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Bob's Articles Christ Community Presbyterian Church Newsletter
FASTING
Fasting is one of the
curious Christian disciplines that has been practiced through the
centuries. It is one that is often misunderstood or rather misrepresented
as a means of getting God’s attention or impressing Him. As we have seen
through the series on the Fourfold Grace of Prayer, prayer begins with God
and flows through our humble submission to Him as we present our weakness
and helplessness to Him, resulting in God accomplishing His purposes
through our prayers to His glory. Fasting then, is a means prescribed by
God to come humbly before Him, letting go of the very necessities of life
for a period to focus on Him. Fasting has been described as an outward act
of an inward need.
Psalm 42:1-4 (English Standard Version)
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the
living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day
and night, while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember, as I
pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in
procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a
multitude keeping festival.
When is the last time your
thirst for God and His presence superseded your natural hunger?
Fasting was a regular part
of life in the Old Testament.
Leviticus 16:29 (ESV)
"And it shall be a statute
to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month,
you shall afflict yourselves
(FAST) and shall do no
work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.
Zechariah 8:19 (ESV)
"Thus says the Lord of
hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast
of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah
seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and
peace.
Although the Pharisees in
Jesus day had made fasting a religious show to which Jesus condemned,
Jesus also made it known that his followers would fast after His
ascension.
Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV)
16
"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the
hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen
by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17 But when you fast, anoint your
head and wash your face, 18
that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in
secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 9:14-15 (ESV)
14
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the
wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will
come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Fasting is not a trick or a ploy to manipulate God, rather it’s an
emptying of ourselves of everything that we might know Him, and Him alone.
Since Jesus said His disciples WILL FAST, let’s look at some FASTING
facts:
Definition
By definition fasting is voluntarily not eating or enjoying some other
natural pleasure for a spiritual
purpose, to seek God.
Two Reasons Why Fasting Is an Appropriate Discipline
1.
Fasting brings one closer to sense God’s nearness and seek His help and/
or forgiveness.
2.
It is somewhat paradoxical that the more you sense the nearness of God,
the more your eyes are open to the needs around you, in particular
spiritual needs that only He can satisfy.
Common Circumstances That Promote Fasting
1.
Temptations
2.
Decisions
3.
Difficult Situations
4.
Preparation for action
(before attempting something great or making a major change)
Think of Fasting Like This:
“Prayer is putting one hand on the throne of God. Fasting is letting go
the legitimate comforts of this world and putting the other hand on the
throne of God. When you are praying and fasting you are putting both hands
on the throne of God, on the mercy seat seeking God and God alone. Seeking
that the risen Christ should come and flood the situation in all His
power.”
- Dr. Douglas Kelly
You can’t read the Bible without seeing the
discipline of fasting. Daniel prayed and fasted, Nehemiah prayed and
fasted, Esther fasted and called for Mordecai and all the Jews to fast,
and one of the best examples was King Jehoshaphat calling for a national
fast when surrounded by the enemy. It was Cornelius who fasted and prayed
before opened the storehouse of truth to him. The early church fasted and
prayed before they sent out missionaries or even called leaders. The
Apostle Paul even talks about fasting often.
Nevertheless, fasting seems
to be a lost discipline in the church today. Perhaps because we don’t see
the need to fast in that we are satisfied with the way things are. Perhaps
we don’t fast because we are addicted to food so much that the idol of
food is more important than the Lord Jesus Christ. I think we also have
been turned off to fasting by some religious leaders who have made fasting
a discipline of Phariseeism by bragging about their fasting.
Fasting – How? Let’s
consider the rules from the Bible regarding fasting.
1.
How Long?
- Joshua called for a day of fasting in consecration to God when
there was evidence of sin in the camp. Likewise, Israel was given
instruction to fast for 24 hours evening to evening on the Day of
Atonement. The idea seems to be 24 hours without eating.
2.
What do you do?
Instead of fulfilling the natural desires you focus on God. Instead of
focusing on “not eating” you focus on filling yourself with God and His
Word in prayer and meditation. Whenever the thought of food or the craving
for food comes to mind you use that as a springboard to focus on your real
need – the Lord Jesus Christ.
3.
What NOT to do?
If fasting is used for anything but seeking the Lord, it’s vain. As Jesus
pointed out that the Pharisees who fasted in order to get recognition had
their reward, in other words, they blew their fast by letting others know
they were fasting, so it goes without saying, make sure you are not
fasting for show. As good as cutting down or even cutting out food would
be for weight loss, a true God centered fast would not include that
thought because any thought other than to focus on Him, even though there
may be other benefits, makes the fast null and void in the spiritual
economy.
4.
WARNING – Not everyone can fast.
Unfortunately, many people are on medications which are to be taken with
food. As good and fulfilling as fasting is, God does not expect you to
practice something in a way that would bring personal harm. You may begin
to practice fasting in other ways by giving up legitimate desires in order
to seek Him.
5.
Make sure other spiritual matters are not neglected. Fasting must be backed up
with godly living, otherwise the fast is a waste of time. (see below)
Isaiah 58:3-8 (ESV)
3
'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have
we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day
of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast only to
quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours
this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose, a
day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a
reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a
fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? 6
"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of
wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke? 7 Is
it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor
into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide
yourself from your own flesh? 8
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing
shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the
glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Are you struggling with
temptations in your life? Are there decisions that are overwhelming you?
Do you feel surrounded by the circumstances of life and find yourself
worrying more than praying? Are you fearful about stepping out of your
comfort zone to serve God? These are reasons to fast. Set a day to fast,
make the preparations, ask God for the grace to make use of urging and the
time to seek Him, and apply the power of the Holy Spirit to the discipline
of fasting.
Godspeed,
Making An Impact
Esther 8:15–17 (ESV) — 15
Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of
blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and
purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had
light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and
in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there
was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from
the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews
had fallen on them.
Are you ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ? I heard a quote from a Buddhist
monk recently who said, “Christians are as ashamed of God as an adolescent
is his parents.” Yikes! That is alarming but you can see how that is true.
How much do you hold back from talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, or
even from inviting someone to church? Then multiply that by all who claim
the name of Christ as Christians and you have the majority of us acting
like typical teenagers who are embarrassed to be with their parents in the
mall. (I know there are exceptions like the teenagers in CCPC as there are
exceptional Christians who pray for, look for, and act upon opportunities
that God gives them to be a witness for Christ.)
As we approach the challenge of inviting un-churched people we know to our
Easter service, let’s take some lessons from the passage above.
John 15:5 (ESV) — 5
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he
it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV) — 18
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have
commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) — 15
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to
make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in
you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
You can’t expect to have boldness to share with others until you have
spent time with the King. Needless to say, that is why many Christians do
not find the boldness to share their faith because they don’t pray for it
and maybe because they are not spending time before the King. It’s an area
that we can all improve upon, seeking the Lord, spending time in His
presence, and submitting to the Holy Spirit in applying the Word of God.
Obviously, as you read the Word and see things that need to change, we
need the spirit of humility to admit our need of God’s help. One of the
areas that helps us to make an impact is to seek His help in obeying His
command to be a witness for Him.
2 Timothy 1:9–10 (ESV) — 9 who saved us and called us to a holy
calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and
grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10
and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior
Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel,
Ephesians 2:1–7 (ESV) — 1
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once
walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of
disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our
flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God,
being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with
him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his
grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
When we are blessed to see how blessed we are, is there anything we
wouldn’t do for Him? May we have the attitude of Isaiah who was presented
with the gift of a view of atonement for sin.
Isaiah 6:6–8 (ESV) — 6
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal
that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my
mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken
away, and your sin atoned for.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord
saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am
I! Send me.”
Psalm 122:1 (ESV) — 1
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the
Lord!”
When God’s people come prepared to worship and work at bringing their
thoughts on worship and seek for God’s help to worship in spirit and in
truth, God’s presence is known and people who visit can tell a difference.
May our joy in the worship service of God come across to every guest. May
they know that we are serious about worshipping an awesome God as we seek
to honor Him by honoring His Word.
Psalm 138:1–2 (ESV) — 1
I give you thanks, O Lord,
with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow
down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your
steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all
things your name and your word.
May we pray that God will provide us with the same zeal and grace to spend
time with Him and enjoy Him in worship so that our boldness and joy will
be an attraction to others as we seek to be a witness for Christ.
