I actually wrote this bible study a while back. I may revise it more as I am ready to present it to our Life Group soon. I wanted to go ahead and post it as it seems a few of you have been logging on to my blog and my last new post was a while ago. So here it is , lets pray....
God you are great and almighty. You are merciful Lord God, and you give us Grace to save us, Grace to bring us out of death to life, with you. You shower us with your gifts. Lord help us through our drawing nearer to you, and help us to get out of your way. Kill us Lord, and fill us back up with your presence, Lord we seek to marinate our minds in your word, so that we could be transformed, a new creation, in you Lord God.
How do you decide what God’s will is, and when you do,… what happens next?
Romans 12:1-2 NIV
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, Holy and pleasing to God-This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
God is merciful, to us. Our reaction should be to trust, obey and serve Him. This is more than an animal sacrifice; it represents a newness of life.
What does Holy mean here?
Holy here means “set apart” for God’s use.
In the NKJV it reads “ reasonable act of service”
What is your reasonable act of service?
It is the only rational reaction that we should have to the Grace ( and all the gifts ) God has showered on us.
Conform means to mold or form. The world ( as we know it ) is today’s society in this country and it’s ways..Instead of being molded by those values, the believer should be transformed and changed by the renewing of the mind. Spiritual transformation starts in the mind and the heart. A mind dedicated to the world will be tossed back and forth by current trends of this culture, but a mind dedicated to God’s truth will produce a life that will stand the test of time and leave a meaningful legacy. We can resist the temptations of our culture by meditating on God’s truth ( marinating our minds ) and letting the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts and behaviors.
Psalm 1:2
…but his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law he meditates day and night.
Who here tonight is already or wants to be a Disciple Of Jesus Christ?
What does it mean to trust God? Do we do it?
So, let’s talk about THIS.
Die To Self
Luke 9:23-24 New Living Translation (NLT)
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Mark 8:35 New International Version ( NIV )
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Mark 8:35 The Message (MSG)
Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?
The martyr Jim Elliot (1927-1956), missionary to the Auca people in Ecuador, often expressed this classic piece of wisdom:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Assuming we’re already Christ-believer’s, and conceding Jesus’ statement is conditional, chasing the ‘lost’ life in order to truly save our life (hence finding it) requires us to consistently give up on our own personal desires, plans and dreams and to start loving others as we do ourselves. It’s the perfect search of selflessness and wisdom.
Philippians 2:3-4 NIV
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be like Jesus attitude.
And this can’t ever be done overnight. It’s a process of practicing the practice over the years and decades, commencing with the seconds and minutes. It’s about training. It’s about listening to, and cooperating with, the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. It’s about becoming a professional Christ like human being. And if this is our sole focus, all other things we need will be given to us.
Enter the concept of good faith, and right living before God and with humankind.
When we give up what we cannot keep (our life and control over it) for a life in God, we get to keep a slice of eternity (here) as a sort of ‘down payment’ on life kept in eternity (to come) with God--something we cannot lose, provided we remain in him.
How well do you understand the cost of discipleship?
What does it mean to "deny ourselves”?
We must shed old habits, distance ourselves from worldly ways. We must move away from temptations and put Christ and others first in our lives.
How do you apply “taking up your cross” in your life?
For me it is my daily challenge to not retaliate to the abuse I receive at work from my manager.(This was actually in my last job, when i wrote this. I am now my manager, Praise God.) And in other areas of daily living.
Matthew 7:13-14New Living Translation (NLT)
The Narrow Gate
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."
The dictionary definition of disciple is: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
It doesn’t say go to church one hour a week. It says to share what you have learned.
So, why do you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Do you want the trials and persecution that will come?
If we refuse the crosses, then we cannot be a follower; if I follow, then crosses are inevitable.
Romans 5:3-5 NLT
And we can rejoice also when we face trials and problems, for we know that they help us develop endurance, and endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
God’s all sufficient grace will enable us to carry our crosses well.
What is at Stake
While the Bible plainly teaches that the sole requirement to be saved is to trust Christ as Lord and Savior, sometimes the invitation to "trust" or "accept" Him is done in a way that is sufficiently vague.
Christians need to take time to thoroughly explain the gospel when evangelizing, but many never do. If the gospel is not explained and understood, false conversions happen more frequently as a result of superficial and misinformed decisions. As a result, churches become filled with misinformed, but comfortable people who will one day stand at the gate of heaven saying; “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” Matthew 7:22 (NKJV) only to hear Him reply, “I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” Matthew 7:23 (NLT)
If anything in the Bible is frightening, this is it…people who claim the name of Christ, go to church, and even do ministry, all the while living their lives with a false hope, because they never really knew Jesus.
If the world is messed up, ask yourself this; How did I mess it up?
What are you doing?to fulfill your purpose? ( the reason why you were saved )
Matthew 6:33
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Deuteronomy 6:5
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength
We can do things our way, or we can do things God’s way…our way is not working
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Pray For Your Enemies
Pray For Your Enemies
“I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)
I believe that there are some things that are taught in scripture that you understand better when God blesses you to experience the situation yourself, and see how doing things God's way produces the results that you were told would happen when you walk in principles.
The Message Bible
Matthew 5:43-47 "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.”
In the church, we all are supposed to know that the response to bad treatment is – prayer! We are supposed to PRAY for the person who maliciously harms us. But the question is: how do we do it? WHAT do we pray for in relation to them? Unfortunately, most do not only pray, but also seethe in “righteous” indignation at the hurt received. We have heard about a lot of failures in that area - many have prayed, but the anger has remained!
When the young man took Carol’s purse recently, I instinctively ran after him. When I caught up to him I was angry, mostly that he would be taking my hard earned cash that Carol had just put in her purse in the car before we got out, and some of hers, and the credit cards which causes a lot of work to cancel them all. I was shouting at him as I approached at full sprint and again as he dropped the purse and ran away, about what I planned to do if I caught him.
When I saw him a few days later walking into our development, I was with Steven and we pulled over and I got out to be sure it was him. I walked towards him and calmly said “you are the guy who stole my wife’s purse last Friday night” He took one look at me and took off for the fence, jumped up on to it. Flipped over it and took off into the development. Again I was shouting at him about what I’d like to do to him and calling him a criminal. Again I called the police to tell them I’d saw him again.
We know that forgiveness is a necessary element in our response. When Jesus was on the cross, He said the words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). You might think, “Well, He’s God and I’m only a human being – He can forgive, but I can’t!” And that’s true. But Scripture teaches that it’s,” It is not by force, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies”. (Zechariah 4:6) It is not by your strength that can forgive. The Lord can take our helplessness and do what is impossible for you and me alone.
Through Him, we Can release the anger, the hatred that is felt about the person who did the harm, or committed the crime.
Stephen was not God, neither was he an apostle; he was just an ordinary man, but by the Lord in Him, he did something amazing. As the angry mob was throwing stones at him and Stephen knew he was about to die, he shouted words that should be ours, as well: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:60).Wow, could you or I do that?
To be hit with just one rock is an unpleasant experience, and many stones were thrown. Stephen’s bones were being broken and his enemies were shouting unforgivable insults. Emotionally and physically – it hurt! But he called out to the Lord, and knew God’s forgiveness for his attackers, as the last breath went out of his shattered body.
Today’s Scripture says that we are incredibly to “Do good” to those who hate us. Jesus supplied specific examples of HOW to “do good” in relation to them. He said, “Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:39-41). Incredibly, don’t retaliate. Instead – help them!
It seems that we are intended to always do “nice” things and pray “nice” prayers for the one who slaps, sues, or robs us. And that’s the truth, except that “nice” from God’s vantage point, is not necessarily our way of looking at things. His aim is that our enemy will have a changed life and won’t slap people anymore. Stephen saw his attackers’ need, and God has many ways to reach sinners like them, and you and me.
