vcb.church - Blog

A Powerful Trio

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:11:31 -0500

Romans 12:12 - “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” This trio of instructions are meant to give us powerful anchor points for our lives. “Be joyful in hope”: When we find hope in the character of God, in the care of God for our lives, in the plans of God for our future, and in the promises of God for our present, it brings joy to our hearts. When we truly think about it we find that we have much hope for which we can rejoice. “Patient in affliction”: when hard times come don’t give in, don’t give up, stay in the game. God is not absent. He is at work and He is with you. “Faithful in prayer”: don’t stop praying and don’t stop believing that God hears and answers prayer. It matters. Each of these instructions come to us through the Apostle Paul, not as mere suggestions or possible good ideas. They come to us as directives from God. He wants us to do these things. He knows the blessing they will be in our lives. For me, they have become a significant focus of prayer. They are simple and concise to pray, yet powerful and far-reaching in their ability to reframe my daily attitude, especially when I face things that are difficult and hard. And since God commands them, I know that they are His divine will for my life. As such, I’m encouraged that He will be active in answering my prayers for them. And it is the same for you. So, “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (NLT)

God’s Word For Our New Year

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 10:21:24 -0500

Psalm 19:8 - “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” In today’s Scripture we are told that God’s Word causes us to rejoice. Here are four reasons why.

1.God’s Word doesn’t change. It is a rock-solid anchor that we can tether our life to. What it says today it will still mean tomorrow.

2.God’s Word doesn’t expire. It is eternal. Its promises last. Its counsel never goes out of style.

3.God’s Word gives the true framework for reality. We live in a world that believes you can create your own reality. For example: we are told that you can now choose your own gender, and that there are lots and lots to choose from. But that isn't the true reality. And trying to make it so doesn’t work. Think of it like this: imagine I say that my phone is really a hammer. I can believe and declare all day long that my phone is a hammer. But the moment I use it to try and pound in a spike, actual reality comes crashing in and fast. God’s Word tells us what is always true and actually real. He is the Author of reality. He knows how life works and He tells us so in the Bible.

4.God’s Word is for our benefit. It comes from an all-wise, all-loving, and perfect Heavenly Father. He will always give us the right word at the right time because He knows us all of the time.

So, as we step into this new year, let’s commit to reading God’s Word and to doing what it says. "Rejoicing the heart" will be our reality.

A Promise Kept

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 11:22:31 -0500

Matthew 1:1 - “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.” In the opening genealogy of Matthew chapter one he is saying that Jesus is the rightful Heir to the throne of David, and therefore the promised Messiah. This was a promise that God made first to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. Through him “all the families of the earth” will be blessed. And then to David in II Samuel 7:12-16 where God promises to establish a “forever” kingdom through him. Wonderful promises that were stunning in their implications. But there were times when it looked like those promises would never be fulfilled. When the kingdom was divided and then both were conquered and both eventually taken into captivity, it looked like the promises God made were stone-cold dead. How could they ever be fulfilled now? And yet, here in today’s Scripture, Matthew is saying, “Hey everyone! Remember that promise God made to Abraham and to David - the one that looked impossible - the one that looked like it would be cut short and forever be undone? Well, here it is now. It’s Jesus! He is the fulfillment of that promise.” This is how the Christmas story starts - with an impossible-looking promise fulfilled. The point: God keeps His promises. If He says it, He will pull it off. No matter what. As we just celebrated Christmas, let us remember that it represents a promise made and a promise kept. It’s Who God is and it's what He does. Be encouraged. He will do it in your life as well.

Following Joseph’s Example

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 14:01:45 -0500

Matthew 1:24 - “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” You know the story. Mary becomes pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband to be, finds this out from Mary, and in a move of compassion was going to “divorce her quietly.” But then an angel visits Joseph and tells him that all of this is God’s doing and to go ahead and take Mary as his wife. What would you do? What would I do? Thankfully, Joseph did what the angel told him to do. Joseph obeyed immediately. Did Joseph understand everything regarding what was happening to him? No way. It's not like this had taken place with anyone else he knew - “So, how did you handle it when it happened to you?” Nope. And here’s the thing: God doesn’t ask us to understand everything or have it all figured out before we obey. The truth is, most of the time we won’t. And we definitely won't understand everything the way God does. He sees it all and knows it all. He sees every possible scenario and every possible outcome, and then He says to us, “Choose this.” Our role is to do what Joseph did. To trust God and His plan and obey immediately. Partial obedience or delayed obedience is disobedience. So let’s follow the lead of a young man 2,000 years ago who said “Yes” to an angel’s message. Let’s trust and obey. It’s what God wants for us and from us, for our good and His glory. Have a wonderful Christmas!