Godspeed,
Prayer In Crisis
Ezra 8:21–23 (ESV) — 21
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble
ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves,
our children, and all our goods. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the
king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy
on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good
on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake
him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he
listened to our entreaty.
The passage is a great
example of what to do before you do anything. Too many times we fail to
seek God before we act, then we act and do something foolish which causes
us to come back and repent to God for not seeking Him. How much better to
begin the process by seeking the Lord!
Notice Ezra, the leader
called for a fast among the people in verse 21 and explained the attitude
in verse 23 as he says they that they fasted and implored the Lord. He
then adds, “He listened to our entreaty.” Wow! Humbling ourselves before
God is something that brings the ear of God. It can’t be fake or put-on,
as it must come from the heart but God is responsive to our contriteness.
1 Peter 5:6–7 (ESV) — 6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the
proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him,
because he cares for you.
Isaiah 66:1–2 (ESV) — 1
Thus says the Lord: “Heaven
is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you
would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these
things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the
Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is
humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
Have you prayed about
things? Have you considered fasting?
Many times people come to
decision making time and they need wisdom in making a choice or feel like
God is leading them to do something and they are not sure what to do. It’s
a tough to be in that situation but it doesn’t have to be as tough as we
make it out to be. Ezra shows us in the passage above and we have the
example of the early church – fasting while seeking God’s will draws us
near to the heart of God to hear the will of God, which is known by its
purity and peace.
Acts 13:2–3 (ESV) — 2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on
them and sent them off.
James 1:5–8 (ESV) — 5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all
without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in
faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not
suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a
double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 3:17 (ESV) — 17
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to
reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Have you prayed about it?
Are you willing to humble yourself in fasting before God, not to
manipulate God but because of your need of Him and you don’t even want
essentials or enjoyments of life to get in the way of your seeking Him.
That is what Ezra did. That was the basis of his calling for a fast – to
seek after God.
When we are willing to fast
before the Lord and seek after Him, we are demonstrating our utter
dependence upon Him to which He shows delight by granting us our greatest
need, His presence.
Psalm 84:8–12 (ESV) — 8
O Lord God of hosts, hear my
prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 9 Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed! 10 For a day in your courts is
better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the
house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the
Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and
honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12
O Lord of hosts, blessed is
the one who trusts in you!
Godspeed,
The Art Of Self Control
That phrase is a misnomer.
Self-control is not an art, it’s
dependency upon God. Left to ourselves, we do not have the ability to
control anything, let alone ourselves. We try and I believe we all get
extremely frustrated as we try to control ourselves.
Although, if asked, we all think we do a good job at it which is
really self-deception rather than self-control.
Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)
The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
God gives us grace in the
power He bestows upon us to bring ourselves under His control as we submit
to Him.
Ephesians 1:18-20 (ESV)
18
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that
you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the
riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable
greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of
his great might 20 that he
worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his
right hand in the heavenly places,
No wonder God can call upon
us to live a life of self-discipline, He enables us with the same power
that raised Jesus from the dead to believe and submit to His control.
Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)
12
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,
so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you,
both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
God works within so we can
work it out in obedience to Him. So if you need self-control in the
following areas, it’s not a matter of pulling up your bootstraps and
making yourself submit to His Word, rather it’s a recognition of God
calling you to do something for which He has promised to enable you to do.
Here is a little motivation
to apply God’s power to bring your moods, your commitments, and your
entire life under control.
Proverbs 25:28 (ESV)
A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.
You don’t want to live like
that do you? It’s like a city with broken down walls open to any and all
attacks by the enemy. Take control by submitting to His control in every
area of your life. Admit your weaknesses to Him, ask for His help and
watch how He leads you to instruction, accountability, and opportunities
to see specific areas of your life come under control.
Proverbs 13:3 (ESV)
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips
comes to ruin.
Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV)
15
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil.
Proverbs 21:20 (ESV)
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man
devours it.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 (ESV)
3
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from
sexual immorality; 4 that each
one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
for God gave us a spirit
not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Whether it is your words,
your time, your money, or even your health, God expects us to live a life
of “His control.” It may be called and thought of as self-control, but in
reality as we try to control things we tend to take the easy way out to
and serve the god of ease. Bringing every aspect of life under His control
means we will find the promises that come with a disciplined life.
Godspeed,
Praying For The Church
The following is some
instruction on how to pray for the church from the example of Daniel.
First, when praying for the
church, pray in the light of God’s Word. As Daniel prayed for his people,
he went back to the book of Jeremiah, using Scripture as the basis of his
prayer. Daniel 9:1–3 (ESV) — 1 In the first year of
Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the
realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I,
Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the
word of the Lord to Jeremiah
the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem,
namely, seventy years. 3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God,
seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and
ashes.
There are many passages
that speak to the health of the church, to which we can turn to use as
Scriptural basis in seeking God’s blessing on the local church. Matthew 16:16–18 (ESV) — 16 Simon Peter
replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And
Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus said He would build
His Church. We make sure we do all that we need to be doing, but He is the
life giver and He is the one who is in charge of actually building the
church so referring to the above Scripture in our prayers for Christ
Community Church is an admission that He is in charge and we are seeking
Him to not only build the church but guard the church from the attacks of
the evil one. Ephesians 1:15–23 (ESV) — 15 For this reason,
because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward
all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of
revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your
hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has
called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us
who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he
worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his
right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and
authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not
only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all
things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Paul gives us a great
example of praying for the local church body – praying for enlightenment,
wisdom, and power. That is not only important for the church but is
pleasing to God as it again is an admission that unless He fulfills His
Word and promise, we cannot make anything happen. In other words, we admit
our need of Him and look to His Word for encouragement to do as He
promised.
Secondly, Daniel freely
admitted guilt. As part of the corporate body, he admitted the guilt of
the body in confession and repentance. Daniel 9:3–6 (ESV) — 3 Then I turned my face
to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting
and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the
Lord my God and made
confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant
and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5
we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning
aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to
your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our
princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
Let’s face it, we live in a
BLAME society where nobody wants to take ownership of problems. The Bible
is clear that sin brings reproach upon individuals as well as churches,
communities, and even nations. Therefore public confession and corporate
confession of sin is not only the proper thing to do, it is the right
thing to do before God. If we want God’s blessings upon Christ Community
Church, it’s time to take responsibility in seeking God through repentance
for the things done in the past. Since nobody is perfect and we could all
be the cause of judgment upon the church, personal as well as corporate
confession is needed as we seek for God’s blessing. It is right to pray
that God would grant us the spirit of repentance. If Daniel, the godly man
who lived above reproach was willing to fast and pray over the sins of the
people, shouldn’t we?
Thirdly, Daniel encouraged
himself in prayer by focusing on God’s character. What a great example.
Instead of focusing on the need or instructing God, or even trying to
convince God, Daniel just reminded himself as He prayed, to whom he was
speaking. Daniel 9:7 (ESV) — 7 To you, O Lord, belongs
righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah,
to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and
those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them,
because of the treachery that they have committed against you. Daniel 9:14 (ESV) — 14 Therefore the
Lord has kept ready the
calamity and has brought it upon us, for the
Lord our God is righteous in
all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.
When prayer is focused upon
God, His Word, His character, and His mercy to sinners when they repent we
have the assurance that God will hear those prayers as again we take
comfort in the example from Daniel. Daniel 9:20–23 (ESV) — 20 While I was speaking
and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and
presenting my plea before the Lord
my God for the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in
prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came
to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He
made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now
come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning
of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to
you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand
the vision.
As you pray for Christ
Community Church, please take the example from Daniel. It will add
encouragement to your praying as you plead for God’s blessing upon the
church based upon Who He is, and what He has said.
Godspeed,
Pastor Bob
TO HELP OR NOT TO HELP
It’s A Matter Of Service To God
Romans 15:1 (English Standard Version)
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the
weak, and not to please ourselves.
