NOVEMBER ARCHIVES
November 1st
V - Vision
GETTING
PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Have you ever heard of something that sounded really great only to find it ‘s not so? I book hotel rooms on the internet for conferences and personal time away with my wife. I have seen pictures on the internet of wonderful hotels with rooms that look spacious and complimentary breakfasts laid out in what appeared to be a large open dinning space. Only to get there and find the rooms that looked so good in the pictures had rock hard beds in rooms just a bit larger than a closet. The breakfast turned out to be stale rolls served in the lobby where people are stepping over one another checking in and out. I have also stayed at a Hotels chain in one part of the country and enjoyed it very much. So I booked a room in another state with the same chain only to find they are independently owned and not close to the same. My vision of a wonderful relaxing or comfortable stay was ruined. In today’s verse it said Herod was glad to see Jesus. But the reason for his anticipated meeting was to see Jesus put on a side show of a sort. This is the Herod that had John the Baptist put to death. Why? Because he was watching someone put on a show, enjoyed it so much that he promised the girl dancing almost any wish that ended up with the execution of John. Herod wanted to see a miracle. The sad thing is he did not realize the greatest miracle of all was standing right before his eyes. His hopes to see a show clouded his ability to see a Saviour. Today many people are going to church to see the show and not to meet with the Saviour. Their vision of church is dancing, coffee shops, and drama that cater to the worlds desire to satisfy self. What happened to worshiping God? If those churches stop the shows, they lose the people. Is that church? Does that exalt our Saviour? Or has our vision of church become similar to Herod? Let me see the show! Our children’s view on church will likely be what we teach them church is. What is your vision for them and their church one hundred years from today? Saviour or show?
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR
LIVES:
In
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November 2nd
E - Economics
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Jesus was upset at the idea of anyone charging people to worship in the
temple. Some have taken these verses and said that there should be no sales of
any merchandise in the house of God. Some have even gone so far as to make the
claim that Pastors, Evangelists or Singing groups ought to not take up an
offering or receive a salary for their work in the ministry. So what was
happening here that made Jesus so mad? When Jesus walked up into the outer
courts of the temple He witnessed merchants selling sheep, doves and changing
money. For what? Had they just made it a marketplace? No. What they were doing
is charging people to worship. Some people had to travel great distances to come
to the temple to sacrifice animals for their sins. It was almost impossible to
bring everything that they needed to do this. So when they got to the temple
area they would purchase the items. Also there were shekels that were used for
their tithes and offerings and some did not have shekels so they would exchange
the money from their region or merchandise they had brought for the shekels
needed to properly worship God. But what had started out as exchange for these
items had become a business. In Mark 11:17 it records that Jesus called them a
den of thieves. The merchants were no longer assisting people in worship by
exchanging items. They had gone into charging them for their services. And that
is what Jesus was so upset with. People being charged to worship. It was not a
voluntary purchase of items. It was required that only certain things be used to
offer sacrifice in the temple and the only way these people could get the items
was to pay the price. That outraged Christ. Making someone pay to worship. Jesus
was not against people in the ministry getting paid. In fact, part of what was
taken into the temple was given to the priest that served them in sacrificing as
part of their pay. Jesus was not upset with the selling of items. People sold
items around the temple all the time. But in God’s House people should provided
a place to worship and not have to pay a fee to do so.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
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November 3rd
R – Romance and Relationships
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
John 4:16-18 Jesus saith unto
her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have
no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For
thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in
that saidst thou truly.
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
How important is marriage to God? Isn’t it ok just to live together and
after so many years call it a marriage? Is it all that important to have that
paperwork and formality of getting married? Well you be the judge. Jesus meets a
woman who is a Samaritan. These were people of a mixed Jewish and Gentile
heritage. Cast aside by most of the Jewish nations. But they still worshiped the
God of Israel and held Jewish traditions as to marriage, divorce, those caught
in adultery being put to death and so on. Jesus has tried to tell her about this
living water, salvation, he has available. She does not quite get it. She has a
well working well, but says if you can make it so I never thirst and don’t have
to carry this water every day then give it to me. She did not see her need for
what Jesus was offering. So Jesus brings the need for this life giving water
home to where she lived. In their custom it really was not right for a man to
have long conversations alone with married women. So Jesus says go get your
husband. Her reply of “I have no husband” could have been understood a number of
ways. She may have been trying to cover past and current sinful lifestyle. She
might have been saying she was single and did not need a husband present for Him
to talk with her. She may have been saying to Jesus that she was available. But
Jesus quickly takes all doubt out of what was true. He says you have been
married five times and you are now living in sin. And the woman was immediately
convicted. How did she become married to five men? We don’t know. Why was she
living with a man and not married to him? We don’t know. What we do know is that
Christ could have used any number of things in her past to point out sin. He
chose the sanctity of marriage. It was important to the people and important to
God. It has never changed with God.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Our relationship with one another will never be right if it is not first right in the sight of God. If you are married today, thank God for the covenant relationship of commitment He put in place so many years ago. Be committed to God’s design.
