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A House Divided

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” Mark 3:24-25

We are all spending a lot more time at home than we normally do as a result of social distancing and business closures. Our kids are going to be home until the fall because of statewide school closures. I encourage you to be intentional in honoring the Lord over the next few months and accept this season as a blessing. 

Jesus is right to say that a house divided cannot stand. When we are around each other at home for long periods, familiarity can breed contempt. If we do not exert good spiritual leadership in our homes they will quickly become toxic, full of bitterness, anger, and isolation. I encourage you to focus on certain Christian virtues and wise patterns during this extended time together that our homes may be unified, filled with joy, and productive for the glory of the Lord.

First, let’s give greater focus in prayer and application to being the loving father, mother, or child that we can be in Christ. Each day, think of those in your household as empty vessels. As you spend time with the Lord in His word, pray that the Holy Spirit will fill you with His love. With your heart full of God’s love, be intentional throughout the day through words of blessing, physical affection, and acts of service to fill up each person in your home with Christian love. By the end of the day may their empty cup be overflowing! 

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.” 1 Corinthians 13:4

“Above all keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

Second, freely ask for and grant forgiveness. We will offend and sin against each other as we live together in close quarters. Be quick to ask for forgiveness when you feel conviction. Do not let pride keep you from taking that step of humility. Be quick to fully forgive – without holding a grudge – when forgiveness is necessary. 

“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:13

Third, establish healthy routines that will foster spiritual growth, education, exercise, and adequate sleep. As a part of these routines, I encourage you to make family devotions a high priority. This does not have to be complicated. I suggest choosing one meal a day. After eating, keep the entire family around the table. Choose a book of the Bible to work your way through – open to the family what book they would like to read. If an entire Old Testament book is too much, then just read about the events of one character’s life. Once per day, after your meal, pass the Bible around the table and have each person at the table read a portion of the chapter for that day. When you are finished discuss the chapter. Parents, have one or two questions prepared to spark conversation. After discussion pray for the day and needs that are on your prayer list. I suggest having different members of your family offer the opening and closing prayers. This is a good opportunity to coach them, and help them understand how they should pray in a non-threatening environment. 

May the Lord continue to watch over us, and unify our families at this difficult time.

The love of Christ to you,

Pastor Vic

Holiness

“He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15-16

We serve a holy God.

In his first epistle, Peter quotes from the Old Testament book of Leviticus (11:44), where repeatedly Moses writes about the holy, separated, and consecrated nature of the Lord our God (Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, 20:7, 20:26, 21:8). The Lord tells Moses that because He is holy, the people of Israel – His people – must also be holy. Holiness is similar to consecration, which means to set something apart for a sacred purpose. Something that is holy is separated from sinful and evil things, and unstained by them. 

The Lord God is holy in all His ways. He is seated upon His throne in heaven, in perfection and power (Isaiah 6). Because of His holiness, all sinful humanity is separated from God, and under condemnation because of our rebellion against His will. But by grace and according to His mercy, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to bear the punishment for our sins. By faith in Jesus Christ, the free pardon of guilt is open to all who believe. We are not saved by works, but by the grace of God alone.

However, once we are forgiven for our sins, we are called to follow in the ways of Jesus – to live for Him in a separated way motivated by our love for Jesus (1 John 5:3-5). This is the holiness of the Christian life. We must be holy because Jesus was holy. When we read of His life, it is clear that Jesus did not speak the same way as those around Him. Jesus treated all people with a respect and a love that was distinct. Jesus did not love or indulge in the corrupt pleasures of this world. Jesus was humble, not proud; patient, not angry; pure, not lustful; full of love, not selfishness. He was a peacemaker, not a gossip; He loved God His Father, not the passing things of this world. 

Jesus lived a holy and separated life, but he did this while still living amidst the world. In John 17:15-17, Jesus prays for you and me, that God the Father would guard us against evil and set us apart (sanctify us) by His truth. It is God’s will that we remain a part of this corrupt world after putting our faith in Jesus Christ so that we might go and bear witness to others about who Jesus is. God would have us live morally pure lives in the midst of the world so that we might shine like light in darkness. We must live amongst the world, as Jesus did so that we can daily speak to and affect those around us with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

As we live for Jesus, we will daily fail and sin. Holiness will progressively increase as a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, but we must pray for and strive after it. The Bible calls this sanctification – becoming progressively set apart over time. Daily sin does not destroy our relationship with God, but does break our fellowship with Him. 