When I saw this young man who stole my wife’s purse the third time I was coming home from work last Wednesday night after 8:00 PM. I did a U-turn and drove past him and turned around again. I pulled into the gas station where he had walked to and parked there. He then left and started walking north back up Military Trail towards the gate to our development. I think he saw me park at the Circle K across from the gas station and he kept walking. As I drove up the street passing him he ducked into an alcove on the side of the road and hid. I had ice in the car and drove home to put it in the freezer. I saw my neighbor Peter as I was walking into my house and he was asking me if I’d seen the man again, and I said “ Yes, just now and I’ll be right out”. Peter and I started walking towards the gate house and I called Chris at the gate house and asked him if he’d seen someone as I described coming past the gate and he said “ he is coming through right now”
Peter and I now could see him as we walked toward him from afar and we hesitated as he turned and walked into the community. Peter and I split up, he walked the lake behind the houses following the man and I walked the street. We went a long way around and then I saw that Peter had come out to the street, so I cut over to the lake. As I am walking I see that he has somehow eluded Peter and he is trotting back the other way on the street. We look at each other through the pass through between the apartments, and as he disappears I turn and jog the other way, that he is now going. At the next pass through we see each other again and we both stop. He turns and walks towards me and I walk toward him.I have spent the last 20 years consistantly training in the Martial Arts.I hold high level belts in multipal styles. I run a couple miles every other day, do a few rounds on the heavy bag,do a full Karate stretch and exersize, and throw some weights around, I am completly ready for this moment.However God has His own plans throughout this entire situation. I am walking towrd him and he is walking closer to me, I am taking off my watch and glasses preparing to rumble. We walk right up to each other face to face and he says, “why are you dogging me?” I say, “because you stole my wife’s purse”. He says, “but I did not get anything”. I now say, “yes, you did not get anything, but you robbed us and that is a crime for which I have reported you to the Police” I asked him, “How old are you”, and he said 20 yrs. old. I then say, Look, you need to seek the Lord in your life and pray to draw closer to Him so that you will not continue to do things like this". He says, “I am sorry, I’m sorry and I pray every night that I won’t get in trouble for this that I have done”. I say to him, “ you need to never do something like this again” He now says, “ I don’t do this, it was a mistake and I am sorry, now will you stop dogging me?” I say,”OK, if you are truly sorry and you do not plan to do it again to anyone, I will forgive you now and you and I are OK,I forgive you”.
He looks at me looking very scared still, and we turn and walk our separate ways.
I went home and told Carol what happened and then Peter knocked on the door. I walked outside with him and he said,"I guess he got away". I said,"no, I caught up with him and spoke to him". His eyes got wide and he said, "did you fight, why didn't you hold him for the Police?" I told Peter what happened and that I had no choice but to believe him and forgive him. Peter said to me, "you forgive him? I said, Yes, Peter,"I forgive him". Peter said," alright then, if you forgive him then I forgive him".
I am a sinner saved by the Grace that was given to me by my Lord and savoir Jesus Christ, who paid my debt for all the sin I have done, by dying for me on a cross. God forgives me, and I am the most like Christ when I am loving those that have wronged me,and forgiving them.
This was a DEFINING MOMENT in my walk of faith, and I feel that this experience has taken me to a new closer relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ by being his ambassador and letting the Holy Spirit guide me as I walked calmly into a potentially dangerous situation. I am now praying for this young man daily and will continue to intercede in prayer for him.
In the words of a Perry’s song….Grace doesn't remember what Jesus forgave, and each time I’m reminded of my past mistakes, I remember what’s been forgotten, through His blood my sins are erased, and Grace doesn't remember what Jesus forgave.
Jesus was hanging on the cross between two thief’s and one of them asked Him for forgiveness.
One way to reach your enemies is by unexpectedly being kind in return for evil. There are characters out there who will gladly slap your other cheek, and then sue for damages if you disappoint them by not fighting back. And especially note that you accomplish NOTHING by passively responding in your OWN STRENGTH. Your enemy needs to see the Spirit of God in you. Your personal gentleness is not the point.
When someone is your enemy, when they gossip about you or steal what is rightfully yours, the first place you should go is to God! And that is what Psalms is all about. Psalm 140 starts out, “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men…” Psalm 141 begins, “Lord, I cry out to you…” Psalm 142 does much the same – the Psalms are a cry to God! All the Psalms are actually prayers.
EVERYONE HAS DEFINING MOMENTS...IT'S WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO WITH THEM.....
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble (1 John 2:9-10).
Not only has God put his spirit in me to forgive this man, but I also deeply wish him well. If i could see him again I would ask him to go to lunch, and witness to him how I was 20 and got into trouble, and where the Lord has taken me now as I now walk in His principles
Lets pray: Father I cry out to you from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul, Father thank you for putting a forgiving expression in me in the situation with that young man the other night, In the flesh I was prepared to fight, but Lord God… if I hold my peace…and let you fight my battles, Victory, Victory shall be mine. Father you have given me the most defining moment in my obedience to you, and you have shown me that when I am the most like your son Jesus Christ I am closest to you. I will use this experience to motivate me more now the ever to pick up my cross daily, and follow Jesus. To draw my boat up on the shore and leave my former life behind and follow Him. Amen
“I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)
I believe that there are some things that are taught in scripture that you understand better when God blesses you to experience the situation yourself, and see how doing things God's way produces the results that you were told would happen when you walk in principles.
The Message Bible
Matthew 5:43-47 "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.”
In the church, we all are supposed to know that the response to bad treatment is – prayer! We are supposed to PRAY for the person who maliciously harms us. But the question is: how do we do it? WHAT do we pray for in relation to them? Unfortunately, most do not only pray, but also seethe in “righteous” indignation at the hurt received. We have heard about a lot of failures in that area - many have prayed, but the anger has remained!
When the young man took Carol’s purse recently, I instinctively ran after him. When I caught up to him I was angry, mostly that he would be taking my hard earned cash that Carol had just put in her purse in the car before we got out, and some of hers, and the credit cards which causes a lot of work to cancel them all. I was shouting at him as I approached at full sprint and again as he dropped the purse and ran away, about what I planned to do if I caught him.
When I saw him a few days later walking into our development, I was with Steven and we pulled over and I got out to be sure it was him. I walked towards him and calmly said “you are the guy who stole my wife’s purse last Friday night” He took one look at me and took off for the fence, jumped up on to it. Flipped over it and took off into the development. Again I was shouting at him about what I’d like to do to him and calling him a criminal. Again I called the police to tell them I’d saw him again.
We know that forgiveness is a necessary element in our response. When Jesus was on the cross, He said the words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). You might think, “Well, He’s God and I’m only a human being – He can forgive, but I can’t!” And that’s true. But Scripture teaches that it’s,” It is not by force, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies”. (Zechariah 4:6) It is not by your strength that can forgive. The Lord can take our helplessness and do what is impossible for you and me alone.
Through Him, we Can release the anger, the hatred that is felt about the person who did the harm, or committed the crime.
Stephen was not God, neither was he an apostle; he was just an ordinary man, but by the Lord in Him, he did something amazing. As the angry mob was throwing stones at him and Stephen knew he was about to die, he shouted words that should be ours, as well: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:60).Wow, could you or I do that?
To be hit with just one rock is an unpleasant experience, and many stones were thrown. Stephen’s bones were being broken and his enemies were shouting unforgivable insults. Emotionally and physically – it hurt! But he called out to the Lord, and knew God’s forgiveness for his attackers, as the last breath went out of his shattered body.
Today’s Scripture says that we are incredibly to “Do good” to those who hate us. Jesus supplied specific examples of HOW to “do good” in relation to them. He said, “Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:39-41). Incredibly, don’t retaliate. Instead – help them!
It seems that we are intended to always do “nice” things and pray “nice” prayers for the one who slaps, sues, or robs us. And that’s the truth, except that “nice” from God’s vantage point, is not necessarily our way of looking at things. His aim is that our enemy will have a changed life and won’t slap people anymore. Stephen saw his attackers’ need, and God has many ways to reach sinners like them, and you and me.