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November 4th
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November 5th
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November 6th
R – Roles and Responsibilities
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
It is never a joy to be the one that destroys what someone perceives as
fun. It’s not fun to be the parent that must tell a child they may not run
throughout the neighborhood when they see everyone else doing it. They don’t see
the dangers in today’s world as children are kidnapped daily. It’s hard to
tell a teen they can’t go with the rest of the teens to an unsupervised sleep
over. They don’t understand you are trying to protect them from temptations they
should not have to deal with at that age. It’s never easy to be the spouse that
confronts a situation at home you see destroying your relationship. It is always
hard to confront someone you care about with a sin in their life. As they may
disregard you and embrace the sin that will likely bring great pain to them
later. Being right does not equal no pain. You might think if I’m right and
know I’m right, why should it be hard to confront the lie of Satan. The answer,
the devil is good a masquerading the lies he tells. He makes sin look fun. He
hides it in a crowd of people doing it. If everyone is doing it then it can’t be
bad right? If I like it God would not desire for me to give it up right? Other
people are just trying to destroy all my fun right? God forgives me anyway
right? The Bible says broad is the way that leads to destruction and narrow the
path that leads to life. Big groups do not always mean right judgment. God’s
word says we are to die to self and our selfish desires so that we might be a
witness and testimony for God. So everything we like might not be a good
testimony for God. In the word of God it says that if we see a brother or sister
in sin we are to warn them. Everyone is not always trying to kill your fun but
rather often showing love in trying to warn you of something that might hurt you
or destroy any testimony you might have. Yes God does forgive sin if you have
the chance to ask for His forgiveness. The sad truth is most people that live in
sin, die in sin. They always believe I have one more day. And for the Christian
living outside the will of God, they may very well be condemning family and
friends to a life without Christ by their life. Doing what is right is not
always easy with the world. But it is always right with God.
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Remember people don’t hate you; they hate light pointed on their sin. God is light
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November 7th
E - Each Other
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
John 10:11-13 I am the good
shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an
hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf
coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and
scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth
not for the sheep.
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Today the divorce rate in America is through the roof. Although it
actually came down a percent or two in the last year, at the same time another
astounding figure surfaced. In 2005 for the first time ever in America the
number of households with married couples fell below half. Only 49.7% of
households were made up of married couples. Why? Why is there no faith or
stability in marriage? Well friend it’s not only in the home. Corporations no
longer look at employees as their number one resource. The dollar drives the
market today. Companies lay off people and move to foreign soil just to make one
more dollar. One billion is not enough if you can see two billion somewhere
else. Why? Again it’s not just the home and corporate America. Churches are
losing pastors at an alarming rate. Men that said they were called to serve God
and protect and serve His people are looking to self and their own desires and
saying enough. I can do something else and live like I want to and not have to
worry about these people and their problems. So they quit. WHY? The answer to
every situation is the same. NO COMMITMENT. Or should I rephrase that and say no
commitment to anything but self. Marriages fall apart because self says I
deserve more. When true love says I want to give more. Our business world is
failing because Joe CEO sees dollars as the number one priority over families
and children that need a secure way of life. Committed only to self and how much
can be made. There is never a point of satisfaction in that life. And Pastors
are also quitting because they were hirelings as God said. They look at self and
selfish desires over the church that Jesus died for and God’s desires. Anyone
can quit. ANYONE! It takes real resolve and commitment to stay no matter what.
If you’re only committed to self… you will fail. But if you commit to serving
God and following His direction in life… How can you fail?
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
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GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
John 12:10-11 But the
chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because
that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Did you know you are a target? Well if you know Jesus as your Saviour, you are a target. And the more you make it known that you love and serve the Lord, the bigger a target you are. I encourage people all the time to plan on life and envision their life. Make financial plans for your future. Both near and far. Make spiritual plans for yourself and your family. Set goals that you would like to obtain. Have a dream. But in doing all of that make sure Christ is in the center of it. Do not plan to build a home without Christ. You would never dream of building a house that could withstand the heat, cold and storm of nature without putting it on a proper foundation. Well you can not build a life that glorifies God without making Christ the foundation of that life. But be ware, you will become a target. The world will label you as religious and measure everything you do by that label. Any slip up in your character will be brought up for debate. And even how you handle the debate of your life will be scrutinized. That’s’ nothing new by the way. As you see in our verses today, the crowds wanted to kill Lazarus just for being a testimony of what Jesus could do. Poor old Lazarus had already died once. He was doing nothing in that tomb but decaying. Not bothering anyone. Then Jesus interfered with his dead self and brought him back to life. Now people and want him dead again. Why? Not because Lazarus did anything except be a living example of the power of God. He became a target the world thought they could reach when they could not pick on God. Well friend you will become a target too. But don’t miss this. You become a target in God’s eyes as well. Not only did the world want to kill Lazarus, but Jesus wanted to get close to him. Jesus came to his house. Jesus sat at his table. Jesus had dinner with him. Lazarus became a target for God’s blessing. And even if the world did kill him again, what’s the worst that could happen? He would then set at Jesus table and dine with him for eternity. Yup, you have become a target. Make yourself easy to hit as God takes aim with His blessings.
