A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Judy Mandl looks at Psalm127:1-2 and reminds us of the foolishness of attempting to accomplish things apart from God and the importance of doing all that we can do, while trusting Him for the things that only He can do.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Do You Know What Day It Is?
Message by Dr. Rick Mandl, January 15th, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family. Do you know what day it is? Not today, but this Sunday, January 17th is? If you answered that it’s the day that we resume weekly live and in person services here at ERBC, you’d be right. We’ll be meeting in our church parking lot. We’ll be wearing masks. We’ll be practicing safe-distancing. And we’ll be coming together to worship God. So bring your camp chair, and a sweater if it’s cold, or a t-shirt if it’s sunny and plan on joining us. If you’re someone who feels more comfortable worshiping online with us, don’t worry, all of our online services will continue to come to you and their regularly scheduled times.
But do you know what else, this Sunday, January 17th is? It’s “National Quitters Day” Do you remember all those N.Y. Resolutions that were made at the start of the year? Things like . . . Getting in shape, quitting smoking, saving money….
Well according to the people who study this stuff, this Sunday, or specifically the 3rd Sunday in January is the date that most people quit on the resolutions that they made at the start of the year.
So, with that thought in mind, I want to challenge you to make this Sunday: National Re-Committers Day- A day to Re-up on whatever you’d like to see happen this year, but maybe you were late in starting on . . . Let me suggest three spiritual habits that will help you move forward with Christ this year. . .
#1 – Make it a habit to get into God’s Word. I’ve shared it with you before, and I’ll share it again, there’s no shortage of great plans to help you start each day or finish each day in his word. My particular favorite place for you to find a plan that will fit for you, is the YouVersion Bible App. It’s free. It doesn’t have any advertising. You can download it to your phone, or tablet, or PC, and you can find a plan that will help you make getting into God’s Word, a daily habit.
#2 – Make it a habit to Gather With God’s People to worship. Whether that’s online, where most of us are gathering these days, or live in our parking lot on Sunday mornings at 11:00AM. If you were with us when I shared this stat with you last month you’ll remember that … American’s Our Mental Health Ratings Have Sunk To A New Low. All as a result of Covid 19.
Each year since 2001, The Gallup Organization has asked Americans as part of its November Health and Healthcare survey to rate themselves. . . They have asked them to say whether their own mental or emotional wellbeing is EXCELLENT, GOOD, ONLY FAIR or POOR. Not surprisingly, the latest numbers are some of the worst they have ever seen. In an earlier study, Gallup asked respondents whether “they felt as though they could continue following social distancing guidelines, as long as necessary before their physical health and financial situation suffered.” And the majority said “Yes” they could. They could go on as long as necessary and they believed they’d be okay physically and financially. But only a much smaller group was able to say “the same thing” when it came to their mental health.
Clearly, this pandemic has taken a toll on so many people in so many ways. The Gallup Survey, broke down the demographics of their study and they found that the Mental Health of Americans had declined almost universally, across the board. It didn’t matter if you were . . . Male/Female, Republican/Democrat/Independent, Married/Not Married, White/Non-White, Young/Old, Rich/Poor, The numbers were down among almost every single demographic group…
And I say ALMOST every group because – – – there was one group, whose mental health has not declined during this pandemic. Do you know which group that was? It was . . . Weekly Churchgoers. I know it sounds like the kind of thing a pastor might make up. But I would encourage you to check out the data for yourself. Google the terms . . . +“Gallup Poll” +”Mental Health” +”Church Attendance” And what you’ll find is that . . . “The only demographic subgroup who didn’t report a decline [in mental health] were those who attended religious services weekly” And I emphasize “weekly” only because that was what the data revealed. Apparently, the same benefits were not achieved by those who attended “almost weekly,” or “occasionally,” but for those who “attended weekly.” They saw an increase of 4% in mental health as opposed to the year prior.
So while there may NOT be A LOT OF THINGS you can do to protect or improve your mental health during this shut-down . . . There is at least one. So make the commitment to get into God’s Word each day, To get to worship each week, And then number three. . .
#3 Get into a group. A small group… a life group… A place where you can know others and they can know you. A place where you can study God’s Word together and pray for one another. Right now, at ERBC it’s sign-up season for our Life Groups. We have a list of our groups online, and I’m sure you can find one that’s a good fit for you. For the moment they’re all meeting virtually via zoom, but we’re praying that will change as we move forward into 2021
Let me challenge you to make the commitment to . . .
Get into God’s Word. . .
Get into the Habit of being with us for worship each week
Get into a Life Group
And you can make this Sunday, January 17th, not a Quitters Day, but your own personal Re-committers Day. Amen
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Has anyone ever told you that “You’re an answer to prayer”? Judy Mandl looks at John 17:17 and reminds us that it’s possible for you and me to become an answer to a prayer that Jesus prayed.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Solitary Confinement
Message by Dr. Rick Mandl, January 14th, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family. I want to talk to you about a subject that I’m going to guess, most of you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about. . . And that subject is “Solitary Confinement.”
