tell someone you meet that God loves them.

Wednesday Sunrise

Good morning! I apologize for being late in getting this post created. I think that the week caught up to me. And it’s only Wednesday…LOL. It seems that we are in a constant battle for time.

Every day I am gifted with 86,400 seconds of precious time. I cannot possibly use all of it wisely. But I can invest more of that daily gift into my relationships with God and others. I can’t draw interest on unused time to be used later.

Time is far more valuable than the money we pursue. I can lose all my money and make more later. But if I lose my time, it is gone forever. Solomon actually beat me to this message by about three thousand years, give or take. He decided that all things considered, the best way to live is to enjoy the moment.

“Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life.” (Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬)

That is the reality of this earthly existence. We don’t know if we have tomorrow or even the rest of today. Certainly, we must be wise to plan and prepare for a long future. But we must also invest in the now, in case that is all we are given.

Maybe the message that resonates the most for me is that we cannot receive postdated grace. We cannot order grace for the future. We receive grace in the here and now. Grace is God’s greatest gift of my being present with Him. When we are disconnected or distracted, we miss that blessing of real-time grace.

If I had to write a one-sentence summary of what I learned on this odyssey, it would be very simple. Spend focused time with those you love and with your God. Speaker-writer Zig Ziglar wrote about spending time with loved ones.

“One of these days you will say either, ‘I wish I had,’ or ‘I’m glad I did.’”

How heartbreaking would it be to find yourself at the end of this journey with the regret of “I wish I had” roiling in your soul? My heart’s desire is that I will gratefully say, “I’m glad I did.” If you want to give the very best present to your spouse, kids, friends, and God, the grace challenge is simple.

Be present.

If a friend is suffering, you can show no greater love than to simply be there for him or her. Not offering great theological insight or stories of your own or other’s suffering. Just be present.

When you talk to a friend, be present. Not looking around as if your friend is merely a temporary diversion before someone more compelling comes along. That is the best thing we can give to others. Nothing makes a person feel more valued than being fully present.

And being fully present is the best worship we can give to God. We can sing and raise hands in worship to God, and that is good. We can talk about His love and forgiveness, and that is good. But nothing communicates our adoration for God more than being fully present with Him.

The enemy will remind you over and over of all that needs to be done. He will remind you of past wounds and failures. It would be wise to remember something incredibly encouraging. Jesus has experienced exactly what you are going through right now. He was tempted in the desert by Satan. He was tired, hungry, and lonely. Jesus experienced the lies of the enemy, and He conquered them with a simple strategy. Jesus focused on the Father and rebuked Satan with what? A powerful argument?

Nope.

Quoting Scripture was all that Jesus did to defeat the enemy. Satan has power, but it is limited. God has the authority, and Jesus used that power.

My desire is to serve the Lord with single-heartedness. I cannot multitask and hope to be fully present with God.
My heavenly Father is always present. I just need to show up for Him. That is the essence of spiritual growth for me. Just showing up in humility every day, seeking His presence.

I will stumble in this journey to be present. I probably will need a refresher course often. But I am confident beyond confident of one truth that Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, which is true for you and me today.

I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6, NLT)

Have a blessed day and look forward to being "present" in all that you do.