WORD From The Woods


Romans 8:18-39
    “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”


     Last week, we looked at the first part of chapter 8 and how Paul contrasted living in the flesh with living in the Spirit. This week we read about the awesome hope that we really have in Christ! I’ve always loved the way Paul talks about the bondage that our bodies and also the universe are in now because of sin, and the hope of resurrection that we look forward to. Not only will our messed up sin stained bodies be resurrected to newness of life, but so will the created world around us! God never plans to scrap us or the world we’re living in at the resurrection, He plans to redeem them! As loggers, we get to taste the creation every day in a way very few people get to in this day and age, so we understand the handiwork of God a little better than most I think.  Just imagine the awesomeness than we experience now, restored to it’s intended glory before Adam rebelled and brought the curse of sin upon the whole universe! Not only do we have the hope of resurrection, but we have the Holy Spirit living in us and interceding for us to the Father, as Paul says, in ways we can’t even put into words. In those times we don’t even know how or what to pray, our Creator does, and He is working for us when we don’t even understand. It also says that He had a plan for us before we were even created. And those He foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ Jesus! And He works all things together for His good purposes, all to His Glory! If we truly understand these truths, if we truly are in Christ Jesus, shouldn’t that change the way we live our lives?  Think about that for minute……There is nothing in this world we will face that we can’t overcome, nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ! Brothers and Sisters in Christ, read Romans 8 again and again, dwell and pray on its words. Ask God to reveal the truth of these words in and though your life!


God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-   ​

WORD From The Woods


Romans 8:1-17


     “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”


  Chapter 8 is one of my favorite passages in all of scripture! When I was in high school, my pastor in Montana met with me two or three times a week to lift weights and disciple me. I didn’t realize at the time how impactful those meetings would be in my spiritual growth.  One of the passages we studied in depth was Romans 8 and since then it’s always had a special place in my heart. I love how Paul contrasts the law apart from Christ as the law of sin and flesh, and the freedom found in Christ as the law of the Spirit of life. He makes is clear that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The law gave humanity a standard that God requires to be perfectly righteous before Him. The law revealed the sinfulness of mankind and the fact that there is nothing we can do on our own, to measure up to God’s righteous standard. Christ didn’t do away with the righteous requirement of the law, He gave us, as weak sinful failures, a way to meet that righteous requirement when we turn our heart to Him in repentance and are covered by His righteousness. That in itself is just awesome, but God doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t just offer us away to escape eternal condemnation of hell. He offers us abundant life now and for all eternity! When we place our faith and trust in Christ, God gives us His Spirit, the Spirit of life, to dwell in us. To guide and direct us as we live the Christian life. Pauls also refers to it as the Spirit of adoption as children of God, to whom we cry Abba, Father! This term Abba is like when your baby first says the word daddy. It reveals the intimate relationship that God desires to have with each one of us. The Creator of the universe came down from his place in heaven, to live and breath and suffer and die among sinful humanity, to be tormented and rejected, to offer salvation to the same people who mocked and killed Him. This same God wants to have an individual, intimate, and eternal relationship with each one of us! This is what Paul means when he says we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. When we come to Christ we are adopted into the family of God and receive all the spiritual inheritance that comes with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There is so much more we could talk about in this passage. I hope you take time to study it more in depth on your own!


God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Psalm 139:1-17
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!”


    We can get so caught up in the crazy business of life, especially in the timber industry. We all work to hard and try to do more in a day than we have time to do. It’s so easy to forget that God is in control and start to think that maybe we are the ones that are in charge. It’s easy to do. The “make it happen” attitude is how we operate most of the time. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, God doesn’t want us to be a bunch of slackers. He wants us to be the kind of people who will get up in the morning, show some initiative to go out and get something done. This isn’t usually a problem for loggers! Our problem is that we think we are the ones in charge and we tend to leave God in the dust of our foolishness. I love the words of King David in Psalm 139. He makes it so clear to us that God knows our every thought and every move. Even before a word is on our lips, He knows it. That should be a sobering thought when we say some of the things we do at times! David tells us that we can’t go anywhere apart from God, He is always there. This is the God that knit us together in our mother’s womb. This is the God who knew every day of our life, thousands, even millions of years before the earth was even formed by the Word of His power! And we think that we are the ones in control….. How foolish can we be? God has a plan for each one of us. He has a specific calling for our life, and it’s a good plan, an awesome plan! Far greater than anything we can come up with. I’m not saying that God wants all of us to drop what we’re doing and go into “full time” ministry. Most of the time God call us to serve Him right where we’re at, and for most of us reading this, that’s in the woods. I hope and pray that the words of King David will remind you how great our God really is and that He is intimately familiar with every thought and step you take. In the middle of all the craziness, remember that God is sovereign over it all. Let Him take control and guide your way.


