Vallejo Bible Church

Good Morning! As God's most elevated creatures we tend to get prideful of our accomplishments and learning. We look at the world and all it contains as our own possession instead of as God's creation and possession, and that we are merely stewards of what He has made. For believers we have all that God has made to be awe inspired. It all shows us, as we saw in Ps 19, of God's greatness and goodness, and this should draw us to deep worship. It should spur in us a deep sense of... accountability and consciousness of sin and distaste for it. While we look at what God has made and the works He has done, and we glory in all of this, there is coming a day when believers will welcome Jesus into His kingdom. We will lift our hands and voices praising His name, and we will glory in Him for eternity. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Morning! Our passage for today is the beloved Ps 23. Probably one of the best know Bible passages among believers and unbelievers alike is Psalm 23. Sadly, all unbelievers can do with this psalm is enjoy its literary beauty, or quote it in a superstitious manner. Believers, however, who know God as their loving heavenly Father, also know Him as their Shepherd, and Jesus Christ as "the great Shepherd of the sheep" (He 13:20).... This psalm speaks of God's loving care and provision of peace, even in the darkest of times. It speaks of His comfort when we are distressed. And it tells of God doing this even as our enemies watch. For all our lives God's goodness is a constant companion, and His lovingkindness (loyal love) is a friend that never leaves us. Because of all this we know that we will dwell in His presence forever! For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Morning! Today's thoughts are from Ps 21:7-13. Notice the humility of this warrior, this valiant warrior king, "For the king trusts in the Lord." Too Many times those in power or of great influence think they can trust in themselves and need not the Lord. David had learned otherwise. David also knew that all of his successes could not be credited to his own strength, but to the Lord. Our desire should be as David reflected, "Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; we will ...sing and praise Your power." While David enjoyed his successes it was always God's glory he was most concerned about, and that which he sought to further among the people. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Afternoon! Today we have Ps 21:1-6 for our meditation. Our commission is from the Lord, and in the flesh it is most difficult, for it is in the spiritual realm and has many spiritual forces against it. However, what we also have is the strength in Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit enabling us to accomplish that mission. We cannot conceive of the full amount of God's protection as we serve Him. There are so many evils that have sought to take us, but God has protected... us from them, and He will continue to protect us until we have accomplished His purpose in our life for His glory. As we continue our pilgrimage, and with this truth in mind, our hearts will be filled with gladness, and this will be seen by others as a joyful response to the goodness of God in our life. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Afternoon! Ps 20 was the focus of my meditation this morning. Here we have a general prayer for victory. David not only prays this for himself but for all who love and look by faith to God for strength and deliverance. He prays God's deliverance based on our service to God. Why should we expect God's aid in deliverance in the day of trouble when we are guilty of neglecting our service and worship of Him and of Christ's church.... David then prays for answered prayer. As I have mentioned several times God does answer the prayers of His children, just not always as specifically as we asked. However, I also believe that as God works His sovereign plan that He often places in our minds what His will is that we are to pray for specifically. When God delivers His child from oppressors or calamity He does so in powerful fashion. When we pray to God we are praying to Almighty, Omnipotent God. Our trust is not in military power or the Politian's powerful authority. Our trust is to be always in our great and mighty God. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