How do you feel when you
get the email about people in need of prayer or the organization of
providing meals? We are all busy people, so far too often any request that
will require our time and special effort seems like an interruption. This
is not unusual. Jesus even addressed this attitude in the parable of the
Good Samaritan:
Luke 10:25-36 (ESV)
25
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the
test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 He said to him, "What is written
in the Law? How do you read it?" 27
And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your
mind, and your neighbor as yourself." 28
And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this,
and you will live." 29 But he,
desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 Jesus replied, "A man was going
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped
him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a priest was going
down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
32 So likewise a Levite, when he
came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 He went to him and bound up
his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and
brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 And the next day he took out two
denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and
whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'
36 Which of these three, do you
think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
You will notice in Jesus’
account that the religious people, the Levite and the priest, had nothing
to do with the man in need and could have probably done a pretty
convincible job of justifying their actions, as we do when we turn away
from someone in need. None of us wants to appear to be hard hearted. James
and John both write about the subject and let us know that unless our
faith has feet in the administration of love and care to others, that our
faith may not be real.
James 2:14-17 (ESV)
14
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he
has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly
clothed and lacking in daily food, 16
and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and
filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is
that? 17 So also faith by
itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
1 John 3:14-18 (ESV)
14
We know that we have passed out of death into life,
because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother
is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in
him. 16 By this we know love,
that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for
the brothers. 17 But if anyone
has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart
against him, how does God's love abide in him?
18 Little children, let us not love
in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
Next time you get a call,
see an email, or hear of a need, ask God how He would have you respond. It
doesn’t take that much to get involved to provide a meal, take someone to
the doctor, make a call to encourage, or pray for someone. Your action
will not only encourage the one in need but bring great assurance of your
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, don’t blow it. The request
is really an opportunity presented to you by the Holy Spirit to help you
grow in your faith.
Remember any service done
by faith, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for His glory is not only
noticed by Him but rewarded by Him. How He rewards is up to Him. The Bible
is very clear that God is not stingy and He will make all grace abound on
those who go the extra mile to give and/or to serve in His name.
2 Corinthians 9:7–9 (ESV)
— 7
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able
to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all
things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is
written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his
righteousness endures forever.”
A request to help another
and/or a presentation of opportunities to serve are occasions for blessing
from God in your life. Please don’t pass them by.
Godspeed,
Pastor Bob
PREPARING FOR TEAM TIME
Anyone who participates in
a team sport knows the value of both individual time as well as team time.
In order for team time to be successful, the individuals who make up the
team must come prepared through time on their own to be at their best.
There is no substitute for individual time or team time as both are
important. Likewise, when it comes to the success of the worship and work
of the church body it takes a concentrated effort by each person who makes
up the body to spend time in their individual walk with God as well as
their focus on team time, corporate worship and collective efforts in the
service of God.
How is your individual
training going?
1 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV)
7
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.
Rather train yourself for godliness; 8
for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of
value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for
the life to come.
Notice Paul’s admonition to
Timothy was to “train yourself for godliness.” That does not come
accidently. There is a need we all have for time in God’s Word through
reading, meditation, memorization, study, and of course application.
Needless to say there is a great need in all of our lives for prayer. If
God’s Word and prayer does not have a part of your life on a regular basis
then your training is lacking important discipline. The only way it is
going to happen is to seek God’s help, follow the leading of His Spirit,
and exercise self- discipline. Little things like preparing ahead of time
for your daily time with God, having a consistent time, and a consistent
place will help to establish some good habits.
There are other aspects of
a personal training regimen such as personal worship, living a godly life,
and exercising self-control but for this article we shall focus on a daily
time with God in His Word and prayer. Have you ever noticed how easily it
is to get distracted from these two disciplines and from training yourself
for godliness in these two areas? It’s easy to get sidetracked in books on
theology or studies about things in God’s Word and leave off the actual
Word of God. It’s easy to get caught in a worry trap and miss out on God’s
solution: prayer.
The point is very clear:
the team needs each individual to train hard so our team time will be even
greater. Have you ever thought about how your individual disciplines are
actually helping the church move forward and likewise, your lack of
discipline could be holding the church back?
Do not give up because God gives us
room for repentance and has given us the accountability and motivation of
being part of the team.
God knows that we do best
when we are held accountable and encouraged by others therefore He has
established the church. He commands us and gives us example of how the
team time brings individuals together to accomplish His will and to help
each other.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to
love and good works, 25 not
neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
We all need team time as
well as individual time. An anticipation of and whole hearted
participation in corporate worship and service will not only benefit the
church body but should provide additional help in your individual walk
with God. The individual
disciplines of training for godliness, corporate worship, and service
require preparation and dedication.
Can you imagine how a team
would fail if each individual on that team showed up for practice or games
late or ill prepared? Likewise, can you imagine what a worship service
would be like if all the people were praying for God’s presence and power,
preparing and anticipating the time, and looking for God to bless in the
service? We recognize it is God’s sovereign pleasure as to whether any of
His blessings are bestowed upon us, nevertheless, it behooves us to
observe the call in Scripture to prepare ourselves, to seek for, and to
anticipate His blessings upon our worship and upon our church.
Godspeed,
Pastor Bob
Are You Thirsty?
Isaiah 44:3 (English Standard Version)
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your
descendants.
Thirst is a blessing. Endurance athletes are instructed before races to
make sure they have a hydration plan because there is a tendency to put
off drinking fluids and pay the price in dehydration. Naturally, God
blesses us with thirst but if we put off drinking for any period of time,
like an endurance athlete, we will dehydrate which can cause significant
damage. Likewise, when God blesses our spiritual thirst to be triggered we
need to follow that thirst. As David described, this is a thirst for God.
Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV)
As a deer pants for flowing
streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I
come and appear before God?
What grace! God blesses us with a thirst for Him and God waits for us to
turn to Him to drink of Him to fill us with Himself.
Follow your thirst. Has God blessed you with a thirst of Him? It’s my
prayer that He does and helps you to see that nothing else will satisfy
your soul but Him. Sadly,
sometimes we would rather cover up the thirsty for Him by drinking in
things that really won’t satisfy. Isaiah 55:1-3 (ESV) 1 "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Notice in the scripture above how gracious God is to us in that He invites us to come and drink without charge. He points out our tendency to try to satisfy the longings of our souls with things that will not satisfy, and calls us to take what He has to offer. God calls us to drink to avoid the dryness of life that comes from neglecting to drink. God also calls on us to consider what we are taking in to satisfy the thirst. He is what we need and only He can satisfy.
Are you thirsty? Thank God
for the thirst that only He can give, and thank Him that He is the one who
can truly satisfy your soul. Matthew 5:6 (ESV) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Godspeed,
Pastor Bob
Are You Ready? Luke 12:39 (ESV) But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.
Jesus used the above
illustration to instruct us to always be on “ready”
- ready for the attacks of the enemy as well as ready for His
sudden return. Luke 12:40 (ESV) You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Let’s think of the
illustration for a moment. As you put yourself into the illustration of
being on the owner’s side of a break in – what would you do?
·
What would you do if you knew someone was trying to break into your house?
·
What would you do if you knew someone was trying to break up your family?
·
What would you do if you knew someone was trying to cause havoc in the
church and take away our children?
·
What would you do if you knew enemies were trying to destroy our community
and our country?
What would you do if in all
these situations you were the only person who could help?
The situation is not
make-believe. There is a thief who is trying to break into your home,
destroy your family, and take away your children. There is a thief who is
out to destroy the peace and unity in our church and to steal anyone that
he can from the fold. There is an enemy who is out to destroy the freedoms
we have in this country. It’s all real and you have the solution.
Ephesians 6:10-20 (ESV)
10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength
of his might. 11 Put on the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of
the devil. 12 For we do not
wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand firm. 14
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having
put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15
and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness
given by the gospel of peace. 16
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
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 saints,
19 and also for me, that words may
be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the
gospel, 20 for which I am an
ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
First, consider the enemy. We are told the enemy is real and his goal is
to dominate, to steal what we have, and to devour us.
Ephesians 6:11-12 (ESV)
11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this
present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places.
1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)
Be sober-minded; be
watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.
John 10:10 (ESV)
The thief comes only to
steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it
abundantly.
Secondly, consider the armor that God has provided to protect us from that
attacks of the evil one, for which we are ordered to put on the whole
armor of God. It’s imperative to suit up every day in order to fight the
battle. None of our men or women in harms way would think of going out
without their bullet proof vests, their helmets, or other provisions the
military has for their safety. Likewise, God orders us to put on the armor
every day.
Ephesians 6:11 (ESV)
Put on the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
I will not go into depth of the armor because I want to consider the
offensive weaponry in our battle with the enemy, but as you consider the
various parts of this armor, ask yourself whether you are going into the
battle of your daily life and trying to ward off the attacks from the
enemy without armor.