When I saw this young man who stole my wife’s purse the third time I was coming home from work last Wednesday night after 8:00 PM. I did a U-turn and drove past him and turned around again. I pulled into the gas station where he had walked to and parked there. He then left and started walking north back up Military Trail towards the gate to our development. I think he saw me park at the Circle K across from the gas station and he kept walking. As I drove up the street passing him he ducked into an alcove on the side of the road and hid. I had ice in the car and drove home to put it in the freezer. I saw my neighbor Peter as I was walking into my house and he was asking me if I’d seen the man again, and I said “ Yes, just now and I’ll be right out”. Peter and I started walking towards the gate house and I called Chris at the gate house and asked him if he’d seen someone as I described coming past the gate and he said “ he is coming through right now”
Peter and I now could see him as we walked toward him from afar and we hesitated as he turned and walked into the community. Peter and I split up, he walked the lake behind the houses following the man and I walked the street. We went a long way around and then I saw that Peter had come out to the street, so I cut over to the lake. As I am walking I see that he has somehow eluded Peter and he is trotting back the other way on the street. We look at each other through the pass through between the apartments, and as he disappears I turn and jog the other way, that he is now going. At the next pass through we see each other again and we both stop. He turns and walks towards me and I walk toward him.I have spent the last 20 years consistantly training in the Martial Arts.I hold high level belts in multipal styles. I run a couple miles every other day, do a few rounds on the heavy bag,do a full Karate stretch and exersize, and throw some weights around, I am completly ready for this moment.However God has His own plans throughout this entire situation. I am walking towrd him and he is walking closer to me, I am taking off my watch and glasses preparing to rumble. We walk right up to each other face to face and he says, “why are you dogging me?” I say, “because you stole my wife’s purse”. He says, “but I did not get anything”. I now say, “yes, you did not get anything, but you robbed us and that is a crime for which I have reported you to the Police” I asked him, “How old are you”, and he said 20 yrs. old. I then say, Look, you need to seek the Lord in your life and pray to draw closer to Him so that you will not continue to do things like this". He says, “I am sorry, I’m sorry and I pray every night that I won’t get in trouble for this that I have done”. I say to him, “ you need to never do something like this again” He now says, “ I don’t do this, it was a mistake and I am sorry, now will you stop dogging me?” I say,”OK, if you are truly sorry and you do not plan to do it again to anyone, I will forgive you now and you and I are OK,I forgive you”.
He looks at me looking very scared still, and we turn and walk our separate ways.
I went home and told Carol what happened and then Peter knocked on the door. I walked outside with him and he said,"I guess he got away". I said,"no, I caught up with him and spoke to him". His eyes got wide and he said, "did you fight, why didn't you hold him for the Police?" I told Peter what happened and that I had no choice but to believe him and forgive him. Peter said to me, "you forgive him? I said, Yes, Peter,"I forgive him". Peter said," alright then, if you forgive him then I forgive him".
I am a sinner saved by the Grace that was given to me by my Lord and savoir Jesus Christ, who paid my debt for all the sin I have done, by dying for me on a cross. God forgives me, and I am the most like Christ when I am loving those that have wronged me,and forgiving them.
This was a DEFINING MOMENT in my walk of faith, and I feel that this experience has taken me to a new closer relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ by being his ambassador and letting the Holy Spirit guide me as I walked calmly into a potentially dangerous situation. I am now praying for this young man daily and will continue to intercede in prayer for him.
In the words of a Perry’s song….Grace doesn't remember what Jesus forgave, and each time I’m reminded of my past mistakes, I remember what’s been forgotten, through His blood my sins are erased, and Grace doesn't remember what Jesus forgave.
Jesus was hanging on the cross between two thief’s and one of them asked Him for forgiveness.
One way to reach your enemies is by unexpectedly being kind in return for evil. There are characters out there who will gladly slap your other cheek, and then sue for damages if you disappoint them by not fighting back. And especially note that you accomplish NOTHING by passively responding in your OWN STRENGTH. Your enemy needs to see the Spirit of God in you. Your personal gentleness is not the point.
When someone is your enemy, when they gossip about you or steal what is rightfully yours, the first place you should go is to God! And that is what Psalms is all about. Psalm 140 starts out, “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men…” Psalm 141 begins, “Lord, I cry out to you…” Psalm 142 does much the same – the Psalms are a cry to God! All the Psalms are actually prayers.
EVERYONE HAS DEFINING MOMENTS...IT'S WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO WITH THEM.....
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble (1 John 2:9-10).
Not only has God put his spirit in me to forgive this man, but I also deeply wish him well. If i could see him again I would ask him to go to lunch, and witness to him how I was 20 and got into trouble, and where the Lord has taken me now as I now walk in His principles
Lets pray: Father I cry out to you from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul, Father thank you for putting a forgiving expression in me in the situation with that young man the other night, In the flesh I was prepared to fight, but Lord God… if I hold my peace…and let you fight my battles, Victory, Victory shall be mine. Father you have given me the most defining moment in my obedience to you, and you have shown me that when I am the most like your son Jesus Christ I am closest to you. I will use this experience to motivate me more now the ever to pick up my cross daily, and follow Jesus. To draw my boat up on the shore and leave my former life behind and follow Him. Amen
Monday, July 18, 2011
Innoncence Lost 07.15.11
My innocence was lost last night...(@ my neighborhood being safe) as Carol and I were walking down the path to our apt after bible study my hands full with my bible and notes we passed a teenager I said hello Carol said hello then he tore her purse off her arm and took off, She said to me "he just stole my purse", I dropped everything and took off running I slipped on the street in my boots and took a hard fall bruising my ribs and hip, I rolled up back onto my feet and resumed the chase, and when I came around the corner behind the apt.s across the street he was standing there looking in her purse and when he saw me coming at full speed and almost on him explaining to him what was going to happen next he was shocked dropped the purse and took off. I came walking up to Carol and she said whats that under your arm? It was her purse and in it was her cash, cards and the cash I had just given her from my weeks pay for bills, this time this criminal got nothing but a good scare, cops now have the purse checking for DNA, my bruised ribs are healing up....I got all my stuff back......... God Bless
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Success 2011
About a week ago my friend Kamal asked me to speak at a Spanish church in Lake Worth. He said talk about anything you like. I walked in and was treated to praise and worship in Egyptian/Arabic? and my wife and I wore earplugs with a translator. Then when I got up to speak they put in the earplugs.
Success 2011
I met my friend Kamal Fereg while working at a car store, selling cars. I sold him a car that day and discovered that he went to the same church that I did, and that was good.
Back then I was a new Christian. I had by a twist of fate, a divine appointment,…God’s calling…found myself being offered a management job which turned out to be a very good opportunity. Although I was not a believer at the time I remember thinking …wow, God really helped me out, taking me out of a car store that wasn’t doing so good-and into a Department Store/Salon manager position with a good salary. Wow.
I worked with some good Christians and one in particular was very inspiring to me. I lived a very self-fulfilling life, all about me, acting on earthly desires and temptations. When I would hear people say I am going to pray about it, I would laugh and think, what is that all about. Now I pray about everything…
I had many qood qualities such being considerate and a natural servant leader.
One day I just considered the way I was living my life and the way my employee Carol was living her life. I went over to her and asked her if I could go to church with her. And she later told me she thought, “Why would my Jewish boss want to go to church and hear about Jesus. That was 6 years ago and I have never missed church since then.
At first I thought Wow, God has put this really great woman in my life, but as time went on and as I responded to hearing the evidence of the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I realized it wasn’t about the job, it wasn’t about the woman, God had called me out of the darkness and into His wonderful light, he just used whatever means necessary, and I was now in a journey of spiritual growth and maturing…Wow
I study the bible daily, write and lead bible studies, have taught advanced Men’s Discipleship Training the last 4 years, and work part-time at Christ Fellowship Church on staff in Adult Ministries for the last year and a half.
And wow, I am married for 3 and a half years to that hairstylist Carol that worked for me, and took me to church …
I want to say to my dear wife Carol….”Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed”
Romans 12:2 says…” Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.
