Devotional - Groveland Missionary Church

September 9

Posted on Sep 9, 2024 in Devotions |

This week in our area there is a huge festival celebrating pumpkins. Yes, you read that right. Actually Morton, IL is the known as the pumpkin capital of the world. Somewhere around 75% of all the pumpkin pie filling sold by Libby’s in America is made in Morton. And so for 4 days each year, they celebrate everything pumpkins.

Speaking of celebrating, God is always at work in each of our lives. From small blessings to large prayer requests answered, God is doing things in your life. Take time this week to celebrate what God is doing right now with you. And feasting with a piece of pumpkin pie might just put you in a thankful mood for God’s blessings.

September 2

Posted on Sep 3, 2024 in Devotions |

Labor day is a day that we rest from our labors. Even Jesus took a break from his ministry every now and then to refuel and recharge. And if Jesus needed it, we too need it. So take some time today to not just rest but allow God to refuel and recharge you.

August 26

Posted on Aug 26, 2024 in Devotions |

I already posted this last week, but I want to do another quick one on this Monday as usual. As elections are drawing nearer, we are often bombarded with deciding who would be better to choose from. During our Bible reading this week, I came across a reading that might help. It is from Psalm 118:8-9 which says, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.” So trust God to lead you to who would be best to lead this land.

August 23

Posted on Aug 23, 2024 in Devotions |

I normally would not do this and I want to preface everything I am writing below as purely personal. I am also writing this special devotional on Friday because I do not want to wait until Sunday.

The Democrats have just finished their DNC in Chicago this week and I was horrified how hard they pressed into legitimizing killing babies. Sure they couched it in “reproductive freedom” ,”something between a woman and her doctor”, “personal autonomy”, “women’s health”, and other clever euphemisms. But the bottom line is clear. They are all in on murdering in cold blood any and all babies they deem unworthy of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Despite their “patriotism” and championing women’s causes, they want to deprive the most innocent among us of the same freedoms they so boldly claim for themselves. Killing babies is not freedom. Killing babies is criminal and should be treated as such for both the woman and her doctor. It should be legislated against in this country in the same way and with the same consequences of first degree, premeditated, cold blooded murder. Because that is what it is. But more than half the country have now been convinced that unborn babies do not have rights and can be freely killed with no consequences or regrets. We are becoming a culture that accepts killing among us. And they wonder why some teenagers can be so “heartless” to commit mass school shootings. Is it any wonder that the black population (which unfortunately has the highest poverty and crime rates), is killing each other in the streets when Planned Parenthood targets that same population with abortions? And yet no one makes that connection between these statistics? When you promote a culture of killing and death, the result is going to be more killing and death.

All of this was brought to a head when I read this opinion article by Jim Daly. Jim is the president of Focus on the Family. And today he wrote a great article about this. I would encourage you to read it here.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/dncs-death-culture-obsession-main-message-from-chicago-week.

He was just as disgusted as I was at the blatant disregard for human life on display in Chicago this week. Like me, he found all the euphemisms for murdering babies appalling. Just think how different the convention would be if every time they said reproductive freedom, they said killing the unborn. If, instead of a woman’s right to choose, they said removing a baby’s right to live. Instead of freedom, they said death. Instead of abortion, they called it what it actually is, murdering an innocent life. A baby is not just a glob if unwanted tissue like a form of cancer that needs to be excised from a woman’s body, but future life that given just a bit of time will grow into a sentient and valuable member of society. And yet the DNC treated abortion as if it were fun. One line from the above article hit home with me when it said, “Reducing the killing of innocent children to a carnival-like attraction reflects the escalation of a crass and cavalier attitude toward innocent life.” How true and how sad. Killing is like a carnival ride that everyone has the “right” to take.

I also find it ironic that the same group that claims to want to protect woman’s rights, takes those rights away from women if they are still in a womb. What about their rights? What about their protection? What about their life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Don’t they count too? People do not have the choice to choose to murder anyone else in our culture, why do we have the choice if they are simply not yet developed enough to walk and talk? Murder is murder. Life is still life. This is another reason why even the “exceptions” to abortion (rape, incest, life of mother) also are not justified in killing a baby. It is a baby not just a fetus (or other nebulous term). It is life. Remember too the Democrats are supposedly the party of “science”. Yet they deny the science about when a baby is alive. They do not want to know when brain waves start or the heart starts beating or when they can start feeling pain. Most of this actually takes place before the mother even misses a period or realizes she is even pregnant. They deny these things because they just want to get rid of the “inconvenience”. But a baby is not an inconvenience as inconvenient as caring for a new life might be. It is a life. A God-made, God-designed, God-planned life. They may interfere with our plans, and make our lives more complicated, but that is no excuse to commit murder.