But before we get into that I want to extend an invitation for you to join us for Live Worship in our parking lot beginning this coming Sunday morning – – and each Sunday following at 11:00AM. You may think – – – that’s a kind of a strange segue – – to go from Solitary Confinement to Parking Lot Worship. Hopefully the connection will become clearer as I move forward.
This worldwide pandemic that we’re going through – – -and the shutdown that goes along with it – – has affected different people in different ways. There is no doubt a tiny subset of people that don’t mind it too much. Now make no mistake, they are very concerned about the affect that it’s having on others. They see the number of deaths, and hospitalizations, and they see what it has done to businesses, and they weep with those who weep, but on a personal level . . . They’re still working . . . . They’re working from home – – – which is something that they would have loved to do, but were not allowed by their bosses to do – – pre-pandemic. And because of this shift they have eliminated a monster commute that they had to do (oftentimes more than an hour each way at the beginning and end of each work day – with a lot of that time spent stuck in traffic). Now they’re working from home, so for them an 8 hour day is truly an 8-hour day, not a 10 or 11 hour day. And although they are stuck at home. They’re not stuck there alone. They’re with their family. So they still have community – – And I know that spending that much time in close quarters, even with those you love can bring challenges.
But on the other hand… Think about it this way… For some people their ideal vacation is to be able to travel – – To go and get away from home. For others, when they have time off, their ideal is to do a “Staycation.” Not to go anywhere, but just to stay home with those they love. I know what you’re thinking… You’re thinking “Yes, but there’s something called Too Much Of A Good Thing”
And even for those who enjoy their family, they feel like they passed that point about 10 months ago.
Anyhow, back to my subject… Solitary Confinement… Did you know that according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are more than 80,000 men, women, and children in solitary confinement in prisons across the United States? That is more than any other democratic nation. Which is just another example of how when it comes to the U.S. “We’re number one!” But I digress. . .
When in solitary, prisoners are typically confined to a 6 x 12 cell… 23 hours a day, with nothing but a small sink and toilet to look at. Solitary confinement was first introduced in America in the late 18th century, and at that time it wasn’t intended to be a punishment. In fact, solitary was first put into practice at U.S. prisons by a pacifist spiritual community called the Quakers, as part of an experiment to improve prison conditions and rehabilitate inmates. Prisoners were placed in solitary confinement so they could contemplate their crimes and perhaps become repentant.
Imagine 23 hours a day, in a bathroom-sized cell, under florescent lights that never go off, under 24-hour video surveillance, not really speaking or hearing from anyone.
All that time for you, to just think about your mistakes and missed opportunities…the people you’ve hurt and time you’ve wasted.
Maybe that is why although prisoners in solitary confinement account for just 5 % of the total prison population. . . They account for nearly half of its suicides. No one wants that much time alone.
I’ve talked to some people in our church family who’ve told me that for them this whole “Stay At Home” thing feels like prison. They feel like they’ve been sentenced to Solitary Confinement. That’s probably a slight exaggeration.
On the cross, Jesus took solitary confinement to a whole new level. Jesus’ death took about six hours. His hands and feet were nailed to wooden beams at 9:00 a.m. He spent the next six hours in excruciating pain. As darkness descended in the middle of the day, the Son of God screamed, “Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?”
In a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, Jesus cried out the most bone-chilling words in human history. . . That cry translates. . . “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” It is the most unique and mysterious statement that Jesus ever made. From the cross He spoke to His Father in a way He never had before, and never will again. Because of this statement, we know that Jesus was at the peak of His agony.
Throughout His beatings, whether it be the crown of thorns placed on his head, and even the nails piercing His body He had never said a word. But when He felt the separation from God that sin brings – as the sins of the world were piled upon Him – it was more than He could take. In all of His humanity, all He could do was scream, “Why?” In His questioning, His brokenness, we see ourselves…because we have all asked that same question… “Why, God?”
A mother who loses a newborn child. A father who has to watch his 10-year-old die of cancer. The single mom trying to raise four children on minimum wage whose husband abandoned her for another woman. A faithful employee of 25 years who gets a pink slip without warning. There are no shortage of “Whys?” Because there is no shortage of pain.
But Christ’s punishment brought our peace… His loneliness ensures our fellowship with God forever. Because of the cross, we don’t have to live in the solitary confinement of regret, hurt, or even sin. Because He was willing to have God forsake Him… We never have to worry about God forsaking us. Jesus’ death and resurrection put an end to mankind’s solitary confinement for all time. Through faith, we can be united with Christ forever… Fully accepted, never alone, and always loved.