God has good, pleasing and perfect plans for us and he wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds.
The first line of the best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Life” says;
“It’s not about you.”
In Philippians 2:3 The Apostle Paul teaches us “Do nothing out of self-ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better that yourselves”
Apostle Paul wants us to learn to be mindful not to do things for prideful reasons, but instead to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us. It’s all about putting value in others and being humble.
Our purpose, our success in life should be much more than making ourselves happy and fulfilling ourselves. This teaching can be a real twist for many and it was for me.
As we read and study this book (holdup bible) and believe that what it says is true, then you are learning that you were born… by God’s purpose and for God’s purpose.
God doesn’t expect us to understand his ways, he just expects us to obey His will. The key to being a successful leader is to be an Extraordinary Follower!
There have been many books written today on the subject of success. Some of the authors include God in their discussion of success. Some of these authors actually do give God credit for being at the center of their successful lives. If you take the time to read these books every success principle that has been written about can be found in the bible. Especially the book of Proverbs. The principles of genuine success are not foreign to a Godly Life. They are embedded in a Godly Life. God is the author of all success, Amen… and the bible is the foremost “Success” Book…that you can ever read!
We just need to consider that the world’s view of success, and a Christian view of success can have some key differences. ( Discuss this )
Parents are of course very happy when their child is successful…but they are even happier when their child walks in faith and lives for God.
Joshua 1:8-9 “Success comes from knowing and doing what God says”
Psalms 1:1-3 “ Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers, but they delight in the Law of the Lord meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither and they prosper in all they do.
This scripture provides us with a vivid contrast between the life of the righteous and the way of the wicked. ( as you read on in the next verses ) This scripture introduces us to the entire book of Psalms and tells us that there is one path to true success and true life, and to ignore this path will lead to personal destruction and death.
We all…everyone have the privilege of bowing before God every morning and saying, ”Lord, I need your help,… and I need your guidance. I need your strength and wisdom. The Lord delights in our coming to Him for help and guidance. This is our reasonable service and an expression of faith. Prayer changes things, and it changes us. And it has changed me. We ask… and we receive. God is committed to our success.
We all want to succeed, to be successful. But somehow we can let something or someone deter us, or discourage us. God’s plan for us is that we would always be growing that we would become successful.
In the book Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden it says, ”When you come to the shore and you are waiting for the boat that is going to take you to the other side to be with Jesus all that is really going to matter is the names of friends and family and others who have become self initiating, reproducing, fully developed followers of Jesus Christ because you took the time to walk alongside them in their maturing in Christ. This is the greatest legacy that you can leave behind.
This is SUCCESS!
You will find persistence in the life of everyone who has achieved something worthwhile in life.
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished the race.” Paul made this statement near the end, he had been successful in his endeavors, for the Lord.
Persistence is a combination of strong desire and willpower, the capacity to continue on course in the face of all types of difficulties, obstacles, and problems-without quitting.
Romans 5:3-4 “We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us to develop endurance, and endurance strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
Consider your present problems and challenges and then think about the Apostle Paul. He was beaten with rods, shipwrecked, accused, stoned and dragged out beyond the city gates and left for dead…
What did he do? He got up and walked back in the gate to the city to gain some more souls for Christ. He was a soul winner!
In Luke 10:2; Jesus tells the disciples…“ The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”
Today, here in this country, here in this community our harvest opportunity is huge… We can all be uniquely influential in our own spheres of influence, our family, friends, and co-workers. They are watching us, the churched, the believers…we are under a microscope… people are looking for ways to accuse you, find fault in you, catch you in a sin. Your actions will speak volumes… and louder than even your words. Before you tell a friend or co-worker about the Lord or even invite them to church, invite them to share a meal, come over your house for a visit, do something to build value into their lives and let the love of Christ shine through you. They will be a lot more apt to listen after a relationship has been started.
I worked with a Jewish guy, Gabriel, who said he was far from God, an atheist. My wife Carol and I asked him to join us to go to a show in a local theater. We made him lunches and treated him with friendship he had rarely experienced. He asked me for a bible and started to read it. Last week he died in a hospice bed, but before he did he told me I was his closest connection to God he had ever experienced. He never accepted Jesus Christ in his life but hours before he died I was witnessing to him again in his unresponsive state.
I called our ex-boss and told him of his passing and he said that he had noticed how I had been his only friend and how Gabriel had seen a witness of God through me that he had probably never seen before.
How do we live? Who are we showing Christian love to? Are we giving sacrificially?
Your sacrifice is on a collision course with your miracle.
You may be going through a valley now, or starting to come out of one. You may be experiencing relational challenges, financial challenges, or health challenges but your success in life is not determined by the valley you are in. Your success is determined by the way you live your life, your moral values, your obedience to God and following His ways. The God on the Mountain is the God in the Valley.
In the song “I still have it all” by Hissong it says, “Cause in the midst of disaster, when it seems all is lost. I will still trust the Master, I will cling to His cross. No trial can defeat me, no they can’t make me fall. For if I have my faith, I can rise up and say I still have it all!”
Success 2011
I met my friend Kamal Fereg while working at a car store, selling cars. I sold him a car that day and discovered that he went to the same church that I did, and that was good.
Back then I was a new Christian. I had by a twist of fate, a divine appointment,…God’s calling…found myself being offered a management job which turned out to be a very good opportunity. Although I was not a believer at the time I remember thinking …wow, God really helped me out, taking me out of a car store that wasn’t doing so good-and into a Department Store/Salon manager position with a good salary. Wow.
I worked with some good Christians and one in particular was very inspiring to me. I lived a very self-fulfilling life, all about me, acting on earthly desires and temptations. When I would hear people say I am going to pray about it, I would laugh and think, what is that all about. Now I pray about everything…
I had many qood qualities such being considerate and a natural servant leader.
One day I just considered the way I was living my life and the way my employee Carol was living her life. I went over to her and asked her if I could go to church with her. And she later told me she thought, “Why would my Jewish boss want to go to church and hear about Jesus. That was 6 years ago and I have never missed church since then.
At first I thought Wow, God has put this really great woman in my life, but as time went on and as I responded to hearing the evidence of the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I realized it wasn’t about the job, it wasn’t about the woman, God had called me out of the darkness and into His wonderful light, he just used whatever means necessary, and I was now in a journey of spiritual growth and maturing…Wow
I study the bible daily, write and lead bible studies, have taught advanced Men’s Discipleship Training the last 4 years, and work part-time at Christ Fellowship Church on staff in Adult Ministries for the last year and a half.
And wow, I am married for 3 and a half years to that hairstylist Carol that worked for me, and took me to church …
I want to say to my dear wife Carol….”Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed”
Romans 12:2 says…” Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.
God has good, pleasing and perfect plans for us and he wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds.
The first line of the best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Life” says;
“It’s not about you.”
In Philippians 2:3 The Apostle Paul teaches us “Do nothing out of self-ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better that yourselves”
Apostle Paul wants us to learn to be mindful not to do things for prideful reasons, but instead to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us. It’s all about putting value in others and being humble.
Our purpose, our success in life should be much more than making ourselves happy and fulfilling ourselves. This teaching can be a real twist for many and it was for me.
As we read and study this book (holdup bible) and believe that what it says is true, then you are learning that you were born… by God’s purpose and for God’s purpose.
God doesn’t expect us to understand his ways, he just expects us to obey His will. The key to being a successful leader is to be an Extraordinary Follower!
There have been many books written today on the subject of success. Some of the authors include God in their discussion of success. Some of these authors actually do give God credit for being at the center of their successful lives. If you take the time to read these books every success principle that has been written about can be found in the bible. Especially the book of Proverbs. The principles of genuine success are not foreign to a Godly Life. They are embedded in a Godly Life. God is the author of all success, Amen… and the bible is the foremost “Success” Book…that you can ever read!
We just need to consider that the world’s view of success, and a Christian view of success can have some key differences. ( Discuss this )
Parents are of course very happy when their child is successful…but they are even happier when their child walks in faith and lives for God.
