Monday, May 07. 2012What Nazarenes Believe
Sunday Nites What Nazarenes Believe May 6th 2012
Core Values, Holiness The first core value of our church is that we are CHRISTIAN Repent, Believe, Confess, and Receive. Two weeks ago I dealt with the second core value That being we are a Missional Church. Tonight I want to deal with the third of three core values that our church believes in. HOLINESS Don’t back off when I use that term. Its real meaning may not be the same things that come rushing into your mind whenever you here it mentioned. Holy Rollers, Clothing, Legalism, a long list of do’s and don’ts. These are the mere outward appearances of our lives. Just as Baptism is an outward expression of an inward work in our lives, true HOLINESS must begin on the inside of a person and move outward, touching every facet of our lives. It is not just superficial, it is not just what you wear on the outside, it is also what you are on the inside. What does the Bible say about this? I Peter 1:13-16 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Peter was writing to CHRISTIANS. About a second definite work or interaction with God in their lives. Why this emphasis on holiness? The Problem is that SIN 2 comes in 2 forms ACTUAL:The willful transgression against the known will of God ORIGINAL: That’s the thing that your born with/ inherited from Adam and Eve. Well preacher I don’t believe in that. You must teach a child to tell the truth, but you don’t have to teach them to tell a lie. It comes naturally. I believe that one of the best examples of this inborn duality we struggle with was Gollum the name of a repulsive and reprehensible character created by J.R.R. Tolkien in the enchanting novel, The Hobbit. Gollum also appears in Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings In one scene in the movie Gollum argues with himself about whether to be good or bad. So Pastor what’s the Cure? Nazarenes believe in two definite works of grace in our lives. SALVATION and SANCTIFICATION Sinful acts sinful nature Willful transgressions Original sin in the heart For which we are for which we are not Responsible. Responsible Conversion/ New Birth Entire Sanctification/ Spirit Filled In response to repentance In response to complete Confession & faith consecration and Faith Committed sins are Cleansing in the inner self forgiven Empowering for service Sanctification: Literally means to separate. Holiness requires separation from the secular to the sacred. All Christians are commanded to be Holy in all our conduct. I John 1: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. Sanctification in three steps: Three steps: 1. Initial sanctification Salvation 2. Entire sanctification Definite moment (lets change places) 3. Progressive sanctification On going growth What’s the evidence of Entire sanctification? It is not absolute perfection but rather perfection of intent. Galatians 5: 13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Response: The Altar Sunday, May 06. 2012Wild eyed with Wonder
Sunday Morning Wild eyed with Wonder May 6th 2012
What do babies and bow ties have in common? They both make you look twice. They are unique at least babies are. Society is thrilled by their innocence. Everything is new and wonderful to them. The first time they see something they stair at it in wide-eyed amazement. It is like a light bulb coming on. Seth and potato chips. Matthew 18:4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The Bible is the word of God and is powerful and life changing. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, With this promise of God in hand we can then be assured that what we learn in the Bible comes from Him! 10 Scriptures About God’s Promises 2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Proverbs 1:33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. The promises of God are powerful and awesome to grasp. I pray that these scriptures about God’s promises were helpful to you today. Listen to the words of this old song Alan Jackson sang not so long ago. Standing on the promises I cannot fall, Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call Resting in my Savior as my all in all, Standing on the promises of God. Are you standing on the promises of God today? Is God your all in all? Sunday, April 15. 2012Redemption
Sunday Mornings Redemption April 15th 2012
Fanny Crosby was an American treasure. At 6 weeks of age she developed a cold and the discharge from a mustard poultice they gave her caused her to become blind for the rest of her life. Though she was robbed of her eyesight she went on to become our countries most prolific song writers composing more than 8,000 hymns with over 100 million copies of her songs being printed. Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am. Redeemed, redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed, redeemed, His child and forever I am. This morning I want to look at the subject of Redemption. The word comes from the root word Redeem which means to buy something back or to give something in exchange for something else. I.e. green stamps, …. Airline miles or bonus points accumulated by using a credit card. Not with regular cash but with this designated currency you can buy certain gifts. The principle characters that I want to introduce you to this morning are Gomer and her husband Hosea. For those of you who are fans of nostalgic TV I am not referring the mechanic on the Andy Griffith show nor the fellow on Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. I am referring to the wife of Hosea. Hosea held the title of prophet of God for the northern kingdom of Israel 800 years before Jesus Christ was born. Now listen closely the record of events that I am about to share with you almost sound like a modern day TV soap opera. Hosea 1:2 When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.” 3So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God.” 8After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9Then the LORD said, “Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God. God had blessed Israel with a peaceful and prosperous existence and in return they had slowly walked away from him and turned their affection and devotion toward other things. The deterioration of their relationship with God was no longer a few local members who didn’t believe in the Bible or didn’t want to go to church, but was a societal abandonment of the God and values that had brought them to their place of prosperity. So God uses Hosea and his relationship with his family to illustrate to everyone what has taken place. He marries Gomer. All was fine, then slowly over time Deterioration and descent into decay. Has 3 children. 1. Jezreel, This is my child whom I love. 2. Lo-Ruhamah, I’m not sure this is my child. 3. Lo-Ammi, This is not my child. Finally she takes the kids and leaves him and lives with other men. (Develop this… how would you feel? You have done nothing wrong, nothing to deserve this. You have been faithful, and now you are deeply hurt, tongues are wagging and the whole community favorite new pastime is talking about your life. Pain…) Hosea 3 1The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” 2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. 3Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you.” 4For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. 5Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days. God say’s “go buy her back”, pay the price to have this unfaithful and undeserving woman back into your life…forgive her… She didn’t do anything to deserve it. She had nothing to pay the price herself. Give her what she doesn’t deserve, pay the price that she can’t pay for herself. Genesis 1:27-28 So God created man in his own image, in the Image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” But man failed to fulfill his side of the relationship with God… and we have been failing every since. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, So we are Gomer… We each have failed, we are undeserving, and we lack the resources to pay the price to buy back or redeem ourselves. I Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” A recently read of a story of a man who had an extended hospital stay that created a hospital bill of $3.5 million. He told a reporter: “That is more than I can pay the rest of my life.” He has a debt that, no matter how hard he tries, he can never pay. He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away And now I sing a brand new song; amazing grace For Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay. CHORUS 2: He paid a debt on Calvary He cleansed my soul and set me free I thought that no one could all my sins erase. But now I sing a brand new song; amazing grace Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay. CHORUS 4: Oh such great pain my Lord endured when He my sinful soul secured. I should have died there but Jesus took my place. So now I sing a brand new song; amazing grace Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay. Monday, March 26. 2012The Good News
Sunday mornings The Good News March 25th 2012
Acts 4:17-4:20 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Sometime around 850 B.C., Joram was king of Israel, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and laid siege to Samaria. There was a great famine in the city and it lasted so long that they ate donkey’s heads. Things got so bad in the sieged city that people were turning to cannibalism. Now there were 4 men with leprosy who sat at the entrance to the city. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’ – the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” So, at dusk the four lepers got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they arrived they found the camp deserted. Little did they know, but the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, and so they abandoned their tents and horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. The four lepers entered the camp and ate and drank and began carrying the silver, gold and clothes to a hiding place. After doing this for a while, they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves…let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace. So, they awoke the king and told him that the enemy was a threat no more, and that the city had been saved. Just imagine how happy the people of Samaria must have been when they heard the good news! Today I want to talk about being faithful in sharing the good news. We cannot be considered faithful before our God without being faithful in telling others about our God. How wrong it would be for us “lepers” with the death sentence of sin, to find salvation and keep it only for ourselves! Like the lepers in this story, we must recognize that we have good news that must be shared with others. I. The Right Perspective A. Billy Graham once said, “The evangelistic harvest is always urgent. The destiny of men and of nations is always being decided. Every generation is strategic. We are not responsible for the past generation, and we cannot bear the full responsibility for the next one; but we do have our generation. God will hold us responsible as to how well we fulfill our responsibilities to this age.” “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Mt. 9:37 1. We need to be thinking that the lost are truly lost. Those who have not put their trust in Jesus will not be saved and spared on Judgment day. The road to heaven is truly a narrow one. All roads do not lead to heaven. So many people are perishing, and they don’t even realize it. 2. The right perspective not only includes an understanding of the plight of the lost, but the power of the gospel to change men’s and women’s lives. It is wrong to think to think that Scripture has no power to convince and convict. The message of Jesus can still lead to salvation. Rom. 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” Isaiah 55:11 says, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which it sent it.” II. The Right Passion I have seen a lot of people over the years who have caught a passion for some life-changing product or program. When that happens, they put all their energy into the thing and into converting others to it. Having found Christ, all of us have found the greatest person that there is. In Christ we have found the solution to all our problems and the supply of all of our needs. In him we have found something to live for and die for. Like the starving lepers we talked about earlier, we have found not only what we need, but what others need. To keep it to ourselves would be like finding the cure for cancer and keeping it to ourselves. The Bible describes the passion of the early Christians. They had found Jesus and there was no way they were going to keep it to themselves. Not even when punished and promised further punishment would they be silenced. “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) “They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” (Acts 5:42) Have we caught that kind of passion? Do we really appreciate what we have found in Jesus enough to want to share it with others? Jeremiah said, “But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (Jer. 20:9). Having the right kind of passion begins with appreciating what God has done for us, & then wanting to tell others what God can do for them. III. The Right Presentation (Please play The invitation video) This is often where we get overly concerned. We say or think things like: “I don’t know what to say, or how to say it” or, “What if I say it wrong?” Let me try to relieve a little bit of the anxiety we sometimes have. Saying something for or about Christ is better than saying nothing. God can and will work with and through our attempts to point people in the right direction. Ultimately, what we want to do is to point them to Jesus. Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” So, what is the good news that we must be faithful in sharing? 2 Cor. 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! The good news is that God is not going to count people’s sins against them if they are in Christ. For being in Christ means that we are new creations. The old has gone and the new has come. Some of us are designed for the testimonial approach – like the man who Jesus cured of his blindness in John 9. He didn’t know much theology, but he could say, “One thing I know; I once was blind and now I see.” Others of us are designed for the invitational approach - like the woman in John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” Look at the announcement about our choirs cantata P Pray I Invite E Encourage Monday, March 26. 2012More Good News
Sunday Nites More Good News March 25th 2012
There is a Christianity abroad, supposedly evangelical and fundamental, dedicated to making itself easy enough and popular enough for even half-hearted and jaded modern church-goers. The term “cheap grace” can be traced back to a book written by German theologian, Dietrich Bonheoffer, called The Cost of Discipleship, published in 1937. In that book, Bonheoffer defined “cheap grace” as “The preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ. The emphasis is on the benefits of Christianity without the costs involved; hence the adjective “cheap” to describe it. Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a big spiritual problem. Our greatest need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deeper people. I read Donald Coggan again this week who said; “ I go through life as a transient on his way to eternity, made in the image of God but with that image debased, needing to be taught how to meditate, to worship, to think.” Let me ask you a question. How come many of us find ourselves with such an anemic spiritual life? Mostly on the defensive, retreating, just happy to hold our ground or hiding out hoping Satan and the world will just leave us alone. Just trying to get by holding on in this life, hoping things will be better in the next. I’ll tell you why, because living a Christian life can be tough and trying to live it in our own strength is a recipe for failure. Matthew 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Well then pastor what hope is there for me? I’m glad to help you. The primary requirement for living a victorious Christ empowered life is “a longing for God.” Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? The answer to that for many folks is in the sweet by and by. But Jesus prayed in the Lord’s prayer. Matthew 6:8-10 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Our purpose is not just to hold on till we get to heaven. It is our good privilege to bring the Kingdom here to earth in the here and now. Want some good news? You don’t have to be a scholar to hunger for God. Beginners are welcome here. Thomas Merton said, “We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners, all our life.” I confess to you tonight that after years of being a follower of Christ, after years of teaching and preaching from the Bible. I am a beginner still. And periodically no mater what our station in life we need to remember the old song that says, “I need thee every Hour”. Psalms 42:7 Deep calls to deep Perhaps somewhere in the inner part of your being you have heard the Spirits call to a deeper fuller life. You have become weary of being a mile wide and only an inch deep. In this Easter season I want to invite you to travel with me on a journey to the deep things of God. Pray. Bring your Bibles and pencil and paper. As reference material we will be using the word of God and the writings of Dallas Willard Spiritual Disciplines and Richard Foster The Celebration of Disciplines Let us Pray for the Holy Spirits guidance. Wednesday, February 29. 2012Getting the first button right
