Sermons Online

Old Is New

2008-08-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Gtcotr/ss071708

Key Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 1 NKJV

9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which it may be said, "See, this is new"? It has already been in ancient times before us.

In about the year AD54, the book of Acts tells us that the Apostle Paul visited Athens while on his second missionary journey. Waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him, Paul spent some of his time observing the life and culture in that mega city of its day.

Athens was one of the three main world centers of education where men of great intellect constantly investigated the physical laws governing the universe while others sat in counsel giving voice to the philosophies of life which many still embrace today. While there, Paul noticed that the people were very religious but they were being constantly led astray by their continual pursuit of new things.

This vexed Paul’s spirit and he wanted to share his faith with them in a way they could understand and embrace. In order to be successful he would have to find some common ground and learn to speak their language of life. You see, the task was not convincing God to save these, God was already willing to do that long before Paul arrived.

Rather the difficulty laid in Paul being able to present the simple message of the Gospel in such a way that these religious intellectuals could respect. They were quiet possibly plagued with a spiritual superiority complex and simple things just held no allure. Sometimes the greatest challenge we face is how to get complex people to accept the simple message we carry.

Let’s read our text for today and see how Paul accomplished this. The text will be found in Acts 17.

Acts 17 NKJV

18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered Paul. And some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods," because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?

20 "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean."

21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;

23 "for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

The Bible is broken down into two main categories:

* The Old Testament

> which contains 39 books

> and covers almost 4000 years – approximately:

^ 2315 years in the book of Genesis alone

^ 1650 years from Adam to the flood in Noah’s day

^ 300 years from the flood to Abraham

^ 14 generations from Abraham to David

^ 14 generations from David to Babylon Captivity

^ & 14 generations from Captivity to Messiah

* The New Testament

> containing 27 books

> but covering less than 100 years

It is the Old Testament’s duty to take man on a long journey through many generations from the creation of Adam to Messiah. However, it is the New Testament’s job to prepare each generation to live as a witness to the world in their lifetime.

The New Testament is designed to be the example of life and work for every Believer in their generation. God has no grandchildren, only children, and the church has to be birthed in every generation.

Sinners are being born every day and no generation will ever reach that proverbial ‘last house on the road’ with the Gospel message until they have reached every other house in their generation first.

World evangelism is a task given to each generation and it will one day be the completed work of the concentrated and combined effort of one generation, prepared for the task and unified in faith.

The Great Commission recorded in the book of Matthew, chapter 28, verses 18 through 20, is a command from Christ given to every born again believer and every Christian assembly as the one true vision and purpose of the Church.

We only have one life, not two, not three, but one life in which to serve God and do His will. In order to accomplish our work for Him we must know what He wants done and how He wants us to do it. This is why God gave us the New Testament … as an example, to show us the way we should live, walk, work and witness.

However, it is impractical to attempt a full understanding of the New Testament without first having a mind saturated with the foretelling scriptures of the Old Testament. This is especially true when studying the four Gospels: Matthew; Mark; Luke and John.

Jesus was born, lived His life and ministered under the provisions of the Old Testament. Many of the things we read Jesus saying were quotes He had learned from the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus even defeated the temptations offered Him in the wilderness by quoting scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy.

This is not to say that any word from God, even one word, from the Old or New Testaments, does not contain the power to save. No word of God is void of power. (Isaiah 55:11)

If we heard only one verse, John 3:16 for example, our hearts can be touched by that message and its power to change our life.

However, to live a life in pursuit of knowing and serving God demands we study to show ourselves approved remembering that every scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (Bear in mind that when this verse was written by the Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17, he was not referring to New Testament scriptures, they were not in existence yet!)

This, by the way, is not intended to be a message on the value of the Old Testament and its benefits to understanding the New. Rather, this message is a message aimed at helping us to realize that there is nothing new.

The new you have been looking for has been right there all of the time … right with you … right under your nose …

* The old is the new you have been searching for!

You just need to wake up and understand it, appreciate it and invest in it. God works with what we have when we give it to Him.

For some of you this applies to your marriage, to others, your ministry, while to others it is the salvation you have been hoping for in other areas of life from your job to your church … don’t miss it.

There is no need to traverse the world looking for something new to excite or inspire you, something new to fulfill your dreams or make you complete … No! … what you need is right with you … its Jesus, Who was and is always in God, Creator and Savior of the world, Author and Finisher of your faith, Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Old and the New. Don’t overlook the wonderful blessings and God given opportunities staring you right in the face, right now, right where you are … Old is New! Start making the most of what you already have today.

Close for broadcast and altar call.

“My dear friends, some of you are discontent and dissatisfied with life and what it has offered you when if you would only spend the same amount of time investing in what you already have that you have been spending searching for something new to replace it, you would find that what you have always longed for has been right there with you all along.

There is no problem so complex that the simple message contained in the bible cannot solve. Open your eyes to the salvation and peace offered you by the Creator of the Universe. This new life is found in Jesus and submission to His will. Contentment will follow your commitment to Him as Messiah and Savior of the world.

Make Jesus the Lord of your life today!

Farther down in Acts 17, along about verse 30 the Apostle Paul gave remedy to those religious intellects who had been searching for the new and unknown. He simply said that God had commanded all men everywhere to repent.

Repent simply means to change. If you will ask God for help today, He will help you change. Let’s pray together right now.”

The Word

2007-10-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Five Fold Ministry
Individual Books of the Bible
Doctrine

Synopsis for FAMILY

2007-06-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Synopsis #1 is about THIS SERMON
It will be well written is a very informative and elegant way. Then I will hopefully be able to make the title of the sermon a link to that sermon...We'll see...pray it works.

Synopsis #1 is about THIS SERMON
It will be well written is a very informative and elegant way. Then I will hopefully be able to make the title of the sermon a link to that sermon...We'll see...pray it works.

Synopsis #1 is about THIS SERMON
It will be well written is a very informative and elegant way. Then I will hopefully be able to make the title of the sermon a link to that sermon...We'll see...pray it works.

The Vision Cycle

2007-06-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

Gtcotr/ss061607

Key Scripture: Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God is a God of visions and dreams, God of the future … good visions, good dreams and a good future for you.

When God speaks to men He often speaks of things which are not yet visible perhaps things which are not yet even possible … at least not yet possible from man’s perspective.

God speaks to men about the future and plants seeds of the future in hearts and minds. These seeds are destined to bring a harvest however, not every individual or generation sees that harvest.

God gave Moses and the children of Israel a dream for their future of going into the Promised Land however, both Moses and that whole generation died without seeing their dream fulfilled because they refused to trust God.

God also spoke to Abraham about his future and gave him a dream.

We read about Abraham’s promised potential in:

Genesis 17 NKJV

1 ¶ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.

2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

4 ¶ "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

As the key to his potential future, God promised Abraham a certain son.

Genesis 17 NKJV

15 ¶ Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.

16 "And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!"

19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

So, in the year which came Sarah conceived and delivered a son in her old age. The child was named Isaac.