Keep short accounts with God this week. When conviction comes upon you, do not wait until the end of the day to confess your sins. Be immediate. Confess your sin to Jesus as soon as you know you have sinned. Jesus is faithful and just and will cleanse your heart of all shame and guilt (1 John 1:9). 

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

This week, let us strive by the strength and grace of our Savior Jesus Christ to be holy as He is holy.

A Desolate Place

“And when it was day, He departed and went into a desolate place.” Luke 4:42 

After a full day of teaching and ministering individually, person-to-person, laying His hands on the sick, Jesus rises early and seeks out a desolate place. In doing this, Jesus is intentionally getting away from other people to focus on prayer and being near to God the Father. If being alone with God was important for Jesus, to strengthen His soul and inner resolve to continue doing the Father’s will, it is infinitely more important for us. In His perfect strength and divinity, but full humanity, Jesus often went away to desolate places to quiet His mind before engaging the crowds again. 

We all need such disengagement in our lives, but this separation needs to be intentional. Even non-Christians know that people need quiet space in their lives, but the non-Christian does not know where to turn for the rejuvenation of soul that they seek. As Christians, we get alone and quiet so that we can set our hearts and minds again on things of Jesus Christ and His eternal perspective (Colossians 3:1-4). This is accomplished first through the careful reading of Scripture and next through prayer. 

I suggest a brief time of prayer asking for the Holy Spirit to quiet the noise of your heart, to open your heart to understand, believe, and receive what you read in the Bible that day. Next, spend what time you have reading a passage from the Bible. I suggest you keep a marker in your Bible and keep moving it. Section by section, at your own pace, read through entire books of the Bible – New and Old Testament. However, read small sections at a time that you can thoughtfully consider. Reading the Bible is not an accomplishment to check off, but a life-time discipline that will change your entire worldview. 

Once you have read a passage of Scripture, pray about the things that have come to mind as you read. Taking notes of any sort in a journal while you read can help to focus your thoughts. In prayer, worship Jesus for His perfect goodness, give thanks, confess sins, ask Jesus questions you have, pray about your anxieties, pray for others in need. Reading Scripture is a time of listening to Jesus as God. Prayer is a time to respond in faith. 

Like many, you may agree with the above, but still not practice getting alone with God, because life is just too busy. Let me encourage you that your “desolate place” need not be a remote mountainside. Millions and millions of Christians, both now and in the past, have lived in metropolitan cities where there is no quiet garden to find silence. This does not mean that a devotional life is impossible unless you live in the country. From busy moms to those of us that work two jobs, the daily need is to find someplace where you can shut out the noise and hear the quiet voice of Jesus through the Bible – and then be able to turn your heart to Him in prayer. This could take place in your car, a closet in your home, early morning or late at night at your kitchen table, but it must happen. If not, your soul will run empty and you’ll begin to do life in your way and by your own strength. 

Lastly, sometimes the desolate place really needs to be a desolate place. When you come to major crossroads in life (major job changes, moving, getting married) I suggest you take a vacation day, find some actual remote place, take your Bible and a journal (no phone, no music), fast (completely or to bread and water) and get alone with the Lord Jesus. Seeking the Lord in such a significant way demonstrates to the Lord that you really want to know and do His will. Try it and see how the Lord answers your prayer! 

Let’s get alone with our Savior this week.

May the Lord fill our hearts from His abundant goodness, 

Pastor Vic

Book Review: Praying The Bible

By Mike Patterson
Spotswood West Elder (Prayer)

Admittedly, one of the areas of my Christian faith where I’ve struggled the most has been with prayer. It’s hard to get into a good rhythm. It’s easy to get distracted. My mind wanders all over the place. It’s even easy to fall asleep. I’ve tried several different methods to help with developing a good habit of prayer. But one of the best ways is one I was introduced to while reading the book, Praying the Bible

Author, Don Whitney, maintains that the reason so many Christians get bored or discouraged when they pray is not because there is something wrong with them, but because there is something wrong with their method. We tend to pray the most about the important things in our lives, such as our family, future, finances, work, our church or ministry involvement, and current crises in our lives. That is normal and good; we are called to pray about our lives, and our lives are made up of those things. The problem is not that we pray for the same things, but that we pray for the same things in the same old way. We pray the same things over and over, leaving us bored, frustrated, and feeling like there is something wrong. 