Sunday Mornings Getting the first button right February 26th 2012
Bob Benson tells the story about going to speak at a banquet in the music industry only to discover after his speech in front of hundreds of people that he had buttoned his vest wrong. He concluded, “If you get the first button wrong the rest will follow.” Matthew 5:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Why do we need to pay attention to this direction? Because we live in an imperfect world where there is instability, fighting and hatred towards one another. It’s a world where parents abuse and take the lives of their children. It’s a world where our leaders ask to be chosen because they are not as bad as their opponent. It’s even in the church. I was embarrassed to read an editorial last week that told of a area funeral director who was in charge of a man’s funeral where the preacher preached such a wonderful sermon that he went to him afterwards and complemented him as they were headed toward their cars. Thank you the preacher said, and he ask what church the director attended he told him he was Catholic and the preacher stopped look at the man and said “I hate you people” and then got into his car. Listen to me This preacher was way out of line Christ did not hate that man He died for that man. He was speaking the attitude of the world. The Bible say’s we will have the mind of Christ not the attitude of the world. Why is this so you may ask. Romans 3:10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Sin seems like a long ago term and we cringe when we hear someone use it. Ok how about this, Everyone has done some bad things that have hurt themselves and others nobody here is perfect. So is there any help? The Bible II Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that all God’s people[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Principle 1 God LOVES you and created you to know Him personally. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Principle 2 Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God]. (Romans 6:23) Principle 3 Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6) God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. But it is not enough just to know these truths... Principle 4 We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; then we can know God personally and experience His love. "As many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name." (John 1:12) Over 3,000 years ago Joshua the man who followed Moses in leading the Israelites into the promised land, the man who prayed the sun stand still, he had for the most part defeated the peoples of the land and settled his people there, now he was nearing the end of his life, so he gathered together all the tribes and spoke to them one last time. This was a strategic meeting of the upmost importance. He reviewed there long history, reminding them of God’s interaction with them, by hearing their cry for help and bringing them to the place they were today and then he cut right to the point of the matter. Joshua 24:14-15 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Monday, February 06. 2012Listening to the Lord
1 Samuel 3:1-10 Speak Lord, for your servant is listening
One activity that we human beings really aren’t very good at is listening. There doesn’t seem to be much to the art of listening – you just sit there and nod your head at the appropriate times. People just aren’t good at listening. They’d rather be talking. Or doing things. Or dreaming about things. Or watching things. But listening? That’s a difficult thing to do. When the prophet Samuel was a little boy who worked in the temple under the supervision of a man named Eli. We are told in verse 1 that in “those days, the word of the Lord was rare; there were no visions.” In other words, God was choosing not to speak to his people. Why would God do that? Why would God keep himself from his people? Well, when you study the history of the nation of Israel at that time, you learn that these people were very wicked. No one was interested in listening to God, hearing his Word. People were too busy with their own lives, too busy breaking God’s commands. The last thing they had time for was listening to a prophet speak the Word of God to them. And so, the Word of the Lord was rare at that time. Is the Word of the Lord rare in your life? How often do you listen to the Word of the God? How often are you able to hear Him during public worship? What about in your own private life? Is the Word of the Lord rare in your private life? Are you too busy to have a private devotional life with God? Are you too proud, too self-reliant – “I’ve just never done that sort of thing before – I don’t read the Word of God on my own.” Or maybe you do, but it’s very quick, not much thought goes into it, because you need to get on with those more important things of life. It’s interesting to me when I talk to people who are drifting away from God – one of the most common things they say to me is this: “But I pray all the time.” But is praying to God the same as listening to God? The answer is no - it’s the opposite. Prayer is a good thing, and most people don’t pray enough. But prayer is not just how you speak to God. Real prayer involves our speaking and listening. It’s a two way street. Isn’t it interesting, that Eli, in our story, and Samuel - both of them were very busy working in the temple, doing religious types of things. And yet, verse 7 tells us that “Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.” God was still a stranger to Samuel. And so it is with so many people, for many of us – God is still a stranger. We’re too busy to listen, and we pray at times when we remember or have a need, but we are failing to make his Word a priority in our lives. The result is that God becomes more and more a stranger to us. We make excuses, but in the end, we are sinning, and we know it. But what happens when we stop, and listen to our God? Three times God called out to Samuel, and Samuel did not know it was the Lord. Finally Eli figured out what was going on – God was finally speaking, and Samuel was the one God had chosen to speak to. And then verse 10: The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” From that moment on, God spoke to Samuel on a regular basis, and Samuel listened. He came to know God for who he really was, what he was really all about. He became a prophet that everyone respected in Israel, because everyone knew that God was speaking to Samuel, and Samuel was listening. Isn’t it amazing, that we can get to know the true God, not by doing something difficult or complicated, but simply by listening? What a blessing it is when we take time out of our busy lives and listen to our God! Why not take some time right now. Speak to the Lord from your heart and then be still and listen to Him. Pray for the Church God is blessing and people are getting saved and there is a real hunger for more of God. Praying the Sun Stand Still, Pastor Bob Monday, February 06. 2012In His Image
Sunday Evenings In His Image February 5th 2012
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” The old saying goes “Seeing is believing” Man has always wanted to see God. Moses request to see God. Exodus 33:12-21 Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” 14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” God passed by but he didn’t see His face. In the N.T. John 14:7-9 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. I believe it is God’s good purpose to make us into the Image of Christ 1. People of Prayer Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care, And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! The joys I feel, the bliss I share, Of those whose anxious spirits burn With strong desires for thy return! With such I hasten to the place Where God my Savior shows His face, And gladly take my station there, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! 2. Engaged in His Word II Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness I am convinced that we are too easily distracted in the rush of this modern world we live in. There are so many choices and so many distractions all demanding our time and our attention. Sadly though it seems that we hear only what we want to hear and we often tune out Jesus. We do not take time to hear his voice. Maybe part of our problem is we do not have as trusting a relationship with Christ as we may think we have. "Two men were walking along a crowded city sidewalk. Suddenly, one of the men remarked, "Listen to the lovely sound of that cricket," But the other man could not hear the sound. He asked his friend how he could hear the sound of a cricket amid the roar of the traffic and the sound of the people. The first man, who was a zoologist, had trained himself to hear the sounds of nature. He did not explain to his friend in words how he could hear the sound of the cricket, but instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a half-dollar coin, dropped it onto the sidewalk, and watched intently as a dozen people began to look for the coin as they heard it clanking around amid the sounds of the traffic and the sounds of the city. He turned to his friend and said, "We hear what we listen for." John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 2 words for word in the Bible. Logos which is written down and Rhema which is spoken 3. Making Christ like Disciples Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” I said this morning that New Beginnings was on the front lines of ministry. Where are we? Witnessing and inviting. Sunday, January 29. 2012Beware and Be Alert
Sunday Mornings Beware and Be Alert January 29th 2012
Settling for the Status Quo This is the danger of walking by sight rather than faith, of resting on our past accomplishments, of becoming content with what we have seen God do in the past. A good test to see whether someone has settled in is to listen to their testimony. Is it in the past tense: God saved me, he sanctified me, He used me, He has done great things for me. Instead of talking about what God is doing now in my life right now/today. As a result of this focus on the past we no longer trust Him for God sized things today. We have come to the place where we no longer exercise faith; we are content as just keeping the machine going. I am challenged by the story of Caleb in the O.T. Caleb along with Joshua was one of 12 spies sent into the Promised land to look around. He and Joshua said there are giants there but with God’s help we can overcome them. The other 10 gave such a negative report that the people were afraid to go into the land and the result was they wandered around in the wilderness for the next four decades. Then after no permanent home for forty years, They got fed up with packing up their belongs and moving everything to another location. They got tired of eating manna every day and when they had tried everything they could do on their own a revival of faith in God took place. “We have tried everything else lets give God a try” When we reach the end of our rope we will find God there waiting to help us and positive change will take place. Amen? Jericho and Ai are conquered, they defeated the 31 kings of the area and now only the hard places were left. Josh 14:12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” This request that was made by Caleb: was that he be given the same section of land that had frightened most of the spies 45 years earlier. This was the inheritance he had waited 45 years to obtain. The land that Caleb wanted was not going to be easy to conquer. Caleb was 85 years old, and you might be thinking: "Caleb, why don't you find a nice section of land and grow a garden. You can spend time with Joshua and the rest of your friends and trade stories about the conquest of Canaan". What gave Caleb the confidence to go into battle? In verse 11, Caleb states that he felt as strong at 85 as he had at 40. But Caleb did not choose this great task because he had confidence in his own ability. The answer may be found at the end of v. 12 in Joshua chap. 4. the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” Caleb believed God would be with him in his battle. Caleb had faith in the presence of God. Caleb had faith in the presence of God because Caleb believed the promise that the Israelites would inherit the land of Canaan, and Caleb believed that God was able to keep His Word. In Old Testament times, God often gave material blessings to His people, such as, long life, health, children, possessions. Sometimes God gives His people material blessings today if they follow Him fully. But -without exception - fully following God leads to an inner peace, and an abiding joy. According to John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full Josh 14:14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. Keep current with the Lord. We can not live a victorious life today on yesterdays victories. 2. Serving without Loving We all know the two greatest commandments: Luke 10:27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. If these are the two greatest commandments then what would be the greatest two sins? “To love God with anything less then all of our being and to fail to really love others.” Scripture makes it quiet clear that God loves His people passionately and he grieves when His people reject Him and pursue other loves. How will the world see this great passionate love God has for them if they do not see us loving Him and others? There is a very real danger of leaving passionate love for God and people in exchange for having right doctrine, right action, and right behavior. If we are not careful we may lose the love that restores, the love that overlooks, the love that assumes the best of others, the love that is kind and caring. It is easy to become annoyed with people we encounter everyday who fail to live up to standards that we ourselves don’t live up to. When we are filled with the love of Jesus, we want to love those difficult people we encounter and that love will help them mature and be restored if they need to be. And if we love God and others we will lay down our life for them. If our service doesn’t spring out of a love for God and people it is worthless. I just don’t want to give instruction to people, I want to love them. I don’t just want to pray for people , I want to participate in their lives. I confess I do not naturally have that kind of love in myself. But God does. Romans 5:5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people. As I was sitting there I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?” We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.” He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him. I asked him, “What’s your name?” “David.” “How long have you been on the street?” “Six years.” “How old are you?” “Thirty-two.” He looked fifty--hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed. “Where did you sleep last night, David?” “Abandoned truck.” I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking; I’ll give him some money. I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people. We take them to get something to eat. I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. I’m going to die on the street.” I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is? I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels. But oh, did that change! David just stood there. He didn’t know what was happening. I pleaded with God, “God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I’m so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!” Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other. The smell of His person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me: If you don’t love this smell, I can’t use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell. Christ changed David’s life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture that were incredible. We got him a place to live. We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in 6 days. He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing and he said, “This is for you.” It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford. A year later David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, “The man is a preacher.” This past Easter we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey. And I was so close to saying, “Here, take this; I’m a busy preacher.” We can get so full of ourselves and go about servicing without the love. Is your Christianity in a rut? Have you settled for the status quo? Does your relationship with Him mainly a thing of the past. You have a big God that is waiting to hear from you today. Or maybe you have been busy but lately have been on auto pilot and need to reconnect with the God who loves you. And maybe you need to ask Him to help you to love those that you find un-loveable. Let us pray together. Sunday, January 29. 2012Beware and Be Alert
