Sweet Communion Baptist Church

How to Resolve Conflict!

2015-03-06T13:20:00.000-06:00

We can often find ourselves dealing with conflict. It could be with someone at home, school, or on our job and sometimes can get worse if not resolved properly.

The two main things that need to happen when conflict between two people or parties are talking and listening. Each side needs to express their thoughts and feelings to one another in order to gain understanding of their situation and what has caused conflict.

Other things needed to resolve conflict that both sides need to have or display are:

-Patience: not being quick to respond and also willing not to take up most of time talking yourself.

-Gaining a mutual understand

-Being responsible and having control over your actions

-Taking things seriously

-If there are two groups or more present, there needs to be a leader, someone to moderate and make sure there's order; also needs to be wise and know how to properly handle everything

-Each person needs to be mature (no disrespect)

-Each person needs to pay attention

-Be aware of your body language: what you're saying could be read differently because of your facial expression, gestures, etc, so be mindful of how you react or look

-Practice beforehand if you have set up to talk to someone (in the mirror, write it out, ask someone to hear you out if need be)

-Evaluate the situation (the cause of the conflict); is it worth it to get upset about; how much forbearance is needed; know when you choose your battles.

-Don't walk away from dealing with it; do you best to actually resolve the issues between you and the other person/party

-It's always good to pray about it. Go to the Lord and ask for discernment, direction, and everything else needed for you to reconcile or make peace with someone else

Verses to refer to about conflict resolution: http://www.openbible.info/topics/conflict_resolutio n

Disobeience/Sin

2014-02-10T19:17:00.001-06:00

A few notes from the sermon (2/09/14)

Things we believe when we disobey, deal with temptation, and/or sin:

-God can't supply what I want/need (He's not sufficient)
-God can't take what I want anyway
-what I want is better and obtainable without God
-things should be going my way
-something looks attractive so I can take it

We can have the wrong motivation even if the idea is to do right.

We should obey God in a difficult circumstance as we do live in a wicked world. No excuses (it's too hard, no one is being obedient, etc).

Serve the Lord as He has called you.

The sermon audio will be posted after Wed. 2/12/14 here: soundcloud.com/sweetcommunion/

Learning about Obdeience (from sermon on 1/26/14)

2014-02-04T15:21:00.001-06:00

Matt. 21: 28-32

There were two disobedient sons: one was the rebel and the other a hypocrite.

Their father gave them a task to do and both had a different response for him. The rebel son initially said no, but them changed his mind and complete the task. The other son told his father that he would get it done, but never went to do it, that's why he is consider the hypocrite. Both were wrong in what they did, but the rebellious son is an example of someone who repents. He acknowledge his wrong and went to go do the right thing.

Jesus is the perfect example of true obedience. He had the right attitude and motive. He did will of His Father (God).

Also to love is another way of showing obedience! John 13: 34&35, 1 John 3:14-24; 5:2&3

Other verses that were read: John 15:14, Ps. 40:8, Heb. 12:2, and 1 John 2:3-6

To listen to the sermon go to: https://soundcloud.com/sweetcommunion/sun-1-26-14-am

Helpful Tips to Memorize Verses

2014-01-23T14:17:00.001-06:00

*Please refer back a couple posts to the memory verses. More have been added, but to help you out here are some ways you can remember them all!

-Start small.

Choose a short verse to start with… and make it even shorter by breaking it down into pieces. Memorize the first five words in the verse first, and when you’ve got them down, add the next five. As you become more confident, you can add more words, sentences, and even entire verses—but don’t add anything new until you’ve got the previous words down pat.

-Write it down.

A vast majority of Bible Gateway fans suggested this simple strategy: write the verse you’re memorizing down on paper. But don’t just write it once; write it many times—five or ten times is a good start (and some people write out their memory verses up to 50 times!). Physically writing the words out is an extremely useful tactile memory aid.

-Say it out loud.

Just as writing a verse out can help in memorizing it, so speaking the words aloud is an excellent way to burn them into your memory. One person suggested turning the radio off during your commute to work or school each day and reciting your memory verse out loud instead!

-Incorporate the verse into your prayers.

When you pray, include elements of the verse in your words to God. Pray that God will help you understand and apply the verse to your life. Pray for God’s help in fixing the verse in your heart and mind.

-Put it everywhere.

Many people suggested writing your memory verse out on multiple index cards or sticky notes (combine this with tip #3 above!) and putting them all over the place, so that you’ll see the verse many times throughout your day. Tape the verse to your bathroom mirror or computer monitor. Tuck it into your purse, lunch sack, car glove compartment, school textbook, pockets… anywhere you’ll see it. One person suggested making the verse your computer desktop background, and another goes so far as to laminate the verse and hang it in the shower!

-Use music to help.