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Why are there so few targets for God today? John 12:43 tells us. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Dear God, make me your target.
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November 9th
E - Economics
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
John 14:2-3 In my Father’s
house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
We live today in what might very well be classified as a disposable
world. We have disposable razors, ink pens, lighters, and flashlights. We have
cameras that can be tossed after just one use. The other day I saw an
advertisement for disposable undergarments. What? Have we become so lazy we
won’t wash our clothes? There are disposable cell phones. There are even
companies that are making a business out of collecting tossed out cell phones
and extracting parts from them. We use disposable ink cartridges for our
printers. Hospitals use to use glass syringes but they are now a one use only
item. When I was a baby they used cloth diapers and glass bottles. Now its
disposable diapers and disposable plastic inserts in plastic bottles. Soda pop
was once bottled in glass containers that were returned for a deposit to be
refilled. But only a few states now require a bottle deposit for the plastic
toss away bottles. We talk about extra money as disposable income. Employees are
treated as disposable at most corporations. Marriages are considered disposable
as well. We have gone so far as to allow people to dispose of children. You
might be saying what? That’s right. Either you can dispose of them by aborting
them prior to birth or you can now leave them at a hospital or police station
right after birth with no questions asked. I am glad for the children’s sake
that we make it possible for the child to receive care rather than being tossed
in a dumpster somewhere. Yes folks we live in a disposable world. And after all
the money we spend on things we toss away isn’t it good to know something’s
never are disposable. As a Christian we are citizens of a permanent home. Built
by Jesus for a permanent relationship. We have a permanent place in His plan and
the cost to us is nothing. Why does He do it? Simply because He loves us. His
permanent goal is to show us that love. You have a permanent friend in Jesus.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
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R - Romance and Relationships
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
John 16:27 For the Father
himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came
out from God.
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
When parents let someone else take care of their children, they give to
them a certain trust. Children are our most prized possession. I know some
of you are dealing with teenagers right now and wonder; does this man have a
clue what he’s saying? But honestly, even a rebellious teen when mistreated
by someone else will cause your dander to fly. Why? Because even when they
are a pain in the neck, we love them. And if someone treats our children
poorly, we tend to dislike person. Even though we do not know them, we do
not like them for what they have done toward someone we do love. If someone
treats our children kindly, we tend to like that person. And if they show
our children love, we desire to be nice and show love in return. Someday we
pray our teen will grow into a young adult and find that right companion
that God made for them. When they do and that person loves our child as we
do, then we not only want to be kind to them, we welcome them into our
family. What happens in us so that a complete stranger can now be considered
family? Their family history will now be merged with your family history in
the children they conceive. And in two or three generations, their history
is your family history. What makes us want to accept someone and their past
into our own family? It’s the love. It’s the fact that they so much loved
someone that we so much love. It’s the love that brings us together. Now
read again the verse for today. God’s love for us is a perfect love. He
loved us before we loved Him. But He welcomes into the family because we
have fallen in love with His Son. How does He know that? Besides the fact
that He is God and knows everything, He also sees everything. How does He
know we love His Son? He sees how we react to just the mention of His name.
He has witnessed our hearts flutter when we draw close to His Son. He knows
how much we love His Son and we want to be His Bride. So God welcomes us
into the family and loves us as He does His Son.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
God gave us His Son
because He loved us already. That did not make us family. Only when our
hearts are turned to Jesus and we fall in love with Him do we become family.
And how can you not love someone that would die in your place?
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November 11th
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November 12th
O - Openness
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
John 19:19-20 And Pilate
wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF
NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for
the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written
in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
I have heard communications experts say there is two parts to
communicating. The first is that of speaking and the second part is that of
listening. Actually there is more to it than that. The person speaking must
be using a language or medium that someone will understand. The listener
must be attentive to what the communicator is saying. For me to stand in a
crowded room of people that only speak Chinese and begin to tell them about
Christ in English while they are all talking to one another would not yield
much fruit. I know that God could make them understand or make me speak a
different language. But I don’t really see that happening a lot lately.
Communication is only good when both parties understand what is being
communicated. In our verses today, the fact that Jesus was the King of the
Jews was written in all the known languages of the people that would be
attending the crucifixion that day. That is the reason hat the Jewish
Leaders were upset that it did not read that He claimed to be the King, but
rather that He was the King of the Jews. Everyone that looked upon Him that
day would also see the sing above Him that read He was the King of the Jews.