Sunday Nites Beware and Be Alert January 29th 2012
Losing Perspective Ever wonder why lion trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. They have their whips, of course, and their pistols are at their sides. But invariably they also carry a stool. It is the most important tool of the trainer. He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. Those who know maintain that the lion tries to focus on all four legs at once. In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented Losing sight of the big picture is a recurring challenge for most of us. It happens in 2 ways: The first is forgetting how big God is, which leads to discouragement. We lose heart and think “What’s the use? The problem is to great.” We focus on what is going on around us and in the process lose sight of God. II Kings 6:15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. Isn’t that where we find ourselves so often? All we can see is the problems surrounding us- all these Godless laws and lawmakers, all the sinners both in and outside the church…. We become consumed by the vision of evil around us. II Kings 6:16-17 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. They were there all along he just couldn’t see them. Is there anything bigger then God? Like God’s size, His power and His heavenly host is greater then all the combined power of evil and Satan. All we need to do is lift up our eyes in faith and see the source of our strength. Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Instead of obsessing with the sight of our difficulty, our hearts, our hope needs to be filled with the picture of how big God is. I said earlier that there were 2 ways that losing perspective could be bad for us, the first was forgetting how big God is and that that would lead to discouragement but the second can be equally destructive. It is forgetting how little we are, which leads to pride. The fact is apart from God we can do nothing. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. II Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Let us not lose perspective: “There is only one God and we are not Him.” Let me close by putting this in perspective. One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them." The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are." Isn’t perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything 1000 marbles The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable. A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it. I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whoever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles". I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say. "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter’s dance recital." He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities." And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles." "You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years." "Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I’m getting to the important part." "It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy." "So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away." "I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight." "Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday, then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time." "It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!" You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles." Sunday, January 22. 2012Two Pigs the price of a Baby
Sunday Mornings Two Pigs the price of a Baby January 22, 2012
I read a story this week about a man visiting New York City on business he was running late and he was worried that he was going to miss his plane so he ran out of the hotel, flagged down the first cab he saw and got in. He told the driver to get to the airport as fast as possible. The driver took off racing through the streets, came to a red light and didn’t even slow down. The man in the backseat became quite nervous and said, "Isn’t that a little dangerous." "My 5 brothers and I have been driving taxicabs for years and this system has worked pretty good. ‘Red means Go.’" Sure enough the next light was red as well and he flew right through. The passenger was relieved when they finally came to a green light. However, this time the driver slowed the cab down until he almost came to a complete stop. "I don’t understand. You fly through the red lights, but you nearly stopped at that green light. That doesn’t make sense." "Well, you never know if one of my brother’s might be coming the other way." We would probably be a little nervous if we were in that man’s shoes too. We place a high value on life--especially when it is our own lives. We seek jobs with good health benefits. We spend thousands of dollars on surgeries and treatments to make our lives longer and more comfortable. Some of you exercise, watch your weight, and do other things to make your life better. However, we live in a world that is having less and less regard for human life. We talk of assisted suicide and death panels. There is a growing number of people who would support killing babies that are born with birth defects. Babies of the wrong sex are being aborted. Who is smart enough to decide who is to live or die? Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God is the one that has given life. He has not given us the right to take it away. I. WE ARE VALUABLE BECAUSE GOD KNOWS US God knows everything about us. Luke 12:7 Even the number of hairs on our head. Psalm 139:1-4 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. “God knows us.” He knows what is under the mask and He still holds us valuable. He still loves you. II WE ARE VALUABLE EVEN BEFORE WE ARE BORN Psalm 139:14-16 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." The question of when a person becomes a person is a heated one in our world today. "Within 21 days the baby’s backbone, spinal cord, and nervous system are forming. A small heart is present and beating. At one month arms and legs are present. There is ahead with rudimentary eyes, ears, mouth, and brain. The digestive system has begun. The baby is still only one-fourth of an inch long, but he is ten thousand times larger than when he began. At 2 months the baby is fully formed. He reacts to stimuli such as tickling. He will try to grasp a tiny instrument with his tiny hand. He "swims" or moves about in the amniotic fluid. He has fingerprints. By the end of the 3rd month, as one observer notes, "he can kick his legs, turn his feet, curl and fan his toes, makes a fist, move his thumb, bend his wrist, turn his head, squint, frown, open his mouth," swallow, and breathe (fluid, of course). Fingernails are forming. The question being ask of presidential candidates today is are you Pro-choice and Pro-life I am pro-choice in a way. However, once a woman decides to have sex and conception takes place, then the choice concerning the life of that baby is not longer hers. In the OT if a woman was physically harmed and she lost her baby, the one that caused the harm was to pay life for life. The same holds true in our society today. If a woman is harmed and loses the baby prematurely, the man can be sent to prison for manslaughter. However, a woman has the law to back her up if she decides to abort the baby. Abortion has become a way of life and is accepted by many people. However, I believe that the passages we read makes it clear that we hold value from the moment of conception. As I said at the start of this sermon, we live in a world that has a growing disregard for human life. The penalty for killing an unborn eagle in this country is a fine of up to $5000 and up to a year in prison. But, the killing of an unborn baby is not considered a crime at all, as long as the mother approves. AMERICAN WAR CASUALTIES REVOLUTIONARY WAR 25,324 CIVIL WAR 498,332 WORLD WAR II 407,316 KOREAN WAR 54,246 VIETNAM WAR 56,655 GULF WAR 293 Iraq and Afghanistan over 5,000 troops killed WAR ON THE UNBORN 52,000,000 since abortion was legalized in 1973. God is with us from the start; He is there watching us grow. For those that have experienced an abortion there is forgiveness. God values everyone and wants to heal their lives as well. You are of tremendous value to God. So much so, that He sent His son into the world to die on the cross and pay the penalty for your sins and my sins. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” His desire for your life is that you give your life to Him, make Him the Lord and Savior of your life, so that your sins might be forgiven and that you will share in the eternal rewards that He has prepared for His people. A professor in a world-acclaimed medical school once posed this medical situation -- and ethical problem -- to his students: "Here’s the family history: The father has syphilis. The mother has TB. They already have had four children. The first is blind. The second had died. The third is deaf. The fourth has TB. Now the mother is pregnant again, the parents come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion, if you decide they should. What do you say?" The students gave various individual opinions, and then the professor asked them to break into small groups for "consultation." All of the groups came back to report that they would recommend abortion. "Congratulations," the professor said, "You just took the life of Beethoven!" Here’s another one to think about: A 21 year old young woman becomes pregnant. She has only a 10th grade education. The father of the child leaves to go back to his wife and family when he finds out she is pregnant. It is the 1950’s a time when unwed pregnancy was not the norm and was looked upon as shameful. To make matters worse she was the daughter of a local preacher. There are no government support programs to offer support. She was alone and hopeless. A family member said, “You are an embarrassment to your family. Wedge your toe under the carpet at the top of the stairs and throw yourself down the stairs and end this now”. Should she follow her advice? If you said yes Congratulations you just killed me”. Fortunately for me my grandparents while not condoning her life choices took my mother in as did the local church family they served and loved my mom and me when I was born. And when it came time for me to be born there was no insurance to pay the bill so my grandfather sold to hogs he was raising on his little farm to pay the doctor for my birth. You see it is good that we take a stand and say abortion is wrong but it is wrong to leave a woman alone in her situation or say let the government help. My mother was cared for physically, mentally and spiritually. And we should do the same for those in need today. Amen? I’m glad you agree we are going to receive an offering for a local crisis pregnancy center whose ministry we support New Beginnings. Won’t you give today so that these little ones can live. www.anewbeginningcpc.com/ Sunday, January 22. 2012
The Erosion of Our Christianity Part 5 Posted by Pastor Bob Weaver
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Sunday Nites The Erosion of Our Christianity Part 5 January 22nd 2012
For the past few Sundays we have been looking at our diminishing spiritual life. The evidence of which is supported by the closing of churches, ministers leaving the pastorate and parishioner’s giving less of their time to the church and more of their time to other pursuits. I attempted to aid you with a visual of the churches condition by calling this series of messages “The Erosion of our Christianity”. I also compared it to the parable of “The Frog in the Kettle” Last week I compared it to som•nam•bu•lism Which refers to sleep walking. And I admonished you to Be on guard! Be alert! Last week I pointed out a couple of areas to beware of. #1 Is the neglecting of our relationship with Christ. #2 Proclaiming the truth but not living it ourselves. Tonight I want to share 2 more. 3. The danger of Relying on the natural The S.S. class I teach is currently looking at Spiritual Gifts. Our first lesson looked at the 3 sources of our talents and abilities. Natural / Learned / Supernatural. I see a danger in our daily reliance on our natural gifts to the exclusion of our God given abilities. They may be fine in the corporate world but they are not Christian. They call on our self reliance instead of a reliance on our savior. Through repeated practices we come to a place where we are no longer utterly dependent on the grace and the power of God to enable us to serve Him. Though we would never say it aloud or maybe even consciously think it, we get to a place where we live as though we can do ministry weather God shows up or not. Apostle Paul said; in 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. I pray that I never lose the knowledge of my own frailness. Each time I step into the pulpit I may present the last opportunity of hope that someone may have. It may be the last sermon they will ever hear. And it may be the last sermon I ever preach. I hope you realize that we preachers are not alone in this. Everyone of us who call ourselves Christians offer our services daily as workers and witnesses for our Lord. At church and at work. At home and at play. So make it count, make it the best offering you can and then bathe it in prayer. 4. The Danger of Leaving The Pathway of Humility We all face the danger of Pride. Of becoming self-absorbed, self-enamored, or self-centered. The prophet Samuel said to king Saul in 1 Samuel 15:17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. From a humble beginning Saul ultimately began to think of himself as the exception to God’s rules. He developed an I problem. As one writer has said he became a law unto himself. Pride makes us blind to our own needs. It isolates us from those who would tell us the truth and having a teachable spirit when we are challenged or corrected. I recently shared with the men of our church at breakfast that every man needs three significant men in his life. A Paul to mentor him, a Timothy he can mentor and a Barnabas that can walk beside him as his co-laborer and friend. These three will keep you accountable and humble. And Ladies the same applies to you. William Gurnall the 17th century preacher said, “Knowing your strength lies wholly in God and not yourself, remain humble-even when God is blessing and using you most. God’s favor is neither the work of your own hands nor the price of your own worth. How can you boast of that which you did not buy? If you embezzle God’s strength and credit to your own account, He will soon call an audit and take back what was His all along.” Corrie Ten Boon The Nazi concentration camp survivor who was ask to speak all over the world about her experience received much fame and notoriety. One night an admirer ask how she staid so humble in spite of receiving so much praise she said, “I try to graciously except any and all the praises I get as though they were a fresh bouquet of roses and every night before I go to sleep I lay them down at my masters feet in honor of Him.” Monday, January 16. 2012Love Grown Cold
Sunday mornings Love Grown Cold January 15th 2012