Do you find it much easier to remember lyrics than spoken words? Try setting the Bible verse to a simple tune (perhaps repurposing a song you already know well) that you can sing to yourself. (If this sounds like a strange suggestion, consider that many famous hymns and worship songs use Bible verses as their lyrics, and were written specifically as aids for Bible verse memorization.)

-Make it a game.

Turn the act of memorizing into a personal challenge! You might write the verse out on flashcards, leaving key words blank, and quiz yourself. Get some friends or family members to help quiz you, or even to memorize the verse along with you and encourage/challenge you.

-Repeat, repeat, repeat!

Whatever strategy you follow in memorizing a Bible verse, do it repeatedly. Write it down, speak it out loud, sing it out, pray it—but whatever you do, do it over and over until it’s a natural, reflexive action. The goal isn’t to reduce it to a mindless, repeated activity, but to slowly press the verse into your memory through repetition. Repeat your memorization activity over the course of several hours, days, or even weeks to pace yourself—there’s no prize for memorizing a Bible verse fastest; the point is to internalize it over time. And that means you shouldn’t be discouraged if it takes a while for the verse to “stick”—keep at it, and it will take root!

Also...
Enunciate the words
and
Focus on the key words

Valentine's Day Dinner

2014-01-23T14:14:00.002-06:00

Memory Verses for Church

2014-01-20T17:52:00.002-06:00

Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)

^"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men.And being found in human form, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV)

"And Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams."

Ephesians 6:5-8

^"Bondservants,obey your earthly masterswith fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservantor is free."

Wisdom vs Foolishness (Bible study notes from Zeal Bible Study)

2014-01-16T14:35:00.003-06:00

Ecc. 9:11-11:10

Time and chance happens to everybody.
Good or bad things can happen. No guarantees that all will be well.

1) The wise person will prosper from change. Foolish decisions is harder to taken advantage of them like the wise!

2) Wisdom is better than strength. Fools can only trust what they see.

3) Real wisdom is often despised, but foolishness is suddenly popular.
What seems smart, but isn't always wise to do.

4) Wisdom must be sought and heard!!! You never have to strain to her a fool!

5) A little folly can ruin a reputation! Fools ruin undeserved reputations.

6) Wisdom makes a man strong, foolishness make a man weak.

7) Patience is the virtue of the wise, but fools always make themselves known. A fool always shows him/herself is a fool.

*Silence can sometimes work to the wise advantage.

8) It is not wise to lower the effective. To the fool ineffectiveness is humbleness.

9) A man's work is his danger. Your excellence can be your weakness too. 9) A man's work is his danger. Your excellence can be your weakness too.

10) A wise man knows that words are tools, so he uses them appropriately.
A fool pulls out his heart, which has little value.

11) Foolishness is laziness. The wise does work to increase in...wisdom, strength, talent, knowledge, etc.

12) Material things can't solve the problems of leadership. A fool thinks that resources can solve the leadership volume.

13) The wise consider matters close to the heart, watching their thoughts, the foolish is always caught by his words.

14) Work whether you know the outcome or not. A fool uses fortunes to determine his actions.

*God is not asking you to take one skill, excel at it, and forget all your other skills. Do the work God put in front of you to do! Don't over think think it, trust God, and take advantage of the doors God opens up for you.

15) Rejoice when you can, as fool can't find the appropriate time to enjoy life.

If you can't take the tough things in life, you set yourself up for failure. Prepare yourself!

Controlling Your Anger and Speech (Verses)

2014-01-15T15:38:00.002-06:00

James 3:3-12

"If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people

who are made in the likeness of God.From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water."

Proverbs 13:3 "Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin"

1 Thessalonians 5:11

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

Ephesians 4:15
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."

Ephesians 4:29
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Ephesians 4:26
"Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger"

James 1:19
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger"

Obedience (A few notes from Sunday Sermon 1-12-14)

2014-01-13T18:08:00.000-06:00

How obedient are you? How often do you ask yourself that question?
Are you hearing, speaking, acting, overall living as God has commanded?

Obedience starts at salvation. You must acknowledge Jesus are your personal Savior and live according to God's will. Submit to God!

What you say and what you hear is directly linked to your actions!

The first step towards obedience is to take the first step!

Read:
Acts 9:1-19 (The Conversion of Saul)
Proverbs 1:3-8

To hear the full sermon and others go to: https://soundcloud.com/sweetcommunion/

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2014-01-06T13:53:00.001-06:00

The Lord has blessed us to see 2014 and with a new year brings new things we haven't seen or encounter yet.

We give thanks to God for all He has done for us in 2013: births, a wedding/marriage, a renewal, growing ministries, special programs/events, comfort and understanding in the passing of loved ones, etc

We continue to pray for all of us to be more faithful, committed, and obedient to the Lord. We ask for guidance and patience for things we will endure as the year goes by.