In our daily lives people are watching to see what we clearly are
communicating to them. It is not just our words they are listing to. It
usually begins there. With someone hearing you claim to be a Christian. But
from there the communication is usually non-verbal. What you do and where
you go tells them who you are. The people that are your best friends tell
them the crowd you really love to be with. Above your head is a banner that
is being filled out by the life you live every single day. If we were to
print it in every known language today, what would it say?
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
As the world looked at Christ on that day and read the banner over Him placed there by man, so they are reading the banner over your life. This banner is also placed over you by man. Filled out from the best information they have. And only you can give them that information to use. What have you told them to write on your banner?
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November 13th
R – Roles and Responsibilities
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
People wonder sometimes where we get our By-laws for the Baptist Church from. One of which says that the church will vote on the leadership of the church. Well if you want to see how we do it, simply look at Acts chapter one. This is a great model of what takes place. First the Apostles recognize there is a need that must be fulfilled. They did not vote to vote. Nor did they put someone in a place not needed. Next they looked for faithful men. The two men that were selected to vote between were men that had followed them and Christ from the Baptism of John until Christ ascended into heaven. Most importantly they sought God for wisdom and guidance in this matter, asking Him to give them direction in whom to select. They knew that even though they had walked with these men and spent a considerable amount of time with them, they still could not know their hearts. They just witnessed Judas, who also had walked with them from the beginning, betray Christ. They did not want to trust their own instincts or gut feeling on this matter, but rather asked for God to examine their hearts. Finally each of them voted. Believing that God would lead them collectively to the one He chose, the man that received the majority of lots cast was accepted as the newest Apostle. We do things just the same. We look to see if there is a need. We look for men that have been faithful over a period of time. And then we do what is the most important of all the steps. We ask the church to seek God’s leading in their selection. And then we vote. Why is step three the most important? Well, steps one and two we do by fleshly observation. But step three and four are to be lead by the hand of God.
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
What does this have to do with our families? We should follow the same outline in needs for our home life. If we perceive a need and find the best item suitable to fill that need, we still should seek God’s wisdom before filling that need. Only God truly knows what will satisfy our needs and not just our wants.
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November 14th
E – Each Other
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
I remember as a child being told to be quiet. Be Quiet? That seemed almost impossible. In fact the more I was told to be quiet, the more I wanted to say something. Anything. I know, some of you are thinking, that is just a rebellious child. And you are right. It was a rebellion of sorts. But I also know I love to talk. I love to share what I know. It has annoyed some, but I also know it has helped so many others. Sharing what we know in the right way at the right time is so very important. The disciples were also told to be quiet. They were told not to tell anyone anything more about this Jesus. Their response? We can’t help ourselves. We have to tell people what we have seen and heard. They could not be silent about the most important thing that had ever happened in their lives. Something that they knew would change the lives of so many others. And not just their lives while on earth, but eternity. They had to be a witness. That is what God has called all of us to be at home, at work, at school, in our community, and in our neighborhoods. God did not ask everyone to be a preacher, but He did ask everyone to be a witness. What is being a witness for Jesus Christ? I heard it put this way once. It is like one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread. That is what we are to do. Not preach a sermon to everyone, but be sure and tell them what God has done for you. Memorizing scripture is important and wise. But you do not even need to memorize one verse to share the gospel. All you need to do is live for Jesus and share what He continually does in your life. Living a life for Christ in your home and community will eventually cause people to ask, what is so different about you. You can then say Jesus. He is what makes the difference.
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Would anyone at all ever have to ask you to be quiet about God? Or are you already quiet? Does anyone know you’re a believer in Christ and His saving power at Calvary? Does anyone see something different in you? I like what the disciples said. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. How about you?
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November 15th
V - Vision
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
God’s ways are not always our ways. But we sure want them to be right? I
have heard people say things like, “That does not make any sense” or “Why does
God hate me so much that He does these things to me?” Life does not always seem
fair. But we do not see things as God sees things. Our vision for life is so
narrow that we often see only what affects us at the moment. In our verses above
we see the Saul (who later becomes Paul the Apostle) at this time in his life
was running around and having Christians tossed into prison and often killed.
Why would God allow such a cruel thing? Can you imagine what it did to the newly
formed church? People were together, fellowshipping, breaking bread together,
worshiping, and singing the praises of God. Life had begun to make sense and joy
had filled their hearts. Then comes along Saul. People were scared, afraid to
worship together, and folks began to break fellowship with the church and go off
to other regions. When they got there people would ask where they were from and
why they moved. These people would tell them about Jesus and how He had saved
them and the miracles they had seen. And guess what? People from all over the
place began to get saved. So much so that in one region called Samaria a revival
broke out. Had God not allowed Saul to torment the church it is likely that the
people may have never went to other regions to spread the gospel so quickly.
