ACTS 2:42 MEN’S FELLOWSHIP
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 NIV
This passage in 2nd Corinthians from the Apostle Paul reveals to us the war that we find ourselves in as Christians. It is the frontline for all of human history, upon where the truth meets the forces of darkness.
For the world has been blinded by the ‘god of this age’ into not believing the truth. Worldly defined reason has veiled the message of good news and led many astray into a world of darkness and despair. The message of Galatians 5 ‘Freedom in Christ’ has been set aside by those who follow the wisdom of this world.
Therefore within this passage of 2nd Corinthians also comes our purpose, our calling from God to make His purpose our purpose.
As Christians, we will always be on the frontline defending the truth of the gospel. The battle is being raged within our workplace, circle of friends, our own family, and maybe even within our own heart. Never should we be surprised when hardship comes our way because our lives exist within the battle.
God has clearly defined our role as Christians—which is to let His light shine in our hearts in order to defend the truth. This purpose has never changed and has been set forth well before time began. Look at God’s unchanging nature in His purpose:
“Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Isaiah 46:8-10 NIV
His purpose has been the constant truth behind all creeds since the beginning. Therefore let us learn to live on the front lines, in the heat of the battle. Let us transition our lives into a life which shines the glory of God to a veiled world even during the darkest of trials. Here is where we shall make our stand…
The ‘god of this age’ can deceive, but it can never defeat the truth, which is the glory of God.
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Wednesday night at 7:00 pm we shall reconvene and discuss the topic of God’s purpose of our life and how we make the transition into that purpose… Looking forward to seeing each one of you again…
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
The beginning truth (introduction)
Over the next week, I am really hoping to dive more into the statement set forth at the beginning of this blog: “Fellowship of Men who believe that all things rest on foundational truths...”
There is so much information within that statement in which I believe must be exposited in order to have a full grasp of its meaning.
But I wrote this statement because I believe there is a truth which exists from its meaning. The Lord has foundational truths which can never be changed by time, experiences, or our existence.
It is from this truth that we can help build a Church. For nothing mankind ever achieves can occur outside the authority of God. For it is written:
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11
Therefore let us go on this journey together and dive into the one divine truth upon where everything else exists---God, our heavenly Father.
There is so much information within that statement in which I believe must be exposited in order to have a full grasp of its meaning.
But I wrote this statement because I believe there is a truth which exists from its meaning. The Lord has foundational truths which can never be changed by time, experiences, or our existence.
It is from this truth that we can help build a Church. For nothing mankind ever achieves can occur outside the authority of God. For it is written:
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11
Therefore let us go on this journey together and dive into the one divine truth upon where everything else exists---God, our heavenly Father.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Weekly Message / Prayer Request
ACTS 2:42 MEN’S FELLOWSHIP
"Then Jesus told them this parable: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'” Luke 15:3-6
We sometimes forget the amount of love that Jesus actually has for each one of us. Much of our discussion over the love of Christ is over how He will accept anyone who repents and comes before the cross. This is true, yet this is not the complete story. Jesus loves us so much that he will seek out the lost sinner and bring them back, no matter the cost. He will seek them out…
For each person has a designed purpose and plays an integral role in bringing glory to God. The mission that God gives someone is tailored for that person with the utmost perfection. For this reason, each sheep is worth saving.
And Jesus knew this when He lived out ‘the parable of the lost sheep’ in Mark 5 when He traveled across the lake to the region of Gerasenes. Once Jesus arrived there with his disciples, Jesus was confronted by a demon-possessed man. He healed the man by driving a legion of demons into a herd of pigs nearby. It is a parable that probably each one of us knows very well.
But the great part of this story is in Mark 4 where it is written: “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” Mark 4:35-37
This is powerful because Jesus left a crowd of people behind that He was probably ministering to, challenged a storm crossing a lake, and tested the faith of his disciples, all for the one lost sheep in Gerasenes. Because in Mark 5, immediately after the healing of this demon-possessed man, Jesus gets back in the boat and crosses back over to the other side of the lake from where He came (Mark 5:18,21).