This year seek to make the necessary changes in your life so you can faithfully serve the Lord and do His will for your life! "Resolutions are NOTHING without reformation!!!"

Also keep in mind to:
"Set a GOAL, plan for ACTION, and a CHARACTER trait you want to gain, so you can make things happen/change in your life and at church". (http://sweetcommunionbaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2013/10/goal-action-and-character.html)

Don't allow yourself to be comfortable in the state that you're in if it is not what/where God has called you to be. Do what is pleasing to Him and be a good steward of your time, treasure, and talent.
1 Peter 1:15
"but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,"

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

FRANtastic Month Update!!!

2013-11-13T15:11:00.000-06:00

Praise the Lord!!!

We have seen many visitors in the last couple of weeks and our Bowling

Shindig went very well!! Well done everyone!

Please continue to invite your friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors!

This Saturday will be our 3rd Annual Fall Social. Bring your favorite games!!!

November is full of events!

2013-11-01T20:25:00.004-05:00

It's FRANtastic Month!!!

Invite your FRIENDS, RELATIVES, ASSOCIATES, NEIGHBORS and everyone you know to visit us!!!

Then invite them for:

Bowling on November 10th at 4pm

Fall Social on November 16th at 6pm

Potluck/Chili Cook-Off on November 24th

So let's make it happen, make it worth it, make it fun, and most of all reach out to people especially those in need of the Lord and of a great church.

FRANtastic Month is in just another week!

2013-10-24T17:08:00.001-05:00

Sermons Online

2013-10-23T15:57:00.002-05:00

Did you know that you can hear the sermons online and have them on your phone?

Go to: https://soundcloud.com/sweetcommunion to listen and download them!!!

GOAL, ACTION, and CHARACTER

2013-10-20T21:04:00.001-05:00

We were encouraged by our pastor to set a GOAL, have an ACTION(S), and CHARACTER TRAIT(S) based off of the fruits of the spirit, so we can make things happen in our lives and/or at church.

Personal goal(s) such as lose weight, buy a house or car, start a business, invite someone to church, etc.

Action(s) like doing research, saving up, sharing the gospel, start first thing tmw with walking and new diet, etc.

Character trait(s) to gain would be patient, self control, faithfulness, etc.

So this week sit, pray if it is God's will, and write down things you have and are still dreaming of doing and setting goals to make it happen.

Matthew 5:1-11

2013-10-08T19:01:00.001-05:00

Matthew 5
John the Baptist AND Jesus both preach THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND
è the establishment of the kingdom coming forth/ breaking forth with great power

the following is an explanation and teaching about the character of its citizens, the laws of its land, the work expected and rewards promised

BLESSED > WHY > Inclusion/citizenship in heaven

Promise of reward

The poor in spirità those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy and seek the Lord for their help!

NONE will be in the kingdom who have NOT reached this point
This is why theirs is the kingdom of heaven
                        à Unable to achieve the kingdom, wretched, sinful, and rebellious
                        The result of the one brought into the kingdom… spiritual wealth and
                        Inheritance
                                    i.e. the prodigal son
                                    access to the spiritual goods of heaven itself, the KING himself

Those who mournà mourning their sinful state and lack of relationship
1. Brokenness over sin, desiring reconciliation w/ God

Genuine Repentanceà the effects of sin itself still lingering while in the kingdom of men BUT comfort exists for those who are truly broken before the Lord
[ (a) earnestness (b) eager to clear oneself (c) indignation (d) zeal (e) longing (f) punishment (g) fear ]

Those who are meekà Gentle (2 Timothy 2:24-26; Galatians 5:22-23, 6:1)… Humble (James 4:8-10)…. Submissive
1. Not pursuing the power struggle & one-upmanship
2. Humble before God, seeking His grace

àThe reward= LAND-> new heaven & earth

Those who hunger & thirst for righteousnessà desire passionately the right-ness of God: His kingdom, statutes, institute of learning, politics, truth
1. As the deer pantsà
2. As our living waterà The things of heaven are our focus
3. As the Bread of Lifeà

They seek and desire ALL the things of God, NOT just some
Pursue as though their life depends on it

Those who are mercifulà willing and actively extending mercy (because all who are part of the kingdom deserved NONE yet were given it, we too MUST be merciful)
1. Show kindness & forgiveness [Matt 18:21-35, Luke 17:4]
2. Being generous with forgiveness
3. Those who are pure in heartà pursuing purity and uprightness
  1. NOT mixed or adulterated with any other substance/material
  2. Pursuing God in purity [James 4:8-10]
    1. Purify your devotion
    2. REWARD: WILL SEE GOD
In seeking and keeping God’s commands
Those who seek/make peaceà [Romans 12:18, 1 Cor. 14:33,40]
1. Peace making is what Christ has accomplished through the sword
  1. Ephesians 2
Seeking peace amongst MAN & GODà “ “
Seeking peace amongst each otherà requires PROPER understanding of peace
Praying for/seeking a peaceful lifeà “ “
The kingdom of God is DEFINED by peace/pursuit of peace
1. When all is done, peace will reign
2. Not achieved w/o war
3. Those who are persecuted for righteousnessà hated and attacked for standing on what is right
  1. They are willing to stand for ALL the kingdom of God and the sovereign king has established and does establish
  2. YOU… for ALL who are part of the kingdom of God WILL be there
    1. This is their character
    2. YOU will show these characteristics… you WILL receive some form of persecution
    3. Your reward is great
    4. *They persecuted the prophet, they will persecute you
      1. reviling, uttering evil, speaking falsely because of CHRIST
        