Some years later, (theologians differ on Isaac’s age which ranges from 5 years old to 13, to 20, 25 and even 35 years old – we cannot know), it was that God spoke to Abraham once again concerning Abraham’s dream.

God had given Abraham a vision of his future which allowed him to dream. Now, years later, it seems that God will end that dream with a nightmare.

Genesis 22 NKJV

1 ¶ Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

But God brought birth to the vision and dream of Isaac being the future and fulfillment of Abraham’s covenant., even after Abraham had ask God to just bless his son Ishmael.

Abraham had not asked for this vision and now, once he had fallen in love with it, it was going to be sacrificed.

Abraham did not argue with God but obediently followed God’s voice.

The story continues in Genesis 22 telling how that Abraham climbs Mt Moriah, builds an altar, puts everything in order, binds his son Isaac and lays him upon the altar before God.

Genesis 22:12 … "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

As Abraham lifts the knife to his dream, ready to sacrifice his future, a voice from heaven speaks and stops the sacrifice.

The New Testament speaks of this incident as the Apostle Paul further explains the account.

Hebrews 11 NKJV

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"

19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

What does this mean? Simply it means that because of Abraham’s faith in God and in the vision God had given him, Abraham was able to offer Isaac on the altar knowing that God was able to raise him up from the dead if need be to fulfill His promise.

In fact the passage concludes that Abraham had already received Isaac as being raised from the dead before he raised the knife to slay him.

This story gives us a unique but definitive picture of the cycle of a vision.

First we see:

1. The Birth of a Vision

A dream or promise of your future

Then there is also:

2. The Death of a Vision

We must all lay our Isaacs on the altar before God

They belong to God and not to us

We cannot withhold our trust in God’s care

Nor can we determine or demand our own destiny

You cannot protect your future, especially from God

Finally we see:

3. The Resurrection of a Vision

God gives and keeps and raises His will from the ashes

God is able

We must see our vision raised from the dead before it even dies

Count God faithful … trust Him with your Isaacs.

Jeremiah 1:12 The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled." (NIV)

Just a side note today for you fathers.

Can you imagine why God treated Abraham so favorably or why He interacted with him so much? Why did God choose Abraham?

Let me give you a great father’s day scripture:

Genesis 18: 19 Because I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Happy Father’s Day!

Directions

2007-06-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

Gtcotr/ss061007

Have you ever heard the phrase: “You can’t get there from here … you have to go somewhere else to start.”?

Jonah 1 NKJV

1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."

3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Many of you know the story of Jonah. How that he purposefully strayed from the will and path of God for his life. How that God caused a storm to rise on the Mediterranean Sea which ended when Jonah was thrown overboard and swallowed up by a great fish which God had prepared.

After three days in the belly of the fish Jonah repented and prayed to God for forgiveness. When God caused the fish to spit Jonah up on dry ground, Jonah once again heard the voice of God to go to Nineveh. Jonah’s destiny had not changed but his mind sure did.

Jonah 3

1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you."

3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh …

Finding himself on dry ground once again, Jonah obeyed God, started his journey, reached his destination and ultimately fulfilled God’s will.

It is fairly certain that he was not where he was when God first spoke to him and he didn’t waste time trying to get back there. Without hesitation he no doubt went straight to Nineveh right from where he landed on dry ground.

Recently Brenda mentioned to a friend that I was considering selling my pickup. That afternoon the friend came over to our house and looked at it, took it for a test drive to show their family and later that evening bought the pickup.

Well, with the sell of my pickup truck, my personal vehicle that I used on a daily basis to go to work and back, run my errands and keep mobile as I must for various reasons, came an opportunity. This opportunity was not the opportunity one might expect as a result of Brenda selling my vehicle.

You see, with the sell of my vehicle came the opportunity for Brenda to get herself a new vehicle and pass her vehicle down to me. It turns out that she already had her new vehicle picked out, right down to the color and options. So, without further meaningful discussion, we bought Brenda a new car.

This particular car came standard with a GPS guided street map. It is amazing and I highly recommend it for directionally challenged people. Just put in the address and away you go … it speaks to you and tells where to turn, when to turn and if you miss a turn … it’s great.

I have the nature of liking to know the limitations of things I depend on, especially the things I need to depend on for the safety of my family. So I put this little map to the ‘what happens if I mess up really bad test’.

There are three things a person must know in order to get where they want to go. First, of course, one must actually have a desired and definable destination, you have got to know where you are going and next one must also know the point from where they are starting.

Invariably on journeys of any distance or difficulty, one runs into detours along the way. Sometimes they are anticipated detours and sometimes we find that we have inadvertently detoured without knowing how or where we made our departure from the shortest or quickest route.

One of the test I put Brenda’s little map through involved putting a known address into the system and then purposefully making wrong turn after wrong turn, continuing in an opposite direction beyond every warning and instruction to turn here and there.

After I thought I would have completely frustrated even the most patient technology, this little map just kept on trying it’s best to correct my course by offering me the most efficient route to my desired destination. It just kept on refreshing the course and offering me a new best route from where ever I was.

I was impressed and satisfied that even if Brenda messed up going somewhere she was unfamiliar with or had not been before, that it would not frustrate her trying to get her back onto her original route but would chart a new course for her to get her to her desired destination with every detour she encountered no matter how far off the original route she went.

A bit earlier I told you that there were three things one needed to know in order to insure a successful journey. So far I have only given you two of those points. We must:

1. Know where we are.

2. Know where we are going.

3. Know how to refresh our course along the way.

Knowing how to get where we are going from where we originally started may not be as useful today as knowing how to get where we are going from where we have currently gotten ourselves.

We don’t have to go back to the beginning to start.

We must also be ready for a new word from God.

In Genesis 22:2 Abraham was told by God to sacrifice Isaac. Just 3 days and 10 verses later in Genesis 22:12 Abraham is told not to sacrifice Isaac. Which one was right? Which one was the word of God? Both of them were.

We must always be ready to hear a new word from God.

Everyday the circumstances and situations of life are subject to change and with each decision we make and every step we take the route to destiny, not destiny itself, but the route to destiny can be altered somewhat.

Yesterday’s best route may not be today’s best route and at times even our ultimate destination may change.

Maybe we need to focus more on getting where we are going rather than trying to get back to where we were.

How do we find the best route to our greatest day and refresh our course? Simple …

Just draw a line from where you are right now straight to God’s will.

You can find His will written on the pages of His Holy Word, the Bible.

The Psalmist David, a person who missed God and messed up several times wrote:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105 (KJV)

Find the path for yourself by looking into God’s word.

And remember, always be ready for a new word from heaven.

Dominion

2007-06-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Gtcotr/ws060607

Dominion is defined as the right and the power to govern and control.

Man was created to rule and reign in life through Jesus.

Romans 5:17 … much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Man has a future with God as rulers of all the earth.

Revelation 1 NKJV

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus has made us Kings and Priests to His God and Father.