For the past few Sunday mornings we have been looking at our diminishing spiritual life. The evidence of which is supported by the closing of churches, ministers leaving the pastorate and parishioner’s giving less of their time to the church and more of their time to other pursuits. I attempted to aid you with a visual of the churches condition by calling this series of messages “The Erosion of our Christianity”. I also compared it to the parable of “The Frog in the Kettle” Last week I compared it to som•nam•bu•lism Which refers to sleep walking. And I admonished you to Be on guard! Be alert! This morning I want to point to a couple of areas to beware of #1 Is the neglecting of our relationship with Christ. I would like to draw your attention similar if not identical to our own. Jesus describes to a first century church in a town called Ephesus. Rev. 2:4 Jesus said, "I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love" It wasn’t that the Ephesians had stopped loving the Lord or stopped loving each other but the love had become perhaps taken for granted... perhaps they had been affected by the persecutions. Perhaps they had been affected by the labor of it all. it wasn’t that they stopped loving the Lord, but it just wasn’t the same anymore. This isn’t anything unique to the church at Ephesus, we do this too. When we first get married. It is PASSIONATE...It is EXCITING...It is ALIVE...HUGGING AND KISSING all the time... Holding hands when you walk in the mall...But then, kids come along...and concerns about finances begin to weigh us down... and perhaps concerns about work enter in...and maybe the boss is giving us a hard time...and we are always tired...and we get used to being with our spouse...and perhaps we even take them for granted...It’s not that we don’t love our spouse anymore...but we really don’t express our love that way any more...and perhaps, in a sense, we have forsaken our first love...we have allowed our love to become boring... Our relationship if we are not careful can become commonplace...and dry... That’s not a good thing to do in our relationship with our spouse, and it’s not a good thing to do in our relationship with the Lord! The Biblical account in Luke 10 tells the story is of 2 sisters Martha and Mary. Mary is listening to Jesus while Martha is busy with working on a meal and taking care of everybody needs so she complains to Jesus who responds to her by saying Luke 10:41-42 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” The old preacher Robert M’Chene said,” No amount of activity in the kings service will make up for our neglecting the king himself.” The trap here is to get into a routine that puts you on auto pilot and you are going through the motions without the emotions you once had. One more area to be concerned about is: #2 Proclaiming the truth but not living it ourselves A.W. Tozer the one time pastor of the Moody church in Chicago said “One of the greatest curses of his day was the we think that because we know something, therefore we have it, when in fact that may not be true.” Pastor who preached the same message several weeks in a row. The people complained “When are you going to preach something else? “When you begin doing what this sermon tells you to do”. James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Paul was able to say to believers of Christ in the first century I Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. He didn’t say follow my sermon notes or follow my books or follow my blog. He said “Follow my life” To live a life that is inconsistent with what we proclaim to others is to risk spiritual sinkholes that will result when what’s under the surface is not able to support the message we claim to believe. The end result is collapse and failure. But back to the message to the early Christians at Ephesus. Jesus doesn’t just drop the bombshell of criticism and then leave us quivering in His wake...He tells us how to fix the problem. Rev 2:5 Jesus told the Ephesian church, "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first This will work I invite you to come and make a new and fresh commitment this morning to the Lord and maybe to your spouse. Let’s pray Monday, January 09. 2012Somnambulism
Sunday Mornings Somnambulism January 8th 2012
Last Sunday morning we began to look at our diminishing spiritual life. The evidence of which is supported by the closing of churches, ministers leaving the pastorate and parishioner’s giving less of their time to the church and more of their time to other pursuits. I attempted to aid you with a visual of the churches condition by calling this series of messages “The Erosion of our Christianity”. I also compared it to the parable of “The Frog in the Kettle” This morning I want to give you another vivid picture to apply to our situation. Are you ready? The word is som•nam•bu•lism O.K., so I learned a new word this week: Somnambulism. It’s a fancy term for sleep walking. I ran across it in a commentary. It leaped off the page and made sense to me: When Jesus told his disciples to stay awake, that the Day of the Lord would come like a master returning unexpectedly from a long journey – or, as Paul says, like a thief in the night Mark 13:32-37 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” In the Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis. Wormwood is the protégé of his uncle, Screwtape, who writes him letters coaching him in the art of winning the soul of a young Christian for Satan. Among other things, Screwtape advises Wormwood not to argue with or openly confront the young Christian, lest he develop his powers of reason and self-determination. Instead, Screwtape counsels Wormwood to distract and placate the young believer, all the while reassuring him that everything is O.K., that there’s no need to worry. Let his natural instincts toward pleasure and personal pursuit lead him to take the easy road of self-indulgence, Screwtape says. Well, not to leave you hanging, Wormwood fails. The young Christian keeps his faith, dies in the thick of WWII and goes to heaven. Screwtape tells Wormwood to cut his losses and work even harder to win the next soul he encounters. It’s a classic little book. Read it then compare it with this more recent commentary by Paul Harvey entitled, “If I Were the Devil.” He says, “If I were the devil, I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world; I would delude the minds (of the people) into thinking that they had come from man’s effort, instead of God’s blessings; I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way around; I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue; I would convince people that character is not an issue … I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies; I would make it socially acceptable to take one’s own life, and invent machines to make it convenient … I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was grounds for a lawsuit; I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I would get sports heroes to advertise them; I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the minds of every family member for my agenda; I would attack the family, the backbone of any nation … I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and movies screens, and I would call it art … I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who call themselves authorities and refer to their agendas as politically correct; I would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date and that the Bible is for the naive: I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional. I would, well, come to think of it, I would leave things pretty much the way they are!” Here’s the bottom line: The world is changing faster than we can imagine, and we’re called to stay alert, pay attention and take stock of what’s going on around us; and, taking stock, we’re called to stand up and speak out for sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have been a part of the church for the last 45 years, I was called to preach when I was 17 years old, and I have been pastoring for 37 years. I know that’s a long stretch of time. When I began I was 21 years old, had long wavy brown hair and could bench my own weight. Now when I look at myself in the mirror I remember the words of a friend of mine from Chicago, Herb Norton who when ask one prayer meeting night how he was doing, replied “Pastor, I feel like I’ve been rode hard and put away wet.” An old expression horseman used prior to the invention of the automobile. Yay, funny I know but here’s my point. There are seasons to life. And just like the seasons people, churches, and whole cultures can change over a period of time. That change may be intentional or it may be the result of simply drifting almost unnoticeably with the tides of society. And hear is one thing I know: We have an active enemy who is determined to cause God’s servants to stumble. Let me share some areas that we must guard against. 1. Losing the Wonder This may be the most common of pitfalls. It is easy to lose the wonder of: • What it means to be a child of God • Where He has brought us from • The sacrifice of those who came before us • The joy He has given us • The peace He has given us • The opportunity for daily communion with Him Familiarity breeds contempt, they say. But it also breeds neglect and complacency. The supernatural becomes common-place- a marriage saved another conversion.. Yet we see in the scriptures that every time a sinner repents heaven rejoices. I have a holy dread of losing the freshness and the passion for God. The apostle Paul never lost the wonder. Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Or Peter who said in I Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, Or Jude who said in Jude 1:24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— Have you fallen asleep? Have you lost the wonder you once had? Sunday, December 11. 2011
Christmas through the eyes of Mary ... Posted by Pastor Bob Weaver
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Sunday Nites Christmas through the eyes of Mary and Joseph 12-11-12
The decorative Nativity Scene has become one of the staples of Christmas. No scene would be complete without the three figures at the center. Obviously, Jesus Christ is front and center, in a manger. But two other indispensable figures are those of Mary and Joseph. How well do we really know Joseph and Mary? I. CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE EYES OF MARY When Mary was born, the golden age of Israel’s proud history was past. No king of David’s family had ruled in Jerusalem for over 500 years. But the Jews were still waiting for the Messiah, the ruler promised throughout the pages of the Scriptures, promised through the prophets. The one from David’s family who would sit on David’s throne and rule forever. In Nazareth Gabriel speaks to a young woman. Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. When Mary first appears in the Scriptures, she is in the presence of an angel. She was already engaged As Mary listened to the angel she must have wrestled with the consequences that would come in her life if she accepted God’s call. How am I going to explain this to my family? What will Joseph say? What about the townspeople? What will they think of me? Am I headed for a life of being a single parent? Mary would probably live her whole life under a cloud of suspicion from her family and friends. I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said. Luke 1:38 Within Mary’s decision to be fully submissive to the call of God was her willingness, if need be, to suffer ridicule and contempt and loneliness. God certainly didn’t force this choice on Mary; she willingly embraced what God had for her. But the decision was made with no assurance that anyone except God would ever fully understand. Mary, did you know That your baby boy will one day walk on water? Mary, did you know That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? Did you know That your baby boy has come to make you knew? And this child that you've delivered Will soon deliver you Mary, did you know That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man? Mary, did you know That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand? Did you know That your baby boy has walked where angels trod? And when you kiss your little baby You've kissed the face of God The blind will see The deaf will hear The dead will live again The lame will leap The dumb will speak The praises of the Lamb Oh, Mary, did you know That your baby boy is Lord of all creation? Mary, did you know That your baby boy will one day rule the nations? Did you know That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb? This sleeping child you're holding Is the Great I am II. CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE EYES OF JOSEPH Mary had no guarantee that her beloved Joseph would understand or even believe her story of miraculous conception. She now had to face the man she loved and tell him that she was pregnant – and Joseph knew he wasn’t the father. Both Joseph and Mary would still live with their own parents, and virginity was to be maintained until the wedding itself, at which time the two would move into their own house. Maybe this is how the scene unfolded. She told him, “I’m pregnant.” At first Joseph couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He actually entertained the idea that Mary might be joking, but he knew she’d never joke about something this serious. What she said was true. She was pregnant. Joseph’s first question was the same question any man would ask in the same situation: “Who’s the father?” Joseph’s conscience was clear. He knew the baby wasn’t his. Apparently Mary was not the person Joseph thought she was. Mary told him that an angel had appeared to her who said that she would conceive miraculously. But how could Joseph believe a story like that? Without saying another word he got up and went home to cry. What would he do? In a dream, God spoke to MATTHEW 1:18-25 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Because of a census, Joseph and Mary have to travel to Bethlehem. Mary gives birth in Bethlehem, and there’s Joseph. Right beside her. It’s interesting that not one direct word from the mouth of Joseph is recorded in the Bible. Most of the people surrounding Jesus’ birth talked or sang or shouted in praise. But not Joseph. As he held this tiny infant, what kinds of thoughts were going through his mind? Michael Card Josephs song: How could it be this baby in my arms Sleeping now, so peacefully The Son of God, the angel said How could it be Lord I know He's not my own Not of my flesh, not of my bone Still Father let this baby be The son of my love Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours How can a man be father to the Son of God Lord for all my life I've been a simple carpenter How can I raise a king, How can I raise a king He looks so small, His face and hands so fair And when He cries the sun just seems to disappear But when He laughs it shines again How could it be CONCLUSION The whole story involving these two people is a story of trust. 1. Mary had to trust God’s promise. 2. Joseph had to trust Mary. 3. Mary had to trust Joseph. 4. Joseph had to trust God. Both Mary and Joseph had to say to God, “I am your servant. Whatever it costs, wherever it takes me, I will do it.” God continues to look for women and men like Mary and Joseph. People who will pursue obedience, whatever the cost. People who will trust God – even though the outcome seems unsure. God raises up people for his purposes. Sunday, December 04. 2011Sun Stand Still #2
Sunday Mornings Sun Stand Still #2 December 4th 2011
Last Sunday morning We took a look at the remarkable account of Joshua battling the 5 kings in the Valley of Aijalon near Gibeon. Near the end of the day with the battle still being fierce yet unfinished Joshua boldly said SUN STAND STILL and it did for the space of one whole day and Joshua was able to be victorious over the 5 Kings. We concluded by praying for the healing of a dozen people with needs and we are going to conclude with prayer again today but before we do I want to look more closely at the faith and action required to pray a SUN STAND STILL prayer. Prayer: For the first few years of our youngest son’s life we lived in Ft. Lauderdale Fl. Within a mile of the Atlantic ocean. We went to the beach often where we had a great time playing Wave Jumper. We started out playing in the shallow water and then I convinced him it would be great fun to go out into the deeper water with me holding his hands. After a while he decided to give it a try so we moved into the deeper water with him in the front and me holding his hands up above his head. When a wave would come I would lift him above it at the last moment and he would scream and say again. He was convinced that he was the worlds greatest wave jumper. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that that it was his dad who was doing the heavy lifting, his job was to keep his hands reaching upward and trust that when the wave comes I would lift him high above it. Friend that’s what bold faith is all about. Exodus 14:10-14 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” 13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Can you sense their fear? They had done nothing wrong. As a matter of fact although with some reluctance they had been obedient to God but now they were in an impossible situation, Mountains on one side the red sea to their backs and Pharaoh’s army approaching there was nowhere to go, capture or death was imminent. But then you have Moses instructions: 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” It may be your job to cross over, but it’s God’s job to see you through. Remember God is the wave jumper. There are probably some very real problems in your life as I tell you this and you have racked your brain had sleepless nights asking yourself; “What should I do?” First Ask yourself is there anything that I can do to set this thing right? God doesn’t do things for us that He wants us to do ourselves. But if the circumstances are beyond you and you need the Sun to Stand Still wade out into the deeper water and keep reaching up. I believe that this scene was on the shores of the Red Sea flashed before Joshua’s eyes on the day he said Sun Stand Still. If your greatest fear stems from a lack of resources to accomplish God’s will then remember Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Faith leads you past your fears and reassures you of God’s presence. After a while you begin to believe that He will lift you above the waves this time just like He did the last time. Do not let your fears hold you back. Just keep trusting and keep your hands in His. But pastor I am just not as sure as you are. I believe but I can not say that I believe 100%. Well my friend that being said you are probably in the majority. In I Samuel 13-14 king Saul’s troops are locked in a losing battle against the Philistine’s and they spend most of their time hiding in caves. Saul’s oldest son Jonathan decided to take a bold move. He ask his armor bearer to join him in a 2 man commando raid. I Samuel 14:6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” Look at what he said: Nothing can hinder the LORD Perhaps the LORD will act I don’t think that Jonathan was schizophrenic. I think that real faith always feels this way. On the one hand we know that God is able to make the Sun Stand Still He can we are asking and we are pretty sure He will but I can not say with 100% assurance that He will, I am not His boss I can not tell Him what to do. I can only ask as He has instructed us to do and perhaps. Its what I call the 55% percent factor. If you’ve got 55% you have the strong possibility on your side and I can live with that better then I can with doubt. Faith does not eliminate our doubt and fear, it eclipse their power one decision at a time. It is not wrong to feel fear but it is wrong to let fear have the last word in you life. Mark 9:21-26 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil[a] spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. Often the hardest pain to treat is the type we can’t see, originating in places we can’t reach, resulting in symptoms we can’t completely describe Sunday, December 04. 2011