Sometime in life God will move a loved one away form us or take them away even
by death. Often that does not seem fair or make sense to us. But we do not see
the great and glorious plan of our Lord. When planning for life we must always
leave room for the unplanned for. Always leave room for God to work in your
plans.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
I encourage people often to plan or envision their life. I believe God desires we do thing in order. For that to happen we must have an order to begin with. But within that structure we must always leave room for God to change our best laid plans. If we began our plans asking for God’s direction, we should not get too upset when He changes that direction. Ask God for guide you, but don’t be upset when He does.
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November 16th
E - Economics
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Want to start an argument? Talk to people about their money and what of
it is given to God. Some feel that God does not care nor pay any attention to
what they do with the money they earn. That is so far from true. We see it again
here in this passage today. Cornelius was a Gentile that believed in God. He was
a powerful man as well. The leader of a group of men called the Italian Band.
(No, they were not a musical group.) He was a devout man, and a man that taught
his family well. It says that not only he himself worshiped God, but his house
did as well. It also said he prayed always and gave alms to people. Many of you
have heard of the poor that would cry “Alms for the poor.” Jesus spoke poorly in
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Giving to God never really costs us anything. It is simply being a good steward of what God has given to us to take care of. It shows God our real heart and faith in Him.
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November 17th
R - Romance and Relationships
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
Acts 11:26 And when he had
found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year
they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the
disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Wait a minute. This verse must be written backwards. Read it with me
again. “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to
pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught
much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Did you
see it? It must be backwards. If not, then we must have it all backwards. What
am I talking about? The last line of that verse says “And the Disciples were
called Christians first in Antioch.” They were disciples first and then called
Christians. Today we want people to become Christians and then become disciples.
Maybe that’s the reason we have many that proclaim to be Christians but are not.
People that think they are Christians but then have no earthly desire to be
disciples. They do not want to learn about and fall in love with God and His Son
Jesus Christ. All they want is to say a prayer that keeps them out of hell. It
would be like seeing a girl, marrying her and then saying hey lets date a while
and see if we like each other. It’s backwards. In marriage you fall in love
first and then get married. And sometimes it’s that love that is all that keeps
you going and will hole you together. In the Bible they were disciples first.
That means they had a desire to follow and be like Jesus. They not only wanted
to know Him, but they wanted to be just like Him. Is that what you want? Is that
what you had in mind? Are you a disciple of Christ? Are you trying and learning
more everyday about how to be more like Him? If not, then are you really a
CHRISTIAN?
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Giving our heart to Christ is the first step in walking the Christian life.
There are many believers in this world. People that believe in Jesus for
Salvation. But how many real Christians are there? People that desire more than
anything to be like Christ. Let our prayer be today: “Lord, I Want To Be A
Christian.” AMEN
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GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
Acts 10:25-26 And as
Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and
worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a
man.
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
One of the popular
self-help ideas and books for the last several years has been on the topic
of self-esteem. To help you think highly of yourself. Making sure we do not
think less of ourselves than we ought to. This has been something people
have almost become consumed with at times. Now I am not discounting the fact
that there are those that need a boost now and again. Some people do need to
remember they are a child of the most High God. And, if a Christian, that
they are part of a Royal Family, Heir to the Kingdom of God, and adopted
into the Family of God. But some people have almost taken it too far. They
have gone past elevating their discouraged heart, to believing they are some
sort of god themselves. You almost find people worshiping people. Holding
others up almost in the place of God. In our verse today, Peter understood
he was just a man. A Great man, no doubt, but only great because of God’s
power in and through him, not great because of his own doing. Should we
respect people in authority over us? Yes! But we should never elevate them
to the point of worshiping them. We must remember we are a CHILD of God, an
HEIR and ADOPTED into the Family of God. Not little gods, but in the
likeness of the one true God. Worship should be reserved for God and Him
alone.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Oh Lord, as I look at those that have meant a lot to me in my life, allow me Father to respect them, appreciate them, and even admire them. But God, let me hold back the worship of any and all things only for you. AMEN
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GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
What happens in your life when you get bad news? What if you’re told that someone you care about has cancer that the doctors say can not be cured? What if you are told that you have an illness the doctors are not sure what to do with? How about if you get a phone call that someone you know very well has just passed away? What happens in your heart when you get bad news? If you’re like most other people the immediate response is that of discouragement, hurt, or a sense of emotional instability for a short time. That is not uncommon in believers and unbelievers alike. Bad news hurts. And the truth is that in this old world everyone sooner or latter is going to hear or be part of some bad news. A sickness, a death or situation that may seem impossible to deal with. The question really is not what you do with the news right away, but what do you do with it after you have had a moment to recompose yourself. The unbeliever has no hope. There is no one greater than an earthly physician to call upon for medical attention. They have no one greater than human attorneys to call for legal advice. For them there is no hope of ever seeing someone that has gone off into eternity again. The unsaved have nothing to be joyful over. But Christians on the other hand can be more like Paul and Silas in today’s verse. Even in our worst situation we have God. He is the great physician that at His will can heal even the most deadly of diseases. We have an advocate or attorney in heaven that continually pleads our case before God. And if someone we know that loves the Lord passes on, we know that we will see them again and live with them in the presence of God for all eternity. And even if we are the ones that are told we might die soon, we can look death in the face and ask it, “are you trying to threaten me with Heaven?” In Jesus there is hope. Let the world see Jesus in your next worst situation. And then watch to see what God may do with that situation. He want to use you to tell a story.