In each of life’s situations we are either:

In control

Out of control

Just along for the ride

We, both individually and collectively, were created by God’s design, filled with His Spirit and made to rule in life.

The book of Revelation gives us a picture of our future however, lets also look back at the beginning and see God’s original design for mankind.

Genesis 1 NKJV

26 ¶ Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

God’s original commandments to righteous mankind differ a bit from those 10 He later gave through Moses on Mount Sinai to sinful mankind.

When we accept Messiah as God’s gift and are restored in relationship with Him, we are once again made righteous and are placed ‘back on track’ with God’s original vision.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God commanded Adam and Eve – all those who are right with Him to keep five commandments:

The First Five Commandments

* Be Fruitful

* Multiply

* Fill The Earth

* Subdue The Earth

* Have Dominion

We have seen the original vision of God for mankind in Genesis and in Revelation we have also seen God’s fulfilled vision for mankind. They are both the same – Men and Women, as children of God, representing Him and exercising their God given place as Kings and Priests in the earth. God wants us to advance and rule His kingdom.

We have seen the beginning and the end but here we are stuck in the middle. Is there any hope for us here in the middle? Yes … and for that lets turn to the middle of the bible. The middle of your bible is the book of Psalms. Lets go to Psalms 8 to be specific and see if we can hear the same message for mankind.

Psalms 8 NKJV

1 ¶ O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 ¶ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

7 All sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

When David asked the question of God, “What is man that You are mindful of him … or visit him?” The revealed answer was quick, certain and direct:

Psalms 8:6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

God has given His children dominion over all the works of His hands.

Fish were created to swim

Birds were created to fly

Man was created to have dominion

Remember:

Dominion is the right and the power to govern and control.

It has been this way from the beginning. Even when God first created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

The word ‘keep’ is translated from a word meaning ‘to watch over, guard and protect’.

The past few weeks we have talked about the power of a personal Pentecost and what a person receives when they are filled with the Holy Spirit.

We discussed the difference between the power of salvation and the power of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

This past Sunday we learned about Kingdom Advancement and how that we are in a new era on God’s time table. This new era is a special day of forcefully advancing the Kingdom of God through the efforts of men, women, boys and girls who will dare to be violent in their Christian walk.

Not physically violent, not rude or mean or ugly to people, but rather those tapping into the inner spiritual strength it takes to stand up for Jesus and refuse to be denied the promises of God.

We talked Sunday about the power of our voice. In fact we discussed three powerful and force filled voices God has given us:

* The Voice of Prayer

* The Voice of Confession

* The Voice of Command

To add to these truths I desire to give you a sense of the destiny God has created you for. God made you to have dominion.

Even under the old covenant in Deuteronomy 28 God promised that if His children would follow His commands …

Deuteronomy 28 KJV

7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

…they would be the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath, enemies which came out before them one way would flee seven ways and on and on and on.

You see, in the end we will rule and reign but God wants us to develop a dominion attitude today. God wants us to realize why He created us and what He gave us when He made us.

God gave His children who are right with Him dominion, the right and the power to govern and control.

So:

* Get right with God

* Exercise your dominion

> Make things happen

> Don’t just let things happen

* Be Fruitful

* Multiply

* Fill the Earth

* Subdue the Earth

* Have Dominion

Key Scripture: Revelation 5 NKJV

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Advancing The Kingdom

2007-06-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Gtcotr/ss060307

On Wednesday evenings we have been exploring Pentecost, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and what we receive with that Baptism. This coming Wednesday evening we will be studying the subject of Dominion using Genesis 1:26 and Psalms 8 as a launching pad. Believe me; you won’t want to miss this one.

Our beginning text this morning as we discuss Advancing the Kingdom comes from the Gospel of:

Matthew 11 NIV

11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

Here Jesus reveals to His disciples how that with the coming of John the Baptist there was ushered in a new era of spiritual dynamics.

Along with John the Baptist, who was that promised spirit of Elijah, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, came the era of forceful advancement for the Kingdom of Heaven and the opportunity for men to take positive steps to lay hold of it.

Jesus is saying that John’s voice and ministry marked the beginning of violent efforts to expand, advance and enhance the Kingdom of Heaven. Now, people were pressing themselves in like those who are attempting to take a city by force.

It is amazing how the voice of one person crying in the wilderness can arouse such passion that men would make their mad rush to press into the Kingdom of Heaven without delay.

All of this happened as a result of one man with a mission from heaven and the power of his voice.

This is the result of a one who:

* Knows His Ministry

* Knows His Message

* Knows His Mark

We too, each one of us, have been given a voice in the earth. Our voice is designed to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. It is vital that we, like John, understand our ministry, our message and our mark.

So, lets look at three forceful voices God has given to each one of us:

1. The Voice of Prayer

2. The Voice of Confession

3. The Voice of Command

and the ministry, the message and the mark of each voice..

I. The Voice of Prayer

A. The Ministry (The goal or purpose)

1. Communication With God

2. A Relationship Builder

B. The Message (The content or process)

1. Thanksgiving

2. Intercession

3. Petition

C. The Mark (Who is this designed to reach)

1. Prayer goes to God

2. No one else is worthy to receive our prayers

3. No one else even need hear our prayer for it to be effective

4. Prayer is not a time to preach or get a point across to others

Prayer which reaches the heart of God comes from the heart of man.

Matthew 6 NKJV

5 ¶ "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

6 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Vain repetitions spoken to be heard of man or to keep a tradition is not what God is listening for. Prayer is talking to God.

Not only have God’s children been given the voice of prayer which we direct back to God but we have also been given:

II. The Voice of Confession

A. The Ministry (The goal or purpose)

1. Make Declaration

Job 22:28 You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.

2. Establish Boundaries

Joshua 24:15 “… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

B. The Message (The content or process)

1. Change what you think

2. Change what you feel

3. Change what you want

4. By changing what you believe to line up with what God says

C. The Mark (Who is this directed towards)

1. Ourselves

2. Others

3. God

This is the place to preach, to expound if desired, God’s got the time and so do we and others. Use this voice of confession to:

– Make a Vow; Commit to God’s will; Establish Covenant; Repent or Confess sin, Apologize, Say I’m Sorry, Set Your Course.

The third God given, force-filled voice we have been given is:

III. The Voice of Command

A. The Ministry (The goal and purpose)

1. To Exercise Dominion

2. To Effect Change

3. To Forcefully Advance The Kingdom of Heaven

B. The Message (The content or process)

1. The Kingdom of God is here and things are changing

2. Move over or get run over – resistance is futile …

3. Yield; Submit; Obey

C. The Mark

1. Spiritual Darkness, Demons and their Devices

Luke 10:19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

2. The Mountains of Life

Key Scriptures: Mark 11 NKJV

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.

23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Each one of us has a:

Voice of Prayer which we use to speak with God

Voice of Confession we use on ourselves and others

Voice of Command we use on the devil and the mountains of this life

We are in a New Testament, Messianic era, and have been given these voices to forcefully advance the Kingdom of God in our lives and the lives of others in our generation.