Joshua 1:8-9 “Success comes from knowing and doing what God says”
Psalms 1:1-3 “ Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers, but they delight in the Law of the Lord meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither and they prosper in all they do.
This scripture provides us with a vivid contrast between the life of the righteous and the way of the wicked. ( as you read on in the next verses ) This scripture introduces us to the entire book of Psalms and tells us that there is one path to true success and true life, and to ignore this path will lead to personal destruction and death.
We all…everyone have the privilege of bowing before God every morning and saying, ”Lord, I need your help,… and I need your guidance. I need your strength and wisdom. The Lord delights in our coming to Him for help and guidance. This is our reasonable service and an expression of faith. Prayer changes things, and it changes us. And it has changed me. We ask… and we receive. God is committed to our success.
We all want to succeed, to be successful. But somehow we can let something or someone deter us, or discourage us. God’s plan for us is that we would always be growing that we would become successful.
In the book Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden it says, ”When you come to the shore and you are waiting for the boat that is going to take you to the other side to be with Jesus all that is really going to matter is the names of friends and family and others who have become self initiating, reproducing, fully developed followers of Jesus Christ because you took the time to walk alongside them in their maturing in Christ. This is the greatest legacy that you can leave behind.
This is SUCCESS!
You will find persistence in the life of everyone who has achieved something worthwhile in life.
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished the race.” Paul made this statement near the end, he had been successful in his endeavors, for the Lord.
Persistence is a combination of strong desire and willpower, the capacity to continue on course in the face of all types of difficulties, obstacles, and problems-without quitting.
Romans 5:3-4 “We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us to develop endurance, and endurance strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
Consider your present problems and challenges and then think about the Apostle Paul. He was beaten with rods, shipwrecked, accused, stoned and dragged out beyond the city gates and left for dead…
What did he do? He got up and walked back in the gate to the city to gain some more souls for Christ. He was a soul winner!
In Luke 10:2; Jesus tells the disciples…“ The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”
Today, here in this country, here in this community our harvest opportunity is huge… We can all be uniquely influential in our own spheres of influence, our family, friends, and co-workers. They are watching us, the churched, the believers…we are under a microscope… people are looking for ways to accuse you, find fault in you, catch you in a sin. Your actions will speak volumes… and louder than even your words. Before you tell a friend or co-worker about the Lord or even invite them to church, invite them to share a meal, come over your house for a visit, do something to build value into their lives and let the love of Christ shine through you. They will be a lot more apt to listen after a relationship has been started.
I worked with a Jewish guy, Gabriel, who said he was far from God, an atheist. My wife Carol and I asked him to join us to go to a show in a local theater. We made him lunches and treated him with friendship he had rarely experienced. He asked me for a bible and started to read it. Last week he died in a hospice bed, but before he did he told me I was his closest connection to God he had ever experienced. He never accepted Jesus Christ in his life but hours before he died I was witnessing to him again in his unresponsive state.
I called our ex-boss and told him of his passing and he said that he had noticed how I had been his only friend and how Gabriel had seen a witness of God through me that he had probably never seen before.
How do we live? Who are we showing Christian love to? Are we giving sacrificially?
Your sacrifice is on a collision course with your miracle.
You may be going through a valley now, or starting to come out of one. You may be experiencing relational challenges, financial challenges, or health challenges but your success in life is not determined by the valley you are in. Your success is determined by the way you live your life, your moral values, your obedience to God and following His ways. The God on the Mountain is the God in the Valley.
In the song “I still have it all” by Hissong it says, “Cause in the midst of disaster, when it seems all is lost. I will still trust the Master, I will cling to His cross. No trial can defeat me, no they can’t make me fall. For if I have my faith, I can rise up and say I still have it all!”
Monday, August 16, 2010
Luke 22
I just felt called to share this chapter of the bible with our Life group last fri night. I started writing this study in a Starbucks in Canton Ohio. I was up there to celebrate my friend Rickey Jackson's induction into the NFL Hall of Fame. It was a great time from start to finish, met a lot of players past and present, Mr. and Mrs. Benson owners of the Saints and many others. From Rick's speech into Floyd Little's speech and Emmitt Smith's speech it became like a revival up there in Canton. They were all giving Jesus all the credit for their accomplishments in front of a very large crowd and on TV.
Luke 22
God is your caretaker, trust God
Expository Preaching is “the presentation of biblical truth, derived from a transmitted thought, a historical, grammatical, spirit-guided study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit applies first to the life of the preacher and then through him to his congregation.
In other words line by line
Pastor Todd taught us Philippians through this method
Here begins the Passion Narrative:
Read verses 1-6
In the first part of this chapter: Judas agrees to betray Christ. As the Feast of Unleavened Bread draws near Judas has the enemy of our souls enter into him.
Passover is a celebration of the night of the tenth plague in Egypt. The first born of Isreal were passed over and spared the Angel of Death. The people of God put a blood sacrifice from an unblemished lamb on their doorposts and thus were spared the “Impending Wrath of Heaven”
Passover was to be celebrated as a sign of deliverance from bondage. Jesus was a sacrifice for all men and women as our deliverance from death and bondage and our reward of eternal life.
The Jewish elders who were after Jesus needed to separate him from the crowds and to be able to use one of his people was favorable to them. So they planned to arrest Jesus secretly then blame his disciple.
Read verses 7-13 The Upper Room is Prepared
No one knows whether Jesus had made this arrangement previously or if it was just God’s will that this provision would occur. These rooms were commonly made available to pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast.
Communion
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (New International Version)
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Read verses 14-20 The Passover is celebrated/The Lord’s Supper is instituted
Wine was a good thing it was not perceived as it is today with drinking and driving and many other negative things that go along with modern excesses. In these biblical times wine was a way of feeling comfort.
The Holy Spirit is sometimes equated with New Wine.
Jesus used the term "new wine" as a description of His ministry and the Spirit-empowered life. It didn't originate with Him, however. The ancient Hebrew prophets before Him saw new wine as a symbol of God’s refreshing Spirit, a sign of God’s blessing and abundance. It’s no coincidence that Jesus’ first miracle was turning the water into wine—figuratively, transforming the life-sustaining waters of salvation into the vibrant wine of the Holy Ghost.
Luke 5:37-39 (New International Version)
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "
This comparison explains why some people in Israel had trouble turning to Jesus.
Leviticus 17:11 (New International Version)
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.
This verse explains the meaning of “Blood Atonement”. The life of animals and humans is in the blood. “I have given” emphasizes that the blood alone has no intrinsic power to atone for sin. Blood represents life, and to God a life may only receive atonement by the sacrifice of another life. This is a theme that has been presented in many ways over the years. In the first season of the HBO series Carnival there was a young man that seemed bad but was a life giver, but every time he healed a life another died.
Hebrews 9:12-17 (New American Standard Bible)
…and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.
Read verses 21-23 Christ predicts his betrayer
The apostle’s first reaction was to ask themselves would it be me? Or you? But that didn’t last very long … now they sadly switched their conversation to who will be the greatest in their master’s kingdom, even as Jesus faced betrayal.
Read verses 24-30 The disciples argue over who is the greatest
In this kingdom we do not probe for the top, we fight for the bottom!
Who can we undergird? What does this mean?
The leaders in your church should not be people who exalt themselves but people who serve others. Leaders should be the ones who labor for others, as a servant would. This is one concept I grasped before I began my walk of faith.
Jesus was passing on the authority his Father had given him to the disciples. They weren’t, we aren’t, just members of a club, but transformed beings.
Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
And the disciples were promised a place at the banquet of victory and to share in Jesus rule on his return.
Read verses 31-34 Christ predicts Peter’s denial
Satan actually asks God for permission to afflict humans. He did this with Job, and he did this with the disciples. Jesus predicted Peter’s fall, and restoration in his return to Him. Peter’s denial strengthens each time starting with, not a tough Roman guard but a weak servant girl. At this point the disciples had dispersed in fear. Satan wants to get you alone, apart from the crowd. You must remain in fellowship with other believers often, as we all do. Stay attached!
