Thy Rod & Thy Staff
Nondenominational Church
A place to serve, not sit.
What We Do
Church Purpose
Our purpose at our Bible base church is to get people to be like Christ and turn from that which is contrary to Him. We would like very much to lead others to make Christ the foundation of their lives. We would like to show Jesus as a faithful friend, a loyal companion, as someone who will stand by our side when no one else will.
As a body of Bible based Christian believers, we see our whole purpose as doing the will of God so that His Spirit might be manifested in our midst. With His hand we hope to convince others that Christ is our Lord and Savior. We want to show that if we trust in Him, He will very clearly show us that He is who He claims to be.– a Provider who can supply whatever we need whenever we need it under any and all circumstances, a Physician with no limitations in His healing power, a Counselor with infinite understanding and wisdom. We would very much like to reflect Christ in our midst as the Good Shepherd (Psalms 23 and John 10:1:18), as the one and only way to God, our Father in heaven.
Consequently, our Bible based churches goal is to get others to see the love of God and act accordingly. Undoubtedly God wants us to do His will but He wants it to be done out of love. God wants us to serve Him not because we have too but because we want too. God wants us to serve Him because we see Him as He is. He wants us to do His will because we see that doing His will is for out good. This is the purpose of our church and the platform on which it stands. We want to weld together a body of believers who love Jesus Christ so much that they want to be just like Him.
What Jesus Did
‘Incongruity at its Worst’ – Mark 14:43
And immediately, even as Jesus said [to Peter, James, and John that his betrayer had arrived], Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders.
Key Thought
Think of the incongruity — Jesus is in his place of prayer and is being betrayed by one of his own apostles to a mob that is armed with swords and clubs and that was sent by religious leaders. This kind of “stuff” shouldn’t fit together in the same scene. Yet this is what happens to the LORD. Jesus, the fulfillment of God’s law, is hated by the experts in the law. Jesus, the ultimate servant leader, is despised and feared by the religious leaders of his day. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is arrested by soldiers armed with swords and crude weapons. Then Jesus, the only fully righteous one, dies for the unrighteous. This doesn’t make sense. This doesn’t fit. This isn’t right. However, this is what happens, and this is how Jesus changes everything. What a breath of fresh air to sustain us when things are not right, when they do not fit, and when they are unfair. Jesus shows us he can enter the worst of circumstances and bring redemption, hope, and victory — even when those circumstances are impossible.
Today’s Prayer
Father, thank you for Jesus’ victory over sin, death, unfairness, and hatred. Thank you for a victory that was won in the middle of a mess even much worse than the ones we sometimes face in our own lives rather than being won from the fringes or from long distance. Thank you for showing that in the middle of humanity’s worst failings, Jesus can bring redemption. I praise you Almighty God for your grace. I praise you, LORD Jesus, for your love. I praise both of you through the intercession of the Holy Spirit you have placed within me. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2024 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.