The Pastor’s Pen
A Weekly Devotional for an In-Depth Bible Study
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Week Two - A Door of Hope The Spanish-American Philosopher, George Santayana once famously said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". That could not be any truer for Americans today. This country was founded on Christian principles. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 51 of them were members of a Christian church (Koukol, 2013). That means that 91 percent of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christian men who were establishing our freedom as a nation. Many today try to debate the fact that we were established by Christians and upon Christian principles based on the Holy Bible. However, a quick study of our historical documents will reveal the intense belief in God and faith in Jesus. 248 years later we have fallen so far from where we once were as a nation. Where we were once firmly planted in Christianity, we have now gone the way of ancient Israel and followed other nations, rather than leading them. We have become enamored by the gods of our neighbors and have forgotten the way of the Lord. If we study how God dealt with Israel in the past, we will know where we stand and where we are heading as a nation today in the United States. We continually seek after wickedness and then wonder why we aren’t blessed or why we are facing hardships as a nation. God spoke through the prophet Hosea and said, “…Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD” (Hosea 1:2). God told Israel they had departed from Him, just like we Americans have departed from Him today. We have forgotten the ways of our fathers and mothers and have gone our own way, whoring after whatever desires entice us. God pleaded with Israel in the ancient days, and he pleads with us today to put away our wickedness and return to our loving Father. God told Hosea, “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths” (Hosea 2:6). God delivers promises, not threats. However, our merciful and gracious Heavenly Father always provides a way back to Him, even when it seems that we are too far gone. In Hosea chapter 2, verses 14 and 15 God says that He will speak comfortably and give a door of hope unto Israel so that they will return to Him. He has also given a door of hope unto the world. Jesus says in John chapter 10 that He is the door of the sheep. “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). This goes for you and me as individuals and all of us as a people and a nation of Americans. If you are a born-again believer in Christ Jesus, then you have the promise of eternal life and blessings forever. That should be enough to make us all rejoice in the Lord and return our country unto God and His ways. Because we are His people, and He is our God. Read Hosea Chapter 2 How does knowing that God dealt harshly with the Jews, His own chosen people, change your idea of who God is and how we are supposed to behave as Christians, who are also children of the Lord? Do you see how the modern world has departed from God and are not living righteously according to His Word? Just because the world does ungodly things does not mean we need to be partakers of those things. In fact, we should strive to live as righteous and holy people, separated unto God. Read John Chapter 10:1-21 How does knowing that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the One who laid down His life for the World, shape your view on how we should live? Even though we know we all come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), we should strive to live a mature life in Christ. Give God glory by living a holy and acceptable life unto Him.
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About the Book
No one should blindly accept what anyone tells them regarding the Bible without examining God’s word themselves. We should all be as the Berean people in Acts chapter 17 and search the scriptures. In The Pastor’s Pen, author Pastor Richie Thomas offers a fifty-two-week devotional, encouraging Christians to delve deeply into the Bible. Initially written as articles for his local newspaper, The Putman County Courier Journal, between 2019 and 2021, this collection of devotionals presents an opportunity to read one article each week in conjunction with the corresponding scripture, pray about it, and journal your experiences and spiritual growth. The devotionals often deal with difficult topics and challenge you to apply the learnings in your everyday life. In The Pastor’s Pen, Thomas encourages you to think, pray, and examine the word of God more closely than ever before and draw closer to Christ through the study of his word.
About the Author
Richard (Richie) Thomas is an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who served as the associate pastor under Pastor Howard Cox at Word of Faith Bible Church in Crescent City, Florida from February 2018 to February 2023. He was elected and installed as only the 3rd Pastor of Word of Faith Bible Church on 26 February 2023. Word of Faith Bible Church is an Independent, Fundamental, Evangelistic King James Bible preaching and teaching Church unaffiliated with the Charismatic “Word of Faith” movement. Brother Richie is a former Marine Corps Corporal (89-93) and U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (95-03) who also served as government contract employee and High School History teacher prior to his ordination. Brother Richie will be the first to tell you that he has not always lived his life in accordance with the Bible. He is an imperfect man who lived a life of sin, experiencing failed relationships, self-inflicted hardships, and admittedly tried to justify his life by using the modernists excuses, “Jesus loves me no matter what” and “I am saved, so it doesn’t matter what I do or how I live”. It was only after Richie hit rock bottom in his life that he cried out to Jesus and began searching the scriptures for himself, leaning on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit through fervent prayer when he realized he was not living the life Christ died to give him. The book of Ecclesiasts and Paul’s Letter to the Romans changed his life tremendously for the glory of God. He surrendered to the call into the ministry in 2017 and makes it his life’s purpose to tell others the Truth in God’s Word and encourage them to read it for themselves. Pastor Richie holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Colorado Technical University, and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Social Studies from Concordia University. As an associate Pastor he was a weekly contributor to the ‘Putnam County Courier Journal’ writing the Pastor’s Pen article from 2019 through 2021. He has been the guest preacher at other churches and addressed the inmates at Tomoka State Prison in Volusia County, Florida for “Revival Week” in 2022. He enjoys Gospel singing and plays the saxophone, guitar, bass and is learning piano. He and his wife Sara have five adult children and live in their hometown of Crescent City, Florida.