Read verses 35-38 Christ predicts coming conflict
The disciples had been depending on God for their needs and up until now there were lots of generous people around them helping them to meet their needs. However the situation had changed and Jesus recognized this and gave the disciples new instructions to go out with money, supplies, and even a sword, and to be prepared for rejection. Read Isaiah 53:12
Read verses 39-46 Jesus prays in Gethsemane
Jesus understood that there were times he would need to get alone with God. We also need to get alone with God, what does this mean?
Jesus understood that not only would he be beaten and die but would also take on sin, for all of us. God’s promise to Jesus did not allow him to avoid suffering but to have an angelic host to comfort him. Sometimes God answers prayers by eliminating trials, sometimes he answers by strengthening us in the midst of them. Jesus earnest prayer caused Him to sweat like drops of blood.
Read verse 47-53 Judas betrays Christ
Jesus reminds Judas of what he has done and notes the irony of how he does it; with a kiss. Peter reacts violently and Jesus mercifully heals. Then Jesus rebukes His captors for treating him like a criminal.
Read verses 54-62 Peter denies Christ
It is worth remembering that Peter was the first disciple called to Jesus’ side and the first who confessed that Jesus was the Messiah. Nevertheless, his denials of Jesus may be the most vehement of all. It is unclear whether Peter’s weeping is a sign of repentance, contrition, or prayer. A window may have been open from the room where Jesus was being held overlooking the courtyard and peter may have felt that Jesus had heard him denying him and this may also have been why he wept.
Read verses 63-65 Christ is beaten
Here Jesus is mocked and beaten badly. The soldiers asked him to identify who was beating Him while blindfolded.
Read verses 66-71 The Sanhedrin tries Christ
This trial was in violation of a number of the Jewish rules, morning of a feast, in someone’s home, trying a defendant with no defense, and reaching a verdict in one day instead of two.
Read Psalms 110:1
Even though Jesus was on trial he was letting them know that he was the ultimate judge. And it was this reply that convicted him with them. To the Jew of this age it was blasphemous to claim to be the messiah, and try telling that to a Jew today as well and see how they feel. Jesus didn’t have to share this message with them, but He did because it was the truth and he was establishing His kingdom.
Luke 22
God is your caretaker, trust God
Expository Preaching is “the presentation of biblical truth, derived from a transmitted thought, a historical, grammatical, spirit-guided study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit applies first to the life of the preacher and then through him to his congregation.
In other words line by line
Pastor Todd taught us Philippians through this method
Here begins the Passion Narrative:
Read verses 1-6
In the first part of this chapter: Judas agrees to betray Christ. As the Feast of Unleavened Bread draws near Judas has the enemy of our souls enter into him.
Passover is a celebration of the night of the tenth plague in Egypt. The first born of Isreal were passed over and spared the Angel of Death. The people of God put a blood sacrifice from an unblemished lamb on their doorposts and thus were spared the “Impending Wrath of Heaven”
Passover was to be celebrated as a sign of deliverance from bondage. Jesus was a sacrifice for all men and women as our deliverance from death and bondage and our reward of eternal life.
The Jewish elders who were after Jesus needed to separate him from the crowds and to be able to use one of his people was favorable to them. So they planned to arrest Jesus secretly then blame his disciple.
Read verses 7-13 The Upper Room is Prepared
No one knows whether Jesus had made this arrangement previously or if it was just God’s will that this provision would occur. These rooms were commonly made available to pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast.
Communion
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (New International Version)
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Read verses 14-20 The Passover is celebrated/The Lord’s Supper is instituted
Wine was a good thing it was not perceived as it is today with drinking and driving and many other negative things that go along with modern excesses. In these biblical times wine was a way of feeling comfort.
The Holy Spirit is sometimes equated with New Wine.
Jesus used the term "new wine" as a description of His ministry and the Spirit-empowered life. It didn't originate with Him, however. The ancient Hebrew prophets before Him saw new wine as a symbol of God’s refreshing Spirit, a sign of God’s blessing and abundance. It’s no coincidence that Jesus’ first miracle was turning the water into wine—figuratively, transforming the life-sustaining waters of salvation into the vibrant wine of the Holy Ghost.
Luke 5:37-39 (New International Version)
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "
This comparison explains why some people in Israel had trouble turning to Jesus.
Leviticus 17:11 (New International Version)
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.
This verse explains the meaning of “Blood Atonement”. The life of animals and humans is in the blood. “I have given” emphasizes that the blood alone has no intrinsic power to atone for sin. Blood represents life, and to God a life may only receive atonement by the sacrifice of another life. This is a theme that has been presented in many ways over the years. In the first season of the HBO series Carnival there was a young man that seemed bad but was a life giver, but every time he healed a life another died.
Hebrews 9:12-17 (New American Standard Bible)
…and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.
Read verses 21-23 Christ predicts his betrayer
The apostle’s first reaction was to ask themselves would it be me? Or you? But that didn’t last very long … now they sadly switched their conversation to who will be the greatest in their master’s kingdom, even as Jesus faced betrayal.
Read verses 24-30 The disciples argue over who is the greatest
In this kingdom we do not probe for the top, we fight for the bottom!
Who can we undergird? What does this mean?
The leaders in your church should not be people who exalt themselves but people who serve others. Leaders should be the ones who labor for others, as a servant would. This is one concept I grasped before I began my walk of faith.
Jesus was passing on the authority his Father had given him to the disciples. They weren’t, we aren’t, just members of a club, but transformed beings.
Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
And the disciples were promised a place at the banquet of victory and to share in Jesus rule on his return.
Read verses 31-34 Christ predicts Peter’s denial
Satan actually asks God for permission to afflict humans. He did this with Job, and he did this with the disciples. Jesus predicted Peter’s fall, and restoration in his return to Him. Peter’s denial strengthens each time starting with, not a tough Roman guard but a weak servant girl. At this point the disciples had dispersed in fear. Satan wants to get you alone, apart from the crowd. You must remain in fellowship with other believers often, as we all do. Stay attached!
Read verses 35-38 Christ predicts coming conflict
The disciples had been depending on God for their needs and up until now there were lots of generous people around them helping them to meet their needs. However the situation had changed and Jesus recognized this and gave the disciples new instructions to go out with money, supplies, and even a sword, and to be prepared for rejection. Read Isaiah 53:12
Read verses 39-46 Jesus prays in Gethsemane
Jesus understood that there were times he would need to get alone with God. We also need to get alone with God, what does this mean?
Jesus understood that not only would he be beaten and die but would also take on sin, for all of us. God’s promise to Jesus did not allow him to avoid suffering but to have an angelic host to comfort him. Sometimes God answers prayers by eliminating trials, sometimes he answers by strengthening us in the midst of them. Jesus earnest prayer caused Him to sweat like drops of blood.
Read verse 47-53 Judas betrays Christ
Jesus reminds Judas of what he has done and notes the irony of how he does it; with a kiss. Peter reacts violently and Jesus mercifully heals. Then Jesus rebukes His captors for treating him like a criminal.
Read verses 54-62 Peter denies Christ
It is worth remembering that Peter was the first disciple called to Jesus’ side and the first who confessed that Jesus was the Messiah. Nevertheless, his denials of Jesus may be the most vehement of all. It is unclear whether Peter’s weeping is a sign of repentance, contrition, or prayer. A window may have been open from the room where Jesus was being held overlooking the courtyard and peter may have felt that Jesus had heard him denying him and this may also have been why he wept.
Read verses 63-65 Christ is beaten
Here Jesus is mocked and beaten badly. The soldiers asked him to identify who was beating Him while blindfolded.
Read verses 66-71 The Sanhedrin tries Christ
This trial was in violation of a number of the Jewish rules, morning of a feast, in someone’s home, trying a defendant with no defense, and reaching a verdict in one day instead of two.