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Being a witness for Christ is really not as hard as people make it out to be. All you have to do is genuinely fall in love with Jesus, and then live telling people of the love in your life. Sing the songs of Zion and lift high the name of the Lord.
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GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
You think you have a
lot to do? Have you ever considered the role and responsibilities God placed
upon Himself? Paul outlined it all well in
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
God is taking care of us every single day. It does not remove our responsibility to be all that God designed us to be. Pray that God will guide you day by day.
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November 21st
E – Each Other
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE
WORD OF GOD:
Acts 20:28-30 Take heed
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with
his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves
enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men
arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Paul gathered together the pastors of the churches in the area. Before
he left he wanted to give them stern warnings concerning the church God
entrusted to them. Look at the order which Paul said for them to take caution.
First, watch out for yourself. If Satan and the world can tear down the pastor
they can tear down the church. Second, watch out for the flock of the church God
has you in. Care for them as a shepherd would his sheep. Thirdly, be careful
what they eat. Sheep will eat what they are fed. It’s your job to be sure they
get the right doctrine and teachings. Included in the third warning are two
areas of concern. Concern one is to watch to be sure no one from the outside
comes in to mislead the church. The other concern was that someone from inside
the church may begin to teach a wrong or altered doctrine. Saying things people
want to hear just to get a following. Paul knew this was going to happen and it
happens all too often in family of God today. These same warnings could be given
to the head of a home. First, watch over your spiritual life. Next, watch over
the spiritual wellbeing of your family. Having them to church as often as
possible to be sure they are being feed. Next be careful what they are listening
too. I promise you the world wants to destroy your home and relationships with
one another. Today’s culture is not for your family but very much against it.
Lastly, be careful of your own family. WHAT? That’s right. You may have extended
family that are not saved, or believe a doctrine you know to be wrong. Be
careful they do not destroy the home God gave you to lead. Love your extended
family, but be on guard for the home God gave you. The church and the home are
both God’s design. Let’s protect them.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
What is the number one tool used to protect your home? It’s the same one Pastors use to protect the church. PRAYER!
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November 22nd
V - Vision
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
Acts 23:11 And the night
following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou
hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
“NO, I don’t want to do that!” Ever heard those words? How about, “I
just don’t see it that way!” And then when asked why, “Well I just don’t.” How
frustrating it can be for a Pastor to hear well-meaning individuals share their
childlike feelings. It seems there is a lack of prayer and absolutely no
Biblical reasoning behind that type of response. How are you to help someone to
understand the scriptural relevance of something if they are not in the
scripture? If they operate on feelings, how can you show them the truth in the
word? If God is directing you to do something and someone says, “No, I just
don’t want to,” what do you do? Paul must have felt that way about now in this
passage. He had not done exactly as God had asked him originally and now the
legal authorities are persecuting him. But God came to him and said in essence,
“You’re not done yet, I have work for you to do in Rome.” How that must have
made his day better. Still being persecuted? Yes! Still incarcerated? Yes! Any
idea of how he’s going to get out of this mess? Not really. But one thing he did
know for sure, God said he was going to Rome. So he knew he was not done yet.
They could now come at him with all their empty threats and he knew they could
not kill him. Why? Because God said he was going to Rome. All he had to do is
keep his eyes on God and follow His lead and he could not lose. God’s ways will
win over man’s ways every single time. If God is in the center of your vision,
then you’re heading the right way.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
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November 23rd
E - Economics
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
Acts 27:35 And when he had
thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and
when he had broken it, he began to eat.