The solution to praying the same prayers over and over is to instead pray through the Bible. You choose a passage of Scripture and simply go through the passage line by line, talking to God about whatever comes to mind as you read the text. If you don’t understand a particular verse, or nothing comes to mind when you read it, you simply move on to the next one. As you read the Word, you talk to God about everything and anything that comes to mind. This works particularly well with the Psalms, which were designed to be prayed, but it can work with any passage of Scripture.

The author describes this method and then teaches it with very practical instructions. The book’s tone is that of a wise, older Christian coming alongside a young one and saying, “Let me teach you what I have learned. Let me teach you how to pray.” If you read the book, you will walk away knowing and being able to practice his method. I also think you will walk away excited to try it out and confident that it will bring new life to your prayers.

After reading the book, I tried a 5-7 minute time of prayer using Psalm 23. I went through this passage, bringing before God so many things I had never seen, never thought about and never prayed about before. And once my time was up, I found I had more prayer than time! More and more, things to pray about came to mind as I went through each verse of the psalm. And my mind didn’t wander nearly as much. Most importantly, I found that, as I prayed, my prayers were more naturally conformed to Scripture—they were more biblical than those I pray when I’m just making things up. This is perhaps the greatest benefit of the method.

One of the other benefits of this approach is that it fosters meditation on Scripture and guides our thinking. For example, if we are praying Psalm 34:19 (“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.”) we may think of those we know who are in the midst of affliction as well as praising God for the reality that he delivers from our afflictions. Anything to get us to slow down and think about Scripture is a good thing!

Praying the Bible is a small, 106-page book easily digested over a short read. It’s very specific focus means the reader can put it into practice right away. If you have never read this book, I urge you to do so. Make the Lord make us a people of constant and scriptural prayer!

May our hearts be turned toward heaven,

Mike Patterson 

Church Membership

Church Membership

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25 

Friday night, from 6 to 8 pm at the Encounter Building on main campus, we will have our second new member interest meeting. At Spotswood West, membership is understood as intentional commitment to the local church. Going to a local church is not supposed to be a consumer event, it’s supposed to be many Christians living together in community as the body of Christ. In this community we set aside time each week specifically for worship, preaching of Scripture, and prayer. We labor to love each other genuinely and live in harmony. We love each other sacrificially as Christ loves us. We serve each other. We lift each other up in encouragement and forgive each other as needed – for Jesus’ sake. 

At Spotswood West, we encourage intentional commitment (membership) because of the many competing priorities of our day. It is important that you and your family put the highest priority on things of eternal importance. Relationships are the most important part of life, and our most important relationship is with Christ Jesus our Lord. But by God’s design, our personal relationship with Jesus Christ is strengthened and grown through the constant encouragement, accountability, and prayer of other Christian friends in the church. 

The reality of friendships is that they take many years to develop deeply. When you plant a new fruit tree it does not bear fruit the following season. From the time you plant a new fruit tree, it can take three to five years before a harvest of fruit comes in. Human relationships are very similar. It takes years and years of cultivation before true trust and companionship are developed. At Spotswood West we strive for intentional, long-term Christian discipleship through intentional commitment to the local church. 

Coming to the interest meeting tomorrow night will give you an overview about how the church is governed, what our goals are, where we are going as a church, what is your place of service in the church, what is the SBC, and an open time to ask questions you may have about our new church plant. I hope to see you there! 


Church Library 

I want to remind you of the tremendous resource we have in our church library. The library is set up each week in the lobby and is there for you to check out quality Christian resources. We have a great line-up of Children’s Illustrated Bible’s, children’s books, and even some audio theater (a favorite of our kids). If you need some fresh reading material for the kids, take a look! 

Other references and Bible study materials are there for adults to check out, consider, and then purchase to build up your own Christian library. If you have questions Karen can assist you in the checkout process. 