Read Psalms 110:1
Even though Jesus was on trial he was letting them know that he was the ultimate judge. And it was this reply that convicted him with them. To the Jew of this age it was blasphemous to claim to be the messiah, and try telling that to a Jew today as well and see how they feel. Jesus didn’t have to share this message with them, but He did because it was the truth and he was establishing His kingdom.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Secret
One of my very favorite books in the bible would be Phillipians 4. It contains the message not to worry, but to pray about everything. Then in verse 8 the Apostle Paul mentions how we should be thinking, what thoughts are correct. And in verses 11-13 we have my "Life Verse", which lets us know that we can be content no matter what our circumstances. In Top Gun 1 five years ago, I was amongst a group of guys who all had pretty good salaries and I was struggling in the car business. But when I would come to our weekly meetings with words of encouragement every week some of the guys would tell me that they appreciatted the fact that even though I was struggling and they were not, it was my faithful attitude that inspired them. My verse then was Philippians 4:11-13, and it still is. God on the mountain is the God in the valley.
Sunday after Pastor Todd had delivered this message on Philippians 4 I was standing at the altar to pray with people as I am an Altar Minister and one of my Top Gun 1 brothers from 5 years ago comes up to me and opens up his bible to Philippians 4 and shows me the page.... and next to verses 11-13 it said: David Linden's verse.
Here is the iMAX guide I wrote to study the message from Pastor.
iMAX 7.30-31.10 The Secret Philippians 4
In A Nutshell
What is the secret of life? This is the age old question. In Philippians Chapter 4 Apostle Paul tells us not to be anxious, to replace impure thoughts with Godly thoughts, and that contentment comes from learning to be happy whether rich or poor, well fed or hungry, owning a lot or nothing. And he reminds us as to where we get our source of strength.
Talk It Out
1. (Verse 6) Do you think that you worry too much, or too little? What are you worried about? Do you feel comfortable bringing your worries to the Lord in prayer?
2. (Verse 8) What things should we think about? What should we do when we think about something that doesn’t honor God?
3. (Verses 11-13) Has your walk in faith as a Christian made you more content? Why do you think it has?
4. In Philippians 1:27 it says that we should “Above all live as citizens of heaven.” What does this mean and how should we do it?
Draw it out
Our names are written in the book of life. We need to trust God and be content despite the difficulties in life. We are called as Disciples of Jesus Christ to be humble, gentle, and peaceful.
REJOICE : In verses 4 and 5 Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord.
REQUEST: In verse 6 Paul tells us to petition the Lord, to make our requests known. REASON: In verse 8 Paul gives us his description of what is reasonable to think about. REPRODUCE: And in verse 9 he says be sure to do these things, put them into action.
Sunday after Pastor Todd had delivered this message on Philippians 4 I was standing at the altar to pray with people as I am an Altar Minister and one of my Top Gun 1 brothers from 5 years ago comes up to me and opens up his bible to Philippians 4 and shows me the page.... and next to verses 11-13 it said: David Linden's verse.
Here is the iMAX guide I wrote to study the message from Pastor.
iMAX 7.30-31.10 The Secret Philippians 4
In A Nutshell
What is the secret of life? This is the age old question. In Philippians Chapter 4 Apostle Paul tells us not to be anxious, to replace impure thoughts with Godly thoughts, and that contentment comes from learning to be happy whether rich or poor, well fed or hungry, owning a lot or nothing. And he reminds us as to where we get our source of strength.
Talk It Out
1. (Verse 6) Do you think that you worry too much, or too little? What are you worried about? Do you feel comfortable bringing your worries to the Lord in prayer?
2. (Verse 8) What things should we think about? What should we do when we think about something that doesn’t honor God?
3. (Verses 11-13) Has your walk in faith as a Christian made you more content? Why do you think it has?
4. In Philippians 1:27 it says that we should “Above all live as citizens of heaven.” What does this mean and how should we do it?
Draw it out
Our names are written in the book of life. We need to trust God and be content despite the difficulties in life. We are called as Disciples of Jesus Christ to be humble, gentle, and peaceful.
REJOICE : In verses 4 and 5 Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord.
REQUEST: In verse 6 Paul tells us to petition the Lord, to make our requests known. REASON: In verse 8 Paul gives us his description of what is reasonable to think about. REPRODUCE: And in verse 9 he says be sure to do these things, put them into action.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Where the heart is....
At last weeks staff meeting Pastor Todd talked about living a generous life based on the 6 principles in the book Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. I took some notes on his presentation and added some more to it. Todd mentioned that he had had some really great examples of generous people in his life and then named a couple.The next two words out of his mouth were....Martin Howe. I am so glad to call this man of God and his wife, Sister Rose my close friends.
Here is what I put together, I hope you like it...
Where your heart is…..
Anyone can give, but you can’t truly love without giving.
Six Principles: (from the book;The Treasure Principle)
1.God owns everything and I’m his money manager
Stewardship: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care
A steward manages assets for the owners benefit.
Deuteronomy 8:18-20 NIV
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.
Do you have any Idols?
Anything that you might be putting before the Lord?
(Material things perhaps)
It is God who gives us the ability to do something, write something, build something, perform a job, talents, gifts…
John Wesley (co-founder of the Methodist Church) had his house burn down totally. When they came and told him, he said “ That’s OK it was God’s house not mine,” that means less responsibility for me to take care of it”.
2.Your heart always goes where your treasure is.
The more you give the more you will delight in it, the more God delights in it. Giving will bring you joy, it will please you, more importantly it will please God.
Ecclesiastes 5:12 NASB The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.
Jesus preached more about how to handle money than he did about prayer, heaven or anything else. He knew we would always struggle with this.
The wisdom of this world says: “Never put all your eggs in one basket.” That would be an enormous risk. If you drop the basket, you lose it all. And nobody wants to take that risk.
So we have learned to be masters of diversity. Farmers rotate their crops. People with extra money make a variety of investments. The best colleges offer a broad education. The best tradesmen also develop proficiency in several aspects of their trade, rather than just one. Corporations own several businesses, each with their own piece of the market. Cars have spare tires and planes have reserve fuel tanks and space shuttles have all kinds of backup computer systems so that if one part fails, the machine can keep going.
So it’s not unusual for people who truly understand the call of the gospel to be reluctant in crossing the line. It’s usually those who don’t understand who are quick to believe (and quick to fall away). Like seed sown on rocky places, they hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
But those who understand the Bible’s message of salvation know that Jesus Christ isn’t into diversification.
With God, it’s all or nothing. With him, it’s “put all your eggs in one basket.”
He says: “I am the Lord your God and you will have no other gods before me.”
Luke 12:32-34 (the Message)
"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being”.
Your heart will ALWAYS go where your money is.
If you want to have a greater heart for missions, give to a mission or a missionary.
If you don’t care about the stock market because you have nothing invested in it, try becoming a day trader, put a couple thousand into a stock. You will find yourself watching it online daily and getting upset if it goes badly and your investment dwindles down.
3.Heaven not Earth is my home
In Hebrews 11 it starts out talking about some of the Saints of history; Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah…
Hebrews 11:13-16 ESV
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. “
Philippians 3:20 NLT “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior”.
Why would you decorate a hotel room? (you’re just going to leave it after a while)
Hebrews 13:14-16 NKJV
For here we have no continuing city but we seek the one to come. Therefore by Him let us continually the sacrifice of our praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
“Your sacrifice is on a collision course with your miracle” Bishop Robert L. Banks Jr. ...or was it Bishop Bobby Banks, not sure
The old testament sacrifices are now obsolete, believers are to offer spiritual sacrifices, which include their praise, their possessions, and even their lives.
If you only offer praise with your lips when you are at church on Sunday, but do not watch what you speak the rest of the time, what then will be the result?
4. I should not live for the “Dot”, but for the “ Line”.
The Dot is Earth, the line …Eternity. We live on the Dot ( Earth ), but not for it, we should live for Eternity.
