A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Looking once more at Colossians 3:2, Judy Mandl reminds us that adopting an eternal perspective is something that can help us to get through what we’re going through.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Why Should I Trust God?
Message by Dr. Rick Mandl, January 22, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family. This weekend we’re wrapping up our teaching series called “In God We Trust” and we’re looking at the question – “Why Should I Trust God?” I think it’s a fair question. Because if, trusting God guaranteed me a pass on all the pain and problems in life, then I could certainly understand why I should trust Him. But inasmuch as I don’t get that kind of guarantee, then why should I trust Him?
The problem of evil or suffering is a barrier for a lot of people when it comes to placing their trust in God. The American poet and writer Archibald MacLeish, in his 1959 play “J.B.”, makes the statement, “If God is God He is not good, If God is good He is not God.”
Ponder his words for a moment because I believe that they sum up the problem well. If God is all-powerful, (if he’s God) then he has the ability to stop all the evil in the world. And if God is perfectly good, he would want to stop all the evil in the world. Evil, however, exists in the world. Therefore, God either must not be all powerful, or He must not be all good, so in either case, why trust him.
The problem with that argument is that it ignores the Biblical worldview … The Biblical worldview is that . . . God created everything and called it good; Mankind, back in Eden, made a bad choice that has had disastrous repercussions for every generation since; As a result death has reigned—spiritually, physically, and morally— But God staged a long-term rescue mission; that mission began when Jesus dealt with sin at the cross, and it will culminate when He returns to rule over a restored creation with those He was sent to save.
If you don’t live with that worldview, most of life is going to seem random, arbitrary, cruel, and frightening. Even if you do live with that worldview, life will still hurt and be hard, but the bigger picture of God’s purposes will bring clarity to you and comfort you.
The Bible helps us lean into this perspective. It shows us that even as Christians, we’re not immune to pain. Jesus said that the Father “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45 NKJV). In one sense it’s an over-simplification to say that bad things happen to good people, because the Bible also makes it clear that, in light of God’s holiness, there are no “good” people. We all fall short, and even our most righteous deeds are a pile of dirty rags before the Lord. But the amazing thing about the way in which God works in our lives is that He is able to work all of our shortcomings and failings into an opportunity for something good, if we trust in Him.
Think of David, the man after God’s own heart. When bad things happened—when he was on the run from Saul, David still believed God was in charge and in control. He had a high view of God. This belief steadied him and gave him confidence and courage. David’s suffering still ministers to us today. When bad things happened, David could say, “But God is still on His throne.” That means when bad things happen in our lives, it’s not the end of the story.
Evil may succeed for a day or for a season, but in the end, God will triumph, and we will triumph with Him. In the meantime, every hardship is an opportunity to check your worldview and examine the way in you’re looking at life. We’ll dig deeper into that this weekend as we examine the question – “Why Should I Trust God?” I hope you can be with us.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on Colossians 3:2, Judy Mandl reminds us that if we make God’s priorities our priorities, everything else will fall into place.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Winning Through Losing
Message by Dr. Rick Mandl, January 21st, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family, if you were with us this past weekend, you’ll remember that we talked about how Jesus way of winning is really the exact opposite of the world’s way. Well thinking a little bit more about that… Have you ever thought about the fact that any religion, any faith system that talks about heaven or hell always talks about heaven being “up” and hell being “down”? You find that same sort of imagery throughout the Bible.
For instance, Psalm 14:2 says, “The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race;” You see, the birth of Christ was really just the beginning of a round trip that Jesus took from heaven, down to earth, and then took back up to heaven. In the second chapter of a letter that Paul wrote called Philippians, Paul describes this round trip so that we can understand it better. The entire life of Jesus isn’t a story about somebody climbing a ladder; It is a picture of someone descending a ladder.
From eternity past, Jesus was at the top of the organizational chart of the universe. . . But He went from the top to the bottom. He left heaven and came to earth where He became an ordinary human being. He wasn’t born in a palace to a king and a queen but laid in a manger as a peasant son of an impoverished couple. From the time that He was born until the day He died, He spent His entire life doing two things: obeying God and serving others.
Why? He did it for you and me. In Mark 10:45 NLT – Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In Luke 9:24 Jesus told us, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
There are no shortage of people around you who will tell you what you need to do in order to achieve greatness. Jesus made it really simple. He said . . . SERVE. He said . . . GIVE. When I give up my life for Christ, He gives me a new life in Him, and it is infinitely better than anything I could ever get for myself. I pray that, that is something that each of us would discover as we surrender ourselves to His Lordship, AMEN.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Raquel Blanchard looks at John 4:13-14 and reminds us that if we’re thirsty, Jesus Christ is the only one who can satisfy our deepest thirst. His desire is not only become that source of satisfaction for us, but also to use us, to point others to the Living Water that He provides. Are you willing to share what you have found with others?