        This does not happen/will not happen for those who were not actively living/resembling the kingdom of God
        
        The blessedness is there for those characterized by these characteristics
        
        The reward IS promised

1 John 4:1-21 The Spirit of Truth

2013-10-07T20:21:00.002-05:00

Quote: "We are imbued with the Spirit...to combat false theologies (and) false teachings...The Spirit of Truth agrees with truth" - Mike Dick

Those who are saved by the Spirit of God are able to discern and test different spirits by the power of God.

Only by God's power are we able to test the spirits because only the Spirit of truth can reveal truth. Only the Spirit of truth can know the real truth and obey it.
Verbal affirmation of the truth does not equal salvation. But all who are saved will claim Christ as being the Son of God as well as their own personal Savior. The only proof is endurance since the spirit of the antichrist will not endure. Only the Spirit of God abides forever.
Any denial of the person of Christ is the spirit of the antichrist.
Christians cannot fully deny the truth, nor hide from it. Resistance is possible, but The Good Shepherd always retrieves the sheep. (John 10:11)
Christians are not to be afraid to speak truth at any given time. Strengthen your self in the Lord.

The Spirit of Truth has real love for the things God loves...

Questions for meditation

What do you love?
What are your priorities?
How do we show real love?
What are your passions?

F.R.A.N. tastic Month!!!

2013-10-05T18:16:00.000-05:00

November 10-Bowling with SCBC in the evening

November 24-Potluck/Chilli Cook-off in the afternoon/evening

More details to come!!!

Matthew 5:21-26

2013-10-04T18:21:00.002-05:00

Anger & Reconciliation

Recap v. 17-20 ->Christ fulfills the Law and establishes ALL law in Himself

We cannot even begin to practice righteousness in the kingdom of God until we know Jesus!

2. The greater focus & judgment to those who are part of the kingdom of God

Attitudes and actions of the heart!
Attitude/desire for PEACE or TURMOIL

Anger & Murder

Murderers are liable to judgment
Anger (without cause) is liable to judgment -> heart motive like murder

anger w/o cause IS sin [Prov. 29:11, Ecc. 7:9]
anger w/ cause IS acceptable BUT USE CAUTION [Eph. 4:26-27]
anger w/ cause WILL/MUST produce action [Neh. 5:1-13, Jesus in temple]
prayer
confrontation
anger w/o cause WILL produce other damaging sins...
vengeance
bitterness

The effects of anger w/o cause are clearly seen here:

Anger w/o cause is the heart motive similar to murder

there is NO place for this anger in the kingdom of God

2. Anger w/o cause WILL produce a spirit and desire for personal vengeance AND a root of bitterness

this CAN happen w/ justified anger...it WILL happen w/ unjustified anger
Heb. 12:15 -> seeks to strip us of the peace of God AND cause trouble

3. Anger unchecked/uncontrolled

Produces an INSULTING spirit (in danger of coming before the council)
if continually left unchecked WILL produce a spirit that goes beyond regular insults and seeks to DEFAME CHARACTER (in danger of hell fire)

The solution= RECONCILIATION!

the offense is against a brother -> RECONCILIATION MUST OCCUR OR RELEASE

Unresolved sin issues ARE sin and produce sin

hatred/lack of fellowship with a brother IS sin [1 John 2:9-11]

2. Lack of fellowship and sin in my physical interactions DO affect my relationship w/ God!

thus the connection between ANGEr and offering SACRIFICE
the scenario: one brother comes to worship God knowing that there is a brother who IS/HAS BEEN/FEELS OFFENDED
leave the sacrifice and go
first be reconciled w/ your brother THEN offer sacrifices/worship to God

RECONCILIATION -> 2 parts for 2 people (repentance and forgiveness)
1. Can ONLY occur where an offense has ACTUALLY occurred

if there is no genuine offense then control over the "offended" person's emotions MUST be exercised AND repentance before GOD should occur

2. In the case of REAL offense

the offender MUST seek forgiveness by the offended
people of the kingdom of God MUST be merciful -> a generous spirit of willingness to forgive
what does it mean to forgive?
of the N.T. words for forgiveness they incorporate the following ideas to release as from a debt, to let go free, to show favor and kindness to, and to be gracious to
one pastor defines it as a "commitment to pardon graciously the repentant from moral liability and to be reconciled to that person, although not all consequences are necessarily eliminated"