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


     Well, another Resurrection Day celebration is in the books, back to living our normal Christian lives until Christmas shopping begins and we trample each other on Black Friday right? Maybe even maskless this year!  I hope that the glorious reality of what we celebrate on Resurrection day, doesn’t stop for you after Easter dinner and an egg hunt. We should celebrate it every week on the Lord’s day, and it should change the way we live and act in the world each end ever day!  One of the core values I’ve had for a long time as a Christian, and for the ministry of Fellowship of Christian Loggers, is discipleship. Discipleship is really pretty simple, it’s just the process of equipping others to grow in the Christian faith and teach others to do the same. This is what’s known as “The Great Commission,” and it’s generally quoted from Matthew 28:19
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
Now, that sounds really nice right? Go tell the world about Jesus! The problem is, many people will quote just that one verse without ever looking at the entire context of that passage. Or they just take it to mean that Jesus was a really nice guy and if we just learn be really nice and spread the love of Jesus to the world around us, they can learn to be nice too. As if the doctrine of niceness, will convince people to turn away from their path to hell and nice them right into the Kingdom of Heaven. Many Christians act like we’re standing on the outside of the world looking in, just trying to be nice enough for people to want the nice faith we have. Now, I’m not saying christians shouldn’t be nice, we should be like Christ and seek to show love in all that we do, love is kind and does no wrong, but it’s not always nice, (see Matthew 23.) What I to want to point out today is the broader context of The Great Commission, this was the last thing that Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended to heaven.
Matthew 28:16-20
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Notice is the word ‘therefore” in verse 19, like I said, many people like to quote that one verse by itself. But, when you see the word “therefore” in scripture, you need to find out what it’s there for. To do that you need to back up and look at the broader context, Notice that the disciples worshipped Jesus when they saw Him. That’s the position we need to start with when it comes to discipleship, fall on our face before a Holy God in worship Him because He is God and we are not. They worshipped Jesus because they knew that He had all authority, not just in Heaven but also here on Earth! That’s why, when Jesus taught them to pray, He prayed to the Father “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”  It’s because Jesus has all authority in all the universe that we can “Go therefore, and disciple the nations.” But disciple them to what?  To be nicer to each other?  Just like verse 20 says “ to do all that Christ had commanded.” To repent, to turn away from sin and follow Him. Then He says that He will be with them always even to the end of the age, but how could that be when He was about to disappear into the sky not to be seen again for at least 2,000 years? To understand that, we have to know where He went. Mark tells us plainly in his gospel account of the same great commission.
Mark 16:19
“So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”
Jesus ascend to the throne room of Heaven, where He was and still is seated at the right hand of the Father ruling and reigning over Heaven and Earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords! In the end of Matthew 22, Jesus quoted from Psalm 110 to establish His authority, right before he unloaded a scathing rebuke of 7 woes against the religious leaders in the temple.
Psalm 110:1-2
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
The apostle Paul understood the authority of Jesus when he wrote to the church in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 15:25-26
“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
I point out all these verse to show you the reality, that when we come to faith in Christ, we enter into a Kingdom that is being ruled by a Savior who not only died to pay the penalty for our sin, but who is a risen, glorified King who is seated on His throne and has ALL authority in Heaven and here on this Earth, yesterday, today and tomorrow.  We aren’t just standing on the outside of this messed up world looking in, hoping people will want to follow Jesus with us. We are members of the great and eternal Kingdom of Heaven, and as such, we bear the authority and commission of King Jesus to go into all the world, making disciples, teaching them to obey all the He has commanded!


God Bless, and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


John 1:1-18 (ESV)
    “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me. ’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known”


     As Christians, we talk a lot about following Jesus Christ. The word “Christian” literally means “Christ-follower.” I think that even if we’ve studied the bible and followed Christ for a long time, it’s easy to get a wrong impression of who Jesus Christ is from our culture.  We are led to believe that Jesus was just a soft-handed, meek and mild, quiet, gentle, super nice guy. Jesus certainly was kind and gentle, but He was also tough and loud when He needed to be. The problem with the “world’s view” of Jesus is that it looks at Him as just a really good man that lived 2000 years ago and did some incredible miracles. Even as true Christians, we often fail to recognize that this Jesus we claim to follow, was and still is 100% divine as the second person of the Triune God. The Trinity, one God revealed in three distinct persons, is something that we can’t fully comprehend as finite human beings, but it’s the reality none the less. John, is his gospel account tells us that Jesus Christ has existed for all eternity and that He was right there with the Father when God spoke this limitless universe into existence!  As loggers, we are blessed to work out in God’s good creation every day, and we see first hand how awesome it really is! As you think about this passage from John, realize that this Jesus not only created the universe and all that is in it, but He also came down into this broken, sinful, rebellious world to live among us and willingly lay down His life in our place so that we could have redemption and become children of God. This is the Jesus that we are called to follow and have a relationship with. No other religion on earth claims to have a god like our God. When we look at Jesus the way John did, it should transform our faith and inspire us in a whole new way to truly follow Him!