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” It’s not unusual to hear another Christian say, “I’m not against community, it’s just not something that I think I need.” Pastor Andrew challenges us to look at the example of Jesus and ask ourselves whether we think he was intentional or random in the things that He did.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Who Do You Need To Forgive?
Message by Dr. Rick Mandl, January 19th, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family, I want to give you a verse of scripture today
And the verse I want to give you comes from Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) and it says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” It would be a great verse to commit to memory. But if that verse is too much for you, let me suggest just three words you might want to remember.
And the three words I want to give you come not from that verse, but rather these are three of the words that Jesus spoke from the cross as he was being crucified. And the three words were… “Father, forgive them…” Luke 23:34 (NLT). “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’” Again, it would be great if you committed the whole verse to memory, but if not the whole verse, then how about those first three words?
Father forgive them? Those were Jesus’ words on the cross. Now be honest…if someone had just pressed a crown of sharp thorns on your head, stripped you naked, brutally punched and beaten you senseless, driven nails into your hands and feet, lifted you up on a cross to die, spit on you, mocked you, and gambled for your clothes, would you honestly be praying that kind of prayer? Is that kind of forgiveness even possible for people like you and me?
We tend to get angry when someone cuts us off on the Freeway or pulls out in front of us in traffic. In those situations, I don’t hear myself saying, “Father, forgive them.” What is more incredible is that Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels to His defense. He could have said, “Sic’ em, Gabriel!” But instead, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them.”
The verb “forgive” is in the present tense, which in the Greek language means it is happening continuously. Jesus was seeking continual forgiveness for His killers…continuous grace and mercy for His enemies. Jesus was absolutely full of forgiveness. If anyone ever had a reason and a right not to forgive, it was Jesus. It wasn’t just that He was innocent of a particular accusation; He was innocent of any accusation. He never wronged anybody. So we have the One who needed no forgiveness offering it to those who had no right to be forgiven.
Jesus’ words on the cross teach us this truth: God meets guilt with grace. It wasn’t just the Roman soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross. It was my sins and your sins that nailed Him to the cross. When He said, “Father, forgive them,” we must remember to put the word, “me,” in there as well. It wasn’t just “them” that needed forgiveness. It is “me” that needs forgiveness also.
Is there someone that has wronged you that you would rather die than to forgive? Is there someone who is totally unworthy and undeserving of your forgiveness? If so, remember what we learn from Jesus’ example: We can forgive those who don’t deserve it. Remember that Jesus forgave you when you didn’t deserve it. “Father, forgive them.” These three words are some of the most powerful words anyone can ever say. When is the last time you spoke them? Would you pray with me?
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on Colossians 3:14 and Matthew 9:36, Judy Mandl challenges us to develop a perspective that sees the world around us through the eyes of Jesus, while praying that they will see Jesus through us.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Praying for Our Leaders
Message by Dr. Rick Mandl, January 19th, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family . . . This Wednesday, as a nation, we will be involved in something that as a country we only do at most, once every four years, and that is inaugurate a new President. Wednesday at noon Eastern time, first Vice-President Kamala Harris, and then President Joe Biden will take the oath of office.
This year’s ceremony will look a little different because it will be held virtually without spectators in the stands. President Biden’s Inauguration Day Theme will be “America United” which seems like a fitting theme for the times we’re in. Regardless of how you voted in this past November’s election, hopefully one thing that all of us can agree on is the need to pray for our leaders.
In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV) we read these words. . . . “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Regardless of our political persuasions, I’m hopeful that this is one area in which all of us as followers of Jesus Christ can agree. . . No matter if you support or oppose our President, or our Governor or Mayor, or Police Chief or other government officials, the Bible is clear we should pray for them. So let me suggest that as you take this instruction to heart, you might ask God for at least three things…
#1 For wisdom. Pray that our leaders have great wisdom and patience in their decision-making. Pray for godly counsellors to surround them to give good advice. Pray that the issues they deal with will have clear solutions and that they will always keep in mind their responsibility to serve the people that elected them.
#2 Pray For their character. Pray that our leaders would be upright in their speech and their actions. Pray that they would show respect and kindness to those they interact with. Pray for their honesty, their integrity and their moral foundation. And pray that God would shine his light of truth to expose leaders whose character is in question.
#3 Pray For their spiritual growth. Pray for our leaders to be Christ-followers. Pray that God will open opportunities for those who are not Christians to hear the Gospel and come to know Jesus. Pray that they would make God’s Word and His will the foundation for their public responsibilities and their decisions and actions.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on John 1:1-5, Judy reminds us that when we’re walking with Jesus we have a part to play in ushering in the kingdom that He came to bring – a kingdom that will never be defeated.