Why did Jesus do this? Why did Jesus risk so much in order to save one lost sheep? And he did not even allow the demon-possessed man who He saved to return with them in the boat…
I believe it is because of one simple verse in this chapter where it is written: “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” Mark 5:20
This man went on to spread the message of good news throughout an entire region, proclaiming the power and glory and love of Christ. In this ministry by this man, who knows how many were saved from eternal damnation and given the opportunity to receive saving grace all because the Lord risked so much for just one lost sheep…
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We need to do this as a group, a ministry, and a Church. We at times need to seek out the lost sheep even if it requires time away from ministering to others; even if it requires challenging a storm; or even if it requires testing our faith. We need to do this because Christ has done this for each one of us… Who knows, but the message of good news may have come to you because it was passed on through the generations by the message of one man in the Decapolis….
Therefore may God help us minister to those who are lost sheep and help bring them back to their divine purpose that only they can achieve…
"Then Jesus told them this parable: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'” Luke 15:3-6
We sometimes forget the amount of love that Jesus actually has for each one of us. Much of our discussion over the love of Christ is over how He will accept anyone who repents and comes before the cross. This is true, yet this is not the complete story. Jesus loves us so much that he will seek out the lost sinner and bring them back, no matter the cost. He will seek them out…
For each person has a designed purpose and plays an integral role in bringing glory to God. The mission that God gives someone is tailored for that person with the utmost perfection. For this reason, each sheep is worth saving.
And Jesus knew this when He lived out ‘the parable of the lost sheep’ in Mark 5 when He traveled across the lake to the region of Gerasenes. Once Jesus arrived there with his disciples, Jesus was confronted by a demon-possessed man. He healed the man by driving a legion of demons into a herd of pigs nearby. It is a parable that probably each one of us knows very well.
But the great part of this story is in Mark 4 where it is written: “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” Mark 4:35-37
This is powerful because Jesus left a crowd of people behind that He was probably ministering to, challenged a storm crossing a lake, and tested the faith of his disciples, all for the one lost sheep in Gerasenes. Because in Mark 5, immediately after the healing of this demon-possessed man, Jesus gets back in the boat and crosses back over to the other side of the lake from where He came (Mark 5:18,21).
Why did Jesus do this? Why did Jesus risk so much in order to save one lost sheep? And he did not even allow the demon-possessed man who He saved to return with them in the boat…
I believe it is because of one simple verse in this chapter where it is written: “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” Mark 5:20
This man went on to spread the message of good news throughout an entire region, proclaiming the power and glory and love of Christ. In this ministry by this man, who knows how many were saved from eternal damnation and given the opportunity to receive saving grace all because the Lord risked so much for just one lost sheep…
****************************************************************************
We need to do this as a group, a ministry, and a Church. We at times need to seek out the lost sheep even if it requires time away from ministering to others; even if it requires challenging a storm; or even if it requires testing our faith. We need to do this because Christ has done this for each one of us… Who knows, but the message of good news may have come to you because it was passed on through the generations by the message of one man in the Decapolis….
Therefore may God help us minister to those who are lost sheep and help bring them back to their divine purpose that only they can achieve…
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Called to the harvest
I just left the CTL meeting at Northshore Christian Church less then an hour ago. It is Week One in an exciting journey together with other men, developing the Christian leadership skills the world and each of our families desperately needs.
This year, the Lord has led me into a leadership role with CTL. It is a position that I take in faith, not out of any feeling that I am qualified for the position. The enemy tests my faith like every other man and there is a necessity of accountability that I must face with my brothers in Christ.
Therefore it shall be exciting to see where the Lord takes this group. For each group is built for one purpose—to live out His purpose in order to glorify God.