The devil won’t lie down and quit just because you are saved. You may have to get forceful. You can help God by strengthening yourself in prayer and confession and by exercising command and control by the voice God has given you.

This Wednesday evening when we look at the subject of why God created man, we will get a better grasp of our role in this world and how to exercise the dominion God intends for each of us to have.

If you only get one thing from this morning let me encourage you to use your voice of prayer to build a closer and stronger relationship with God. He is your Father and He loves you so. Talk to Him today, He will listen and He will answer your prayer.

Then, learn to whom you should be talking, how you should be addressing them and what the results can be.

Good & Faithful Servants

2007-05-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Gtcotr/ss052007

We may never serve Christ in this life except we engage ourselves in service to others.

Colossians 1:10: The way you live will always honor and please the Lord while you will continually do good and kind things for others. (Paraphrased)

Key Scriptures: Ephesians 5 (New Living Translation)

1 ¶ Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.

God is all about others.

In fact, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for others, even those others who were the worst sinners.

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John contain the accounts of the life of Jesus. These stories show that He spent His earthly ministry on others and not for Himself.

We are told in Philippians 2 that Jesus chose the life of a servant.

Philippians 2

7 He made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant …

Whether teaching one person, the 12 disciples or whole multitudes of people, Jesus occupied the days of His earthly life with ministry to others.

If we wish to be more like Jesus perhaps we too must consider our willingness to serve and what we are doing with our opportunities.

Two accounts in the book of Matthew show Jesus spending quite a long time, sitting in one place teaching exhaustively on one central topic to a group of people.

In Matthew chapters 5, 6, & 7 Jesus, very early in His ministry, taught a multitude on a hillside in Galilee. We have come to remember this as the Sermon on the Mount, the Mount of Beatitudes.

Later, at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, on the side of another famous hill, the Mount of Olives just outside the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem, Jesus again teaches a long sermon a single topic. He begins in Matthew 24 and continues for two very long chapters.

In this sermon Jesus responds to a question about the end times.

Matthew 24: 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (NKJV)

Jesus takes the following 94 verses to tell His disciples about the coming end of the world and what people must do to escape the deceptions of this age.

After His long discourse detailing:

* wars and rumors of wars

* false prophets

* mass deception

* the love of many waxing cold

* the gospel proclamation reaching around the world

* afflictions, sorrows, tribulations and woes

* false Christs

* deceptive signs, wonders and miracles

* He talks about the parable of the fig tree and

* the fact that only God knows the day and the hour

* but we are to be continually ready, serving the Lord

Matthew 24

44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

46 "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

Jesus continues in Chapter 25 with:

* the parable of the Ten Virgins – 5 wise & 5 foolish

* the parable of the talents & the difference between:

> v.23 “Well done, good and faithful servant”

> v.30 “Cast the unprofitable servant into …”

Then He concludes this sermon with a description of the final gathering in heaven.

Matthew 25 NKJV

31 ¶ "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

33 "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

38 ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

39 ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

These are the things righteous people do. In other words:

People who are right with God serve God by serving others.

We serve others because we love God and because we know our sacrifice and the demonstration of our love pleases and honors God.

Serving others is the fruit of a life right with God.

It is God’s will and purpose for our life that we:

* Make A Living

* Make A Life

* Make A Difference

Consider a lifestyle of service to God by committing to serve others with your time, your talents and your resources.

Make room in your life for others outside your self, your family and your circle of friends.

God is all about others.

We may never serve Christ in this life except we engage ourselves in service to others.

“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.” Colossians 1:10 (NLT)

Brother McGee’s altar call opportunity.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

gtcotr/ss051407

Every daughter’s father is but some mother’s son.

We don’t get to life without a mother.

The one who brought you to life, is equipped to help you through life.

The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. (William Wallace)

(Perhaps other quotes from the last page of this sermon before our: …)

Key Scripture: Psalms 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. (KJV)

I. Judges 5:6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

A. In the days of Shamgar & Jael

1. Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad ...

> Judges 3:31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

2. Jael, she went softly and drove a tent peg into Sisera’s head

> Judges 4:21 Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

Note: (Even though in those days there were mighty men and women of God … Judges 5:6 tells us that:)

B. The right ways were abandoned (good paths --- highways)

C. People walked a hard, dark and dangerous path (byways)

II. Judges 5:7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased …

A. Village Life Ceased?

1. No community

2. No family, friends or social life

3. Everyone afraid of everyone else

4. No common bond with others

B. Judges 5:7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

Until … when it gets bad enough for mama to get up, something is going to change.

Conversely, when mothers do not arise, things often deteriorate.

What Happens When A Mother’s Job Goes Undone?

Proverbs 29:15 ¶ The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. (KJV)

III. Judges 5:8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

A. On top of what we have already read:

1. v.6: People abandon the right way for the wrong way

2. v.7: Family, community & eventually society will cease to meaningfully exist

B. When there are no mothers making their voice & demands heard:

3. v.8: People will choose new gods and stray from Jehovah God

4. v.8: Fussing, fighting and all out war comes into the house

5. v.8: People grow defenseless without a Mother’s protection, or perhaps without a mother to protect.

IV. Mothers We Need You … Arise … Take Your Place

Note: When God needs a job done, a child is born … however, God entrust these children to Mothers!

Remember, Mary gave her Firstborn & Moses’ Mother gave her son, but they raised them first!

Every man and woman is nothing more than some mother’s child.

Mothers, we need you to:

A. Teach us the straight ways of life

1. not to lie, cheat, steal, loose our tempers, be dishonest

2. to respect our elders and honor our parents

3. to keep our commitments and pay our just and honest debts

B. Build our family and give us community relationships

1. you have the grace for intimacy - for kononia - relationship

2. you have the pattern for family imprinted in your lives

C. Introduce us to the Living God

1. Don’t leave us to our own imaginations

2. Don’t leave us to fashion our own gods

D. Keep our homes free of fussing, fighting & all out war

1. make us a peaceful people

2. teach us the value in others

E. Arm us against our enemies

Teach us to both defend ourselves and conquer our enemies

Defense & Offense

> Ephesians 6:16-18

* The Shield of Faith

* The Sword of the Spirit

* The Spear of Prayer

Mothers Arise – Lets Pray For Mothers & Women To Be Mothers

Biological Mothers

Spiritual Mothers

Mothers who rise to the day

Make Mother’s Day a Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day Quotes

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, 1895

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~Irish Proverb

Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have anything to do with it. ~Haim Ginott

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. ~Chinese Proverb

A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother.

A mother understands what a child does not say.

One ounce of mother is worth a ton of priest. Spanish Proverb

God could not be everywhere so He made mothers. Jewish Proverb quoted by Rudyard Kipling

“My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” George Washington

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother” Abraham Lincoln

No one makes it to life without a mother. (rlh)

The one who brought you to life is equipped to help you through life. (rlh)

Every daughter’s father is but some mother’s son. (rlh)

Each time a child comes into this world, a mother is born. (rlh)

All Roads Lead To God

2007-05-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Gtcotr/ss050607

Key Scripture: 2 Peter 3:9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Have you ever been lost? There are a lot of roads in this world and even some dead end streets. Every road leads somewhere so Even if you are lost you’re still headed somewhere.