God Bless, and have a great week! -Terry Mann-

WORD from the woods


Mark 1:14-20
   "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him."


    This is a short passage, but I think it's message is huge. The first thing I want to point out is that when Jesus begins his earthly ministry, he starts by telling people to repent and believe in the gospel. He doesn't come saying that he just wants to love us, don't get me wrong, He does want to love us.  Christ loves us more than we can ever comprehend, it's because of this great love that He calls us to repent and believe in the gospel! Christ said to turn to him because the Kingdom of God is at hand. Now, He said this over 2000 years ago, so was Christ mistaken? Not at all! The Kingdom of God was and still is at hand, the day of salvation is now. With everything going on in the world today, we don't know what the future holds, and that makes repentance (or turning to Christ) today so much more important. I think that Christians need to communicate the same message that Christ did in this passage, instead if the popular "Jesus just wants to love on you and give you your best life now message." Jesus does want to love us, but millions of people around the world are facing the reality of trials and tribulation like never before. Christ doesn’t promise deliverance from trials if we follow him, he promises something far greater, He promises deliverance from the curse of sin!  Look at Christ's call and the Disciples’ response. Jesus doesn't just want us to trust Him with our death so we can have eternal life in heaven. He wants our life, He wants it now and for eternity! When Jesus Christ called these men, they responded by literally dropping their nets and leaving all they knew and following Him with their whole hearts. Now, I'm not saying that we should all leave our jobs to follow Christ. Many people are called out of their jobs to follow Christ. I truly believe that God has called me to be a logger, but not just a logger, a logger that proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe that’s about to change, I don’t know what will happen with our company in the midst of the economic disaster that the world is facing. What I do know is that God wants multitudes of believers to be the light of the world as they go on day to day, living life. Whatever life looks like to you today, follow Him! What is your response to the call of Christ to repent and believe the His gospel, and follow him in discipleship? I hope that we will all follow Jesus Christ with our whole heart, wherever we are in this life!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


   I wrote this devotional on the last Monday of March, two years ago, in the beginning of the pandemic. It’s a great reminder as we reflect back on the last two years.
  
Revelation 3:14-22


“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”


     I said last week, that I didn’t understand what all was going on in the world. Today, I’m even more confused. We are witnessing our world, our global society running in fear for their lives, from a virus that we don’t really understand or have much control over at all, and totally destroying our economy in the process. It really seems like there is a lot more going on than just a virus. I’m not a big secret conspiracy believer, but this sure looks like there is something more than what we can see. Now, I’m not tying to scare anyone or stir up crazy suspicions. I know that the God who spoke the universe into being is still the God who has all of this under His control. I can’t speak for God, but I think this may be His divine intervention into our world to get our attention. Maybe there is a massive, global, big government conspiracy, if so, God is in control and has decreed leaders to be in the positions that they’re in. I think it’s more likely that this is mostly just mass confusion and hysteria by a world that is so caught up in idolatry and deception from Satan that they can’t even think rationally.  I don’t think we should take this virus lightly. This is a nasty bug that is killing people around the world, and we should do all we can to be smart and prevent the spread. But, we still need to figure out how to live in this world in the process. We need to notice that the world is freaking out because their false sense of security is being threatened. And, that goes for the church as well! This passage in Revelation has struck me for a long time, it seems very relevant to the church in todays world, especially in America and other prosperous nations.  Most, if not all of us reading this today, have always been wealthy by most standards through out human history. We’ve lived a very prosperous life, and a very healthy life in the sense that we haven’t seen massive global pandemics like many of our ancestors did. In our comfort and excess we’ve never really wanted for much. We’ve placed our faith and trust in all the things of this world, in money, possessions, success, health, really anything and everything but God. We’re all guilty of it to some degree. Well, right now that’s all being threatened, everything we thought we understood in this life is up in the air. And just like this passage says, I can hear Jesus Christ knocking on the door of this life, asking to come in and eat with us. This verse has been used a lot to illustrate God knocking on the door of peoples hearts to come in for salvation. I’ve though for a long time that this isn’t about salvation at all, but about calling the already saved out of their idolatry and into a deeply committed relationship with Christ! This passage was specifically addressed to the church in Laodicea, if they were the church, they were already saved. Right now, as our health is being threatened and our entire financial system hangs over a cliff, Jesus Christ is knocking on our door and asking us to be the people He has called us to be. As so much of the false security we though we had is stripped away. I hope and pray the we a the church will see clearly where our true hope lies and step up in faith and courage and joy and strength, to be a light into this dark and confused world! There are opportunities all around us to share the hope found only in Christ with the word around us. Brothers and Sisters, we need to to decide if we are going to be hot or cold, but enough of this lukewarm Christian life! Get together with the other believers you can at this time, pray with and for each other, rest in Christ, and strengthen each other! Open the door and let Christ in!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-       

WORD From The Woods


Philippians 4:10-23
    "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."
 