It is by the faithful purpose that all of us have been called:
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:35-38
The Lord has called me to harvest with Northshore Christian Church. I have brought nothing but my prayers for strength and the Word of God. My faith shall be my guide in order to do God’s will.
Therefore may the members of this group (Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship), those in CTL, and all who are a part of the Church, stand beside me in prayer that each one of us may go out into the fields in faith. May each one of us hear the purpose of God and follow His will in order that He is glorified.
This year, the Lord has led me into a leadership role with CTL. It is a position that I take in faith, not out of any feeling that I am qualified for the position. The enemy tests my faith like every other man and there is a necessity of accountability that I must face with my brothers in Christ.
Therefore it shall be exciting to see where the Lord takes this group. For each group is built for one purpose—to live out His purpose in order to glorify God.
It is by the faithful purpose that all of us have been called:
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:35-38
The Lord has called me to harvest with Northshore Christian Church. I have brought nothing but my prayers for strength and the Word of God. My faith shall be my guide in order to do God’s will.
Therefore may the members of this group (Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship), those in CTL, and all who are a part of the Church, stand beside me in prayer that each one of us may go out into the fields in faith. May each one of us hear the purpose of God and follow His will in order that He is glorified.
Anxiety, tool of the deceiver
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:25-34 NIV
The enemy is the great deceiver—and how we been deceived!!
All of us have probably felt the pull of anxiety in one form or another during our Christian walk. The past is probably riddled with moments where it seemed like there were not enough resources to get your life from here to there…
This enemy has shown itself numerous times in my life and I continually find myself coming back to this passage in the Word quite often as I deal with the question of resources. It is a sin which continually manifests itself into daily life by hiding around every corner, attempting to pull your life into the pits of despair.
But the Lord tells us here that we should not find ourselves full of anxiety because He is the ultimate provider of all things. If He shall spend time, the creator of the universe, caring for the birds of this hour; why would He not spend time preparing a place for His servant, whom He called, with provisions for His daily walk?
The Apostle Paul, who probably dealt with the question of resources like no other man, made a firm statement on the issue of anxiety to the Philippians:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 NIV
We are not to spend our time in anxiety, believing the lies of the enemy that we do not have enough resources to make it through another day. This could be further from the truth. For the Lord provides all that we need to proclaim His glory.
Our Western thought that He will provide food today, a house, a car, and numerous other material things in order to sustain the lifestyle we so much take for granted is not what the Lord promises. The Lord never guarantees this in our daily lives. In fact He says we should be careful of treasuring up things of this world a few verses earlier in Matthew 6.
One only has to read from the book of Hebrews:
“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.”
Hebrews 10:32-34 NIV
In this passage they have been thrown in prison, their homes destroyed, and persecuted in public. Yet the Lord provided those with the strength do endure these struggles in order to do what? In order to give Him glory…
This is the promise of Matthew 6. That He will provide all that we need in order to proclaim all glory to God…
Therefore brothers, join with me in prayer that we all may come to this understanding and know that God will provide all that we need in order to achieve the mission He so lovingly called us to fulfill...
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:25-34 NIV
The enemy is the great deceiver—and how we been deceived!!
All of us have probably felt the pull of anxiety in one form or another during our Christian walk. The past is probably riddled with moments where it seemed like there were not enough resources to get your life from here to there…
This enemy has shown itself numerous times in my life and I continually find myself coming back to this passage in the Word quite often as I deal with the question of resources. It is a sin which continually manifests itself into daily life by hiding around every corner, attempting to pull your life into the pits of despair.
But the Lord tells us here that we should not find ourselves full of anxiety because He is the ultimate provider of all things. If He shall spend time, the creator of the universe, caring for the birds of this hour; why would He not spend time preparing a place for His servant, whom He called, with provisions for His daily walk?