If you’re at all feeling isolated, abandoned, forsaken by others. Take a moment and thank God for his promise. . . Hebrews 13:5 (ESV) tells us. . . . “He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” And if you’re one of those who feels like you’ve been sentenced to solitary during this whole Stay At Home thing. . . Join us in our parking lot this Sunday at 11:00. Bring along your mask and your camp chair and we’ll look forward to seeing you
For the rest of you . . . All of our online services will continue uninterrupted at their regular times. Looking forward to seeing you in person or online this weekend. God bless.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Raquel Blanchard looks at Psalm 40:1-2 and reminds us that everything comes to us at the right moment and that as we wait for that moment we need to be patient.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on Acts 2:46 and Acts 16:3-5 and Matthew 28:19-20, Pastor Andrew reminds us that you and I were saved for a purpose. God has given each of us a mission and it’s not one we were ever intended to complete on our own.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Do you ever feel inadequate for all of the challenges that life is throwing at you? Do you ever feel as though you don’t have what it takes to handle everything that comes your way? Judy Mandl reflects on a number of passages to remind us of the truth that even if we’re not enough, Jesus is.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: What Are You Boasting About?Message By: Dr. Rick Mandl, January 12, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist ChurchRecorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family. Here’s a question for you to ponder. And my question is . . . “What are you boasting about?” Not sure??? Well check your social media feeds, and it might give you some ideas.
One person who wouldn’t have had a hard time answering that question was the Apostle Paul. Paul knew what he boasted about, and what makes that even more remarkable is that he lived in a time before social media. When it came to boasting, here’s what Paul said. . . . At the end of 2 Corinthians chapter 11 Paul said, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (v 30).
If you take time to read Second Corinthians chapter eleven, you will find the things that the Apostle Paul decided to boast about were things like… The fact that he had been in prison more times… The fact that he had been been beaten more times… The fact that he had been been closer to death from being beaten by his own countrymen and foreign occupiers… The fact that he had been been shipwrecked, spent a day and night floating in the open sea… The fact that he had faced dangers of every kind, and has been thirsty and hungry not knowing where the food and water would come from. These are the things that the Apostle Paul boasted about . . .
You read on into 2 Corinthians 12 and you’ll see Paul talking about THIS THING – – – and we don’t know what it was – – but he referred to it as “a thorn in the flesh.” It could have been a physical ailment – – It could have been something else. Whatever it was, he said, he prayed three times that God would remove it – – He writes. . . (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time GOD said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’”
Paul follows that up by saying . . . So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” If you look at your life . . . And you don’t feel like you see much that you can boast about . . . Let me encourage you to look at it through the lens that the Apostle Paul used when he looked at his. . . Every place where you see weakness. . . Realize that, that is a place where God has the opportunity to demonstrate his strength.
Not all boasting is necessarily bad. It’s all about what we’re boasting in. 2 Corinthians 10:17 tells us. . . “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” My prayer is that HE would be our reason for boasting – – – AMEN
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Looking at Jesus’ words from a story recorded in Luke 10:25-37, Judy Mandl reminds us that not a lot has changed in terms of human nature in 2,000 years when it comes to how we respond to God’s conviction in our life.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: God Is For UsMessage By: Dr. Rick Mandl, January 11, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist ChurchRecorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family. I’ve got one verse of scripture for you today. And to focus it even more specifically – – four words within that one verse. That one verse is Romans 8:31 which says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” And the four words I want to ask you to focus on are . . . God is for us. God is for us. God is on our side. God wants what is best for us in all things. God will never leave us or forsake us.
Sometimes it’s easy to believe those words. What about the times when it’s not? What about the times when it seems like God is far away? How can we learn to hold on to this truth when it doesn’t feel true? One thing that’s important to realize is that those four words – God is for us – are the response to a question posed by the Apostle Paul at the beginning of the verse. Romans 8:31 asks, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things?” The answer Paul gives, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
I believe the key to knowing that God is for us, no matter the circumstances or feelings we face, is found within the phrase, “these things.” What “things” is Paul referring to that should automatically elicit the response, “God is for us?”
To answer this question, we must look at what Paul had previously written in Romans 8. He has told us (verse 1), that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus He has told us (verse 2), that we have been set free from the law of sin and death. He has told us (verse 14), that those led by the Spirit are children of God. He has told us (verse 15), that we have been given the Spirit of adoption. He has told us (verse 17), that we are co-heirs with Christ. He has told us (verse 26), the Spirit Himself intercedes for us. He has told us (verse 28), in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. He told us in verse (verse 29) we have been predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Then he asks the question: In light of all of these things that God has done, what should we say in response? Is there any other conclusion we could come to apart from the conclusion that God is for us? And if God is for us, who could be against us? So the next time you don’t feel like God is for you, let me encourage you to read through Romans chapter 8 and be reminded of all of “these things” He has done to demonstrate His love and faithfulness. Whatever we face in this life is temporary, but His gifts are eternal. This is all the reason we need to believe that God is for us – Amen!
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