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
There is sort of a joke in our house about praying before you eat. If I catch anyone grabbing a quick sandwich or something and just sticking it in their mouth without praying first I’ll ask, “Did you pray over that?” If the answer comes back No., the next words they hear is “you better or your going to be sick.” Well I’m pretty sure God will not make you sick for forgetting to pray for a sandwich or something. But I do know there is a Biblical reason for praying before we eat. Jesus gave thanks over the food at the last supper and before he feed the multitudes. He thanked His Father for the food He provided. Paul also gave thanks in front of all the prisoners and guards on the ship before he distributed the food to them. Besides the Biblical Examples, there are other reasons to give thanks. It shows respect to thank God for the food that we are about to eat, that He provided. It causes us to take a pause in our schedule to remember God who is not only the provider of our food, bout our provider of everything. It is also a powerful testimony in public of who you are and whose you are. I can’t begin to tell you of the number of times I have prayed out loud at a restaurant and someone walking by would say something like, “It was good to see you pray today, we don’t see that so much anymore.” Giving thanks to God is the right thing to do. It is respectful to God. It is placing thanks where thanks are rightfully due and it is a great testimony in your life and in this world.
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
When you get ready to eat today, take just a moment and thank God for His provision for you. No matter what you’re eating, God has somehow provided it. Be a testimony for Christ. You don’t need to wear a big banner that says I’m a Christian. Just do what’s right in the eyes of God.
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November
24th
R - Romance and Relationships
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name…. And they’re
always glad you came… These are the first two lines of a song that opened a TV
show in the mid 80’s to 90’s. It centered on a local bar that people seemed to
gather around because everyone made them feel welcome there. People just wanted
to be around people that are like them. And nothing ever changes. People just
want to feel they are accepted and loved. They want to know that there are other
people like them with hurts and trials in their life. They want to know that
someone cares about what happens to them. People want to be around people just
like them. Why did Paul want to be around the church he was writing to? So he
could find COMFORT in people that believed like him. He was being cursed at,
mistreated, imprisoned, laughed at and rejected. He longed to be around someone
that understood. Sound familiar? The world today will cuss at you, mistreat you,
imprison you with all types of vices, and then laugh at you when you’re hooked,
and reject you for what you’ve become. That is why I like to go to church. Those
people know how I feel. They too have been laughed at for their faith this week.
Just like me they have felt they somehow did not fit in someplace because of
what was going on there. These people understand me and love me for who I am,
and who God is in me. And because they love me that way, I cannot help but love
them back in the same way they love me. I love to go to church where they all
know my name. It is wonderful to be welcomed by people each week that are just
glad you came. I like to be around people like me.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
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November
25th
F - Foundation
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Guys can relate to this I believe. Your working on something either in the
garage or the yard and you are just about to get it finished when your wife
yells out, “are you done yet?” Now I know that her asking really does not change
anything, but for some reason it seems to cause a big disturbance in what you’re
doing. You yell back, “I’ll be done in a few minutes.” “When,” she asks. “In
just a minute”, your replay. Then the magic words that make you want to hurry
and finish. “Well dinner is almost ready.” Almost ready! Not quit ready, but
close. That means in just a little bit it will be completely ready and you want
to be there. The word “almost” seems to give you some time. King Agrippa said to
Paul, You ALMOST Persuadest me. Almost. Not completely, but close. What kept the
king from being persuaded completely? Could Paul have said anymore? I doubt it.
Could the Holy Spirit have moved any more in the Kings heart? Probably not.
Almost is close, but not close enough. The king thought, I have a little more
time. Almost is where most people live today. I am almost ready to get saved.
Almost ready to give up this lifestyle. Almost ready to turn my life over to
Christ. ALMOST….but not quit yet. I think I have some time yet. It has been said
that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. People almost made it…
almost!
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Almost is a great word for salvation. But you have to divide it up for it to work. You see ALL is the MOST you can give to the Lord. And that is just what He wants. If you will give him ALL, He will make the MOST out of you.
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O - Openness
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
GETTING THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
Guess what I have heard about you? You are wonderful. You’re intelligent, witty, charming, have a great personality and if that were not enough they say you are attractive as well. They said they like you and you’re a great person to have as a friend. Do you want to know who said that about you? Sure you do. After all they seem to be like a pretty smart person. In fact as people go, they might be able to be a very good friend. But what if they said this instead, you are a fool. You’re stupid, boring, an absolute drag to be around, have a horrible personality and all that is wrapped up in ugly. Being around you is like rubbing sand paper across your forehead until it bleeds. In fact I would rather stick a fork in my eye than spend one more minute around you. Do you want to know who said that? Sure you do. But the reason is different. You probably want to know, “What in the world could I have done to them to make them hate me so much?” Now think for a minute. Which of these statements would have described your actions and attitude toward God and His Church prior to your salvation? What words describes how you felt about God’s Holy Word? Boring, an absolute drag to be around, the people are foolish for believing that junk, and that smiling love you personality drives me nuts. Almost rather do anything or be anywhere except in church. Yea we treated God more like the second definition than the first. So what did an all powerful God do to get back at us? He sent His only Son to die for just that behavior. He sent Jesus to die for us when we were acting hateful toward Him. Why, because He loved us when we were acting unlovable toward Him. Now friend that is how to communicate real love. To love the unlovable.