Have we lost our spiritual Burdens? Posted by Pastor Bob Weaver
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Sunday Nites Have we lost our spiritual Burdens? December 4th 2011
Did you hear about the Texas teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots? He asked for help and she could see why. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still did not want to go on. Finally, when the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost cried when the little boy said, "Teacher, they are on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. But she managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the right feet. He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to do. And, once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner they got the boots off and he said, "They're my brother's boots. My mom made me wear 'em." Now she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. But, she mustered up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again. Helping him into his coat, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed 'em in the toes of my boots." Her trial starts next month.--- We talked this morning a little about the stress in our lives this time of the year. Stress is nothing new or unnatural to us it can even be a good thing but sometimes it can weigh us down and wear us out. 3 Thoughts about Burdens 1. There are some burdens that I can handle. 2. There are some burdens that I can handle with the help of my friends. 3. There are some burdens that I cannot handle alone or with the help of my friends, But God can take care of it. What kind of Burdens are there 1. Imaginary Burdens 2. Burdens of bereavement and death 3. Burdens of loneliness and sickness 4. A wounded spirit and mashed emotions 5. Discouragement and personal problems 6. Kids that hurt you 7. Family that hurt you 8. Sin and Guilt What do I do with the burdens of life? 1. Pray early and pray a lot. Prayer helps put things in a proper perspective. Prayer for guidance Psalm 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. Prayer for strength Phil. 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Prayer for resources Phil. 4:19 my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 2. Ask for advice and confirmation from those around you. Parents/friends/church family Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. 3. Commit to a plan of action Based on what I know at this point this is what I will do. 4. Ask God to open doors or close them Acts 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out Acts 16:6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 5. Turn it over to God Old saying “Let Go and Let God” Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. There is no promise of being released from any difficulties, the comfort comes in knowing who is concerned about us, God Himself. Our part is letting Him be in control of our lives, refusing to be weighed down by burdens, because they will get us down, they’ll disturb our peace and distract our mind. I Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Tonight I want you to do just that Stand close your eyes and repeat after me. God I release my burdens to you now. Those that are unnecessary take away. Those that are needed Give me the strength to carry. Sunday, November 27. 2011Sun Stand Still
Sunday Morning Sun Stand Still November 27th 2011
The Lord Would Have You Know something this morning.. With God “There are no limits.” There is no "box" that can contain or hold God's glory. If you will take God out of your box of "understanding", then you can fully experience His power and glory in your daily lives. He is seeking out those who will believe for the "impossible" and will boldly walk into realms of the supernatural. Expecting the miracles to manifest is the key to manifesting! It is that simple! What limits have you placed on God? Every believer in Jesus has a measure of Faith-it’s the prerequisite to salvation. But if we are honest after expressing faith in God to save us, our faith describes who we are not what we do. We hope that it will get us through the day and that there to get us to heaven when we die. But in the meantime, its barley enough to keep us praying, giving, and coming to the Sunday morning worship service each week. If trusting in a miracle working Jesus is to out there for your modern mind, then play it safe. Don’t ever ask God to provide for you super naturally. Don’t dare ask for physical healing or anything else that would put God on the spot. Because what if He doesn’t come through? The problem is what do we do with scriptures like this: Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. This morning I want to talk to you about Joshua. Not about his being one of the 12 spies that went into Canaan, Not about his being Moses second in command, Not about the great battle he won that we talked about last Sunday morning, Where Moses stood on the hillside with hands raised to the throne of God praying for his success, Not winning the battle of Jericho where the walls fell down, No my favorite exploit in Joshua’s life is tucked away in Joshua 10 and it all hinges on a ridiculous prayer. When you hear what it was you might think that it was truly an impossible request, but as it turns out, our God wasn’t intimidated by Joshua’s ridiculous request, He didn’t even flinch. Review Joshua 10: 1-7 Joshua 10:8 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you Get this: Joshua and his men unleashed a surprise attach and the battle went well from the very beginning and the Kings began running away. Then God got involved. V:11 say’s the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky. They fought all day. Most of us would have called it a day. “I’ve done all I can I am exhausted every option, I’ve given it all I got.” But Joshua wasn’t most people 12 On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! 15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. While I can not relate to the scope of Joshua’s challenge that day, I am captivated by his faith. I WANT TO LIVE THAT WAY! I believe that there is nothing that our world needs more desperately today, in individuals, families, businesses, churches, and communities-than than God saving supernatural acts. We all will agree with Joshua at this point. Can God do make the sun stand still? “Yes. But will we activate that faith by asking Him to do it? Now we have started well. When ask we named people who need God in their lives. We even wrote their names down and shared them with the pastor to pray for. But do we really believe that God can save them? Do we really believe that God can bring them back to Him? Do we really believe that God can heal them. We don’t want to put God on the spot. What if He doesn’t come through? Does God always automatically say ok. NO Paul said I prayed 3 times for this throne in my flesh to be removed but God said no. The Bible say’s you have not because you ask not. Our job is not to save anyone, our job is to ask. Our job is not to revive anyone, our job is to ask. Our job is not to heal anyone, our job is to ask. 3 Things to note here: 1. Joshua prayed alone Sun Stand Still Its not our size but our God 2. Joshua prayed Sun Stand Still in front of everyone there 3. Joshua did not see immediate results from his prayer but he kept on fighting. This morning Let’s ask God for the SUN to STAND STILL…. Monday, November 21. 2011Hands Lifted to the Throne
Sunday Mornings Hands Lifted to the Throne November 20th 2011
Exodus 17:15-16 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. Review verses 8-14 This morning I want you to see three things the Israelites learned. I. THEY LEARNED THAT THEY COULD DEPEND ON GOD IN BATTLE 1. Moses had learned that he didn’t need to worry or fret when confronted by the enemy. 2. By faith immediately put a plan in motion that would give Israel victory (v. 9) Choose some men to go to battle He told Joshua to “go out”—step out in faith. 3. Moses was determined to stand on the top of the hill (v. 10). He had learned that there is help from the hill. Psalm 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. II. THEY LEARNED THE VALUE OF PRAYER 1. Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill with Moses 2. Moses held up his hands. When Moses held up his hands to the Lord, he revealed his dependence on God and his faith in Him. I Timothy 2:8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer a. Israel learned on life’s battlefield that strength and victory was found only in a CONTINIOUS drawing to God and faith in Him. b. When Moses’ prayer ceased, the flow of divine power ceased. c. It is the same today. If we fail to call upon God in prayer, then God’s blessings will begin to cease flowing toward us. III. THEY LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYING FOR ONE ANOTHER Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ 1. Moses’ hands became heavy. Sometimes the burden you bear becomes too heavy to carry alone. 2. Aaron and Hur put a rock under Moses for him to sit and rest on. 3. Aaron & Hur stayed held up Moses’ hands one man on each side. 4. His hands were steady until the going down of the sun—the end of the day. 5. I am thankful for the Aaron’s and Hur’s I have known. 6. Because of these faithful men, Joshua “overcame” the Amalekites with the sword. Last week we agreed to join together by interceding for others. I want you to know that I have daily lifted these names to the Lord. For Salvation/born again/a new life/ The forgiveness of sins. For a revival/ a coming back to the Lord/ His church For a miracle/healing/Mind- body-relationship I do not know many of these people but as I prayed daily I said to the Lord I pray for the intent behind these request, For a new life, for a renewed spiritual life, and for a healing. God spoke to me these 84 are a deposit for each one of them are in touch with several others whose names you do not know but will one day pray for. And it’s the same with the 70 needing revival… and the 64 needed a healing in their lives. So I was encouraged that much more to pray. I felt the Lord speak to me and say, “Pray for and expect to see answers to your prayers daily and to lay aside the next to Sundays to have a special time of prayer for healing.” KJV Matthew 17:14-21 14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Will you join with me in special prayer this week and next and add fasting to it Monday, November 14. 2011“Intersession”
Sunday Mornings “Intersession” November 13th 2011
Ezekiel 22:29-30 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. 30 “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. I want to talk to you about the importance of Prayer, not just any prayer but intercessory prayer. When you intercede you act as go between, you speak to a person on behalf of another person. God said in verse 30 “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. In other words there was no one to speak to God on behalf of the people. God looked but could not find one individual who would stand up for them. More often then not when we pray we go to the Lord asking for ourselves. This morning I want to encourage you to begin a new behavior and become an intercessor, to go to God on behalf of others. 1.The Bible gives us many examples of intercessors who stood in the gap Take Abraham, who earnestly pleaded for his son Ishmael! “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Later he prayed and ask the Lord again and again for Sodom; listen to his prayer recorded in the first book of the Bible Genesis 18:23-32 “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26 The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” 29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” Remember Moses, how often did he intercede? "Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before God for the people" Remember that cry of his on the top of the mount, when it was to his own personal disadvantage to intercede, and yet when God had said, "Let me alone, I will make of thee a great nation," yet he continued, and cried out, "Spare them, Lord, and if not, blot my name out of the Book of Life." Elijah who prayed for God to let it rain so that the people of the land would not die of thirst. Or Jeremiah who was said to pray and weep for the lost of Israel. Or the Apostle Paul who wrote more then once that he was “Making mention of others in his prayers every day”. Or Jesus in John 17 known as His high priestly prayer was praying for His disciples and us, listen to His words, v:15-20 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, With so many examples, how can we no plead for needs of others. But even if in the Bible there were no example of intercessory prayers, if Christ had not left it upon record that it was his will that we should pray for others, and even if we did not know that it was Christ's practice to intercede, I believe that since we have been embraced by such a loving God that we would be compelled to plead for others. Do we go up to pray and in the face and presence of God think of no one but ourselves? Surely the love of Christ cannot be in us, for the spirit of Christ is not selfish. No man lives just for himself once he has the love of Christ in him. Intercessory Prayer is the sweetest prayer God ever hears When you stand in the gap between others and God and ask for them you are following the example of Christ. You ask not for your own benefit but for others benefit. I believe that this warms God’s heart. Intercessory Prayers are Powerful Many are the miracles that have been granted because someone interceded for another. Intercessory prayer has stopped plagues, removed darkness, and healed diseases. Miriam contracted leprosy, Moses prayed and the leprosy was removed. Elijah prayed for a dead child and the child was returned to its mother alive. And how many souls have been saved by persistent intercessory prayer. Only eternity will that question be answered. When you pray for others you ask God to move on them and He will do just that. Far to often we have given up on some and conclude they are beyond help so we give up on them, but they are still within God’s grasp. God can help them out of the miry pit and set them upon the solid rock. Don’t give up on anybody; as long as they are alive there is hope. You can stop praying for them when they are dead, until then pray. But perhaps you say, "I cannot pray for others, I am so weak, so powerless." You will get strength, by giving the effort. Besides, the power of our prayer does not depend upon the strength of the man who prays, but upon the power of the one who hears. If you sow a seed you may be very feeble, but it is not the hand that puts the seed into the ground which produces the harvest,—it is the vitality in the seed. And so in the prayer of faith. When we plead a promise and drop that prayer into the ground with hope, our weakness will not make it miscarry; it will still prevail with God and bring down blessings from on high. The Bible say’s Elijah was a man of like passions—sweet word!