The Apostle Paul, who probably dealt with the question of resources like no other man, made a firm statement on the issue of anxiety to the Philippians:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 NIV
We are not to spend our time in anxiety, believing the lies of the enemy that we do not have enough resources to make it through another day. This could be further from the truth. For the Lord provides all that we need to proclaim His glory.
Our Western thought that He will provide food today, a house, a car, and numerous other material things in order to sustain the lifestyle we so much take for granted is not what the Lord promises. The Lord never guarantees this in our daily lives. In fact He says we should be careful of treasuring up things of this world a few verses earlier in Matthew 6.
One only has to read from the book of Hebrews:
“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.”
Hebrews 10:32-34 NIV
In this passage they have been thrown in prison, their homes destroyed, and persecuted in public. Yet the Lord provided those with the strength do endure these struggles in order to do what? In order to give Him glory…
This is the promise of Matthew 6. That He will provide all that we need in order to proclaim all glory to God…
Therefore brothers, join with me in prayer that we all may come to this understanding and know that God will provide all that we need in order to achieve the mission He so lovingly called us to fulfill...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Weekly Message / Prayer Request
“This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Jeremiah 17:5-10 NIV
We must recognize that our own condition is completely bankrupt without the saving grace of God.
In this passage from the book of Jeremiah, God reveals to us that even the heart is a deceitful creation and beyond cure when it is left to its own devices. Yet the world continues to consider heart above all for almost its entire existence. One only has to listen to the radio to realize how the world values the heart. In fact the Beatles released the song “All we need is love” in 1967 and the world has continued to evolve on this premise every since.
This misguided understanding of the heart continues to happen because the world has not recognized the importance of placing its heart’ in God. It is about making the connection between our heart and God. When our heart is separated from God, it is separated from its ‘life spring’ and will eventually become the stony heart the prophet Ezekiel clearly foretold in Ezekiel 11:19.
In order for us to establish this connection we first must come to a complete understanding upon where our heart stands. Does it stand completely in the world, turned away from Him? Or has our heart been completely placed by confidence in the hands of the Lord? It is one or the other because we cannot serve two masters.
The Apostle Paul understood how important it was to examine our heart and see where it stands in relation to God when he wrote the Church of Corinth:
“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” 1 Corinthians 11:28-31 NIV
God has graciously given us the opportunity to reconnect with Him and place our heart into His open hands every day. He grants this opportunity not only through prayer, but also through the act of communion Paul speaks about here in 1 Corinthians 11. It is an opportunity to reconnect in order to regain the ‘heart of flesh’ God so eagerly desires us to have (Ezekiel 11:19).
Therefore may we examine where we are placing ‘the confidence of the heart’ in our lives. May we live a life that reflects the tree planted by the stream, not living in fear when the heat comes, not worrying in the year of a drought, and always producing fruit. And may we place our heart in Him knowing that we are completely bankrupt without the connection to God, our Savior, through His saving grace…
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Spending time with you each week this past summer has been a blessing on my life and I hope all of you feel the same. I am looking forward to the barbecue tomorrow and getting the opportunity to share an evening of fellowship together…
Over the next few weeks may we dig deeper into the foundational truths of our Christian walk together as brothers in Christ… For all things rest upon foundational truths.
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Jeremiah 17:5-10 NIV
We must recognize that our own condition is completely bankrupt without the saving grace of God.
In this passage from the book of Jeremiah, God reveals to us that even the heart is a deceitful creation and beyond cure when it is left to its own devices. Yet the world continues to consider heart above all for almost its entire existence. One only has to listen to the radio to realize how the world values the heart. In fact the Beatles released the song “All we need is love” in 1967 and the world has continued to evolve on this premise every since.
This misguided understanding of the heart continues to happen because the world has not recognized the importance of placing its heart’ in God. It is about making the connection between our heart and God. When our heart is separated from God, it is separated from its ‘life spring’ and will eventually become the stony heart the prophet Ezekiel clearly foretold in Ezekiel 11:19.