Ephesians 6:13-17 (ESV)
13
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you
may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand
firm. 14 Stand therefore,
having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of
righteousness, 15 and, as
shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of
peace. 16 In all circumstances
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming
darts of the evil one; 17 and
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God,
Thirdly, consider the offensive weapons. We know we need the protection
the armor provides and I challenge you to consider how well you are arming
yourself on a daily basis and to consider giving more time to making sure
you are adequately armed for the severity of the battle you face daily. In
this brief article of my call to arms, I want to bring up the offensive
weapons because if we could see what God sees and we would face the
reality of the situations at hand of the thief being at the door of our
households, our church, our community, and our nation we would take up
arms to fight. God has not left us without weapons, specifically:
Ephesians 6:17-18 (ESV)
17
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God, 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 saints,
The power of God’s Word and prayer are not second hand, willy-nilly play
toys that do no good. This is the power of God that He has placed in our
hands. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, the same power that
to which all the power of the nations of the earth are compared to a drop
in a bucket, is the power provided for us. We need not fear the enemy for
if God is for us, who can be against us? We best not take the enemy
lightly but arm ourselves with protection and take up the offensive
weapons of God’s Word and prayer.
Think about it. If you could see how the enemy is trying to take what you
have, you would arm yourself. If you knew the enemy was trying to destroy
your family and rob you of your children, then you would fight. It’s time
to arm yourself with God’s Word and prayer.
If we as a church could see how the enemy is working in our midst to take
away our unity and distract us from the orders to reach our community for
Christ, we would take up arms and be devoted to prayer and the Word of
God.
If we could get a glimpse of how the enemy is working on every hand to
destroy our community and our country and the one thing God has given us
to do will be successful, then we would meet to pray and we would all be
more dedicated to the reading, studying, memorizing, meditating upon, and
applying God’s Word.
What would you do if you knew a thief was at your door?
He is at the door, but God has given you exactly what you need to face him
and win. Are you willing to do what is necessary to win?
The church has always lived with the “blessed hope” of the return of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He gave several illustrations at the close of the
“Olivet Discourse,” timely instructions to His disciples from the Mount of
Olives that show the need to be “on ready” at all times. To live with that
expectation is to live like He would show up at any time. Would you be
ashamed of what you are doing? Would you be ashamed of presenting Him with
less than your best? Here’s what living with that expectation looks like:
Titus 2:11–14 (ESV) — 11
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to
live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us
from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own
possession who are zealous for good works. Are you living “on ready?” Are you ready to face the attacks of the enemy? Are you ready to meet the Lord Jesus Chris
Godspeed,
Pastor Bob WHAT’S THE POINT OF REFERENCE?
Recently, I misunderstood
an article in an on-line magazine which said that Chic-Fil-A was going to
open on Sunday. In scanning the article, I failed to read some important
lines in the beginning that said something like “wishful thinking for
2011” or something to the sort. In thinking I had discovered something
grand, I announced the news at prayer meeting which was questioned by
everyone present, and rightly so. In returning to the point of referenc,e
I noticed my error and felt rather foolish.
It’s amazing how many
people rely upon truth about God and salvation they may have heard, or
even cooked up themselves, but when you go back to the point of reference,
unless it is something reliable and rock solid, you look every bit as
foolish as I was.
If we are going to know
truth, we must have a point of reference and Jesus has given us one –
Himself. John 14:6 (ESV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. There is much said today about knowing what is true and what is not. If it all sounds confusing go back to the point of reference. The truth is not a statement we believe, the truth is not contained in a system of beliefs nor in a bunch of rules. Very simple – The Truth is a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people say they point to the truth or will help you find truth, but Jesus said “I am the truth.” Nobody in all of history could make that claim. People in Jesus’ day had many opinions about who He was. Some said Moses, Elijah, or even John the Baptist had returned from the dead. Peter, however, got it right but even his revelation of Jesus was dependent upon God the Father revealing it to h
Matthew 16:15-17 (ESV)
15
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter replied, "You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed
are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Naturally, we not only do
not know truth, we cannot know truth because we are dead to the things of
God so truth (Jesus) must be revealed to us. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV) The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
If you know truth (Jesus)
you have been enlightened and the way to grow in the truth is to be
further enlightened. No wonder Paul expressed his desire for the church at
Ephesus this way: Ephesians 1:16-23 (ESV) 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Notice all enlightenment goes back to the point of reference: the Lord Jesus Christ who is TRUTH.
What should we do with
truth once we have been enlightened?
John 5:39 (ESV)
You search the Scriptures
because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that
bear witness about me,
John 8:31-32 (ESV)
31
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him,
"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and
the truth will set you free."
John 16:13 (ESV)
When the Spirit of truth
comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his
own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to
you the things that are to come.
John 17:8 (ESV)
For I have given them the
words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know
in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.
John 17:17 (ESV)
Sanctify them in the truth;
your word is truth. Romans 1:18 (ESV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
If you have received the
truth or been enlightened to know Jesus, then believe the truth, practice
the truth, stand for the truth, and spread the truth. He is our point of
reference.
Godspeed,
Pastor Bob
The Blessing In Stretching
When people hear about a need in the church or if
they are asked to fill a need, there is a tendency to put up a list of
inadequacies to get out of whatever is being asked. The next time you fall
into that trap, remember the blessings of stretching and think about the
special consideration that our Master gives to those who stretch beyond
their place of comfort to make the most of every opportunity that He
places before them. Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV) 14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' 21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' 23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 26 But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Everyone who is serving in the church has stepped out of their zone of comfort or as one man called it, “comfortable zone,” to serve God. Sacrificial service begins when we stretch. Too many times we all just give God the leftovers of our time, talent, or our treasure which is not pleasing to God at all.
The book of Malachi
describes the actions of people giving leftovers and inferior gifts to
God. God equated that with robbing from Him, but as He brought the
charges, calling for repentance, He also described the benefits of
stretching to give God the very best.
Malachi 1:13 (ESV)
But you say, 'What a
weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring
what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as
your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. Malachi 3:8-10 (ESV) 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
David made a great
statement when he went to worship. He was instructed to buy the threshing
floor from a man and offer a sacrifice to God. When he tried to buy it,
the man wanted to give it to him but David resisted, stating he would not
offer to God that which did not cost. 1 Chronicles 21:21-24 (ESV) 21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out from the threshing floor and paid homage to David with his face to the ground. 22 And David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lord—give it to me at its full price—that the plague may be averted from the people." 23 Then Ornan said to David, "Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for the wood and the wheat for a grain offering; I give it all." 24 But King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing." Are you giving to God from your supply of time (168 hours a week), your talent, and your treasure that which is left over or that which costs from stretching? God never overlooks our stretching to serve Him in sacrificial service, nor does He miss our giving Him less than our very best.
Are you serving Him through
stretching? Today is a good time to begin.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
What are you eating?
Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV)
12
For though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of
God. You need milk, not solid food, 13
for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of
righteousness, since he is a child. 14
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their
powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good
from evil.
Deuteronomy 32:15 (ESV)
"But Jeshurun grew fat, and
kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him
and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
A New Year’s Resolution To Keep
1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV)
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him
crucified.
Every resolution begins
with a decision. Some decisions are made with conviction while others are
made with just an acknowledgement of a change you would like to make. The
majority of Americans make the resolution to loose weight in the coming
year but few do because the resolution is not made with passion. If you
would like to make a resolution that will stick, then follow Paul’s
decision in the verse above.
1.
Paul’s decision with
conviction came with a carrot and a stick. Paul was writing to a church
that was being torn by one conflict after another. He knew that if he took
his focus off of Christ and Him crucified, then he would only add to the
problems. Feeling the disunity of the church and the frustration of the
impossibility of changing people by his own power drove declare his
decision to focus on one thing, the main thing – Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. On the other hand, Paul also knew the decision to focus on
Christ was like a carrot in that it was the delight of the soul and the
more He focused upon Jesus, the more the overflow of power, encouragement,
and solid spiritual food would help those to whom he ministered. Paul knew
that the people would suffer from focusing on anything but Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. Paul knew that he would miss out on fellowship with
Jesus if he allowed himself to focus on anything else. Likewise, as we
begin this new year, if our focus is on Jesus, we will seek fellowship
with Him. We may seek Him out of a need but our seeking should not be the
answer to our need, rather our seeking is to have Him, fellowship with
Him, knowing Him, and enjoying His presence. Like a carrot and a stick,
missing out on that fellowship with Him makes life miserable where
enjoying that fellowship with Him makes like fulfilling, no matter what
the circumstances.