—of like passions, like infirmities, like tendencies to failure, but he prevailed, and so shall you. Let me give you one more example of intercessory prayer Job 44:7-10 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer. After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. Job first made things right between himself and God. When a man or woman has just been committing sin, repentance is their first work, not prayer; you must first set matters right between God and your own soul before you may go and intercede for others. Let me offer you some people that you need to intercede for. First: The unsaved How was it that you were converted? It was because somebody else prayed for you. In tracing back my own coming to Christ I credit the prayers of my Grand Parents. I believe that the Lord heard their prayers. There are many of you that were prayed for when you were asleep in your cradles as unconscious infants. Your mothers' liquid prayers fell hot upon your infant brows, and gave you what was a true christening while you were still but little ones. There are husbands here who owe their conversion to their wives' prayers; brothers who must acknowledge that it was a sister's pleading; children who must confess that their Sunday school teachers prayed for them. Who do you know that needs Jesus right now? Second: Those who need revival or to come back to Church You can tell by their pulling away from the victorious life they once displayed or maybe they are no longer around on a regular basis and its been a while since you have even seen them. Who comes to mind? Third: Someone in need of a miracle Health related issues/mental needs/relational issues/financial needs. Do not be afraid to pray bold prayers for those in need you can not fail. Just as it is not your responsibility to save anyone it is also not your responsibility to heal anyone, it is only our responsibility to pray. Who do you know that needs a miraculous touch from God? The high priest of Israel use to wear a clothe apron over his shoulders with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on it. Let us unite with one heart and with one soul to plead with God for our families and friends, for this city! Let us carry "Huntington" written on our hearts just as the high priest of old carried the names of the tribes. Mothers, bear your children before God! Fathers, carry your sons and your daughters! Let us take a wicked world and the dark places in it to the Lord in prayer! Let us cry aloud and keep no silence, and give to the Lord no rest till he hears and answers our prayers. Would you join with me and write down the names of 3 that you will pray daily for between now and December 31st. A seed A whisper A fist 2 fish and 5 loaves A little flour and a little oil. All small thing Monday, November 14. 2011The Power of Prevailing Prayer #2
Sunday Nites The Power of Prevailing Prayer #2 November 13th 2011
Folks, the need of the hour is powerful, persistent, passionate, prevailing prayer. The need is far greater than most of God’s people realize. The moral fiber of our nation has crumbled. Real love and compassion have become almost non-existent. Confusion and upheaval have swept across this country like a tidal wave. Even the so-called religious community is showing alarming signs of spiritual decay. According to Barna Research, “A minority of born again adults (44%) and an even smaller proportion of born again teenagers (9%) are certain of the existence of absolute moral truth.” If ever Christians needed to learn to prevail in prayer, it is now. If you remember nothing else from this message, please remember this: “When prayer fails, Satan prevails.” The demons of Hell rejoice when the child of God is prayerless. Satan knows well that prayerless Christians are powerless Christians. Christians are embroiled in one of the most heated and holy battles of all time—the battle against “…the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Eph.6: 12b). If we are to prevail, we must fight the good fight of faith; we must pray. The souls of lost men and women literally hang in the balance. While lost souls totter on the brink of destruction, Christians are largely unconcerned & prayerless. Today I would like to examine the importance of prevailing in prayer. Exodus 17: 8-16 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The[a] LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” Prevailing prayer among God’s people is essential because of: A. The Attack Of The Enemy. Amalek’s attack was calculated. Ex.17: 8 “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.” Deut.25: 17 Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. 18 When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. The Amalekites were a nomadic people who were descendants of Esau, though they were not a part of the nation of Edom Amalek attacked Israel from the rear, rather than make a frontal assault. This was no doubt an attempt to catch the Israelites off guard. Amalek’s attack was cowardly. The Amalekites struck Israel at their weakest point. The infirmed, sickly and elderly were traveling at the rear since they were slower. The devil loves to attack us in those weak and unguarded areas of our lives. Therefore, we must remain spiritually alert. The apostle Peter tells us, 1 Peter5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. We are also warned by Paul, who said, 1 Corinthians10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! Often it is those areas of our lives where we feel we are strongest that is most vulnerable to Satan’s attack, because we don’t think we have anything to worry about in those areas. The Attack Came When Israel Was Exhausted. Deut.25:18 “When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.” Israel was walking through a dry, barren desert. Though they were headed to the Promised Land, and though God led them and sustained them, they still found the journey tiring. The same is true of God’s present-day people. We are promised the presence, power, protection and provision of God as we make our way heavenward. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t find ourselves weary and faint at times. It is particularly important during these times of physical or spiritual weariness that we remain alert; for it is then that we are most vulnerable to the enemy. One thing we had better learn right away is that Satan almost never attacks us when we are on top of everything. He is a sly adversary. He often attacks when we are weary, exhausted and frustrated. We are told by Paul not to live in the power of the flesh, but by dependence upon God’s power. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” Ephesians 6:10. Sometimes Satan’s strategy is to instigate a series of annoyances, geared to reduce us to a state of weakness and frustration. This is the reason Christians need to obey the exhortation of James, who said, “…Pray one for another…” James 5:16b. One of the lessons learned from this event in Israel’s wilderness journey is that it is often spiritual conflict that drives home to us the necessity of prayer. Moses Orders That Warriors Be Enlisted. Ex.17: 9 “Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” When the enemy attacked, Moses and the children of Israel did not sit passively by hoping it would all turn out all right. Warriors were enlisted for the battle. We are also in the midst of a great spiritual warfare. God is looking for men and women of faith, willing to stand in the gap through prayer and supplication. God told Ezekiel, Ezek.22: 30 “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” The battle for the hearts and souls of the lost must be won by prayer. The battle against our cold churches and the casual Christianity of our day will be won only through prayer. Charles Stanley said: Life’s battles are won or lost in the place of prayer, not on the battlefield of everyday life. The real spiritual success or failure of a church does not depend on the talent of the preacher, the size of the congregation, or the strength of the organization. Success from God’s point of view will only be obtained through prayer…God’s business, for the most part, is to be taken care of on our knees. When dealing with any situation, first we must pray. For it is on our knees that the real work is done. Sunday, November 06. 2011Prevailing Prayer #1
Sunday Nites Prevailing Prayer #1 November 6, 2011
Approximately 2000 years ago a decree was issued from the Judgment seat of God. It provided legal protection for the church against the Devil. When Jesus died for our sins, the “ruler of this world” was judged; our debts were nailed to Christ cross and cancelled, and the principalities and powers were disarmed. John 16:7-11 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt[a] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. Colossians 2:13-15 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,[b] God made you[c] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Because of Jesus and what He did for us we have a legal rite not only to be protected from him but also to triumph over him. But if that is really true why does the church and individual Christians seem to struggle with everyday living? The answer is the church has rarely walked in such victory since the first century. So the question is why not. I believe that the answer is that in order to attain the protection and authority of Christ we must embrace the intercession of Christ. Church history began with its leadership being devoted to the Word of God and to Prayer. Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 6:3-4 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Today however our qualifications for church leadership are not necessarily devotion to God’s word and prayer. Leaders are expected to be good organizers and have winning personalities. Jesus challenges our modern traditions in Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Before we respond let us see that Jesus associates “Faith” with “day and night” prayer. Luke 18:7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? He does not ask, “Will I find correct doctrines in you. It’s not just what we believe but how we believe. Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Understanding God’s delays Our heavenly judge will not delay long over His elect but He may delay. God’s definition of quickly and ours is not necessarily the same. His delays may not be reluctance it may be to perfect our faith. It may be to increase our tenacity. Desperation Produces Change Jesus compares His elect to a widow harassed by an enemy. We like to think of our spiritual heroes like David and Joshua but we forget all heroes have humble beginnings. Look at the widow: she has every reason to quit, but she sticks with it and prevails. She refuses to give up because of her low position. She has no finances, no ached emic credentials, Or Charm. She plants herself and receives what is rightfully hers. How did she gain such strength? Desperation She had no where else to go. In truth the thing that has raised the level of my prayers, the thing that has made me to fall on my face and call out to the Lord for revival is Desperation. Desperation is God’s hammer. It demolishes the strongholds of fear and shatters the chains of our excuses. When our desperation exceeds our fears progress will begin. Our world is in desperate times. My prayer is that the church would stop courting the world’s ways and in desperation start counting on God again. God’s Elect Our world is suffering from a deep social and moral collapse. If we ever needed God’s anointing it is now.-but where are God’s elect? Where are the people whom Daniel says Daniel 11:32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Are there no people no churches who are divinely empowered to stand up to and slay the goliaths of our age? Perhaps we are looking in the wrong places- perhaps we only need look in the mirror. If you are satisfied with the status quo, anemic, just surviving of the church then you will stay that way. But if you want to see the hand of God move in our time that actually become desperate to see it then you will begin praying with a day and night attitude, “Oh God give us a revival, may your presence be felt throughout the week where ever I go with me, do the miraculous in my heart, in my home, where I work, save my family members and friends. When you go repeatedly before the King of Kings in intercessory prayer nothing can stop it. I am convinced that I am saved and in the church tonight because I had Grand-Parents who prayed for me and would not quit. How is your prayer life? Is there any power in it? Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours Who or what are you praying for? Wednesday, November 02. 2011Seeds of Faith
Seed of faith
The appropriation of faith begins with the right mental attitude. Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Hebrews 11:7 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. The word of God is the seed that when planted in our hearts generates faith in Gods ability to do what He has said He will do. Hebrews 6:11-12 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Everything in life starts with a seed—including the things we receive by faith. In Genesis 8:22, God says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest . . . shall not cease.” The eternal law of seedtime and harvest, planting and reaping, giving and receiving will not change as long as the earth remains. Jesus compared faith to a seed being planted to get a result: “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). When we put our faith in God’s hands like a seed we plant, we are giving God something to work with, and He will send the miracle we need. No matter how small our faith seems to be, it will meet needs and solve problems that appear as impossible to move as mountains. This is because each act of faith is a seed planted and will be multiplied many times. The Seed-Faith principle that we find in the Bible contains three keys: 1. Recognize that God is our Source. Philippians 4:19 says, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God will supply all our needs according to His riches, His love for us, His power to help us, and His wisdom to guide us. He may use many different instruments—a job, gifts, doctors, friends, family—to meet our need. But He alone is the Source, and He alone cannot fail. 2. Give first, so that it may be given unto us. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” We must first plant a seed of faith so that God can multiply it back to meet our need. Jesus is talking about giving in the deepest sense of the word—the giving of ourselves to God. This includes anything we can give—love, time, patience, forgiveness, finances, prayer, whatever we have. Our giving reflects our trust in God and our thankfulness. It links us to God’s inexhaustible resources for our every need. There is no way we can give to God without receiving something back from Him, multiplied! 3. Expect a miracle. Mark 11:24 says, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” The moment we ask God for something—the moment we do our part and plant our seed of faith—we should believe God that the answer is on its way. It is important to expect our miracle so we can recognize it and reach forth to take it when it comes. And it’s also important to remember that God controls the time and method He will use to give back to us. We must keep trusting God and expecting our miracle, no matter how long it takes to reach us. So, give God something to work with. No matter how little you think you have, sow it in joy and faith, knowing in your heart that you are sowing seed so you may reap miracles. Then start expecting all kinds of miracles! Remember, God always sends the right answer at the right time, in the right way. His timing and methods are always exactly right for our lives! Tuesday, October 25. 2011The Evidence Of Revival
Sunday mornings The Evidence Of Revival October 23, 2011