I close this long rant with a passage of scripture from Deuteronomy, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live.” (30:19)

August 19

Posted on Aug 19, 2024 in Devotions |

Money does talk. And as I asked during the service, what is it saying about you? Is it protesting that you are hanging on too much of it? It it crying out that you have not been generous and giving too little to people? Or will it say that you are being a wise steward of the material possessions God has entrusted you with? I hope that we will take another look at what our money will one day say in God’s presence. May he find it pleasing in his sight.

August 12

Posted on Aug 12, 2024 in Devotions |

I cannot predict the future. And the nature of the book of Revelation prevents me from forming a definite time line. However, I do know what God wants me to do today. And that is to continue to seek him and to do his will. I will pray and read scripture and ask his Spirit to lead me each step. This is what God is asking for all his children. To lift up or prayer as Jesus did in the garden, “Not my will but Yours be done”.

August 5

Posted on Aug 5, 2024 in Devotions |

I am loving watching the Olympic athletes this week. Such hard work and dedication to reach one goal. They train every day for hours at a time to be victorious. It gets me thinking about our goal, which hopefully for every Christian is to hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest.” (Matt 25). But that too takes hard work and dedication. We need to daily live our lives in such a way that we will be victorious. So be and athlete in training for God.

July 29

Posted on Aug 1, 2024 in Devotions |

I normally do not do this, but I must comment on what I saw during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics this year. My wife and I love to take in this experience together every couple of years (summer and winter) and this year we were a bit disappointed. Both of us felt let down over all. It was not as exciting or as informative over all even without the controversial parts. And I felt there were many controversial parts. The headless singer and the menage a trois (threesome) where disappointing. But of course if you did watch the opening or have seen images from it since, the most controversial of them all was drag queens sitting around a table. Now some of since tried to down play what exactly was depicted. Some have said it was a depiction of the “god of feast/festivals”, which in and of itself would have been bad enough. But as I watched the scene unfold, I wondered out loud to my wife, “Are they making fun of the Last Supper?” I could not imagine the organizers would be so blasphemous to do such a thing. And yet it appears I was not the only one. Many people took it as such and have strongly criticized it. I know the organizers had already made light of the Mona Lisa and how the activist have tried to smear it in protest (and how it was depicted as stolen and thrown in the river). The Last Supper is another one of da Vinci’s paintings, but where as the Mona Lisa is housed in Paris, the Last Supper is not. So why was the Last Supper picked to be depicted (da Vinci was also Italian and not French)? In defense of the scene, the organizers talked out both sides of their mouth saying that “We did not mean to stir up controversy” and in the very next statement said, “Art is intended to be controversial”. (not the exact quote but close to it). They also went on to explain that this painting has been crassly depicted before in other forms (so what is the big deal if we do it too). So I believe this was done intentionally and they did not think they would get as much blow back from Christians. But I was offended and hope that they issue more than just a half-hearted apology (and maybe a retraction of sorts in the closing ceremony).

Frankly, I do not know what to do in response. If they were not afraid to offend 2 million Christians world wide, how is one pastor in small town America going to affect them? But I will voice my disappointment in this form and know that I did what I could to give light to my concerns.

July 22

Posted on Jul 22, 2024 in Devotions |

I could have said much more about our tongues on Sunday but I only have so much time. One verse that I definitely could have included is Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” This is a prayer that we need to pray and pray often because it deals with the two main sources of our tongue. Not just the words that come out of our mouth but also the things we put into our minds. What we put inside our minds/hearts is what will eventually come out of our mouth. It is that whole garbage in, garbage out that mentioned Sunday. So let’s all try to pray this prayer throughout the remainder of this week.

July 15

Posted on Jul 15, 2024 in Devotions |

I wondered what, if anything, I would say yesterday about the assassination attempt that took place Saturday afternoon. I elected not to bring it up either in my announcements or message. But I just want to repeat what I said a week ago before this event took place. And it is just as true this week as it was last week. The book of James (as well as many other places in the Bible) tells us that if we want to live according to the royal law in scripture, we need to Love our neighbor as ourselves. This means not spewing hatred and vitriol toward others. Many people on both sides of the aisle are treating this election as the end of the world depending on who gets elected as our next president. Loving each other is farthest from our mind. As Christians, this should never be the case. Love and respect other opinions and do not demonize someone because they disagree with you. Honor them as you would want to be honored. Love them as you would want to be loved. And show them that Christ lives in you!