Philippians 3:8-12 (ESV)
8
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the
surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have
suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I
may gain Christ 9 and be found
in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but
that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that
depends on faith— 10 that I
may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his
sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 that by any means possible I may
attain the resurrection from the dead. 12
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect,
but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his
own.
2.
Paul’s made his decision
public. Many people express their dreams and other will talk of their
resolutions but it’s a known fact that when you write down your goals and
particularly make your goals public, you are more likely to succeed in the
achievement. Paul let his decision be known to the church in Corinth and
beyond. We can see from other writings as well as from history that Paul
rehearsed this decision often and with conviction. Do you want make a
change? Make your decision known through writing it down and reviewing it
often and even more importantly, make your decision known to other people.
Most people are too afraid of the pressure but that pressure is exactly
what is needed to help keep us motivated. Are you willing to write it down
and talk about it in your small group and with others in the church that
in the coming year, you desire more than anything to know the Lord Jesus
Christ better and are going to do whatever it takes to grow in our faith
so you can enjoy His presence?
1 Timothy 1:15 (ESV)
The saying is trustworthy
and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Galatians 6:14 (ESV)
But far be it from me to
boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has
been crucified to me, and I to the world.
3.
Paul made plans and
prepared himself to keep His focus on Christ. As you read in Philippians
chapter three, Paul could have focused on himself and his accomplishments,
rather his desire was fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He just
wanted to know Jesus. Do you? If we plan to stay focused on Christ we are
more likely to succeed at it than if we did not have a plan. The old
saying is true in this area of life as well: “If you fail to plan, you
plan to fail.” Take reading your Bible everyday. If you have a plan and
will follow that plan, you are more likely to carry out that plan that if
you wait until you get up and see if you have time. If you want to really
focus on fellowship with Christ in the coming year, make a plan.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)
24
Do you not know that in a
race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that
you may obtain it. 25 Every
athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a
perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the
air. 27 But I discipline my
body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself
should be disqualified.
4.
Paul worked hard at keeping
distractions away. How would Murphy say it? “If a distraction can come
into our lives and try to disrupt our fellowship with Christ, it will.”
(Who is Murphy, by the way, and why do we give his laws so much
credibility?) It is true that Satan will try to distract you and Paul
recognized the working of Satan in his life to distract him from the
presence and power of Christ. Therefore Paul had a plan for dealing with
distractions and so should we if we want to overcome the distractions that
are put in our pathway to fellowship with Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:11 (ESV)
so that we would not be
outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
5.
Paul kept his eye on the
reward at the end. Paul never wavered from thinking about the prize at the
end of the road. As he ended his journey, he expressed his life as
finishing the race with the reward from the Lord Jesus Christ for his
perseverance. He knew his determination was not in vain. Does your life
reflect such resolve? Paul left a legacy of one who lived by the decision
he expressed in the verse above. What kind of legacy are you leaving?
2 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV)
7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith. 8
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only
to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
As we look at the
principles by which Paul lived a focused life we may feel that we cannot
live up to it so we may not try. On the contrary, as Paul expressed the
source of his power and strength, he would say that he like you can do all
things through Christ who gives strength. As you consider a resolve for
the coming year, consider Paul’s resolve to be really focused on the Lord
Jesus Christ. If you haven’t made that resolve, take the lessons from Paul
and do it today. You will be sure to have an exciting and ascending 2011.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
Successful Ministry
The key to a successful ministry is the same today as it ever was. It’s
the Lord’s doing, not ours. Of course we want to be faithful to His Word,
proclaiming the Word, bringing our thinking into subjection to His Word,
and doing whatever His Word says to do, but the results belong to the
Lord.
Acts 16:13-14 (ESV)
And on the Sabbath day we
went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a
place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come
together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of
Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord
opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
Notice the people were praying, Paul was preaching, but the Lord was the
one who opened the heart of Lydia.
If we are going to be successful in making an impact upon the Clearwater
and surrounding areas with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it must be the Lord
who brings success. We must pray and we must be faithful to be witnesses
to the grace of God, but it is the Lord who opens the heart.
Remember it’s not hard for Him.
Proverbs 21:1 (ESV)
The king's heart is a
stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
God demonstrated His power in the way He brought the biggest threat to the
early church (Saul) to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and be known
as the apostle, Paul. God is the one who changes the heart. He always has
and He always will be the change factor.
What can we do? Pray!
Before the great day of repentance, the Day of Pentecost, please notice
what activity was prevalent: PRAYER.
Acts 1:12–14 (ESV) — 12
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is
near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had
entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter
and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.
14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer,
together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 2:1–2 (ESV) — 1
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing
wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
I plead with you to become a prayer partner in the coming days to pray for
changed hearts with true repentance, for God to work in and through our
church to bring change to our community. Paul was not only changed by God,
he recognized it was God who changed the lives and that was why he asked
the churches to pray for him and the success of the Gospel.
Colossians 4:3 (ESV)
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—
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (ESV)
Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead
and be honored, as happened among you,
Will you partner with me to pray for our church as never before and for
God to open the hearts of all of us to hear from Him, to know Him, and to
be changed by Him?
Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)
For this reason I bow my
knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is
named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that
Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what
is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of
Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the
fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all
that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be
glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
Could you use some mercy?
Of course – we all need mercy because if we received what we deserved
(justice), we would all be sentenced to eternal punishment, so anything we
have received short of that, is God’s mercy. But it doesn’t stop there.
Instead of punishment, God lavishes good upon us which is nothing short of
grace.
Ephesians 2:1–9 (ESV) — 1
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once
walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of
disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our
flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God,
being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with
him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his
grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you
have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the
gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
We should never take God’s mercy for granted. He does show mercy to both
the just and the unjust as He sends rain on the earth and supplies our
every need. Nevertheless, God shows abundant mercy to His elect in
redeeming them by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and assuring them
that because of Christ, He will remember their sins no more.
Matthew 5:43–45 (ESV) — 43
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father
who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,
and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Ephesians 1:5–7 (ESV) — 5
he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to
the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace,
with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according
to the riches of his grace,
Hebrews 8:12 (ESV) — 12
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their
sins no more.”
That is a wonderful state of being the recipient of mercy. No wonder
Jeremiah looked at his life and reminded himself that although things seem
to be less than perfect, yet the mercy of the Lord was real everyday which
gave Him reason to rejoice in suffering that God is faithful.
Lamentations 3:19–24 (ESV) — 19
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20
My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The
steadfast love of the Lord
never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new
every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The
Lord is my portion,” says my
soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
We are reminded in the book of James that even though we have received
grace from God we should long for more, making sure we clear the way to
receive more grace. Even though grace is totally unmerited, nothing we can
do to earn it, nevertheless, God has given us certain indicators that are
definite deterrents of grace, namely a haughty spirit and bitterness.
James 4:6–7 (ESV) — 6
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but
gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Hebrews 12:15 (ESV) — 15
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of
bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
This leads us to understand the importance of showing mercy if we are
going to enjoy the mercy that God extends to us. Or on the negative, if we
want to miss out on enjoying His mercy, then never show any mercy to
others.
Matthew 5:7 (ESV) — 7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
The word to those who need mercy: show mercy!
The people who have really experienced mercy, not just the
recipient of a pardon but a realization of what has been done on their
behalf will, in turn, show it.
To not show it is to miss it.
Jesus told a story in Matthew 18 about a man who was shown mercy, yet was
not the least bit merciful to others. Consequently he missed out on the
enjoyment of mercy that would have been multiplied many times in the
experience of being merciful. Instead, he allowed the bitterness and his
own pride to turn in harshness toward others and Jesus makes sure we know
that man missed out on any enjoyment of the mercy that had been extended
to him.
Likewise, if we want to make the most of God’s mercy then we should show
mercy to others in love, forgiveness, and kindness. God’s word is clear
that whenever we take what God provides and use it to minister to another
it comes back to us multiplied over. We may not be in any position to
warrant mercy or grace, but we can sure appreciate having received it by
extending it to others, thereby stepping into God’s channel of greater
blessing.