Hebrews 11:24-27 KJV
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Moses got it, Egypt was not his home, God’s nation and people were his home and family.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. “
Jim Elliot
Luke 17:33 NIV
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
John Wesley commented, “The sense of this and the following verse is, Yet as great as the danger will be, do not seek to save your life by violating your conscience: if you do, you will surely lose it: whereas if you should lose it for my sake, you shall be paid with life everlasting. But the most probable way of preserving it now, is to be always ready to give it up: a peculiar Providence shall then watch over you, and put a difference between you and other men.”
Think about gain, Yes, eternal gain. Jesus is the most radical investment advisor.
5.Giving is the only antidote to materialism
Our giving is a reflexive response to the good Grace of God in our lives.
We live in an area of extreme materialism, it’s all around us. Take a ride around Palm Beach. You’ll see Bentley cars, huge mansions beyond what anyone could need. Your friends and maybe even you always have to have the newest technology cell phone, computer and other gadgets.
Proverbs 23:5 KJV
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Giving loosens our grip on stuff in our life… Giving to a missionary makes us a part of what they are doing. I always feel compelled to describe what my brother Taylor is doing in Peru, because my wife and I give sacrificially to his cause, his mission. I feel like in some small way we are a part of what he is doing.
1 Timothy 6:10 God’s Word Translation
Certainly, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people who have set their hearts on getting rich have wandered away from the Christian faith and have caused themselves a lot of grief.
John D. Rockefeller was asked once, "How much money is enough money?" He replied, "Just a little bit more." …
When he died John D. Rockefeller he left all the money he stored up here, here on earth.
The greatest indictment against him- and the proof of his spiritual condition- is that he was rich towards himself, but not rich towards God.
Ecclesiastes 5:14 KJV But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
Ask someone who makes $25,000 a year how much they would need to be more comfortable, they might say “$45,000”. Ask someone who makes $50,000 a year…they would say $100,000…
Someone who makes $100,000 would say $200,000
Luke 12:20-21 NIV
But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.
6.God prospers me to raise my standard of giving, not my standard of living.
When you realize that you have too much, give some to someone who has too little…problem solved
2 Corinthians 9:10 (The Message)
God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,
He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.
1 Timothy 6:3-19 (New International Version)
Love of Money
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to Godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For, we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.
Paul's Charge to Timothy
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
About 5 minutes after you die you will have a clear understanding of the value of things on Earth.
Pray to get a better understanding of it now!
We can give and not love, but we cannot love and not give!
Here is what I put together, I hope you like it...
Where your heart is…..
Anyone can give, but you can’t truly love without giving.
Six Principles: (from the book;The Treasure Principle)
1.God owns everything and I’m his money manager
Stewardship: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care
A steward manages assets for the owners benefit.
Deuteronomy 8:18-20 NIV
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.
Do you have any Idols?
Anything that you might be putting before the Lord?
(Material things perhaps)
It is God who gives us the ability to do something, write something, build something, perform a job, talents, gifts…
John Wesley (co-founder of the Methodist Church) had his house burn down totally. When they came and told him, he said “ That’s OK it was God’s house not mine,” that means less responsibility for me to take care of it”.
2.Your heart always goes where your treasure is.
The more you give the more you will delight in it, the more God delights in it. Giving will bring you joy, it will please you, more importantly it will please God.
Ecclesiastes 5:12 NASB The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.
Jesus preached more about how to handle money than he did about prayer, heaven or anything else. He knew we would always struggle with this.
The wisdom of this world says: “Never put all your eggs in one basket.” That would be an enormous risk. If you drop the basket, you lose it all. And nobody wants to take that risk.
So we have learned to be masters of diversity. Farmers rotate their crops. People with extra money make a variety of investments. The best colleges offer a broad education. The best tradesmen also develop proficiency in several aspects of their trade, rather than just one. Corporations own several businesses, each with their own piece of the market. Cars have spare tires and planes have reserve fuel tanks and space shuttles have all kinds of backup computer systems so that if one part fails, the machine can keep going.
So it’s not unusual for people who truly understand the call of the gospel to be reluctant in crossing the line. It’s usually those who don’t understand who are quick to believe (and quick to fall away). Like seed sown on rocky places, they hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
But those who understand the Bible’s message of salvation know that Jesus Christ isn’t into diversification.
With God, it’s all or nothing. With him, it’s “put all your eggs in one basket.”
He says: “I am the Lord your God and you will have no other gods before me.”
Luke 12:32-34 (the Message)
"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being”.
Your heart will ALWAYS go where your money is.
If you want to have a greater heart for missions, give to a mission or a missionary.
If you don’t care about the stock market because you have nothing invested in it, try becoming a day trader, put a couple thousand into a stock. You will find yourself watching it online daily and getting upset if it goes badly and your investment dwindles down.
3.Heaven not Earth is my home
In Hebrews 11 it starts out talking about some of the Saints of history; Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah…
Hebrews 11:13-16 ESV
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. “
Philippians 3:20 NLT “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior”.
Why would you decorate a hotel room? (you’re just going to leave it after a while)
Hebrews 13:14-16 NKJV
For here we have no continuing city but we seek the one to come. Therefore by Him let us continually the sacrifice of our praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
“Your sacrifice is on a collision course with your miracle” Bishop Robert L. Banks Jr. ...or was it Bishop Bobby Banks, not sure
The old testament sacrifices are now obsolete, believers are to offer spiritual sacrifices, which include their praise, their possessions, and even their lives.
If you only offer praise with your lips when you are at church on Sunday, but do not watch what you speak the rest of the time, what then will be the result?
4. I should not live for the “Dot”, but for the “ Line”.
The Dot is Earth, the line …Eternity. We live on the Dot ( Earth ), but not for it, we should live for Eternity.
Hebrews 11:24-27 KJV
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Moses got it, Egypt was not his home, God’s nation and people were his home and family.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. “
Jim Elliot
Luke 17:33 NIV
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
John Wesley commented, “The sense of this and the following verse is, Yet as great as the danger will be, do not seek to save your life by violating your conscience: if you do, you will surely lose it: whereas if you should lose it for my sake, you shall be paid with life everlasting. But the most probable way of preserving it now, is to be always ready to give it up: a peculiar Providence shall then watch over you, and put a difference between you and other men.”
Think about gain, Yes, eternal gain. Jesus is the most radical investment advisor.
5.Giving is the only antidote to materialism
Our giving is a reflexive response to the good Grace of God in our lives.
We live in an area of extreme materialism, it’s all around us. Take a ride around Palm Beach. You’ll see Bentley cars, huge mansions beyond what anyone could need. Your friends and maybe even you always have to have the newest technology cell phone, computer and other gadgets.
Proverbs 23:5 KJV
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Giving loosens our grip on stuff in our life… Giving to a missionary makes us a part of what they are doing. I always feel compelled to describe what my brother Taylor is doing in Peru, because my wife and I give sacrificially to his cause, his mission. I feel like in some small way we are a part of what he is doing.
1 Timothy 6:10 God’s Word Translation
Certainly, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people who have set their hearts on getting rich have wandered away from the Christian faith and have caused themselves a lot of grief.
John D. Rockefeller was asked once, "How much money is enough money?" He replied, "Just a little bit more." …
When he died John D. Rockefeller he left all the money he stored up here, here on earth.
The greatest indictment against him- and the proof of his spiritual condition- is that he was rich towards himself, but not rich towards God.
Ecclesiastes 5:14 KJV But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
Ask someone who makes $25,000 a year how much they would need to be more comfortable, they might say “$45,000”. Ask someone who makes $50,000 a year…they would say $100,000…
Someone who makes $100,000 would say $200,000
Luke 12:20-21 NIV
But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.
6.God prospers me to raise my standard of giving, not my standard of living.
When you realize that you have too much, give some to someone who has too little…problem solved
2 Corinthians 9:10 (The Message)
God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,
He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.
1 Timothy 6:3-19 (New International Version)
Love of Money
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to Godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For, we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.
Paul's Charge to Timothy
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
About 5 minutes after you die you will have a clear understanding of the value of things on Earth.
Pray to get a better understanding of it now!
We can give and not love, but we cannot love and not give!
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