Life, like taking a trip in a car, is not too complicated. Every road leads to a predictable destination and even if you’re lost you are still headed somewhere … somewhere you, or anyone else can predict with certainty just by the simply checking a roadmap.

Eternity, like life here on earth, is also predictable.

Have you ever heard the quote, “All roads lead to Rome”? It’s commonly known as the circular system. Imagine a hub with roads like spokes of a wheel all leading to and from the hub. No matter where you are on the outside circular, any road you choose to take will lead you straight to the hub.

God is the eternal hub of the universe and as such, no matter which road we choose to take leads us to Him.

All roads lead to God!

This week I came across some interesting facts while searching the CIA’s website. (Everyone has their hobbies …)

Lets look at some current World Facts together:

The CIA World Fact Book

Population: Languages:	6,602,224,175 (July 2007 est.) Mandarin Chinese 13.69%, Spanish 5.05%, English 4.84%, Hindi 2.82%, Portuguese 2.77%, Bengali 2.68%, Russian 2.27%, Japanese 1.99%, Standard German 1.49%, Wu Chinese 1.21% (2004 est.) note: percents are for "first language" speakers only and therefore do not add to 100%
Age structure:	0-14 years: 27.4% (male 931,551,498/female 875,646,416) 15-64 years: 65.1% (male 2,174,605,518/female 2,124,494,703) 65 years and over: 7.5% (male 217,451,123/female 278,474,917) note: some countries do not maintain age structure information, thus a slight discrepancy exists between the total world population and the total for world age structure (2007 est.)
Median age:	Total: 28 years male: 27.4 years female: 28.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:	1.167% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:	20.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:	8.37 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio: Life expectancy at birth: Total fertility rate:	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.064 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.024 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.781 male(s)/female total population: 1.014 male(s)/female total population: 65.82 years male: 63.89 years female: 67.84 years (2007 est.) 2.59 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Religions:	Christians 33.03% (of which Roman Catholics 17.33%, Protestants 5.8%, Orthodox 3.42%, Anglicans 1.23%), Muslims 20.12%, Hindus 13.34%, Buddhists 5.89%, Sikhs 0.39%, Jews 0.23%, other religions 12.61%, non-religious 12.03%, atheists 2.36% (2004 est.)
Updated:	Last update April 17, 2007

https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/xx.html

A lot of information, A lot of people, A lot of roads in life

And yet I say all roads lead to God, even the atheism road which denies the existence of God.

Buddhist belief teaches Four Nobel Truths and an Eight Fold Pathway which leads to the end of all pain. Siddhartha Gautama was a man who lived in the 500’s BC in Nepal. In his mid thirties he claimed enlightenment as the result of his sufferings and became the Buddha.

The Hindu religion involves a caste system and a series of reincarnations in differing forms of life to practice and prove one’s worth in efforts to merge with the ultimate reality through works, knowledge and devotion to achieve nirvana and live a peaceful escape from the cycle of reincarnation.

Islam embraces Mohammad as the last and greatest messenger of God who received the Koran dictated to him and his disciples by the Angel Gabriel. Muslims believe in one God, Angels, Resurrection and Eternal Judgment, Prayer, Fasting, Giving and Jihad. Jihad is the sixth religious duty which requires one to give their life to defend or spread Islam. If a person dies in this manner, without respect to any other fact, they will be immediately escorted into Paradise and allowed to experience special sexual pleasures which are prohibited here on earth and in Paradise except to those who are martyred for Jihad. These special privileged martyrs are also blessed to bring other family members into this Paradise as well.

Judaism follows the first five books of the Old Testament, called the Torah, as law. Jews believe they have a covenant through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and are heirs to the land promised them by God. Heaven is their future by covenant and keeping of the Law. They await a coming Messiah which will set up His Kingdom and deliver them from all persecution and bondage forever.

Christians come in many forms and believe the Jesus is the Son of God. However, many who call themselves Christian embrace non-Christian doctrines such as: Dual Covenant Theology; The Brotherhood of Man; Ultimate Reconciliation; Universalism; and Mormonism, just to name a few.

With so many roads to God, which one is right?

The fact is, All roads lead to God.

Romans 14:10b For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (NKJV)

The question is not will everyone see God but rather what will God say when He sees you?

Everyone gets to God but what does God do with you when you get there?

All roads do lead to God but not all roads lead to heaven.

Every religion other than New Testament Christianity demands that one work to prove worth and earn a relationship with God to gain entry into heaven.

The Apostle Paul tells us that we do not earn but rather are given this relationship with God by grace through our faith.

Ephesians 2 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

We are saved by grace through faith so then where do works come in? Are works important? Much, in every way!

Revelation 20 NKJV

11 ¶ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Which Book of Life is this? … Well, glad you asked.

Revelation 21: 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (NKJV)

The Lamb … Who is the Lamb?

Look into every religion you wish, there is but One Lamb, His Name Is Jesus! No one else even lays claim to Him as Lord and Savior except Believers in Jesus as Messiah and Christ.

What are His demands?

His demands are simple:

Believe in Him

Call upon His Name

Love His Father God more than you do yourself

Love others as much as you do yourself

If you will do these things, you will gain heaven and rewards throughout eternity.

How long have you heard and when will you believe that only the blood of the Lamb will save your soul.

Believe in Him and call upon His Name right now.

He will save, He will set free and He will secure your soul for all eternity

The Word

2007-04-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

Gtcotr/ws042507

Perhaps it is not our interpretation Scripture that makes us right with God near as much as our estimation.

“The word of the Lord” appears 255 times in AV Bible, 51 times in the book of Jeremiah alone, 60 in Ezekiel. “The word of God” appears another 45 times above that, not counting “My word(s)”, “God’s Word”, “The Word”, or other variations. Just in Psalms 119 alone, the word of God is directly referenced in all but 2 of the 176 verses.

The Word of God is a lamp, a light, a law, life, health, strength, wisdom, salvation, counsel, truth, deliverance, safety, justice, rejoicing, hope, help, righteous, pure, all powerful and everlasting. (Just to mention a few)

Key Scriptures: 1 Peter 1 KJV

24 ¶ For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Lets look at a few other scriptures together in efforts to raise our estimation of the integrity of God’s Word.

Numbers 23: 19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Psalms 89 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

Isaiah 55

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Psalms 138: 2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Psalms 119: 130 ¶ The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

John 17: 17 ¶ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Acts 20: 32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

John 1: 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Psalms 102:27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

John 8

31 ¶ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

Luke 5:15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Acts 12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

Acts 19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The Family - Series: Part 2 - The Difference

2007-01-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

Series: Part 2 – The Difference

Gtcotr/ws011707

Key Scripture: Psalms 68:6 God sets the solitary in families …

God made men and women different for different roles with different rights and different responsibilities.