Thankful for you all, 

Pastor Vic

Live In Harmony

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:16-18

The Apostle Paul here instructs the Roman church to “Live in harmony with one another.” When I think of harmony, I first think of the different musical parts of a choir. Each part is sung in a different key, but the various parts come together to make a full, strong, complex, and beautiful song. In a similar way, the church should live in harmony. 

The Lord Jesus intends for us to live in community – life together – and in living together in the church there should be great diversity. Our church is made up of different backgrounds, talents, ages, races, cultures, jobs, economic status, styles, and personalities. But within all this diversity we have one driving purpose, which is to worship and live for Christ Jesus our risen Savior. We must all be striving to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as our self. 

A call to harmony is not a call to sameness. Harmony, by definition, requires difference, but that difference complements and makes the whole better and fuller. The boundaries of sameness come in worshipping the Lord Jesus as He is revealed in the Bible and obeying his moral commands. But the moral commands of Christ are not racially or culturally specific. It is clear from John’s Revelation 7:9-10 that by the saving work of Jesus Christ people from every language, tribe, and nation will one day gather before the throne of Jesus to worship. I do not believe that this will be a group conformed to sameness, but a beautiful harmony of cultures, language and races unified for the single purpose of worshipping our Savior, Jesus. 

In Romans 15:5-6 Paul clearly states the goal of diverse harmony in the church; “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Regardless of your age, race, style, job, background, or talents may you join with others in our church to glorify the Lord Jesus with one voice! This harmony will be more powerful and more beautiful to a watching world than your witness alone. Let us be grateful for the sense of harmony that the Holy Spirit has brought to our church, but I pray for it to grow even stronger. 

As we approach another Lord’s Supper Sunday, let us confess and forgive any division that may be between us. Let’s speak authentically with each other, not holding back speaking of our needs and struggles out of pride. Let’s talk together much during the week and be in each other’s homes. And then, let’s come together on Sunday to lift our voices to the Lord and hear the preaching of His word. Let’s do everything possible, on our behalf, to live in peace with others. Let’s live in harmony together!

May nothing divide us against each other,

Pastor Vic

Anxious For Nothing

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

This beautiful passage begins with the command to rejoice always and in all things. This reminds us that joy in our life does not come from the circumstances of our life, but from our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Joy is one of the fruits that the Holy Spirit bears in our hearts when we draw near to Him in devotion. Through this, it is possible to choose to rejoice, instead of dwelling on anger or fear. Why – because “the Lord is at hand” (v.5b). Let us remember as we go through our week, the Lord is present with us in a real way. This is the imminent presence of God with us, indwelling our hearts by the Holy Spirit. You are not alone or forgotten. The Lord is at hand, to guide your life toward His good purposes.

Therefore, “do not be anxious about anything.” As a caring Father, the Lord Jesus is ready to hear the anxieties of your heart. Life is crazy and full, from youth to old age, with anxiety upon anxiety. Your only hope for peace is to learn the discipline of prayerfully giving your anxieties to the Lord. In a very literal way, when you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, get alone (in your car, your office, bedroom, etc.) and pour out your fears to Jesus who is at-hand and cares for you. Let your requests be made known to God, but temper these prayers always with thanksgiving. You may not see it until you get on your knees, but there is always much to give thanks for. By giving focus to thanksgiving, it helps remind us where Jesus is at work. 

By praying in this way, you are consciously giving over to Jesus the temptation to be crippled by anxiety. There are only two options in your thinking: (1) the biblical teaching that God is sovereign, God is good, and God is working out a good plan in your life. Or, (2) God doesn’t really exist, the world is a series of random events shaped only by your efforts, and success is up to you. The first perspective leads to life, the second to pride and self-destruction. 

If you struggle much with anxiety, this process of recognizing God’s near love for you and giving all anxiety over to Him in prayer may happen 100 times a day for a while. However, eventually, this habit of always coming to Jesus with your fears will keep you near to Jesus and constantly in prayer. This is known as abiding in Jesus (John 15:1-8) and walking by faith (Romans 1:17). This is the way Jesus would have us live. By this, the peace of God will “guard” your heart in a way that surpasses your understanding. As you grow in faith, thanksgiving, and joy you will begin to face trails with a peace that surpasses understanding – because you walk by faith – knowing that your heavenly Father loves you and is working out His purposes in your life. 

Dear brothers and sisters – this week choose to be anxious for nothing – keep on giving your anxieties to the Lord!