God’s Timing Is Perfect

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 10:13:19 -0500

Galatians 4:4 - “But when the right time came, God sent His Son.” When it comes to the issue of “timing”, God’s schedule and my schedule rarely line up. I usually have a pretty good idea of when I think things should happen in my life (as well as the “how”). But I have found over and over again that God typically does not see it that way. His timing of things is often far different from mine. The real problem comes into play when I think that God should jump in on my plans the way I want and especially when I want. My timing for me should be His timing for me. And as I try to force my wants and plans onto Him and then discover that He doesn’t agree and comply, trouble isn’t far behind. I start to believe the lie that He is not loving me as He should. “If God really cared about you, surely He’d see things your way”, is what the enemy whispers. Of course I know better. God’s track record of faithfulness and wise timing is 100%. But still I can fall into the trap of thinking this way. The answer to my struggle with God’s timing is always the same. Go back to His Word to see the truth - to see the examples lived out. Christmas is one such example. As today’s Scripture declares: “But when the right time came, God sent His Son.” God knew exactly when “the right time” was for Jesus to be born. His coming wasn’t haphazard or random or late. It was right on time. It perfectly fulfilled prophecies made long ago. God knew then and He knows now “the right time” for all things, including everything about you and your life. So if you are struggling with God’s timing in your life today, take a moment to remember the most important birth that has ever happened. The birth of the Savior. God arranged all of it at just the right time. It’s how He operates. His timing is always perfect because He is forever perfect. Take heart. His timing for you - the one He loves - will be right on time.

Your heart is Christ’s home - decorate it well

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 10:51:17 -0500

John 14:23 - “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” At Christmas time we love to decorate our home with all kinds of seasonal items - everything from our Christmas tree to our small Christmas village to lights and garland everywhere. All of it makes our home feel cozy and delightful and enjoyable to live in. When we become a christian, Jesus, by His Spirit, comes to live in us. Our hearts become His home. So an honest question to ask ourselves is this: Is Jesus at home in our hearts? What I mean is, does Jesus feel welcome and at home in our hearts because of what we allow to dwell there? What do we “decorate” our hearts with? The Bible gives us some clear directives. We are to fill our hearts with “what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.” (Philippians 4:8) These are some of the things that Jesus desires for us and in us. So as we take the time to decorate our houses for the Christmas season, let us not forget to decorate our hearts with the things that matter most to Jesus. It’s HIs home. May He always feel welcome there.

Listen To The Right Voice

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:42:34 -0500

Psalm 19:7 - “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Whenever we get information from a source we are not familiar with or unsure about, what do we do? We evaluate it. We check the source. We match it up against information from a source that we know and trust. But, when we hear something from the voice inside us, it's a voice we are familiar with because it is our own and so we give it a pass. And therein lies the problem. Our thoughts - the “voice” in our head - is not always a reliable source of truth. Ever notice that when you are tempted with a thought to believe wrong or do wrong, that thought is always in your own voice? That is how Satan loves to work - how he tries to get by our defenses. We can end up repeating to ourselves the lies he puts in our head. This is where our use of the Bible as a measuring stick and faithful filter is so critical. Without God’s truth we are left to ourselves and our best guesses. Today’s Scripture gives us both a solid place to stand in the raging waters of culture and a life-giving resource to tell us what is true and real. God’s Word is “perfect” - it's complete and without defect. It’s “trustworthy” - you can count on it no matter what. So when we hear the voice in our head telling us something, we need to match it up against what God says in His Word. Otherwise, we can be swayed and seduced into believing something wrong which leads to living something wrong. God has blessed us with His Word, which always tells us what is true and what is “right” (Psalm 19:8). It is "sure". So let's listen to His voice, do what He says, and live.

Who Are You Walking With?