In order for us to establish this connection we first must come to a complete understanding upon where our heart stands. Does it stand completely in the world, turned away from Him? Or has our heart been completely placed by confidence in the hands of the Lord? It is one or the other because we cannot serve two masters.
The Apostle Paul understood how important it was to examine our heart and see where it stands in relation to God when he wrote the Church of Corinth:
“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” 1 Corinthians 11:28-31 NIV
God has graciously given us the opportunity to reconnect with Him and place our heart into His open hands every day. He grants this opportunity not only through prayer, but also through the act of communion Paul speaks about here in 1 Corinthians 11. It is an opportunity to reconnect in order to regain the ‘heart of flesh’ God so eagerly desires us to have (Ezekiel 11:19).
Therefore may we examine where we are placing ‘the confidence of the heart’ in our lives. May we live a life that reflects the tree planted by the stream, not living in fear when the heat comes, not worrying in the year of a drought, and always producing fruit. And may we place our heart in Him knowing that we are completely bankrupt without the connection to God, our Savior, through His saving grace…
****************************************************************************
Spending time with you each week this past summer has been a blessing on my life and I hope all of you feel the same. I am looking forward to the barbecue tomorrow and getting the opportunity to share an evening of fellowship together…
Over the next few weeks may we dig deeper into the foundational truths of our Christian walk together as brothers in Christ… For all things rest upon foundational truths.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Weekly Message / prayer request
ACTS 2:42 MEN’S FELLOWSHIP
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 NIV
Solomon touches upon many different themes in this passage from Ecclesiastes—faith, generosity, God’s authority. As Christians, it is important to understand these themes and make them a part of your daily life. But as I was considering the meaning of this passage, I realized there was something more profound the Lord was trying to convey—God’s purpose and our role in it.
This world is full of many things which are out of our control. Yet all things which happen are a part of the purpose of God. We may not understand them or have any understanding to their reason for happening, but they have purpose. Let us consider the prophet Isaiah:
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:9-11 NIV
This truth applies to every person, every small group, every ministry, and every Church which follows the Word of God. For He sends those who He chooses and will accomplish all of His desires and purposes through the work of His servants. And the reality is that He chose each one of us!!! He is knocking on the door to our lives…
Therefore we must not sit and ‘watch the wind’ or ‘look at the clouds’. We must live our Christian lives within His purpose by planting and reaping for the glory of God.
In closing, the Apostle Paul understood this tension between ‘not knowing His ways’ and ‘knowing His call’ probably better then anyone other then Christ. For Paul wrote to the Philippians:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 NIV
Therefore brothers, may we plant and reap. May we follow the Word of God in faith. May we press on toward the goal which we all have been called. And may we pray to do all these things…
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Thanks for a wonderful evening Wednesday searching the Word and keeping the fellowship. Spending time with you has been a blessing on my life and I hope all of you feel the same.
Over the next few weeks may we dig deeper into the foundational truths of our Christian walk together as brothers in Christ… For all things rest upon foundational truths.
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 NIV
Solomon touches upon many different themes in this passage from Ecclesiastes—faith, generosity, God’s authority. As Christians, it is important to understand these themes and make them a part of your daily life. But as I was considering the meaning of this passage, I realized there was something more profound the Lord was trying to convey—God’s purpose and our role in it.
This world is full of many things which are out of our control. Yet all things which happen are a part of the purpose of God. We may not understand them or have any understanding to their reason for happening, but they have purpose. Let us consider the prophet Isaiah:
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:9-11 NIV
This truth applies to every person, every small group, every ministry, and every Church which follows the Word of God. For He sends those who He chooses and will accomplish all of His desires and purposes through the work of His servants. And the reality is that He chose each one of us!!! He is knocking on the door to our lives…
Therefore we must not sit and ‘watch the wind’ or ‘look at the clouds’. We must live our Christian lives within His purpose by planting and reaping for the glory of God.