May the peace of God guard your heart,

Pastor Vic 

Prepare Your Hearts for Worship

Prepare Your Hearts for Worship

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” – Psalm 24:1-4

Psalm 24 is a Psalm of ascent, one used in worship as the people approached the temple. It is supposed that David penned this Psalm as a part of the procession to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple. For us, it is should be used in the same way – to prepare our hearts for worship. The words of the psalmist remind us that God is our creator and that “ascending” into His presence cannot be taken lightly, and that sinfulness will not be allowed in His presence. The person that will be allowed into the presence of God to worship is the person with clean hands (righteous deeds) and a pure heart. But NONE of us fit this lofty standard of perfection! Only by the grace and forgiveness of Jesus are we purified and made “whiter than snow” (Psalm 51).

My question for you is, “How do you prepare your heart for gathered church worship each week?” Gathering as a church, with the prayerful expectation that the Holy Spirit will minister to our hearts, is a special occasion and should be approached with heart preparation. I encourage you to consider and practice a few steps in your family:

(1) Rise early enough to spend some time in prayer and confession before engaging your family and coming to church. Take some time to pray and ask for the blessing and direction of the Holy Spirit on the gathering of our church. It will change your mindset. Confessing your sins will allow you to enter the congregation with a pure heart, ready to hear the preaching of the Word and to encourage friends and strangers around you as we meet.

(2) Play Christian music in your home while you are getting ready for the day – not on head headphones, but a speaker so music honoring Jesus fills your home! For Sunday morning, I really enjoy Fernando Ortega: The Shadow of Your Wings (Hymns and Sacred Songs); Chris Rice: Peace Like a River (The Hymns Project); and (if you like bluegrass) Claire Holley: Sanctuary.

(3) Lastly, come to church with expectation! When people walked miles and miles, stayed late with no food, and strained through the windows of packed houses to hear Jesus – they came with expectation. They expected to hear a word from the Lord and get answers to their questions. They sought healing in body, mind, and soul. They came not even knowing why they came but knowing that something special was going to happen in the presence of Jesus Christ. I feel the same way every time we gather!

I urge you to spend some time preparing your heart, and the heart of your family, for worship this Sunday. May the Lord bless us with His presence.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Vic

Creation

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” Hebrews 11:3

Happy New Year friends! In beginning a new year, I have begun again to read through the Bible. It’s always an important part of the new year to be reminded that God is our Creator. It’s important to be reminded in the midst of busy days, traffic, demanding job situations, crying kids, and many other competing priorities – that God created this world and continues to uphold it by His power (Colossians 1:16-17). This reality must not be ignored by us, and should dramatically shape our priorities:

  • God created us for relationship. God does not need anything from us, but created us for His own pleasure and glory. He created us in His image – meaning that we share enough similarities with God that we can have a real and personal relationship with Him, while at the same time, He is beyond us in ways we can never fully understand. 
  • God has revealed Himself to us in the Bible for the purpose of right relationship. I hope you will make it a priority this year to constantly study the Bible, but that your study of the Bible will be for the purpose of gaining a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We must have truth for authentic relationships. We can never have a meaningful relationship with anyone that we don’t know truly, but knowledge does not equal relationship. I know much about George Washington through reading about his life, but I do not have a relationship with him. God created this world, you personally, and has disclosed Himself to us and recorded that disclosure in the Bible – so that we might know Him personally.
  • God created a structure of time for us to live within: 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 365 days in a year, a set number of years for your life. God is infinite and unbound by time. We, by design, are bound by time. God did not create our lives to be bound by time so that we might frantically fill it with every possible event. God created us to need sleep, Sabbath rest (one day in seven), and relaxation in the midst of regular hard work. As you pursue the work God has for you this year, be careful to remember the unhurried life of Jesus. He accomplished all of the Lord’s will – in an unhurried, simple, relationally rich life. He cut out everything that was not necessary. I encourage you to remember that if you cannot fit your planned activities into the time God has given you – then your life choices have gone beyond God’s design for your life and something needs to change.

This year, let us together remember that God is our Creator, and let us focus on knowing Jesus Christ and those around us with much love and authenticity – by re-structuring our lives to live within the good boundaries God has set for us. 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Vic 

Psalm 145

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. 

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.