Aspects of forgiveness
1. A commitment -> being people of our word... committing our thoughts and actions to the task
2. To pardon graciously -> to NOT bring the matter up in a MALICIOUS WAY nor to hold against the individual

does not mean forget

3. The repentant: focused on later [Lk. 17:4]

forgiveness can only be extended to the repentant (God and man)
man releases man from liability NOT CONSEQUENCE
when no repentance is present man releases offender to God for God's judgment and vengeance! [Rom. 12:19]
this will keep the root of bitterness from growing

4. MORAL LIABILITY: responsibility to repay

the one who forgives does NOT seek to exact blood from a piece of fruit
the forgiver is committing to be at peace EVEN IF the offender CANNOT restore everything

5. Be reconciled: the characteristics of forgiveness

being reconciled is where the rubber meets the road for forgiveness
this is where we see IF we have forgiven
this is where we primarily see the characteristics of forgiveness

Characteristics of forgiveness:

resisting revenge [Rom. 12:19]
not returning evil for evil [1 Thes. 5:15]
wishing the offender well [Lk. 6:28]
grieving at the offenders calamities [Prov. 24:17]
praying for their welfare [Matt 5:44]
being at PEACE with them [Rom. 12:18]
coming to their aid in distress [Exo. 23:14]

Consequences are NOT necessarily eliminated: some actions will, some won't
Those who are UNFORGIVING or have no generous spirit to forgive RISK not knowing God in reality and facing condemnation [Matt. 18:21-35]
6. The offender MUST seek Genuine Repentance

if forgiveness is limited by repentance then the WRONG DOER MUST seek it
an unwillingness to desire repentance RISKS the offender...
being under stricter church discipline
being an unbeliever
repentance IS the confessing and turning from sin and turing to God, seeking reconciliation to God
therefore, repentance b/n brothers would confessing and turning from sin and turning to a brother, seeking reconciliation from the brother
repentance characterized [2 Cor. 7:10-11, 6-7]

Characteristics of repentance:

grief is an UNRELIABLE characteristic and should be moved away from as an defining example

earnestness= urgent response
eagerness to clear yourself= open confession
indignation= true contrition/brokenness
fear= afraid of returning to sin -> accountability
longing= desire for reconciliation [2 Cor. 7:6-7]
zeal= no rationalization/justification (passion for truth)
punishment= a willingness to accept consequences

Proving something with the Bible

2013-10-03T21:26:00.002-05:00

Often times people make random statements. “The bible doesn’t say homosexuality is wrong!” or “If you believe in a work’s based salvation you’re going to hell!” We see statements like this often on facebook. They make me laugh sometimes - people can say anything on the internet – but they also sadden the biblical teacher in me: there are a lot of people in this world who really don’t know how to think biblically.

That made me realize that it is important to explain how you prove that the bible actually says something. Did you know that many of the truths in the bible are uncontested and very clear? Many people say things like “it’s up to your interpretation” but this is just a cop-out: we need to look at scripture and learn how to actually prove what it’s saying.

Thus I’ll give a little example: I’ll prove that Jesus is God.

Proving that Jesus is God: Part 1

This is an important truth to consider. People often argue that Jesus isn’t God. I was debating people the other day who claimed that the bible never claims that Jesus is God – people made that up on their own.

So first I went to this passage: John Chapter One.

When you’re making a scriptural argument you first need to consider the context of the verse listed. I’ve seen many people try to prove a truth based on something that one of Job’s friends said to him – this is not a good tactic to take because if you understand the book of Job properly you realize that in the end God rebukes many of the things Job’s friends say. It doesn’t make much sense to use sources that the bible attacks itself.

The great thing about John Chapter One is that it is a complete narrative – in other words whatever is said is absolutely true because it is truth written by an apostle inspired by the Holy Spirit. John says this:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

This verse is pretty simple, but since we’re making an argument we now have to explain what the verse says in context and how this relates to the argument we’re making.

The context of John’s first verses are simple: he is introducing his Gospel by explaining that to properly understand his book you need to understand who the main character is. He says in the beginning was the Word. This Word is symbolic. It was with God and the Word was God.

Later on we read this:

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In other words the Word is Jesus Christ. So we can make a simple argument: Jesus is the Word; the Word is God – therefore Jesus is God.. Pretty simple, right?

Proving that Jesus is God: Part 2

One scripture is normally enough to answer simple questions, but the more scriptures you can point to the stronger your argument is. That’s why we’re moving to part two, and taking a little peek at the first chapter of Hebrews.