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 09:54:48 -0500

Proverbs 20:17 - “He who walks with the wise grows wise; but a companion of fools suffers harm.” The company you keep matters. Who you choose to hang out with impacts how you think, how you behave, and who you become. Today’s Scripture guarantees that in both cases - either with the “wise” or with the “fools”. I want to take and apply this promise in a way in which we might not readily do so. I want us to apply this truth to our spending time with Jesus. When we choose to take time reading and studying the Bible, then praying about what we discovered there, and then obeying what it instructs, we are spending meaningful time with our Savior and Friend. We are, in the best sense of the word, “walking with the wise”. And this guarantees that by doing so we ourselves will become “wise”. This, of course, makes perfect sense. If we hang out with the One Who is “the truth, the life, and the way”, then we will know what is true, know what brings life, and know the ways that we should take. But something else powerful will happen. Our enemy’s ability to lure and to lie and to deceive us effectively will be critically wounded and exposed. And instead of our giving glory to the devil (which is what happens every time we sin) we will be giving glory to God by loving and living for Him. No wonder Satan tries so hard each day to keep us away from spending time with Jesus in His Word. I mean, ever notice that there seems to be no resistance whenever we pick up our phones and start scrolling, but there is almost always a fight to pick up our Bibles and start reading? Not a surprise. Satan wants us to be a “companion of fools”. God, however, wants something so much greater for us - to be “wise”. And we can. So today make a choice to “walk with the wise” - to walk in step next to the Lover of your soul. It’s always a walk worth taking.

Hand God The Brush

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 22:02:34 -0500

Joshua 23:14 - “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.” There are over 7,000 promises in the Bible. And while some of those are given to specific people for a specific situation, the vast majority of promises are for believers like you and me. But here is what can happen. We get a promise from God in His Word and then we paint a picture in our minds of what the fulfillment of that promise in our lives will look like. We can clearly see it. “This is how this is going to work out - God promised”, we tell ourselves. But what if it doesn’t happen the way we think it should? God didn’t paint the picture we were expecting. What then? Satan, of course, wants us to believe that either God got it wrong and that His Word isn’t trustworthy, or that God really doesn’t speak to us after all. Either way, he wins if we believe his lies. What we need to do is go back to the promise in God’s Word, to choose to believe it no matter what, and then to let God fulfill it the way that He wants. He is the perfect promise Giver and the perfect promise Keeper. And because He knows you best and loves you most He knows exactly how to make good on His Word in a way best-suited for your wholeness and your flourishing. So hand the “brush” over to God and let Him paint the picture. Let Him paint the fulfillment of that promise in your life. And if you doubt His ability to paint something beautiful, just look at the next dazzling sunset or the splash of brilliant color of a fall day or the heart-warming smile on the face of the one you love. He “painted” all of those. He is the greatest Painter. You can trust Him with your brush.

What If Jesus Doesn’t Show Up?

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 10:19:09 -0500

John 11:32 - “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” Can you feel the raw emotion in her words? “Lord, if you had been here. . . “ She was counting on Jesus to show up and save the day. She knew He could. . . but He didn’t. Now, in her mind and from her perspective, it was too late. Ever been there? Ever had your own heart-breaking, “Lord, if you had been here” moment? I sure have. And those moments are brutal. They are laced with hard emotions and brimming with disappointment. You know that if Jesus had shown up in answer to your prayer things would be different - they would be alright. But He didn’t - and they aren’t. He didn’t show up how and when and where you wanted. And if we are not careful that deep disappointment can be used by Satan to dismantle our faith. So what do we do? We do what Mary did. She took all of her hurt and questions and sorrow straight to Jesus. She didn’t pretend. She told Jesus exactly what was on her heart. Here’s the thing - Jesus isn’t afraid or surprised by our hard emotions. After all He created them. But He doesn’t want them to derail our trust in Him. So He invites us to come to Him and pour it all out (Psalm 2:8). And then to remember that none of our impossible-looking circumstances affect His ability to work in and through them. Mary believed that Jesus could heal her brother, but that His power could only go that far. She believed there was a limit to what Jesus could do. She was wrong and was about to find out that His power and authority were so much greater than she imagined! That truth is still true today. Jesus never asks us to understand His ways. He simply asks us to believe Him (John 11:25-26). His wisdom is perfect. His power is absolute. His love for you is unstoppable. And there is no limit to what He can do - anywhere - anytime. So, just like Mary, go to Him. Her story wasn’t over. And neither is your’s.