Author: preacherphilstevens

I looked up the word complacent in the dictionary and found it means “pleased with oneself” and “self-approving.” As I looked at my level of Discipleship I realized I have become complacent. It would be nice to say that I have been pleased with my level of discipleship because my commitment is so high, but after a closer look (to my shame) it is not.

I was recently reminded of a story of two young men living in the 1700’s who were burdened for the souls of slaves located on a island. Evidently, it was impossible for them to simply visit the island and live among the inhabitants there so they did the unthinkable, they sold themselves into slavery. As they boarded the boat heading to the island they called back to their family on the shore, “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!”

I quickly realize I have so far to go. In fact, I’m not even sure if I have even truly scratched the surface of what it truly means to be a disciple. Jesus said, ““If anyone would come after me (become a disciple), let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24, 25) 

Have you become complacent in your life of discipleship? Have you thought you’ve arrived? There is nothing more you can do? Take a moment and reevaluate your life of discipleship and be determined to find new areas you can devote to Him.

A friend recently reminded me why, as men, do we take out the trash?  Seems like an odd question to ask don’t you think? Since the dawn of time, and since the chore of taking out trash surfaced, men have taken it upon themselves to accomplish this often overlooked, but extremely important task. Why do we take out the trash? You might think you know the answer and if it is to get the nasty, rotten, refuse out of your house you are only partly right.

There is  another answer, a better answer. The reason we should be taking out the trash is because we seek to love our wives and family. I know it may not seem like a big deal, and it doesn’t scream “I love you” like giving her a diamond ring, but it certainly communicates a message to her, you love her and want to help.

Men, we are called to love our wives “just” like Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her. We are to love our wives regardless of how of we think they will react or whether we think they will appreciate it or not. We love our wives because Christ loves us. We love our wives to show the world an example of what God-honoring marriages look like. We love to be an example of a godly husband and father to our children. Love was never about how we felt, it was always about a commitment and decision to be faithful to our wives, and ultimately to God.

Recently I saw a video where currently there is a Bill in the California House of Representatives that bans Christian books, including the Bible within the State. According to CA Representative Travis Allen, lawmakers in California are banning religious books whose goal “includes efforts to change behaviors.”

First of all, I appreciate the respect California lawmakers have toward the Bible, an attitude I totally agree with. The Bible has the power and ability to change your life. The Bible can change your behavior. This book provides faith to follow after God. The light to lead you in life, and the understanding to expose, and eliminate sin in our life. California, you are absolutely correct, the Bible can change everything.

It should also be noted that now more than ever, we need men and women, followers of Jesus, to rise up and stand for God’s Word. We need a no retreat, no surrender attitude. Men of integrity who will be followers of Christ. Without apology, we need to lead the way for our families, churches, and even our nation back to God. This can only happen when we allow God to “set us apart with your Word, Your Word is Truth.” (John 17:17)

Here is a link to the interview I’m referring to: California State Assembly bill would ban the Bible.

Easter, or what I prefer to call it “Resurrection Day,” is on April 1st this year commonly April Fool’s Day. Honestly, I’m not looking forward to the jokes the enemies of Christ will tell. “You would have to be a fool to believe someone would rise from the dead” or “This is the day all of the fools get together in churches across the country to celebrate a dead man.”  I’m sure they will be much more creative than I have been.

Peter, an eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus, must have seen it coming. He once wrote, “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories (or myths) when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16). Paul mentioned that over 500 people literally saw Jesus raised from the dead and go up into heaven (1 Cor. 15:6). Throughout the first century, countless died, not for a belief, but because of who they saw, Jesus risen from the dead.

Paul also said that if Christ had not risen from the dead then everything else about the Christian faith is literally worthless. The resurrection of Jesus is the proof that everything Jesus said and did was verified by God. The reason I’m a believer in Jesus is not because of my parents, not because of a convincing argument or even peer pressure. I’m a believer in Jesus because He rose from the dead. Maybe the real April fool is on the one who doesn’t believe in the resurrection.

Winfall Baptist Church is located in Winfall, VA. It is situated between the “huge” cities of Rustburg and Gladys, I’m guessing that didn’t help you find it on a map. I look at WBC and I think, surely God doesn’t expect us to “Go ye therefore into all the world…” Look, the world doesn’t even know where we are.

At this moment I write this from Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Yesterday, before going to church at Camino de la Cruz, I took a walk along the beach. I looked at all of these people as they waited for boats to come to shore to get food for the day. My heart broke as I looked at each one of them and I knew it was my responsibility to get the gospel to these people. They are in need of a Savior. They need to know God loves them, and it’s my responsibility.

Just because Winfall Baptist Church may be a small church it does not mean we are exempt from “Going into all the world to preach the gospel…” So as long as I get to be the pastor of Winfall we will not only take seriously the call to win our own community to Jesus, but we will take just as seriously the call to win the world. I wonder what would happen if every, single, church whether big or small took the Great Commission that seriously. What if every church didn’t feel limited by their resources, but knew they were unlimited because of the God we serve. No church is exempt. Go and win the world.