Hebrews is a very interesting book because it shows the superiority of Christ. The first chapter starts with this:
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
In other words Jesus his the way that God speaks to us now. When we truly understand that Jesus is how God communicates with us now we start to understand why John called Jesus the “Word” in John 1. In this verse we also learn that Jesus is the Creator. That alone could prove our argument – the bible says that God created the world, so if Jesus created the world doesn’t that say that he’s God?But our argument gets stronger as we read on:
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?

Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
In other words Jesus’ relationship to God the father is superior to the angels. But we must go on to prove our point again:
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”

The only one that can be worshipped is God. If God commands the angels to worship Jesus doesn’t that declare that Jesus is God? But let’s keep going.
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”

8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
But this verse ends all discussion. The writer simply says that Jesus is God. He explicitly states that this verse refers to Jesus. The verse says “Your throne, O God…” We need look no further. The fact that we went through this section verse by verse helps explain that we’re not taking this verse out of context and we’re not twisting something to say what we want to make it say. We simply let scripture speak for itself.
Conclusion:
Whenever we want to make an argument with scripture the most powerful argument is letting scripture speak for itself. So I have a question for you: what other verses prove that Jesus is God? Can you explain the context of the passage and how it makes the argument?
    the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Waves of Success

2013-09-30T14:50:00.002-05:00

How relentless ministry leads to success

In the Gospel of Luke we witness an interesting lesson in ministry – attacking in waves.

We cannot forget that we are in a spiritual war, so being successful in ministry often takes a winning strategy – we can’t just “do stuff” and hope to be victorious. When we read the Gospel of Luke closely we learn that Jesus isn’t just “doing stuff” either – he has a plan.

He starts his ministry with effective teaching. In Luke Chapter Six we see Jesus delivering the Sermon on the Mount where he challenges the philosophies of the world and calls on men and women to think with the mind of God. Elsewhere in scripture we learn that Jesus didn’t get up in front of people and deliver some high sounding lecture – he delivered a dynamic, attention grabbing sermon that was filled with power, authority, wit and wisdom.

Not long after the Sermon on the Mount we read this:

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him… [Luke 8:1]

Jesus ministered with the twelve at his side. He went into the world and taught his disciples how to fight, not by lecturing them but by leading them into the enemy. As a result they saw his ministry and his power. They saw what it looked like to see lives changed and they saw that nothing can match the power of God. They learned what they were placing their faith in.

In Chapter Nine we see this:

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.[a] 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. [Luke 9:1-6]

Jesus sent the twelve out into the world. He first showed them how to minister, he showed them the power of God and then he blessed them with power and taught them how to use it. With Jesus’ blessing they went out into the world and created such a stir that even Herod heard about their works.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening… [Luke 9:7a]

These men were effective. They came back to Christ and Jesus celebrated their work. They were able to demonstrate the power of God and teach those who knew nothing about Jesus Christ. Yet Jesus still wasn’t done working.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. [Luke 10:1-12]

Jesus sent out the seventy-two. He first prepared them for the ministry with a realistic portrayal of the dangers of ministry. Men are evil. There is this mistaken mentality in Christian circles to have some positive view of mankind, but the bible consistently portrays unregenerate men as liars, untrustworthy, hateful, selfish and wicked. Men are not neutral creatures so it isn’t consistent for Christians to believe the bible and place faith in mankind. We ought to learn to see men as they are.

But at the same time as Jesus introduces the correct way to view the world – with a realistic acknowledgement of who they are and who they serve – Jesus also explains the proper way to view ministry: God will sustain what he wants to prosper. The disciples were to have faith not in men, who are evil, but in God who would prepare their way.

That’s why they didn’t take supplies – God would supply them. That was why they didn’t take money for hotel stays – God would house them. They had to have the faith (which can also be seen as mental toughness) to trust God to see to their ministry needs.

They also had a specific purpose: they were being sent to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. They didn’t need to do everything, they just had to lay the groundwork for Jesus to win the battle.

When you examine how Jesus fought for success you’ll see that Jesus sent wave after wave of ministry into the enemy lines. He started with teaching, then he went out into the world with his disciples. Next he sent his disciples, then the seventy-two and finally follows up with a final charge led by himself. And we can pattern our own ministry the exact same way.

We have gifted teachers and they need to be sent. We have our faithful core and they need to follow after and we need to go out and get our seventy-two, people who are not yet in our ministry, train them, teach them and prepare them to do the work of the ministry. Then we need to charge into the world.

The House of Prayer

2013-09-28T20:44:00.000-05:00

The House of Prayer – Isaiah 56:1-8

This is just a short lesson on prayer. Prayer is having a conversation with God. We speak and make our requests to Him and He replies to us. Sometimes He initiates the conversation, speaking into our lives through the word, others and our circumstances and other times we initiate the prayer.
The first two verses of this passage describes the heart of one who can pray.