In closing, the Apostle Paul understood this tension between ‘not knowing His ways’ and ‘knowing His call’ probably better then anyone other then Christ. For Paul wrote to the Philippians:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 NIV
Therefore brothers, may we plant and reap. May we follow the Word of God in faith. May we press on toward the goal which we all have been called. And may we pray to do all these things…
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Thanks for a wonderful evening Wednesday searching the Word and keeping the fellowship. Spending time with you has been a blessing on my life and I hope all of you feel the same.
Over the next few weeks may we dig deeper into the foundational truths of our Christian walk together as brothers in Christ… For all things rest upon foundational truths.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Weekly Message / Prayer Request
ACTS 2:42 MEN’S FELLOWSHIP
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--”
Ephesians 6:17-18 NKJV
This past week we had the opportunity to discover the power of the Word in Hebrews 4:12 and how it was a double-edged sword, able to pierce into the greatest depths of human understanding. It was powerful to see the illustration of truth and how the Word can light a path with hope through the darkest of days.
The Apostle Paul knew its strength and included it as the only “offensive” weapon listed in the ‘Armor of God’ given to us in Ephesians 6. The passage which was listed for us is from the New King James Version (one which I do not cite often, but I thought it was appropriate here) and gives us so much context to how Paul described using the sword of the Spirit.
The Lord makes it clear in this passage that the Sword of the Spirit is not to be used unwedded from prayer; but instead used with prayer as its source of power and strength. For it is not our hands which can guide the sword, but only the hands of the Lord which may direct its piercing blows into thy enemy.
This can happen only through prayer.
In Daniel 6 a decree was issued that no person could worship any other God then King Darius for a thirty day period. The prophet Daniel understood how important prayer was when he was facing the judgment of King Darius. He knew that the he could only fight with the Sword of the Spirit using prayer. Let us look at a passage from Daniel 6…
“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6:10 NIV
The power of prayer is our source of supplication and perseverance. It can help us through any problems and aid us even during our darkest trials. It can even close the mouths of lions ready to devour us in the lions den itself.
Therefore let us pray brothers and keep the faith. It is the foundational truth upon what all our strengths rest upon.
Thanks for a wonderful evening Wednesday searching the Word and keeping the fellowship. Spending time with you has been a blessing on my life and I hope all of you feel the same.
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--”
Ephesians 6:17-18 NKJV
This past week we had the opportunity to discover the power of the Word in Hebrews 4:12 and how it was a double-edged sword, able to pierce into the greatest depths of human understanding. It was powerful to see the illustration of truth and how the Word can light a path with hope through the darkest of days.
The Apostle Paul knew its strength and included it as the only “offensive” weapon listed in the ‘Armor of God’ given to us in Ephesians 6. The passage which was listed for us is from the New King James Version (one which I do not cite often, but I thought it was appropriate here) and gives us so much context to how Paul described using the sword of the Spirit.
The Lord makes it clear in this passage that the Sword of the Spirit is not to be used unwedded from prayer; but instead used with prayer as its source of power and strength. For it is not our hands which can guide the sword, but only the hands of the Lord which may direct its piercing blows into thy enemy.
This can happen only through prayer.
In Daniel 6 a decree was issued that no person could worship any other God then King Darius for a thirty day period. The prophet Daniel understood how important prayer was when he was facing the judgment of King Darius. He knew that the he could only fight with the Sword of the Spirit using prayer. Let us look at a passage from Daniel 6…
“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6:10 NIV
The power of prayer is our source of supplication and perseverance. It can help us through any problems and aid us even during our darkest trials. It can even close the mouths of lions ready to devour us in the lions den itself.
Therefore let us pray brothers and keep the faith. It is the foundational truth upon what all our strengths rest upon.
Thanks for a wonderful evening Wednesday searching the Word and keeping the fellowship. Spending time with you has been a blessing on my life and I hope all of you feel the same.
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