I’ve heard some people laugh about a story found in the Bible about a man named Joseph who ran when another man’s wife was making advances on him. She grabbed his coat, and he was gone. Do you think Joseph overreacted? Was he just being overly sensitive?

I certainly can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak from my own life and a few people I have talked with, that once temptation enters into the mind you have about 5 seconds to “easily” turn away. After 5 seconds is up, it begins to be extremely difficult to overcome the temptation. Haven’t you found that to be true?

Do you have a hard time overcoming temptation? Do you tend to think about situations a little too long? Do you “dwell” on a situation that you wish could happen, even though you know it wouldn’t be right? I would encourage to get the thought out of your mind immediately. Submit yourself to God. Take every (single) thought into account and “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.” (Philippians 4:8)

This morning I was reading Revelation 5. No, I don’t normally read Revelation for devotions, just happened to do it today. I was mesmerized by the beauty of worship that is taking place in Heaven at this very moment. Countless people around the Throne singing,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

to receive power, wealth, wisdom, honor, glory and blessing (vs. 12)

To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing, honor, and might forever and ever (vs. 13)”

I look at my own act of worship, and the fact I do so little, and I am convicted. Where is my worship? Where is my urgency to lift up His Name? How could I be so distracted in my life that I miss this time with God? What could I be doing that is more important than giving God the praise He desires.

This morning I got on my face before the King and begged for His mercy. I asked for forgiveness for not making Him the priority of my life. I praised Him for His goodness, and for the blessings I have taken for granted. Don’t make the same mistake, come with me to the throne. Time at His throne is the best time you will spend all day.

When you get to be a pastor then you get to hear from a lot of different people and they tell you their “spiritual” stories. Many times they are encouraging, but often I hear of why people “used to be” a Christian or why they “used to” go to church. Some of the reasons they tell me truly break my heart. I’ve heard of bad experiences within churches, so bad it caused people to walk away. Some read the Bible and notice an apparent discrepancy and think, well the whole Bible must not be true, why be a Christian? Some can’t reconcile what they know about science with the creation story. There seem to be a lot of reasons people use to walk away.

What makes me so sad for these people who walk away is that, most of the time, the reasons people use to walk away rarely have anything to do with the actual gospel. Though I am confident Jesus can answer all of the tough questions people may have, answering tough, trivial questions are not the reason He came. “He came to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) He came to restore a broken relationship with God.  He came to display God’s love to the world and to bring peace to the brokenhearted. What He came to offer is so much more than getting a trivial question answered.

If you are a “used to be” I pray you would reconsider. I pray you would take another look at the actual gospel. Look at what Jesus is really offering and I challenge you to compare it to what anyone else on the planet is offering. You will find there is no one who has a greater gift. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, will never perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

I don’t normally share this story because people might think I’m crazy, but I think it may be too late for that. One of the big hurts of my brother’s passing was not being able to be there for him when it (his passing) happened. If he had been sick, I would have driven there and been there for him, but that wasn’t to be the case. I was upset with God who, even if He was going to take Jon, could have at least kept him alive for 10 more hours (the time it would have taken me to get there). He was my brother and I wanted to be there for him.

Shortly after his passing I had a dream, whether the dream was from God or whether I ate bad pizza the night before it matters not. I had a dream that truly comforted me. In my dream I was walking up a long stairway, so long I wasn’t able to see the top. As I continued up the stairs I noticed 2 people standing at the top and one of them looked like my brother so I began to walk faster, even run, because I didn’t want to lose him again. As I went faster, I got so tired that I could barely move and in that moment I heard my brother say, “Don’t worry, we will wait for you.” When I finally got to the top of the stairs I saw my brother, full of life, and his arm was around someone who was simply, Light (the best explanation I have). Jonathan then told me, “You see, I told you we would wait for you.”

I woke up in tears, thankful to God who, because of Jesus, will one day reunite me with not only my brother, but my dad, grandpa, and so many others. If you have lost someone who knew the Lord as Savior, know we don’t sorrow as those who have no hope. They would want you to know, “Don’t worry, they are waiting on you.”

I’ve been told in order to say something doesn’t exist (or isn’t true) then you would have to go all the way around the world, visit all 7 continents, speak with everyone and look under every rock, and only then can you prove something doesn’t exist. What if I say “Jesus is the Only Way to God?” Would I also have to go around the world and visit every church, temple, mosque, and synagogue and after having done so, come back and say, after investigating, Jesus is truly the Only way?

It’s not that I’m unwilling to go around the world; I’m just not able. The good news is that I don’t even have to. You see Jesus already knows every way that man has ever devised to get to heaven. He knows the hearts of over 7 billion people. He has seen all of their methods. Jesus even has the unique position of not only knowing the world’s methods in 2018, but thousands of years into the past and into the future. After knowing all of this Jesus stands up and says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

The Apostle John heard Jesus make that statement the first time in an upper room in Jerusalem. Years later, after a lifetime of ministry, John wrote, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward Him…” (1 John 5:13, 14a) It isn’t arrogance to say Jesus is the Only Way, it’s confidence in Jesus who died and rose from the dead.

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