Thus says the Lord:
The Lord is speaking to us this day. He first demands that we “keep justice”. What does it mean to “keep justice”? Justice is the proper response to any action. It is just to strengthen and commend the righteous. It is just to condemn the wicked. To keep justice is to find the standard that God commands and hold to it.
“And do righteousness” – this forces us to ask what are we doing for the work of the Lord? The one who does righteousness, who can establish a spiritual resume has a right to go to the Lord in prayer. The one who calls for God’s strength and power with no intention of using it to do God’s work is like the person who asks his employer for payment for the work he does as recreation. Ultimately our power is granted to do God’s will.
But Isaiah also answers the question “how long?” The one who keeps justice and does righteousness must do so until God’s salvation comes. In other words we will do the work of God until he returns. And if we hold it fast – meaning if we endure – we will be blessed. Blessings belong to the one who endures.

3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
At times we presume that God won’t bless us. The two individuals listed would be seen as unfortunate by the world. But they shouldn’t consider themselves cursed just because the world considers them cursed.
The Eunuch is a person with no functional sexual organs. People would look at a Eunuch and see someone who will never enjoy sexual pleasure. But God tells the Eunuch to stop focusing on his physical limitations and focus on his spiritual blessings.

4 For thus says the Lord:
Look at how God defines the righteous:

Those who keep his Sabbaths.
Those that choose the things that please Him.
Those who hold fast His covenant.

When the Eunuch is righteous he will be blessed in such a way that he will never miss what the world offers. And what he will be given cannot be damaged, removed or ridiculed like his sexual organs were.
The foreigner is a person without a family. His fear was that he would be isolated because he couldn’t see how anyone in Israel would accept him. In many ways his fears echo the sentiment of many when they first look at the church and fear that no one can identify with him.

6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
The foreigner nothing to fear. If he is defined by this:

Joining himself to the Lord.
Ministering to the Lord.
Loving the Lord.
Holding fast God’s Covenant.

He will be made to feel a part of God’s family. He will be made joyful and he will be accepted. God’s hand is extended not only to him but also to many others.
When we see what a “house of prayer” is in these verses we see that the church is meant to be a place where all those who are righteous feel welcome and a part of the family of God. It is meant to be a joyful place; a house of encouragement.
What are you doing to make this house of prayer joyful or encouraging? What can you do and pray for to make this happen? Can you look past your circumstances and focus on the promises of God?
    to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
    and holds fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
    and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
    for all peoples.”
8 The Lord God,
     who gathers the outcasts of Israel
, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
    besides those already gathered.”
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose the things that please me
    and hold fast my covenant,
5 I will give in my house and within my walls
    a monument and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off.
    “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
    “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
for soon my salvation will come,
    and my righteousness be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
    and the son of man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
    and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

Abraham – Ministry the Hard Way

2013-09-27T20:13:00.000-05:00

Abraham demonstrates how to stay faithful to God’s ministry even when the going gets tough. Abraham didn’t always see a lot of fruit in his ministry, but he remained faithful to God, so faithful in fact that he was known as the friend of God.

Abraham shows us how ministry gets started. How we can go from humble beginnings to prosperity if we are faithful.

The Call and the Promise:

Abraham’s ministry started with the call of God.

Now the Lord said[a] to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” [Genesis 12:1-3]

The LORD specifically called Abram. His first order was that Abraham had to leave everything he had known and journey to a place he had never been before. This call set the tone for Abraham’s ministry and his faithfulness.

We cannot serve God while we hold on to the things of the flesh. Abraham was called to purposefully leave his family and friends so that God could work with him. And Abraham did so – he took all his belongings and did as God asked. He believed God.

The second thing we should notice is the promise: God promised Abraham success. God promised Abraham that He would make Abraham a great nation. When God promises us something we ought to take Him seriously.

The Focus: Immediate Gratification or Spiritual Watchfulness?

Take a look at this passage:

8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”

18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. [Genesis 13:8-18]

Lot was focused on the immediate gratification of Sodom. The bible notes that the men of Sodom were known to be wicked. In other words they didn’t just start raping random men who came to the city – this was their common practice.

Lot chose Sodom – he wasn’t tricked into it. He wanted the good land, the water, the immediate growth; but Abraham was spiritually watchful. He noted how wicked Sodom was. He wasn’t naïve. When Lot took the best land Abraham turns to God for Wisdom.

In our times of Spiritual Watchfulness others may seem to sprint ahead of us. It is very important in these times to find our wisdom and comfort in the Lord. Abraham talks with God and then he worships. He knows that Lot has the better land – for now – but he focuses on God’s ways and his Wisdom, not man’s.

Handing over the Ministry:

At some point we will all have to hand our ministries over to another. Abraham eventually got old. He had been successful and he had been faithful, but he didn’t stop working. He began to focus on who would come after him.