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This last week, we had great revival services with Dr. Ted Lee. Many folks came forward to recommit themselves to the work that God has for us to do. Others spoke of the power of God sensed in the service. Revival is needed for both the church as a corporate body, and for the individual believer. So, the question is this, how will we know whether we have been revived? What will be the evidence? When a man marries a wife he gives some evidence that he is married. Something is wrong, if a new bride or groom tells you that nothing has changed in their life after marriage. There should be some evidences both outward and inward. o The wedding rings and marriage license. o The wedding photos and video. o The new home they begin together. o The expressions of love for each other. o All of these and more should be present and give evidence that there has been a major change in their lives. I believe that in much the same way, there will be some evidence when a person or a church experiences revival. Our lives will not be the same the next day after having revival. If it is, then whatever happened was not genuine revival! Revival brings a new attitude toward God, other believers, and the lost. It brings a new determination to be consistent in our walk and our service to God. It brings a new enthusiasm about what God has done, and what He will do in the future! Have we been revived? Time will tell. The evidence will prove whether it was a work of God or a work of the flesh. Let give you some thoughts on the evidence of revival. Prayer. It’s something we know we’re supposed to do, but we’re so busy, so tired, and so doubtful of its power that we often do everything but pray. May we begin to pray in faith—believing that the God who commanded us to pray will hear and work miracles as a result of our prayers. amen Devotions Intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ is essential to the Christian walk. Only by spending time with Him can we learn to love Him and know Him. Yet all too often, we treat devotions as a low priority; we neglect them in favor of lesser pursuits. Forgiveness When the pain is overwhelming, the wound tender, and the offense obvious, how do we forgive? There are no magic words or secret formulas. But there are biblical principles that can help you break free from bitterness and pain. Humility Humility is a virtue more often praised than sought. Who wants to think little of himself? The world admires the self-confident, the ambitious, yes, even the proud! Yet biblical humility-recognizing oneself as a sinner before the holy God-is a prerequisite for starting down the path to revival. Honesty Seeking God for personal revival requires a level of honesty that, at first, may seem quite threatening. Covering up our faults and failures is an involuntary reflex. At first glance, it often seems like the best option. We want others to think the best of us. However humility-one of the first prerequisites for revival-requires the willingness to be honest with God and others about our true spiritual condition. Holiness Holiness can be defined on two levels. Positional holiness is what God imparts to us when we become his children. Since God is holy and we are sinners, we are reconciled to God through the blood of Christ shed on the cross. God imparts Christ's righteousness to us and makes us holy and blameless before him. That's our spiritual position in Christ. We have been separated from sin and set apart to God. Personal holiness (or practical holiness), on the other hand, is the outworking and fruit of positional holiness, evidenced in the way we think and live. Because we belong to God and his Holy Spirit indwells in us, we are commanded and divinely equipped to live according to his will every day, in every way. Obedience God loves his children. He knows we cannot fully experience and enjoy his love unless we are obedient to Him. Obeying God is not meant to be a sterile, cold requirement; rather, it is a willing, glad-hearted response to One who loves us extravagantly and has our best interests at heart. God does not stand by at a distance, demanding our obedience. Rather, He blesses us by allowing us to be a part of accomplishing his purposes. He calls us to surrender, invites us to follow, empowers us to serve, and than blesses our obedience. Clear Conscience The commitment to have a clear conscience is an important key to personal and corporate revival. When our conscience is clear, we have nothing to be ashamed of. Sexual Purity God created us as sexual beings, and our sexual drive is a good and powerful part of us. But when those desires surpass our desire for God, or when we seek to fulfill them apart form God's prescribed means and timing, they can be our downfall. The Bible's perspective on sexual purity has gotten a bad rap as repressive, outdated, legalistic, and no fun. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Staying pure or committing to moral purity, can be a big step toward personal revival, deep joy, and true freedom. Spirit-Filled Life Whether you realize it or not, the Holy Spirit is actively involved in every dimension of your Christian life, from before the point of your conversion until you get to heaven. We are never intended to live our lives apart from him. In fact we cannot live our Christian lives apart from him! The Holy Spirit acts as our guide and our companion-the one sent from heaven to lead us home. He enables us to obey God, empowers us to become like Jesus, and fills us with supernatural power for work and for witness. We should therefore learn how to listen to Him, how to follow Him, how to rely on his power, and how to walk in his fullness. Grace God does not ask us to meet his requirements on our own. In fact, he knows we can't live humble, holy, obedient lives without him. God makes available to every one of his children an incredible resource to make it possible to live a godly life. That amazing, extravagant provision is called . . . grace. Grace (Un-merited favor) is the very thing that we need from God and those around us, because none of us are perfect. And it is the thing that those around us need from us. It comes from God naturally but not so easily from us. Well these are a few of the evidences of real revival. There presence or lack there of we tell if we have had revival. I was watching a television show some time ago where someone had suddenly died, the paramedics were called and they began cpr and suddenly the one with the stethoscope said, “I have a pulse” that’s what we have hear, “Just a Pulse” signs of life but now we need to nurture that life and let it gain strength. Will you join me in praying for revival. This message was well received by the church. The notes do not do it justice. You may want to listen to it on-line and come back next week as we deal with the evidence of revival Monday, August 22. 2011A Blessing
Sunday Nites A Blessing August 21st 2011
3 John 1:1 The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well 1. SPIRITUAL BLESSING The Lord wants us to experience spiritual blessing . Our soul is blessed when we love the Lord with all our heart and we love others as we love ourselves. III JOHN 2:2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well MATTHEW 22:37-40 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” EPHESIANS 1:17-20 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 2. PHYSICAL BLESSING The Lord wants us to experience physical prosperity . He wants to heal our diseases and redeem our life from destruction . PSALM 103:2-5 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s 3. MATERIAL BLESSING The Lord wants us to experience material blessing . He has promised to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory. PHILIPPIANS 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. MATTHEW 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 4. EMOTIONAL BLESSING The Lord wants us to experience emotional blessing. He wants us to be filled with the joy of the Lord. The Lord will heal our broken hearts and bind up our wounds. He will turn our mourning into dancing and clothe us with joy. He wants to give us beauty instead of ashes , the oil of gladness instead of mourning , the garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness . PHILIPPIANS 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! PSALM 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. PSALM 30:11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, ISAIAH 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 5. SOCIAL BLESSING The Lord wants us to experience social blessing . He wants to lift us up in society . He wants to make us the head and not the tail. He wants to bless us in this world and make us a blessing to society. DEUTERONOMY 28:13 " The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. " ROMANS 12:18 " If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. " 7. ETERNAL BLESSING The Lord wants us to experience eternal prosperity . He wants us to lay our treasures in heaven where we can enjoy them for all eternity. MATTHEW 6:19-21" Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. " Sunday, August 14. 2011Isaiah’s Revival
Sunday Mornings Isaiah’s Revival August 14th 2011
About 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, the sad announcement was made, “THE KING IS DEAD”. King Uzziah, the eleventh King of Judah, had died. Crowned at the age of 16, he had reigned 52 years. Despite his failings, he was the greatest king since David. When Isaiah went up to the House of the Lord, he learned that his friend the king was dead. In his time of sorrow he went into the temple to worship God and seek comfort from Him but this encounter with God radically changed his life. Isaiah saw three things that I want to draw to your attention: 1. HE LOOKED UP AND SAW THE LORD. Isaiah 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Isaiah saw something of God’s nature and character. He saw something of the Lord that Moses described Him as “majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders” Exodus 15:11 The vision was of God high and lifted up upon His throne. He saw God as the central object of all praise, surrounded by heavenly angelic beings - the seraphim. As Isaiah met with God, he had a revelation of the greatness of the Lord, and it changed his life forever. The same living Lord is here this morning to meet with WHOEVER will call upon His name. EARTHLY kings may come and go - but the King of Kings is alive forever more, and just as powerful as ever He has been, and just as willing to reveal Himself to men. 2. HE LOOKED UPWARD AND SAW HIMSELF. V:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah SAW HIMSELF as he had never quite seen himself before. He did not see himself in the way that one sees themselves as they admire their own image in a mirror. No, no! He did not see himself as a good person, worthy of God’s commendation, and the praise of people. He didn’t think to himself, “WOW! I must be the best person here, because God has honored ONLY ME with a vision of Himself.” That was NOT his attitude at all. Instead he cried out: Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips! AND THIS IS ALWAYS TRUE. The closer we get to God, the more clearly we see our sins. The contrast between His holiness and our unholiness gives us a vivid awareness of just how very far short of God’s glory we truly fall. When Peter was CLOSEST to Jesus he said: Depart from me; for I am a sinful man. When John received the Revelation of Christ on the Island of Patmos, he wrote, I fell at His feet as though dead! A lost sense of God brings a lost sense of sin. But a renewed sense of God brings a renewed awareness of our own sinfulness. V:6-7 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” When Isaiah confessed his sin, God forgave his sin and cleanse him from all unrighteousness. This is the power that ONLY GOD has in a life. Government agencies, social workers, psychiatrists, modern education; they can all try what they will, they cannot change the heart of man with all their programs of reform - THEY’RE POWERLESS! But God can come in a moment of time, and revolutionize a person, and make them a new creation! I understand that the success rate for rehabilitating hard-line drug addicts is pitifully low. An independent government study was undertaken in the U.S. and found that the success rate of de-tox centers in getting people off drugs permanently (tested after 7 years) was just 2 - 9%. The more intensive rehabilitation centers were not much better - just 9 - 11%. But this independent government study found that “TEEN CHALLENGE” (an organization that is thoroughly Christian - founded by David Wilkerson in New York had a success rate documented as being 86%. When the government researchers were asked what was the difference, they replied (in their words) that the ONLY thing they could put Teen Challenge’s success down to was “THE JESUS FACTOR” (the government’s own words!). Teen Challenge is making a difference because this is not a program based upon the wisdom of men, but on the power of God to transform a life. they’re not preaching rehabilitation; they’re preaching RADICAL REGENERATION. And they’re not prescribing substitute drugs; they’re prescribing a relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ! 3. HE LOOKED OUT AND SAW THE WORLD. V: 8-9 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 9 He said, “Go and tell this people: A knowledge of God will make us good in all our relationships. Isaiah got in with God and he heard God’s heartbeat for a lost and dying people. He heard God’s summons for a messenger to reach out to them. God said: Whom shall I send, who will go for us? And immediately Isaiah says, HERE I AM, SEND ME! Yes, God can take YOU and use you for His glory - if only you’ll live for Him a cleansed, purified life. Have you seen Him? In the pages of His Word - in the voice of the preacher - do you hear His call? Do you recognize that your sin and guilt keep you from Him? Have you accepted His salvation - purchased with His own blood? Are you hearing His call to go, to be His witness to others? Open your heart to Him today. Don’t be the one who is hardened, and goes away empty. Respond to Him with the faith He gives. Monday, August 08. 2011Why No Revival
Sunday Mornings Why No Revival August 7th 2011
Read Joshua 7:1-26 James 4:1-10 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? There is no revival because there is a lack of unity. Collectively and individually. Fighting with others or ourselves causes division, strife, and chaos. None of these things are a part of God’s character, they oppose the character of God. V:2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. We go to the wrong places seeking what we want. You never get what you really want because you look for it everywhere but from God. You never ask the one who has what you want. What is it that you want? Happiness, joy, security and peace of mind. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. When we do go to God we ask for the wrong motives and we misuse the resources that God gives you to use. Cindy’s cousin Charles Williams was the pastor of a large church in Washington Court House Ohio. One day one of his leading layman said Hey pastor, “Look at the new boat I bought for my family, I haven’t come up with a name yet. Charles said, Why don’t you call it my tithe because that’s how you paid for it. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? Every revival in the Bible or history always came when sin was exposed and through conviction of judgment brought repentance. Always there was clear and plain preaching to bring forth a choice of whom a person will serve, "For no man can serve two masters". Elijah boldly asked "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21) There HAS to be a choice in lifestyle, thoughts and heart. On this hinges all the hopes of revival and evangelism. What do you really want in your life, who do you really want to follow? A choice is always made. Joshua made it clear for himself and his family when he said: "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15) 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Submit to God and resist the Devil. Our problem is we have that turned around. We live in a society that submits to the Devil and resist God. Revival will never come as long as we live that way. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. We must come to God and we must come clean. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. II Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Monday, August 08. 2011According to His Will
Sunday Nites According to His Will August 7, 2011