Look around you and ask God to help you be the carrier of extending mercy
and see how rich your life will be.
Godspeed, Pastor Bob Brubake
It Was A “God Moment”
We have all had them or been part of them – those
experiences that can only be explained as the intervention of the hand of
God. One such experience is found in the book of 2 Chronicles 29 which is
the account of a great revival in the days of King Hezekiah. It was an
amazing day in which people just dropped what they were doing and
celebrated God. It was a sudden event and an event that made everyone sit
up and take notice. Consider the closing words of the chronicler regarding
this event:
2 Chronicles 29:35-36 (ESV)
Besides the great number of burnt offerings, there
was the fat of the peace offerings, and there were the drink offerings for
the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was
restored. 36 And Hezekiah and
all the people rejoiced because God had prepared for the people, for the
thing came about suddenly.
There was no way anyone could take credit for what happened. The only way
to explain it was, “God had prepared the people.” There’s the key for
Christ Community Presbyterian Church. We need the Lord to prepare our
hearts and the hearts of all those who attend.
Do you pray for God to prepare your heart when you come to worship or to a
Bible study, class, or meeting? Do you pray for God to prepare the hearts
of the people who will attend? Do you pray for the success of the Gospel?
Let’s face it - we live in a spectator society of people who come to
church as consumers waiting to get something without giving anything. As
we fall into that way of thinking, we lose sight of the fact that we are
only going to be fed spiritually as our hearts are prepared and the rest
of the congregation will only receive something if their hearts are
prepared. No wonder Paul admonished the churches to pray for the success
of the Gospel as that success only comes as God prepares hearts.
Ephesians 6:18-20 (ESV)
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 saints,
19 and also for me, that words may
be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the
gospel, 20 for which I am an
ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Colossians 4:2-4 (ESV)
Continue steadfastly in
prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
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.
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (ESV)
Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead
and be honored, as happened among you,
Will you pray? Will you make it a point to pray for Christ Community
Presbyterian Church? Please pray that God will prepare our hearts and pray
that God will honor His Word and bring a great revival in our church.
I believe God has been
blessing our church tremendously! The good thing about
enjoying God’s blessing in our lives is that it not only fills us with
great joy but creates a hunger for more. As we hunger and thirst for God’s
favor and blessings, but most of all His presence and power, then we’ll
enjoy His filling. I’m not talking about an emotional outburst, rather
hearts that are prepared for, long for, and enjoy the presence of God as
we delight in Him.
My desire for Christ Community Church is that we be a church that prays.
Whenever you meet together with other members of the church or whenever
you have a moment with your family as well as those moments alone, please
pray for our church, that God will prepare our hearts as in the days of
Hezekiah.
One further note: People who pray also expect and believe God to
answer and those are the people who see God work.
Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you
great and hidden things that you have not known.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
The Pruning Work Of
God
John 15:1–11 (ESV) — 1
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every
branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that
does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already
you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in
him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch
and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and
burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father
is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as
I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that
your joy may be full.
Ever wonder what is going
on in your life? Many times we turn on God as though some strange thing is
happening when difficulties come our way. We even start to think God is
against us or He is punishing us. In reality, Jesus gave us the big
picture to keep in mind the next time there seems to be difficulty in
things we just don’t understand.
1)
Keep in mind that you are not in control – God is. That seems basic, but
we have a tendency to want to have a handle on everything. Jesus reminds
us that we are just the vine but the one in control is the vinedresser.
2)
His work as vinedresser is to make sure the vine is producing fruit.
Therefore, as the vinedresser, He will pull out branches that are not
fruit bearing and He will prune the vines that are. That means those
difficult moments in your life could be His pruning. Think about the
things that we get attached to in life that do little to produce fruit in
our lives and even take away from fruit production. In other words, those
things that put God on the back burner and pull our attention away from
Him may need to be cut off from our lives because we refuse to give ‘em up
on our own. He is not out to make our lives miserable, rather to bring
fruit and an abundance of fruit in our lives – which gives Him glory and
increases our joy.
3)
Living in dependency upon the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to produce
fruit. Abiding in Him and His Word – enjoying sweet fellowship with Him
through meditation and study of the Word and times of prayer are essential
to bearing fruit. We live in a fast paced society which leaves little time
for either the Word or prayer. Jesus reminds us that to avoid pruning, it
would be good to remember that you need to live in dependency upon Him.
4)
Bearing fruit not only is a life of answers to prayer but an increase in
joy. God is working in you so you will experience more joy in life. It’s
all in the growth and fruit bearing process.
No wonder Peter described
difficulties by reminding his readers that if they didn’t “need to be,
they wouldn’t be” because they have a purpose in your life.
1 Peter 1:6–7 (ESV) — 6
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have
been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of
your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by
fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
God cares enough about you
to prune away things that do not matter so you will bear more fruit to His
glory and your joy. If He didn’t care, if you weren’t one of His, He’d
just leave you alone to be barren and unfruitful – to ultimately be cast
off.
What is God doing? He is
preparing you for greater blessing.
Godspeed, Pastor Bob Brubake
The Attitude Of Gratitude
Expressing gratitude is
more important than you think. We are told having an attitude of gratitude
is expressly the will of God for our lives, it is the basis of and should
be part of our prayer life, and it is the evidence of a heart that has
been changed.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 (ESV) — 16 Rejoice always, 17
pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the
Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test
everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of
evil. 23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful;
he will surely do it.
Philippians 4:4–7 (ESV) — 4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your
reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not
be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:11–13 (ESV) — 11
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might,
for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the
Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in
light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and
transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
I saw a post on Facebook
this past week which said, “It would sure be easier to know God’s will if
He would just write it on my Facebook wall.”
Well He has done even
better. He has it written in His book and preserved it for you. Notice the
passage above from 1Thessalonians chapter 5 and the list of things with
which we are to focus our energy and included in that is the call to “give
thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
for you.”
How are you living up to
God’s will?
It’s easy to grumble and
complain so it takes effort to give thanks in all circumstances but God
says that it is His will that you do give thanks.
Do you ever worry?
Who doesn’t? As you follow
the guidance in Philippians chapter 4 above, you’ll see that to avoid
worry, we must pray but not just pray, pray with thanksgiving.
Does gratitude flow in
your prayers or do you just make one request after another?
If you are a parent or if
you can relate to a parent, think of how a parent feels when their
children just ask and ask but never say thank you. Good parents teach
their children to be thankful because nobody likes to be around a person
who is an ingrate.
God even says that a lack
of gratitude is an evidence of a person with a stone cold heart, which has
turned against Him and they should be avoided.
2 Timothy 3:1–5 (ESV) — 1 But understand this, that in the last
days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be
lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to
their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4
treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but
denying its power. Avoid such people.
On the other hand, in the
passage from Colossians chapter 1 above, we find the evidence of a person
who has been delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of
the Lord Jesus Christ – they are grateful.
As you pause to give
thanks in the season of Thanksgiving, please understand what God’s Word
has to say about gratitude that it should be part of our lives, especially
part of our prayer life, and gives us assurance as we give thanks that we
belong to God.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
What Shall I
Render?
Psalm 116:12–14 (ESV) — 12
What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the
Lord in the presence of all his people.
There is a line that
exists between trying to work our way to salvation and living a life of
gratitude from being set free by the truth of God’s sovereign grace. It’s
kind of a tension with which we live all of our days as we tend to fall
back into trying to earn God’s favor or feeling like we are missing out
because we haven’t done enough. On the other hand when we see how God’s
favor comes as a result of His good pleasure and not our works of
righteousness, again we are ruined by “do nothing” thoughts and miss out
on expressions of joy.
Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV) — 8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own
doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no
one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk
in them.
The scripture is very
clear that we are not saved by works but saved to works. We can’t bring
anything to God to declare our worthiness. Our worthiness is only found in
our being “in Christ” and that was a work of God done on our behalf before
the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1:3–6 (ESV) — 3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined
us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of
his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has
blessed us in the Beloved.
Since God has chosen us to
a people who are holy, the salvation we enjoy that was proclaimed by God
the Father before the foundation of the world, carried out by God the Son,
(our Lord Jesus Christ), in purchasing our redemption on the cross, and
brought to us effectually by the Holy Spirit – bringing even the power of
the resurrection into our hearts – is not merely a ticket to heaven in
order to miss hell, rather it’s a change of heart, a desire for holiness,
a faith that works.