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” [Genesis 24:1-4]

Abraham focused on the spiritual. He didn’t want his descendants tied with the Canaanites. The Canaanites represent the wicked, the worldly; the things of the flesh. Abraham made sure that his descendants had nothing to do with them.

Conclusion:

There are many other things we can learn from Abraham. Our limited time together would run out before we could mention the ability to make tough decisions (sending Hagar away), training faithful men to work beneath you (passage above), be willing to fight (rescuing Lot), recognizing those who have something to teach us (meeting Melchizedek), learning from mistakes (lying about Sarah), and how God protects from our mistakes (same incident as before), be willing to give all for God (sacrifice of Isaac) but we can learn the basics of the ministry simply by following the few points raised above.

Ultimately Abraham was successful in his ministry because he was faithful through hard times and good times. When he was promised children he was faithful. When he had waited over twenty years for that child he remained faithful. He believed God and he proved that he believed God throughout his life.

Do you prove that you believe God? How do you work in the ministry? Are you faithful enough to be counted on? Do you thrive under pressure or wilt under it?

Real Meditation

2013-09-24T18:47:00.003-05:00

Meditation if often said to be something that is done in eastern religions. Buddhists and Hindu worshippers often clear their mind of all worldly thought and focus their minds on both nothing and everything at the same time. By learning to focus their minds they learn clarity of thought, serenity and self-control. Many people want to take the lessons of meditation from these other religions and adopt that into Christianity.

But we shouldn’t mix other philosophies with Christianity; we shouldn’t mix truth with the lie. And the good thing is we don’t have to learn from eastern religions to discover the truth about meditation – the bible had meditation first.

It says this in Genesis 24:63 – “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening…” Early saints used to go out into the fields and meditate. Abraham also meditated – he would go out in the warmest part of the day and sit and be still.

But when the bible uses the term “meditate” it doesn’t mean the same thing that eastern religions mean. In Joshua 1:8 God says this:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Let’s dissect this verse. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth…” this means that Joshua is commanded to speak words that come from the word of God. He was meant to understand the teachings of God in such a way that he could explain exactly what God meant and what that meant to daily life. The first thing we learn about meditation is that godly meditation is first understanding that every part of our lives is directly impacted by our understanding of what God wants us to do.

But in order to have the ability to speak and think as God wants us to speak and think we must first “meditate on it day and night”. This means that the believer never stops meditating. The believer first reads and thinks about the word of God and how it impacts his or her life and he doesn’t stop thinking like that even when he sleeps! That’s how deep Christian meditation is.

The Christian reads and prays to get a message from God. He believes that God wants to speak directly to him and about his life. But this is only the first level of meditation. In the next step the Christian takes that message and thought and expands it so that he is in touch with God every second of the day.

But meditation isn’t just some mental exercise. We aren’t just supposed to be philosophers. We meditate “so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it”. The Christian’s meditation is purposeful – as we focus our thoughts and think and speak the way God would have us to do we will be more obedient and more purposeful.

Some believers struggle with discipline. Perhaps you have an anger problem, want to lose weight or maybe you have battles with lust. Did you know that meditation is the key to beating those sins? The meditation absorbs the thoughts of God and those thoughts naturally do battle with the sinful thoughts that try to enslave us.

And the more we meditate the more successful we will be: “then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success”. Meditation leads directly to success. As we focus on God’s thoughts we take on the mind of the victorious.

There are many other benefits to godly meditation – foresight, clarity, vision, wisdom, deeper knowledge, revelation, peace, the hand of God may rest on us, deeper prayer – and you see all of these benefits as you search through God’s word. As you meditate on the Word of the Lord you will be blessed.

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

Studying Through Colossians: Chapter 4

2013-09-23T20:52:00.001-05:00

Chapter 4:

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

One important aspect of prayer is watchfulness. Jesus said this:

37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” [Mark 14:37-38]

When Paul discussed spiritual warfare he said this:

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saint... [Ephesians 6:18]

For the Christian prayer is watchfulness and prayer is not effective if that prayer is not watchful.

But prayer is also active; it makes us a spiritual part of every ministry we pray for.

3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

There are two important points. First, Paul believed that prayer would move God to open doors for the work of the ministry. In Paul’s mind prayer led to results.

Second, Paul’s message focused on clarity. Often times we communicate God’s word thinking about complex issues but Paul focused on making God understood.

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

This is general wisdom. Wisdom teaches us to “redeem the time” and to be gracious with our speech. The wise person seasons his speech – he doesn’t season so little that his words are bland and he doesn’t season so much that people spit out what he says. He follows the path of the Preacher who –

9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. [Ecclesiastes 12:9-10]

Paul moves on:

7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions— if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.

Paul used a team to do ministry. All of these men are faithful men who endured struggles and continued to develop as Christian leaders used them.

12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Paul was committed not only to team ministry but a network of churches that worked together, gave together and prayed together.