All believers should understand why God sometimes says “No” to their prayers. How can we stay motivated to pray even when the response we seem to be getting is silence? The Bible provides some answers to the question 1. The request is outside of God’s will. 1John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. So then, if we ask it of him but don’t receive it we know it is outside of his will. Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Remember in the model prayer Jesus told us to pray “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done”. The closer we get to God, the more we know him because we’re praying and reading the Bible, and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit, the more our prayers will begin lining up with God’s will. 2. The timing is not right yet. Sometimes what seems like silence from God is actually a “Yes, but you’ll need to wait.” God may in fact be working to bring about the answer to your request, but the timing is not right for it to be revealed. We see this in the story of Moses’ calling to deliver the Israelites from slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt. God was concerned. He heard the prayers. But his plan called for the raising up of Moses to lead his people to freedom from slavery. And that plan took time to bring about. A long time. 80 years just from the time of Moses’ birth! Why did it take so long? Only God knows that. What we can know is that if our prayers seem like they are not being answered, it could be that God is already working out his plan of deliverance for us, but we are going to have to simply trust him during the time of waiting. James 5:7-8 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 3. God is testing your faith. Sometimes we may pray for God to do something – and he will politely decline our request. Why? Because he needs us to remember our complete dependence upon Him. 2Cor. 12:7-10 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Could God have delivered him from his “thorn in the flesh”? Most definitely. So why didn’t he? Because it is when God’s servants are weak, when they endure weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties, that God is able to glorify Himself in and through them. I believe God understood Paul and how he might have become conceited if God delivered him of this “thorn in the flesh”. Whatever this thorn was, it limited Paul’s ability to succeed in life and ministry in his own power. It made him weak – so that God’s grace could shine through all the more. 4. God allows people to exercise free will. God has given humans free will, we have to remember this when our prayers for certain people are not answered. “Lord, make him stop doing drugs.” “Lord, make her come back to me.” “Lord, change his mind about You.” God will not “make” someone change. We can pray for the person to be convinced, to be influenced by their circumstances – but if we are praying for God to MAKE someone do something, we need to realize God has chosen to limit His own powers to bring about that change. People can and do choose to resist his will. 5. God is good. Rom. 8:28-29 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. This is the bottom line. Either we believe that God is in charge or he is not. Sometimes as believers things will happen, tragic things that make no sense to us, that assault our sense of justice. When all is said and done, we have two choices. We can trust that God is good and is working all things together for our good, or we can believe that God has abdicated his throne and is powerless to do anything. One choice will bring hope. One will bring despair. One choice follows the teaching of the Bible. One does not. Some of you may be familiar with the name Kay Arthur. She has written several Christian books, and she has her own radio program. She tells about one day, she was getting out of the car, her arms loaded down with books, and not wanting to go into her house. She was a young widow with two children, and it had been a bad day. She was hurting. As she stared at the grass, her mind went back to a time in her childhood when she had been running through the grass toward her dad, terrified and screaming. He had scooped her up in his arms and given her comfort. She wished that she could be a little girl again. She wished that she had someone to hold her right then. As she turned to go into her house, she suddenly saw herself in her mind’s eye, a little girl in pigtails, flying down a vast marble corridor. Oil paintings bigger than life hung on the walls. She could hear her little shoes on the marble floor and see the tears that ran down her cheeks. It was a long corridor. At he end, two huge gold doors glistened in the sunlight which filtered through beveled cathedral windows. On either side of the imposing door stood two magnificently dressed guards holding huge spears and blocking the entrance into the room beyond. Undaunted, the little girl ran straight toward the doors, still crying, “Abba!” She never broke her stride for as she neared the doors, the guards flung them opened and heralded her arrival: “The daughter of the King! The daughter of the King!” Court was in session. The cherubim and seraphim cried, “Holy, holy, holy!” and the elders sat on their thrones, dressed in white, wearing crowns of gold, and talking with the King of kings. But none of this slowed his daughter! Oblivious to everything going on about her, she ran past the seven burning lamps of fire and up the steps leading to the throne, and she catapulted herself into the King’s arms. She was home and wrapped in the arms of his everlasting love. He reached up and, with one finger, gently wiped away her tears. Then He smoothed the sticky hair on her face back into her braids and said, “Now, now, tell your Father all about it.” Kay Arthur walked into the house, left her books on the table, walked through her house, and knelt by her bedside. Then she proceeded to tell her Father all about it. (Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, p. 131) REPEAT: God will not always give us what we ask for. But He will always give us Himself. And in the end that is far better. PRAY Sunday, July 31. 2011The Next Great Generation
Sunday Mornings The Next Great Generation July 31st 2011
Several years ago Tom Brokaw wrote about what he called the greatest generation, those who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war's home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort. They lived in hard times but their sacrifices made them great. America is once again in hard times. We have lost our sense of right and wrong. We have forgotten about self-sacrifice and instead feel we should be able to have what we want when we want it. We deny ourselves nothing. The results of such behavior is the place we find ourselves today. Failing families and continual moral decay. Revival is what we need. A touch of the Almighty. A fresh seeking and finding of God in our lives. The Welsh preacher Christmas Evans said that “Revival is God bending down to the dying embers of a fire that is just about to go out, and breathing into it, until it burst into flames.” A woman once asked preacher Billy Sunday, “why bother seeking for revival…Revivals come and then they GO but they don’t last.? His reply, “well, why do you take baths” They come and they go, and they don’t last……………. We need revival because we need to be clean. We need revival in Huntington WV. because the church needs to be cleaned up. God will not blest half-heartedness. This morning that we can have revival if we seek God’s presence. Throughout history God has moved in an unusual manner in the hearts and minds of young people and the results have been changed lives , churches and whole communities. In the spring of 1904 a young Welshman named Evan Roberts was repeatedly awakened to pray from 1:00 to 5:00 a.m. By November that year a powerful spiritual awakening was spreading through Wales that became known as the Welsh revival. The Welsh revival really exploded through a single testimony of a young believer named Florrie Evans. When her pastor asked for testimonies Florrie arose & with a trembling voice said, "I love Jesus with all my heart." God used this to melt the hearts of many others. Asbury seminary in Wilmore Ky has been the place where many revivals have started. In February 1908, revival broke out while someone prayed in chapel; the revival lasted two weeks non stop. In February 1921 the last service of a planned revival lasted until 6 am, and services were extended for three days. In February 1950 a student testimony led to confessions, victories, and more testimonies. This went on uninterrupted for 118 hours and became the second leading news story nationwide; it is estimated that 50,000 people found a new experience in Christ as a result of this revival and witness teams that went out from it. In March 1958 revival began in a student fast prayer meeting that spilled over into chapel and lasted for 63 hours. In February 1970 student confession and testimonies led to 144 hours of unbroken revival; some 2,000 witness teams went out from Wilmore to churches around the nation. In March 1992 a student confession during the closing chapel turned into 127 consecutive hours of prayer and praise. In 1995 Revival broke out upon a church in Pensacola Florida, and more than 100,000 people have been saved Revival can happen anywhere. Recently David Bryant the leader of Concerts of Prayer ministries was ask by a reporter, “Where do you expect to see God work if revival breaks out in full? He said, It will probably first show itself among junior high students.” 2 Kings 22:8-10 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 9 Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. The Bible tells us the story of young King Josiah. He became king of Judah at age 8. At 16 the Bible say’s that this teenager began to seek the Lord and for the next 10 years he did all that he knew to do to be a man of God. Then when he was 26 he had people clean up the temple/church that had fallen into disrepair for lack of use. In the process of repairing the temple, Hilkiah the priest had discovered a copy of the Book of the Law—that Book which God had given Israel through Moses, and which had been lost during the rule of a series of evil kings. When Shaphan, the scribe, read the book, he hurried to Josiah Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. 1. When the word of God was read Josiah’s Eyes were opened. It contained not only the history of the nation’s call by God, but also gave explicit instructions on how to live. And at the end of the lost Book, in the section we call Deuteronomy was a list of curses that God would call down on Israel if His people forsook Him and His Law. • The king was TERROR STRICKEN. No one living could remember a day when Judah had known and obeyed the commands found in this Book! Immediately Josiah humbled himself before God and prayed for mercy. The king had suddenly gained a new understanding of who this God whom he had been attempting to serve really was. Josiah had been serving the Lord to the best of his ability, but when confronted by the word of God he realized he was lacking. The Truth Had caused him to be stricken 2 Kings 22:11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes • The same thing can happen here… • When we see the truth • Of who God is • And who we are • Revival can break forth. Anthony Campolo Tells ---of a Junior High youth camp, Where a boy with spastic paralysis, was the object of heartless ridicule. When he would ask a question, the other boys would deliberately answer in a halting, mimicking way. One night his cabin group chose him to lead the devotions before the entire camp. It was one more effort to have some "fun" at his expense. Unashamedly the spastic boy stood up, and in his strained, slurred manner -- each word coming with enormous effort -- he said simple, "Jesus loves me -- and I love Jesus!" That was all. Conviction fell upon those junior-highers. Many began to cry. Revival gripped the camp. Years afterward, Campolo still meets men in the ministry who came to Christ because of that testimony. And Josiah was ready to do whatever it would take to please God. 2 Kings 22:13-20 Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” 14 Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. 15 She said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 ‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ 18 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” So they took her answer back to the king. And Josiah acted immediately. 2 Kings 23:3 - REPENTED renewing the covenant 2 Kings 23:12 – sought RIGHTEOUSNESS tearing down the alters 2 Kings 23:21 – RENEWED relationship with God He wanted a visitation of God that bring life to all those who had been sleeping. He wanted to see a restoration of a deep sense of God’s presence. He wanted to please the Lord and avoid the Judgment of God upon his nation. He wanted a new beginning, And he got it Because his heart was responsive to the word of God How is your heart this morning? Do you desire revival? Do you want to feel God’s presence in your life? Are you willing to sacrifice? Like Josiah And seek the Holy Spirits guidance (2 Kings 22:19) Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD Sunday, July 31. 2011I have the Victory
Sunday Nites I have the Victory July 31st 2011
1 John 5:1-5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. You have probably heard of the TV show “Survivor.” Regardless of what you think of this Television series it is something of a Phenomenon. It was reported that 50 million Americans watched these broadcasts. In case you know nothing of the show a group of people volunteered to be marooned on an island and the last person not voted off the island won a million dollars. But, “What does it mean to be a Survivor?” In our world today we talk about all kinds of survivors: cancer survivors, abuse survivors, tornado survivors, earthquake survivors and the list goes on and on! It is great to be a survivor but I want to do more than just survive. The Bible does not use the word “survivor” but it does use the word “overcomer.” The root word for overcome has a very interesting meaning in the original language (Greek) it means to prevail, to pass over, to gain the victory. I don’t want to settle for just surviving, I want to get the victory, I want to be an overcomer! While being able to survive on a desert island or in the Australian outback or even to win a million dollars may make good television, the ability to be a spiritual survivor in this world is far more important. In order to grasp what it means to be a Spiritual Survivor we want to ask and answer a some questions. I. WHAT MUST WE OVERCOME 1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, comes not from the Father but from the world. Here the world is described as our foe. The world still attacks us through these three areas of temptation. Jesus taught his disciples to be confident and optimistic. Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We can be overcomers because Jesus was an overcomer. The Lord has provided a way for the believer to be victorious over every foe he faces. II. HOW CAN WE BECOME OVERCOMERS You do not become an overcomer just by trying. You become an overcomer by trusting. It is by faith, that we are born again. When we by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we are born again. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. If you want to be victorious, it is time to stop trying and start trusting. What are you trusting in today? “Years ago in London, a liberal minister who didn’t believe in the gospel, was visited by a young boy who had been sent by his mother. He said, ‘My mother is dying. Please come and get here in!’ At first he believed the boy meant that his mother was out drunk somewhere so the minister said to the boy, ‘Get a policeman, it is raining out and I don’t want to go out. Get a policeman to get her home.’ The boy replied, ‘She is already at home. She’s not drunk she is at home and she is dying.’ Now the minister was stunned as he understood that she needed words of comfort to face her Maker, so he was worried about what to say. When he arrived at her beside, he told her that she had lived a good life. ‘You’ve nothing to fear,’ he said, ‘God is Love.’ But his words gave her no hope. The pastor became desperate. All he could remember was a hymn his mother had sung when he was a boy, so he began to sing, ‘There is a fountain filled with blood drawn Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.’ Seeing the woman’s face brighten, he falteringly related what he had been taught in his youth - that Christ took the sinner’s place on the cross. In those moments the dying woman found peace by trusting Jesus as her Savior. Presenting the gospel to her, the minister ‘got her.’ The next Sunday he told his congregation about his experience. He concluded, ‘Not only did it get her in, it got me in too. From now on I’ll preach Christ and him crucified.” III. HOW CAN WE LIVE LIKE OVERCOMERS? John tells us in Revelation 12:11They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. What does it mean to testify? I Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, Is there any hope to be seen in your life, or is your life as hopeless as everyone else? If people don’t notice a difference in your life there probably is none. We can overcome the obstacles that we face in this life through the strength that we receive in the Lord. The believer is reminded in 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. If you have been born again, you have already been made an overcomer in Him. We have already been given the victory through the blood of Jesus Christ. Our challenge now is to live in the light of the victory that has already been won. Verse 1: The name of Jesus is so sweet, the name of Jesus gives me joy complete. The name of Jesus is living inside of me. We've got the victory, we've got the victory. Verse 2: In the name of Jesus, the dumb can talk. In the name of Jesus, the lame can pick up their bed and walk. In the name of Jesus, the captives can be made free. We've got the victory, we've got the victory Bridge: What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief's to bear. What a privilege it is to carry everything, everything, everything to God in prayer. Victory, we've got the victory. Victory, we've got the victory |
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