https://youtu.be/gNbhfFTSJRE

Good Morning! My meditation centered on one verse this morning, 1 Pe 5:11, 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. While this verse concludes 5:10 I wanted to take time to focus on it alone. God's absolute dominion over all things is crucial for believers to have concrete in their psyche. Even though God allows, for the time being, Satan and fallen man some room to roam, to harass His saints, and to express their sinful ways in some of the most offensive ways, God conti...nues to have the dominion. Mankind asked for such a miserable situation when they sought independence from God, and now they receive their just reward, although this still isn't their final judgment. God is patient, giving rebels the opportunity to repent, having lived the awful results of their sin and seeing the consequences. For God's saints, while our time here is grievous as we deal with sin's results all around us, we know that God is with us, and working on our behalf. He has us here to accomplish the glorious ministry of testifying of His grace and mercy to those around us who remain in their lost condition. As well, we get to witness first-hand God's power under such circumstances in a way we would not have been able to had He called us home immediately after salvation. God's dominion is certain, and we can certainly count on His watchful eye, protective hands, and guiding light. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Morning! The passage I meditated on this morning was from 1 Pe 5:8-10, 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself ...perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. Be sober and on the alert, for our enemy is crafty and dangerous. He cares not that we worship him, only that we don't worship the one true God, and he will use every cruel and deceptive tactic to make sure that happens. The illustration comes to mind of the frog and the boiling pot. If you toss a frog into a pot of hot water he will immediately jump out, for he notices the danger right away. But, if you put him in a pot of cool water and slowly turn up the heat he will not notice and die unawares. There are a variety of ways Satan will seek to defeat us, so we must be vigilant to watch out for his tricks, staying in God's word, for there God tells us of how our enemy works. Remember, Jesus never promised a life without testing and temptation. He told Peter how Satan asked permission to sift Peter like wheat (Lk 22:31), but Jesus also told Peter that he would intercede for him. Job, a righteous man, also suffered at the hands of Satan, but God strengthened him and restored him to a place better than before. God also promised in 1 Co 10:13, 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. God knows our frame and will not allow us to be tested or tempted beyond what He will strengthen us to bear, even be victorious over. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Morning! It is nice to have chilly mornings - I was beginning to wonder if they would ever arrive. That with so many trees turning colors it is finally seeming like Fall. My meditation from this morning was from 1 Pe 5:6-7, 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Humility might be the most difficult spiritual discipline and character quality to expre...ss. Most of us feel like we need to regularly toot our own horns or convince others in some other way, that we are chief, most excellent, or most intelligent. However, following up on the previous context we first must realize that any good or success we achieve is solely by the grace of God. The talents that we possess that may lead to such success are gifts from God, so we must humbly accept that we cannot take credit for our successes. Sometimes when we are not viewed as successful we are tempted to try to convince others that we should be, or we blame others or circumstances for why we are not "successful." We need to remember that success is not measured in popularity or financial assets, but is measured in faithfulness to God. We should not worry about recognition or wealth but only concentrate on being faithful to God's word. If we are not exalted by men in this life (which few are) we know that all believers will be exalted in the next life in Christ Jesus. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Afternoon! Today's meditation thoughts are from 1 Pe 5:1-5, 1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be ...examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. The office of elder is nothing to take lightly, for the spiritual health of the souls of the congregation is in your hands. While there is no age restrictions for the office the context here indicates that maturity and experience are a must. There are obvious spiritual gifts that enable elders to minster effectively, but not every elder possesses all the gifts. Some are good at teaching, others at business, still others at counseling, etc. Together the body is ministered to most effectively. There is much accountability that the elders have before God, more than that of all others in the church, which is why they need to be lifted up in prayer regularly. Elders work together with their particular gifts for the benefit of the congregation, so faithfulness and humility are chief character qualities needed. In doing so there is great benefit for the body of believers and great eternal reward for this often difficult ministry. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Afternoon! The passage for my meditation walk this morning was from 1 Pe 4:8-11, 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is servi...ng by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. "Above all," that is, "this is most important," "keep your love fervent for one another." This reinforces what commandments 6-10 of the Ten Commandments was all about, and what God said in Le 19:18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," which Jesus quoted in Mt 22:39. But Jesus also said in Jn 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you love one another," referring to the unique love that Christians must have for one another. Christians must love the unbelievers, but they must especially love their fellow believers in Christ (Ga 6:10), for this is a powerful testimony to the unbelieving world around us. The best way to do this is by exercising our God given gifts. No one person in our church congregations possesses all of the gifts of the Spirit, so we must all do our part to support one another in love with our gifts. "Above all...," then, for this purpose, "So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Morning! On my walk this morning I meditated on 1 Pe 4:7, 7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Redeeming the time is an important spiritual discipline. Even the world knows the importance of making the most of your opportunities in this life. We know that our Lord's return is imminent, and has been since His departure. Therefore we should be like the five prudent virgins in the parable in Mt 25:1-13 ...and be constantly ready for Jesus to come back for us. Such a mindset will motivate us toward holy living. "Sound judgment" and "sober spirit" refers to keeping our mind in its proper state. A mentally ill person does not live in reality and makes many unwise decisions that affect their health and well-being as well as their reputation. While our reputation and testimony for Christ is a key concern for us to live this way, our passage tells us that the purpose for this mindset is for prayer. This highlights both the importance of prayer and the power of prayer. Prayer is the vehicle that God has chosen to work through us for the accomplishment of many aspects of His will. Therefore, we need to be clear minded in our prayer life. We also need to fortify our thinking by feeding on the word of God. Know God's word to pray God's will; know God's character so that in the areas of His will in which we are uncertain we can trust Him to do what is best for His glory and our good. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Afternoon! Today's meditation was from 1 Pe 4:3-5, 3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For t...hose saved at least as young adults often had a history of blatant sin and had plenty of company. When God saved us those whom we used to carouse with could not, even would not understand. Even some of those who were "gracious" to us as we took a different path slowly moved away from us as we moved closer to Christ. Every Christian no matter the age of salvation will be subject to the world thinking us odd. We must not be concerned that the unbelievers do not understand us, for their spiritual eyes are blind, and we should not fear their intimidation. We need only be concerned that our walk with Christ is true and consistent, and that we take the opportunities to share the gospel as God provides. This is what the lost need to see in us, for this is what will show them the escape from God's wrath, and to point them to the joy and peace we now enjoy in Christ. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Morning! My Scripture for meditation this morning was from 1 Pe 4:1-2, 1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. Christ's suffering was to counter the effects of sin. Therefore, because we have been enlightened to the seriousness of sin we too should b...e willing to suffer in order to see the Good News of Jesus Christ propagated from our family and friends to the whole world. When we are more focused on serving Christ in this way we will be less attracted to sin. Prior to our salvation we eagerly followed our sin nature, pursuing all of the pleasures of the flesh and of the world. In like manner, now that we have a new nature through the indwelling Holy Spirit, let us even more eagerly follow the will of God. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Afternoon. My meditation during this morning's walk was from 1 Pe 3:18-22, 18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is..., eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves younot the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good consciencethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. Christ, the righteous One, endured suffering for us, the unrighteous. He bore God's wrath so that those who trust in Him would not suffer the same. Hardships and persecution (that remains the context) have always threatened those aligned with God. 3:19 isn't referring to some type of purgatory where Jesus went in the Spirit to preach the gospel to those who were there, giving them a second chance. This refers to the Spirit of God speaking through Noah to a world population of rebellious souls, and we can assume that Noah incurred much persecution because of his preaching. 3:20 is interesting too because at first glance it seems to be teaching baptismal regeneration. However, it is not teaching that Noah and his family were spiritually saved by enduring the flood, but that God bringing them through the flood, as opposed to the rest of mankind, was an outward recognition of their inward spiritual condition. For us, water baptism does not itself save our souls but is an outward indication of the salvation Christ has wrought in us. Baptism and the flood, in context, have a two-fold representation. First, they represent God's grace in salvation, and second they represent death. Where grace and mercy is given to some it is withheld from others. Those who trust Christ and do not fear the threat of man and his persecutions will be spiritually saved by faith, and temporally saved through the trials we face, even if that involves death of the body. May we remain steadfast though the world treats us as it has treated God's people throughout history, and how it treated our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