LETTING THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
God loved us when we were acting unlovable toward Him. We should be able to love Him always. He has never been unloving to us. In fact the person described first above could have been Him. And if He is in you, it should be you as well. Be lovable.
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November 27th
R - Roles And Responsibilities
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
Romans
8:1 There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
GETTING THE WORD
OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
JAIL!! INCARCERATED! IMPRISONED! LOCKED AWAY! All these words sound scary to most of us. The idea of being put someplace and the doors locked and never being able to get out sounds way too restrictive. Most people just want to be free. Free to roam around and do what they will. But now if I say SAFETY! SECURITY! PROTECTION! PROVIDED FOR! These words all sound good to us. Why? Because it gives us a sense of peace and happiness to know we are safe and taken care of. Guess what? People in jail are, for the most part safe, protected, secure, and provided for. So what makes the difference? Jail and Prison are someplace we are placed usually against our will. We do not choose to go there. We are placed there because we have violated others rights and broken the law. But if there was a riot in the streets and an empty prison real close, you might choose to go there for a time to escape the riot. You would be safe in there. Or if you could build a wall around your city to keep the riot out, or a defense system that would keep it way from you in you neighborhood. You see, they are all just bigger borders that we place ourselves in for protection. Voluntarily. We live in houses with locks, in a city with Police, in a State with a National Guard, and a nation with a military that protects us. We are free in the boundaries of our voluntary borders. Leave the country and you are warned when you go, “You go at your own risk, and we cannot guarantee your safety out there.” In our verse today we can find safety in one word. The word is “IN”. Those who are IN Christ Jesus are safe. Secure. Protected. Provided For. If you voluntarily placed yourself in the boundaries of His love. We are responsible to make a choice for eternity. We can choose to be safe in the arms of Jesus. Or we can choose to be wandering in our sin and bound for an eternity in hell. The choice is yours.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
Some will say, but if I leave Him I am no longer safe. Well let’s look at the borders for a second. In case you forgot, He is everywhere. How can you leave that? Or maybe if you were strong enough to break free from His hold. OPPS! That can’t happen either, you’re NOT THAT STRONG. You’re Eternally Safe IN JESUS!!!
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November 28th
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November 29th
V - Vision
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
1 Corinthians 1:8-9 Who
shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship
of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
To confirm something according to the Holman Bible Dictionary means to
“establish an agreement and to show that a word is true and reliable.” That
means that it is to prove someone’s word to be true. That confirmation would
only be as good as the person confirming it then would it not? I mean you would
not want a thief to confirm to you that he or she would watch over your house
while you’re on vacation right? But in this passage we find that God is the one
doing the confirming. And to whom is Paul talking? He was speaking to a church
that most theologians consider to be the most carnal church in the Bible. So
let’s put this all together. Paul has just told one of the worldliest churches
depicted in the Bible that because of their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and
Saviour, God was going to prove His words of salvation were true to the end. So
how would they be able to lose that salvation then? In order to do that, they
have to prove God is a liar? They would need to show that God could not do what
He says He will do. That God is a weakling. But you see, this promise was not
based on what they were doing, because read the rest of this book, they were
sinning. It was based solely on what Christ HAD done and their putting their
faith and trust in Him. Now that is a vision of the future I can trust in.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
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November 30th
E - Economics
GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE WORD OF GOD:
1 Corinthians 3:11-13 For
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if
any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it,
because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of
what sort it is.
GETTING
THE WORD OF GOD INTO PEOPLE:
If you were to think of a palace what thoughts begin to come to mind?
Beautifully decorated hallways? Marble floors and furniture made with accents of
gold and silver. Intricate carvings and large open spaces. Or do you get a
picture of a log cabin with a dirt floor. Mice and bugs crawling all over the
walls and rafters. Spider webs hanging from the ceiling? Which picture most
describes a Palace in your mind? Most would agree that a Palace brings thoughts
of the very best that this world has to offer. Now as for keeping dry and
calling someplace home, the cabin might fare just fine. But which would you
prefer to offer to a king or a queen? A few quilts and a cot over in a corner,
or a beautiful bright room with a large comfortable bed? I am not asking what
you could afford, or what you actually have to offer. I am asking if you could
offer anything, which of these options you would choose. Most would choose to
entertain royalty in the most lavish way available to them. Now let’s bring this
home where we all live. We have invited the King of all Kings to dwell in a
place of our own creating. The foundation we build our life on is Jesus Christ.
But from the foundation up, it’s our decisions in life that form the structure
which this king must live in. Have we chosen by our own fleshly desires to house
Royalty once again in a stable? It’s all about what we do with our life and why
that makes up the living quarters for the Holy Spirit. It’s not about how much
money you have. It’s not about the home or clothes or the car you drive or the
job you have. It’s about how you treat a King you invited to live in you.
LETTING
THE WORD AFFECT OUR LIVES:
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