There are definite reasons why men and women, in general, are different.

Men are not made different to cause separation but rather to fit together perfectly in God’s plan.

The Family is God’s plan.

In Genesis God gives us insight into why He made us male and female.

Genesis 1 NKJV

27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 2

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

8 ¶ The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.

Genesis 2

18 ¶ And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.

20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

21 ¶ And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.

22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

23 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

God created two men, one with and one without a womb. (Woman)

God created two males, one who could and one who could not carry a fetus. (Female)

God made man and woman with certain differing abilities, likes, dislikes, graces and strengths.

For the next few minutes I would like to share some of the general differences between the genders that I have gathered from many sources through the years.

These general differences are not meant to be used as labels or limiting factors to any individual, but rather to shine a light on the Designer’s intent to use these differences as a way to strengthen the family unit.

I realize that most people do not typify the generalizations of gender but some generalities can and must at times be assumed as a point of reference from which to begin our journey into understanding the sexes.

So, here are some observations which are commonly found.

What Is A Man? What Is A Woman?

Father Mother

Conqueror Lover

Center of Interest

The World The Home

Objective Subjective

Impersonal Personal

Soul Modest Body Modest

Passionate Romantic

Neglects Nags

Main Weakness

Sense of Discouragement Sense of Loneliness

Future Minded Present Minded

Essential Minded Detail Minded

Logical Intuitive

Steady Changeable

A Leader By Nature A Supporter By Nature

Egotistic Jealous

Compartmentalized De-Compartmentalized

Greatest Need

Respect Love

And we could go on and on and on. Suffice it to say that God made the genders with differing roles, rules, rights and responsibilities in mind.

Throughout the scriptures we find God speaking about these differences as He deals with the varying issues of life concerning the man and woman he created for family.

The Family is God’s plan.

Past

Present

Future

New Beginnings

2006-12-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

Gtcotr/ss123106

If there was ever a man who needed a new beginning – Job.

Key Scripture: Job 22:28 You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.

This is what Joshua did when beginning his new day. He said:

Joshua 24:15 “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Long before 1905 and the first New Year’s celebration to be held at Times Square in New York;

Long before AD45 and the adoption of the Julian Calendar which made January 1^st the beginning day of each new year since;

Long before the birth of Christ; the times of the prophets, the reigns of King Saul, King David or King Solomon;

Back before the Judges in Israel … all the way back to the giving of the Law to Moses and the children of Israel at Mount Horeb more than 3500 years ago …

God gave instructions for the observance and celebration of a New Year.

God commanded His children to begin each New Year by

* first ridding themselves of the past evils, failures, sins and disappointments,

* and then pledging themselves to a greater, more Godly and productive year ahead.

Exodus 12:2 "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

We initially see this New Year’s Observance spoken of in Exodus the 12^th chapter and then on throughout both the Old and New Testaments from Leviticus to the book of Hebrews.

God was the First Author of a New Year’s Resolution.

He understands the value and the benefits of a New Beginning, A Clean Start, A Fresh Chance and God set His children up to have a New Beginning at least once each year.

Even though it is God’s will and purpose that we each have access to New Beginnings, it can still take a lot of effort on our part. It’s not always easy to stop something we need to stop or start something we need to start.

Some new beginnings take real and lasting commitment but offer real and lasting benefit.

So, if we are going to go to all the trouble of a new beginning, we may as well know what it takes to get it right and to be successful.

Lets look at some scriptural examples of what it takes to have a New Beginning … A Fresh Start … A New Year.

Won’t you turn with me to the book of Deuteronomy

All through the bible we find new beginnings.

One such case, in the book of Deuteronomy, shows Moses reminding the children of Israel about their journeys in the desert since leaving Egypt.

Moses realizes that he is about to move off of the scene and leave his successor along with the next generation to accomplish what he had begun for God.

When it comes time for his farewell speech he does not fail to remind the people what it will take to have a successful New Day.

In Deuteronomy 5, Moses rehearses the Ten Commandments as a basis for daily life.

The 10 Commandments are broken down into two distinct groups and written on two tablets of stone.

* The first group includes Commandments 1 through 4

> These deal with man’s relationship with God

* The second group includes Commandments 5 through 10

> These deal with man’s relationship with man

Then in Deuteronomy 6 Moses begins his summation of these commandments and tells those who are entering into this New Day that their future success will demand attention and adherence to these laws.

Now lets read from Deuteronomy 6 NKJV

1 ¶ "Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess,

2 "that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

3 "Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’

4 ¶ "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

It was a New Day, A New Beginning for the Children of Israel and Moses wanted them to be successful. These were his parting words.

Around 1500 years later, near 30 miles across the Jordan River from where Moses made this speech to his successors, there was another New Day approaching for God’s chosen people.

Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, had completed His earthly ministry and was ready to be offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

He, like Moses, was ready to move off of the scene and leave the continued work of God to His successors and future generations.

He also, like Moses, understood the costs of a New Beginning and all that a New Day promises.

Jesus also wanted His followers to succeed.

Matthew 22 records Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem during the last week of His earthly ministry.

During that week Jesus made the time to remind those who were entering into this New Day what it would take to be successful.

Like Moses, Jesus chooses to go over the Ten Commandments with these future leaders one more time.

In Mark 12 Jesus sums up God’s requirements for being successful in this New Day. He does so by expounding on what Moses had said centuries earlier. This duplicated example demands our attention.

Lets read from Jesus’ summation out of

Mark 12 NKJV

29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.

* Recognize that from Deuteronomy 6:4? … It’s an evident pattern for a New Beginning. Jesus continues:

30 ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

31 "And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."

Reading Matthew’s account it is recorded that Jesus concludes:

Matthew 22:40 "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

What is Jesus doing? He is summing up the Two Tables of Stone

Whether seeking a Fresh Start, A Second Chance, A New Day, A New Beginning or A New Year, the admonition from Moses in his day, Jesus in His and the Holy Spirit in our today is the same.

If we are to put the past behind and reach toward a greater future and lasting success, we must resolve to keep these commandments of God. (Not the letter, but the spirit - the intent)

He Who framed the law had an intent around which He framed it. This intent cannot be understood or adhered to by the letter, but by the spirit. This is evident from: Romans 2:29; 7:6 & 2 Corinthians 3:6.

The intent of God’s commandments is this: That we, His Children, would live as examples, showing that we:

1. Love God more than we do ourselves

2. Love others as much as we do ourselves

On these two principles hang all the will and purpose of God for mankind. These are the cornerstones of any New Beginning.

What about you, are you resolved to begin your New Year right?

Make your declaration: “As for me and my house …”

Four Miracles of Christmas - Part Four

2006-12-24T16:28:00.000-08:00

Four Miracles of Christmas

Gtcotr/ss122406 Part Four – The Miracle of Participation

Key Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:12 ¶ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry

December has been our month of miracles.