https://youtu.be/JJhIECqlNig

Good Morning! My meditations this morning were from 1 Pe 3:13-17, 13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a ...good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. We should never fear retribution for the faith. Rather, we should always be ready with an answer for why we believe. The world seeks our loyalty - to embrace the world's values and to obey its every dictate. but we are to follow Christ, living a life pleasing to God without fear of what man might do to us. At all times we should be eager to do good, even when the world calls good evil, and evil good, for, that is how Jesus lived. If our good is offensive to the world and we become subject to suffering for our good, let us bear with it knowing that in Christ we have full victory. We must always keep in mind what Jesus was subjected to at the hands of those He created, remembering how He responded with good in the face of evil. While going with the world's flow might seem easier at any given moment the greater blessings are experienced by those who stay close to and follow Christ. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike

Good Afternoon! My thoughts and meditation this morning was from 1 Pe 3:8-12, 8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For, The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 He must turn ...away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. "To sum up...." From 2:13 to 3:7 we have seen how we are to relate to one another in our various stations in life. Now God's word brings it all together in a way that expands on Jesus' words, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt 22:39, et. al.), and "...love one another, just as I have loved you" (Jn 13:12). If we truly desire to enjoy our life we must treat others with kindness, compassion, honesty (with tact), etc. Those who treat people contrary to that not only hurt others, bringing misery to their lives, but in doing so they also make their own lives miserable. A very simple way of looking at this is in the area of practical jokes. What one person does no another for the sake of "fun" and laughter many not, usually is not viewed the same by the recipient. Next comes payback, and the cycle continues, and any supposed humor is long forgotten. Generational family feuds could have been avoided if in the beginning people had simply dealt in kindness toward one another. Being kind and considerate of others is actually freeing, even when they don't respond in kind or appreciation. It is very pleasurable to do good to others, and brings an other worldly satisfaction to our lives. For God's Glory, Pastor Mike