    As Paul brings his letter to the Philippians to a close, he thanks them for all the support they have given to him during his ministry around the Roman Empire, both financial support and faithful prayers. We can glean a lot from this passage, on one hand we can learn a lot about giving from the example of the Philippian church. On the other hand we can learn much about how to trust in God's timing and provision according to His will by Paul's faithful example. The subject of giving is one that gets a lot of attention, I'm not going to get into it a lot right now. I will say that I don't believe the New Testament teaches us that we are slavishly bound to give 10% of our income to the church, but that we are to hold all that we have been given, our time, talents and resources, up to God with open hands so that He can take out and add to as He sees fit.  I really like what Paul says in this passage about trusting The Lord, "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."  This may be one of the most often misquoted verses in all of scripture. People love to quote verse 13 without any regard to context of Paul's letter. We can do all things through Him who gives us strength, but according to God's will. People like to think that God will give us strength to do anything according to our own will. Paul was following God's leading when he was brought low and when he was brought high. Just because we're following God's will doesn't mean everything will be easy! Paul is a perfect example of this, God gave him strength to get through the many trials he faced but it wasn't always easy or fun. There are a lot of well know, polished preachers out there today that teach their congregation to just have enough faith and God will bless them with health and prosperity, and give them all the strength they need to conquer anything they face and come out smiling.  I think Paul would beg to differ, he found out how to truly be content in plenty and in hunger, in suffering and in health. God had a greater plan for Paul that he probably couldn't see at the time, but when he wrote this letter, I'm certain that Paul could see the perfect hand of God directing his paths through the mountains and valleys of his life as he reflected back through the years. I know that as my family and I look back at what we have gone through in our life and business, we can clearly see the hand of God perfectly leading us, even when we thought we would never get through a situation He had everything under control. I hope that we can all learn to thank and praise God for the hard times even more than the prosperous times, because it is in our weakness that we really find the strength of God!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-
     ​

WORD From The Woods


Philippians 4:2-9
    "I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 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. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."


     This passage emphasizes something that I think is really important and very lacking in our "Christian culture" today. It emphasizes the value and the necessity of unity and community within the body of Christ. There are going to be disagreements on secondary doctrinal issues, but when it comes to the essentials of Christianity we must stand side by side. We don't know what the issue was between Euodia and Syntyche, but whatever the disagreement was, Paul basically told them to get over it and focus on what was really important, that is the gospel of Christ. Paul challenges and encourages the body of believers at Philippi to stand together in Christ because together their witness to the lost and hurting world will be most effective. When we are busy gossiping and bickering within the church, Satan can just sit back and enjoy the show because we will never be effective in ministry that way. As Paul is closing his letter to the Philippians, he not only charges them to stand together, but leaves them with words of encouragement and a list of Christ-like characteristics to emulate. Most important of all he reminded the church that they must constantly be in corporate prayer, bringing all things to God with thanksgiving, and the peace of God which passes all understanding would guard their hearts and minds. These things are so important in our personal lives, but they are just as important in the corporate setting of our gathering together for worship and fellowship each week! As Paul said "practice these things, and may the God of peace be with you"


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Philippians 3:12 - 4:1
    "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved."


    This passage brings up something that I know all too well, the fact that even as Christians we are far from perfect. As we read last week, in Christ, we have attained salvation from sin and death and have eternal life but we won't fully realized this until Christ returns a second time and sets all things right. Right now as Christians, we are declared righteous positionally before the Father, even though we still struggle with sin every day. I know that I struggle with temptation and sin every single day, and as I grow in my faith I become more and more aware of the ugliness of my own sin. One day when Christ returns, we will be changed and be made righteous practically forever more! This is why Paul tells us to forget what lies behind and not get drug down by our own failures, but to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus! Paul tells his readers to join in imitating him because he imitates Christ who is our ultimate role model. We will continue to struggle with sin every day of this life as we await Christ's return and the resurrection, but as we strive toward that goal by imitating Christ through the power of the Spirit in us, we must remember that our citizenship is not of this world but of Heaven. As Paul said, "stand firm thus in The Lord!"


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-