1. The Miracle of Incarnation

2. The Miracle of Reconciliation

3. The Miracle of Salvation

Today we look at the fourth miracle of Christmas:

The Miracle of Participation

The miracle of earthly involvement

From Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and wise men, to the angels in heaven, God involves others in His plan. He is a: Whosoever will; He that hath an ear; Lest at any time kind of God. God always planned to include each one of us in the Miracle of Christmas.

Let’s look at the Christmas Story from the familiar book of:

Luke 2 NKJV

1 ¶ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 ¶ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

11 "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."

16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

The Miracle of Participation

The miracle of earthly involvement – as stated earlier,

From Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and wise men, to the angels in heaven, God involves others in His plan. He always has and always will. God always plans to include you.

In fact it’s all about you! God made Christmas all about you.

The Christmas Story is retold in this manner by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Church in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 5 NJKV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

God has a plan

· His plan is that all men might hear the Good News by credible witness

· And having heard, that each one experience the Holy Spirit tugging on the heart to believe, embrace and endure.

He will succeed

· God will not be denied justice on the day of judgment

· Every person will have had a spiritual opportunity to accept God’s plan

We all have a chance to participate

· God reaches through people to people

· We are His arms extended, His love reaching out

God wants to involve you in His unfolding Christmas story.

Our key scripture indicates that God will enable the faithful and place them into the ministry. What ministry? The ministry of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ …

… with the word and ministry of reconciliation – The Good News!, not the negative stuff.

The Christmas Story demands that we who have received the Good News Ambassador from Heaven, become Good News Ambassadors for Heaven.

Decide right now that you will tell someone the Good News this Christmas. Lets all make this Christmas about the Christ Who came, born of the Virgin Mary in a stable manger in the town of Bethlehem over 2000 years ago and is coming again.

This Jesus the Incarnate; Jesus the Reconciler; Jesus the Savior wants to partner with us as we participate together in His Father’s plan.

What will be your answer? Will you participate?

Let God know your answer right now as we pray together.

Four Miracles of Christmas - Part Three

2006-12-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

Part Three: The Miracle of Salvation

The past two Sunday Mornings we have studied two miracles:

1. The Miracle of Incarnation

2. The Miracle of Reconciliation

This morning we continue our Christmas journey by reading a portion of the traditional Christmas story looking for the third miracle of Christmas:

The Miracle of Salvation

Luke 1 NKJV

26 ¶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

37 "For with God nothing will be impossible."

38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Mary is the perfect example for us. She showed the whole world how to be saved.

Verse 38 simply told God’s messenger: (NLT)

"I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever

He wants. May everything you have said come true."

This is every person’s proper response to what God wants.

What does God want? All people to be saved! (1 Timothy 2:4)

John 3 NKJV

16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Ephesians 2 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God

Romans 10 NKJV
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10 NKJV

13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

Will you follow Mary’s example today and everyday?

Four Miracles of Christmas - Part Two

2006-12-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

Part Two: The Miracle of Reconciliation

Gtcotr/ss121006

Last week we discussed the first miracle of Christmas:

2 Corinthians 5:19 that is, that God was in Christ …

We re-discovered The Miracle of Incarnation

The Word of God became flesh and lived among us. (John 1:14)

The Son of God and The Son of Man

23 Chromosomes of human genetic design

23 Chromosomes of divine genetic design

Combined to produce Jesus, the Messiah, born of a virgin, Son of God. The Miracle of Incarnation.

Imprinted with both the DNA of man and the DNA of God

But what did the miracle of incarnation accomplish?

Let’s read more of our:

Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5: 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself …

The miracle of incarnation made way for the miracle of reconciliation.

Just as the birth of Jesus accomplished the miracle of incarnation

The death of Jesus brought about the miracle of reconciliation

The death of Jesus did not save every person, but did make salvation a possibility for every person. This is the miracle of reconciliation.

Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

From the preponderance of scriptures both in the Old and New Testaments, (Leviticus 16:20; 2 Chronicles 29:24; Ezekiel 45:15; Ephesians 2:16; Hebrews 2:17), it is clear that reconciliation does not mean salvation.

Reconciliation has little to do with winning the sinner back to love and loyalty to God.

Reconciliation speaks to the restoration of God’s forfeited favor and the removal of His merited wrath. God’s anger was appeased.

Sin demands death; Justice demands punishment; Reconciliation demands sacrifice. Jesus restored God’s opportunity to forgive.

Justice was satisfied, anger appeased, the wall of separation was abolished, all by the death of our Savior, God’s Son, Jesus the Messiah.

The miracle of reconciliation restored man to a place where God’s favor and grace could be accessed by sinners who were once disallowed appeal and pardon.

The death of Jesus satisfied justice and made God friendly toward sinners, at peace with mankind, no longer enemies and opened the door of salvation to all who would sincerely apply.

Reconciliation makes salvation a possibility.

(The story of the Korean woman whose daughter played the harlot.)

· She saw her daughter through the cross of Calvary

· In Christ’s death, her anger was appeased, grace and favor returned, justice was satisfied, accounts were settled

· Given the opportunity, relationship was restored

Text:

2 Corinthians 5 NKJV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Both the miracles of incarnation and reconciliation were acts of God on behalf of all mankind.

Through these miracles God made a way for us to be saved.

God is waiting for us to make the connection. He is not mad any longer, but loves us and hopes we make the right choice.

Salvation is only one decision away … and that decision is yours.

Will you be reconciled to God today.

He came more than halfway, He came all the way, now you only have to open up your heart and let Him in.

I am an ambassador for Christ speaking on God’s behalf, pleading with you: I implore you, be reconciled to God before it’s too late.

Ask God to accept you into His family, to pardon your sins and save your soul. Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Give God your life and become a new creature in Christ Jesus today.

Seed Time & Harvest

2006-11-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

Gtcotr/ws112906

God has ordered all creation to live after the law of sowing and reaping

Key Scripture: Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

In the beginning God set the laws of life in motion.

One of these laws is the law of ‘after it’s kind’

Genesis 1 KJV

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

God’s pattern of creation is

‘Seed in itself bearing fruit after it’s kind’

This is true with both man and animal, plants and trees, fish and sea creatures.

God created all living things to increase and reproduce by the seed sowing principles of His Kingdom.

After the flood, God restated His commitment to this law of life.

Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

So far tonight we see this law of life confirmed by three separate and very credible witnesses.

1. The creation story

2. The New World story

3. The New Testament Kingdom Principles

Let’s look at a familiar story in the Bible which confirms this law in a practical, yet miraculous way.

1 Kings 17 NKJV

1 ¶ And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."

2 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

3 "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.

4 "And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."

5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.

6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

8 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink."

11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."

12 So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."

13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.

14 "For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’"

15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.

16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

One can imagine that this was quite a stretch for this woman to sow in her time of famine. In her desperate need, God made a way for her when He first created the world.

God’s law of sowing and reaping demanded that she participate in her miracle.

God demands that we participate in our miracle.

When God needs someone to be blessed, He often finds someone who needs a blessing to bless them.

This perpetuates the miracle and keeps the blessings flowing.