James 2:26 (ESV) — 26
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from
works is dead.
Going back to Psalm 116,
the psalmist gives us a great picture of works resulting from grace. The
sinner comes to Christ, drawn by the Holy Spirit and calls upon the Lord
Jesus Christ to save him
because he knows he can’t save himself and Jesus and His redemptive work
on the cross is his only hope.
Romans 10:13 (ESV) — 13
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Based upon God’s promise
and the power of the Holy Spirit, the sinner, now converted grows in the
realization of all the benefits that are his in the Lord Jesus Christ and
all as a result of God’s sovereign grace, not earned but given, not
deserved but given out of God’s good pleasure. Can he just walk away and
take all this for granted? Never!
What shall I render? What
can I give? I want to do something out of gratitude!
Of course! This is not
looking for a work to please God to settle the account. This is a heart
set free from that bondage to a heart that desires to lift up the name of
God and extol His grace, shouting it from the housetops. The question is
how? How can I give proper praise and show proper adoration for the
marvelous benefits that God has sovereignly bestowed upon me?
The psalmist answers: “ I will lift up the cup of salvation and
call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the
Lord in the presence of all his people.”
There’s the crossing of the line from dead works to works of faith and
gratitude. It’s rendering unto God the praise of dedicated or “sold out”
worship, it’s living a life of dependency upon God as you call upon Him,
and it’s being willing to live up to your commitment to Christ before
others.
How does that play out in our lives?
When you prepare for worship and really dedicate yourself in the worship
of God you are lifting up the cup of salvation. When you live by prayer
and expressions of dependency, you are living by calling upon the Lord for
you know He is your only hope and He is the source of strength. When you
pick up the slack, when you do anything as unto the Lord in service to
others you are paying your vows to be a servant of Jesus Christ. That is
the life of joy and the life of gratitude to God. It takes effort, but the
effort flows from a heart that has been set free and is enjoying the
benefits of God.
How is your service to God?
Maybe you need to go back to seeing His benefits and ask Him to give you
the heart of the psalmist to say, “What shall I render to my God for all
His benefits toward me?”
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
Help For Our Hurts
Psalm 56:8 (ESV)
You have kept count of my
tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
It’s a known fact that all of us hurt at some time and some of us seem to
hurt all the time. We hurt physically, financially, emotionally,
relationally, spiritually, and just about any other way you can think of.
When we hurt there seems to be an internal mechanism that wants to tell
God it’s not fair to be in this condition and maybe accuse Him of not
living up to His promises.
Psalm 77:7 (ESV)
"Will the Lord spurn
forever, and never again be favorable?
We can be assured that God has not forgotten us when we face the
difficulties and pain of the various hurts of life. He has a reason for
every hurt – not to punish, but to sanctify us and draw us closer to Him.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV)
6
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while,
if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 so that the tested genuineness of
your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by
fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
As we look back at Psalm 56:8, I would like you to see some things that
are very special:
Psalm 56:8 (ESV)
You have kept count of my
tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
First, the psalmist says, “You have kept count of my tossings.” When you
hurt at night it’s hard to get comfortable and you toss and turn. Have you
ever counted the times you tossed about at night? (Too many to count,
right?) As Jesus reminded us that He knows the number of hairs on our
heads, which is something we could never count, to assure us that even the
details we can’t keep up with – He does. As a mother watches a sick baby
at night and sees every move the child makes, so God watches over every
detail and knows exactly the hurts we feel. This is where we consider the
prophecy of our Great High Priest really connects us to Him.
Isaiah 53:3-4 (ESV)
3
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their
faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and
afflicted.
The one who intercedes for us with the Father not only sees our every
tossing and turning, but feels our hurt. He not only sympathizes – He
empathizes with us.
Secondly, the psalmist says, “put my tears in your bottle.” It’s told that
an ancient tradition for a young bride whose husband went off to war was
to keep a bottle that held her many tears so that the husband would know
how much he was missed. This is a little different in that the psalmist
indicates God is the one who catches our tears so they come up before Him
as a remembrance of our grief and pain.
We understand from the scriptures that God does not forget, with the
exception of our sins because they have been covered by the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. God repeats His promises over to us that He will not
forget us because we are important to Him.
Isaiah 49:14-16 (ESV)
14
But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord
has forgotten me." 15 "Can a
woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the
son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
16 Behold, I have engraved you on
the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Thirdly, the psalmist says,
“Are they not in your book?” There are a couple of ways to consider this.
It seems to indicate that God has a book written on our lives where
everything that has ever happened is recorded. We can understand that the
psalmist is exclaiming in this statement the assurance that his pain will
not be overlooked or forgotten by God, which in itself is comforting.
Another way to look at this phrase is to be assured the hurts which we
experience are recorded in God’s book, the Bible, and we can take comfort
and assurance in knowing others have faced circumstances like ours so we
are not being singled out and we can learn and be encouraged in the way
God blessed them. In other words, we can find ourselves in the Bible.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is
faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with
the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be
able to endure it.
Romans 15:4 (ESV)
For whatever was written in
former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and
through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
Are You Teachable?
It was exciting to see the
attitude in the Bible Study last Sunday as Heath Glandon began a series on
“How to study the Bible.” It was good to see people who were seasoned
veterans showing they still had a desire to learn.
Sad to say that is not
always the case. In fact, most Christians surveyed today do not study the
Bible nor have a regular time of praying and are not concerned about it.
It’s easy to fall into the
trap of feeling like we have a handle on truth and shut down when it comes
to learning. Keeping an open mind to what God is revealing in His truth
and desiring to continue to grow no matter how long you’ve been a follower
of Christ is important in being a true disciple.
There was a man named
Apollos, who was a man used by God to preach the Word, yet he was not too
proud to learn.
Acts 18:24-26 (ESV)
Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was
an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.
25 He had been instructed in the
way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught
accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of
John. 26 He began to speak
boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they
took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Even though Paul was
greatly used by God, he did not think of himself as having arrived.
Philippians 3:12-16 (ESV)
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press
on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that
I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and
straining forward to what lies ahead, 14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let
those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think
otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
16 Only let us hold true to what we
have attained.
Are you a learner? Or have
you shut down and do you shun off opportunities to learn because you feel
you already covered that ground? David described God’s Word as something
for which you never grow tired as it continues to open up as you go
farther.
Psalm 19:7–11 (ESV) — 7
The law of the Lord is
perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the
Lord is sure, making wise the
simple; 8 the precepts of the
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the
Lord is pure, enlightening
the eyes; 9 the fear of the
Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the
Lord are true, and righteous
altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much
fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11
Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great
reward.
It’s one thing to just
gain more knowledge when it comes to God’s Word and it’s another thing to
act upon it, being willing for God’s Word to change you. May we be a
church who is willing to change our ways and become more and more
conforming to God’s Word. May we be a church which hungers for God’s Word
and takes advantage of every opportunity to grow in the grace and
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
Preparing For Life By
Preparing To Die
The Bible is very clear
about the shortness of life. It’s described as a vapor that is here and
then gone, or like that of a flower that soon fades away. Instead of just
sounding morbid, the Bible tells us to apply our hearts to wisdom, or in
other words live in preparation for dying so that we may really live.
Psalm 90:10–12 (ESV) — 10
The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly
away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath
according to the fear of you? 12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
The mark of a true
Christian is one who has HOPE. Hope is not a mere wish but something that
is positive, just not yet. One definition calls hope an earnest
expectation. We say we hope for something good to happen like our favorite
sports team to win, but that is really a wish because it is not founded
upon something that is sure. Hope (in the Bible) speaks of life beyond the
grave and this is not a wish but is founded upon God’s Word and the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This twofold anchor for the soul,
as it is called in the book of Hebrews, gives us great confidence to face
life because the surety of the afterlife.
Hebrews 6:13–20 (ESV) — 13
For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by
whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless
you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently
waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something
greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for
confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to
the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he
guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things,
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge
might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope
that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus
has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek.
To add to this, the Bible
says God in His sovereign work of salvation has taken us from people who
had no hope (as you see in those around you who are not Christians), to
being people of hope. Therefore we are to live with this shining hope that
others, who have no hope, will inquire about our hope.
Ephesians 2:12 (ESV) — 12
remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from
the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.