From the life sustaining body heat shared in the desperate cold of an artic winter to the forgiveness we give after we have been terribly wronged ---

We get when we give.

Just like this woman in Elijah’s day,

We have what we need to sow a seed.

For as long as the earth remains, this law of life will not cease.

Do you or someone you know need a blessing or a miracle from God?

Sow! Despite what we may think: We have seed for our need.

Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before

The Upward Call

2006-11-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

Gtcotr/ss111906

Key Scriptures: Philippians 3 NKJV

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Christianity is a journey that begins when we say yes to Jesus.

Many people love Jesus but feel that their past somehow excludes them from being used in His service.

We will be going to the book of Luke in a moment, Chapter 5.

In 63BC, a Roman military commander and political leader named Pompey, allied with Gaius Julius Caesar, laid siege to the Temple Mount and conquered the city of Jerusalem thus expanding the Roman Empire to the East. For the next four centuries Rome ruled Israel.

It became the practice of Rome to appoint the Jewish High Priest from among those religious leaders who collaborated with the Roman government. It was also a part of the occupation strategy to hire Jews who were sympathetic to the Roman rule for key positions throughout Israel.

One of the most important and powerful positions in the land was that of a tax collector. At certain established sites of commerce and trade, customs receipt houses were set up and operated by Jews who were often unscrupulous in their practice of assessing taxes.

The common Jew held great contempt for the tax gathers and viewed them as traitors to both their country and their God. The King James New Testament term, Publican, refers to the person who ‘farmed’ the taxes from the Jews and then paid the Roman government a certain percentage of what was collected. These Publicans hired tax collectors from the local population so as to not be tricked or deceived by the local inhabitants.

These often corrupt tax gathers were the most hated of all. They were considered to be sinners of the worst sort.

It was about the year 26AD or thereabouts, when Jesus began His public ministry. In Luke 4 we see Jesus preaching in His home church in Nazareth. After being dragged out and almost thrown off a cliff, Jesus departs for the Sea of Galilee. Luke 5 introduces Peter and James and John and tells about the healing of multitudes that came to Jesus.

Continuing in Luke 5 Jesus is teaching in a filled house in Capernaum when a few men tear a hole in the roof so they can get their paralyzed friend to Jesus. Jesus heals the man and astonishes all who witness. The people of the city are shocked at His doctrine.

Luke 5: 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!" (NKJV)

They were shocked alright, but not as shocked as they were about to be. Look at what Jesus does next!

Luke 5 KKJV

27 ¶ After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me."

28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.

30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

31 Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

32 "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

This Levi is none other than Matthew, Apostle of the Lamb, and writer of the first book of the New Testament.

What must it have felt like for Jesus to walk by and, knowing who and what Matthew was, to nonetheless look beyond his sinful past and offer him a God-filled future.

Jesus called Matthew to become a disciple.

Jesus is calling some of you today.

What can you expect if you answer the call?

What happens after you say yes to Jesus?

It may not mean a job change as it did in Matthew’s life, but it will certainly mean a life change.

Here is what you can expect if you want to be a follower of Christ.

1. A Calling

* Called to follow

Matthew 16:24 ¶ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

2. An Equipping

* Equipped to lead – it’s basic discipleship

Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (NIV)

3. A Sending

* Sent to serve

Matthew 20:26 … but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

Matthew 25 NKJV

34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. …

Christians are simply:

Called to follow

Equipped to lead

Sent to serve

Without regard to our past, Jesus wants to use each one of us.

He has a special place just for you. His plan includes you.

Won’t you answer the upward call. Say yes to Christianity. Jesus is calling. Let Him know you will follow Him today.

Lord, Teach Us To Pray

2006-11-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

Lord, Teach Us To Pray

Series: Part 5

Daily Quiet Time

Gtcotr/ws110106

Tonight we continue our series on Prayer. I will be reading mainly from the New King James Version as we explore the biblical pattern of having a Daily Quiet Time.

The first commandment given through Moses to the Children of Israel was:

Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.” (NKJV)

God wants to be number one in the lives of His children.

Perhaps one way of putting God number one in our lives is putting Him number one in our day.

Lets begin with a familiar passage out of Psalms 5. Here David is fittingly writing a ‘morning psalm’. He has just finished the fourth Psalm, an evident ‘evening psalm’, wherein he is happy and content, concluding it with:

Psalms 4

6 ¶ There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.

7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

He now rises the next morning and his first thoughts are on God, His goodness and mercy, and calls upon Him once again.

Psalms 5

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation.

2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray.

3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.

There is something special and powerful about going to sleep with thoughts of God’s peace and rising to seek God early in your day.

Throughout the bible we see great men and women of God with this pattern of life. Rising early to have a personal quiet time with the Lord.

Abraham did it:

Genesis 19:27 ¶ And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.

Jacob did it:

Genesis 28:18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.

What was Jacob doing? He was communing with God, ministering to Him, making sure that he connected with God as he rose early in the morning.

This is where Jacob made his covenant prayer of tithing.

Genesis 28

19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on,

21 "so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.

22 "And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."

Moses continued the pattern by rising early to build an altar to God in Exodus 24:4

Exodus 24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

The bible says Gideon rose early in the morning to squeeze the fleece and find the answer to his prayer.

Judges 6:38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.

God called Job a righteous man, perhaps one of the reasons why Job was right with God was because he had a habit of rising early in the morning to seek God for himself and his family.

Job 1:5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly.

Scripture gives us insight into Jesus prayer habits.

Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Jesus also showed us that He likes to meet with us early in the morning, even when He was on earth.

Luke 21:38 Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

He still wants us to come to hear Him in our early mornings.

David, a man after God’s own heart, said it this way:

Psalms 63:1 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You …

God wants to be Number One in our lives.

Perhaps one way of putting God number one in our lives is putting Him number one in our day.

Let’s look at three practical things we can do to help us put God number one in our day.

1. Pay Attention To Bedtime

* Not just to get a good night’s sleep, which is important in itself, but also to mentally prepare for our night time meditations.

* Dr Cho said that success in getting up early to seek God begins the night before by going to bed on time.

* Settle your thoughts on God as you drift off to sleep.

* Prepare yourself for early morning success

2. Get A Plan For The Morning

* Think about it: What time would you have to get up to spend 30 minutes with God? Set your clock.

* Have a place in mind that you are going to spend this time.

* Begin with prayer

* Read the bible alone with God

* Ask Him questions for your day … He will answer you in Time

* This is also a great time to work on scripture memorization. Choose one scripture and write it down and refer to it several times during that day.

* Perhaps you will find it useful to keep a prayer journal with requests, scriptural support and answers.

3. Make A Commitment

* Start with one day

* Then do a week

* Then commit to a month.

* If you fail, get up and try it again.

When we make an appointment with God for our morning time, He will be there with something special just for you. Treat it like the appointment it is. An appointment with God.

God wants to be Number One in our lives.

Perhaps putting God number one in our lives begins with putting Him number one in our day.

Develop A Daily Quiet Time!

* It will become one of the most enjoyable and looked forward to time in your life.