1 Peter 1:3 (ESV) — 3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his
great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) — 15
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to
make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in
you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Considering how this hope is our focusing on the glorious future beyond
the grave – at home with the Lord upon death, and a looking forward to the
resurrection in which we shall live without pain, suffering, or even
sadness and crying, we are often given help by God through the midst of
suffering and disappointment to get our eyes off the comforts of this life
and live like He intends for us to live, “by hope.”
Romans
8:18–21 (ESV) — 18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the
creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation
itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the
freedom of the glory of the children of God.
That is an important
lesson because the first reaction when something happens or when we feel
“mediocre” is to feel like God is mad at us or against us. On the
contrary, God uses the unpleasant moments of this world to help us get our
hope in view, to live by that hope, and to be a testimony of a person of
hope. In other words, we prepare for life and all that life has to offer –
the good, the bad, the ugly – by focusing on hope. That hope is an anchor
as we face death, and that hope is based upon our Lord Jesus Christ. No
wonder the importance of believing that Jesus has conquered death goes
right along with submitting to Him as Lord or Master of our lives in
salvation.
Romans 10:8–13 (ESV) — 8
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your
heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if
you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with
the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses
and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in
him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction
between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his
riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved.”
Are you prepared to live?
You are if you are prepared to die. You are if you believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and have called upon Him alone for
salvation. That’s good for dying and for living.
John 11:21–27 (ESV) — 21
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not
have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God,
God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise
again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in
the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet
shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall
never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I
believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the
world.”
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
FEAR
It’s a little word that
can consume us. There are many things to fear in life, just watch the
news. If you aren’t careful, the causes of fear can seem so insurmountable
that you lose hope. Add to it, the natural fears that spring up within us
from happenings around us that make us realize our mortality, such as the
times we or someone close to us is very ill. Add to this, the Bible points
out in Ecclesiastes 12:5 the fact that the older we get the more things we
begin to fear.
What is a person to do with all this
fear?
John 16:33 (ESV) — 33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the
world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the
world.”
Notice the opposite of
fear is peace, but peace is not something to create on our own or even
achieve. Peace is found in the
prince of peace, the one who can dispel our fears by His very presence.
Why? Because He has overcome! (By the way, if this was applicable prior to
His death, think of what kind of weight it has after His death and
resurrection, as John learned when Jesus spoke to him as recorded in the
book of Revelation.)
Revelation 1:17 (ESV) — 17
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right
hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
So the opposite of fear is
peace and peace is found in the Lord Jesus Christ because He is the one
who is sovereign and has not only reign, but purpose, for all things in
life. Therefore, to experience peace over fear is to place before Him all
the things that are causing us to fear.
How do you do that?
Here’s where prayer comes
in and takes us from trying to live our lives in control of all things, or
if you please, walking in front of the Lord Jesus Christ, to falling into
place behind Him and His sovereign will, relying upon His control.
Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV) — 6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Instead of being anxious
from the fear of being out of control of the national economy, the threat
of terrorism, the possibility of getting into a car accident, or the
mortality of yourself or those around you, come back and get in place
behind your sovereign Lord, Who has all things under control and He will
give you peace and guard your mind and heart.
It seems so easy doesn’t
it? So why do we neglect long seasons of prayer and content ourselves with
little prayers or no prayer? Because our enemies – (the world, the flesh,
and the devil) which are out to destroy our faith and cause us to falter
in our walk through the discouragement of fear.
Understand that our praying is an offensive weapon that brings us
closer to God, helps us to be resigned to His sovereign will, and drives
away fear thus defeating the enemy.
No wonder we are told to
pick up the weapons of our warfare and among other things, pray.
Ephesians 6:10–18 (ESV) — 10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of
truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and,
as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of
peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with
which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God, 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 saints,
These are familiar words,
but unless you apply them and devote yourself to a time of prayer, you
will miss out on the power behind the offensive weapon of prayer.
Likewise, when we neglect time in the Word of God, we are leaving home
without the offensive weapon of the Word of God and become easy prey for
the enemy to get to us through fear.
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV) — 7
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and
self-control.
As God’s new creation by
the Spirit of the Living God, you and I were not designed to fall prey to
fear, rather to have power to live, love, and exercise self-control. We
can’t do that on our own, but only by relying upon the power of the Lord
Jesus Christ dwelling in us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Of course,
the power of the Holy Spirit is released in our life as we pray.
So when you feel fear
coming on may it be a warning light to pray. That is always the right
thing to do.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
Intercessory Prayer
Praying for one another is not just a responsibility we have in putting on
the whole armor of God and taking the offensive against the work of Satan,
his demons, and the ungodly world around us, it is part of bearing one
another’s burdens, part of making a difference in the world, and in
playing a part in bringing about God’s sovereign plan. Wow!
Ephesians 6:10–13 (ESV) —
10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand firm.
Ephesians 6:17–20 (ESV) — 17
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God, 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 saints, 19 and also for me, that
words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the
mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains,
that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
When you exercise the self-discipline it takes to arise early, get away
during the day, or stay up late to pray on behalf of others, your act of
faith does not go unnoticed. In fact, your act of making time to pray is a
God given prompting that puts you in touch with Him, brings you closer to
Him, makes you more sensitive to the needs of others as you pray for
friends, enemies, government leaders, the church, ministers of the Gospel,
and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
Romans 8:14–16 (ESV) — 14
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For
you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you
have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba!
Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that
we are children of God,
Romans 8:26–28 (ESV) — 26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with
groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows
what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the
saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those
who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called
according to his purpose. When people are hurting and ask for prayer or if we can identify with their hurt we may tell them we will pray for them but have you ever thought about what you are doing, or at least saying you will do? In praying for them you are interceding on their behalf before the throne of God. In making intercession, you are helping them by bearing their burden before God. It’s not that God needs to be convinced with arguments on behalf of the person, it’s that He is pleased when we care enough to bring the burden of another before His throne of grace. He in His sovereign pleasure and will, has ordained to use the prayers of His people to accomplish His will in the world. So think about, next time you are asked to pray for someone or you feel led to pray for someone, it’s not a trivial activity – you are helping to relieve the burden that is bearing down on the shoulders of that individual or group or event (the oppression of the world, Satan, and sin) that God has ordained that you participate in the relief process by praying. Wow!
Galatians 6:2–3 (ESV) — 2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For
if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
James 5:16 (ESV) — 16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that
you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it
is working.
Our intercessory prayer is to be for more than just for our friends,
family, and close associates, rather God has ordained that we pray for
people in government (yes, we can make a difference as we pray), for our
enemies, and for the world as we pray for the advancement of the Kingdom
of God.
1 Timothy 2:1–3 (ESV) — 1 First of all, then, I urge that
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all
people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may
lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
Luke 6:27–29 (ESV) — 27
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate
you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from
one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.
Matthew 6:10 (ESV) — 10
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Our intercessory praying could not be accomplished without the
intercessory work of God, the Holy Spirit who not only prompts us to pray,
leads us to God as our compassionate Father whereby He, the Holy Spirit,
puts the cry, “Dear Father,” in our hearts, but we have the work of the
Lord Jesus Christ, our High priest, who is constantly taking our burdens
before the Father.
Hebrews 7:24–25 (ESV) — 24
but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw
near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for
them.
When you pray, things
happen. You may not see it all happening before your eyes but the heart of
God the Father is touched by your coming before His throne of grace, the
Holy Spirit is prompting you to pray and leading you to pray, and helping
you with your words – even making up for your lack of words with heavenly
groans as you lift your burdens and those of others to God.
When you pray, your
sensitivity and compassion level rises as you lift up the needs of others.
You cannot truly pray for another without feeling their pain as you seek
to help lift their burden. When you pray you are participating in God’s
plan for yourself, for others, and the world.
So why is it so hard to
find time to pray?
Several reasons: Satan
does not want you to pray because you are meeting him head on and you are
on the winning side. Your flesh does not want to pray because as you pray
you are becoming more and more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ
(sanctified), therefore your old nature resists it. Last of all – prayer
is an act of self-discipline and like all disciplines, we gravitate to the
easy side and miss out through procrastination.
Do you want to super
charge your life? Take the first step and set aside a time to pray and
take up the work of interceding on behalf of others, the church, our
government leaders, the world, and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
You will be part of making a big difference and the difference will begin
in you.
Godspeed,
Pastor
Bob Brubaker
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