tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35078202383965057432024-03-12T19:38:05.960-05:00Ancient WordsJeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.comBlogger432125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-37119348468354681652017-08-23T11:05:00.003-05:002017-08-23T12:44:00.578-05:004 Reminders from the Total Eclipse<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMoajtlT9ExXckrg27gYcT7G1wb2Hm1ItmtiAxrZ5qHRbwI2BO5NXbEknJq7f3TDPJij0kQjHLueUHsmXJGRzW2y8arSwhMsNy4jWyyyfz-NEUklVDZptQarSbPf-l4N15k0pZxvqF2k/s1600/total-eclipse-of-the-sun-august-21-2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="850" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMoajtlT9ExXckrg27gYcT7G1wb2Hm1ItmtiAxrZ5qHRbwI2BO5NXbEknJq7f3TDPJij0kQjHLueUHsmXJGRzW2y8arSwhMsNy4jWyyyfz-NEUklVDZptQarSbPf-l4N15k0pZxvqF2k/s320/total-eclipse-of-the-sun-august-21-2017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I may have originally downplayed it, but once the eclipse
happened on August 21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> I think I realized how significant the event
really was. It got cooler. It became nighttime for a few minutes in the middle
of the day. Crickets chirped and animals responded and then there was the
corona – there are no words! We were looking straight into the direction of the
sun for two and a half minutes. I have never seen anything like that before.
What’s more is that it happened in my backyard while my daughter was
celebrating her 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> birthday. It was a day to remember forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Here are 4 things that keep going through my head about “The
Great American Eclipse”:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">1. “What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4).
I don’t know about you, but I felt very insignificant and small as I considered
my place in the universe. The expanses of the heavens lie beyond human understanding
and we cannot reach or see their beginning and end. And yet God spoke them into
existence with the words of His mouth in a mere moment. I am nothing. The same God who made the cosmos and all that exists in the material universe
took on flesh and came to earth and died for me.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">2. “All flesh is grass, and all of its loveliness is like
the flower of the field” (Isaiah 40:6). Our earthly life is temporary. While
the ages roll on generations come and go from the earth. I read that 1918 was
the last time such an eclipse travelled across the continental United States.
The adults that witnessed that have now passed on to eternity. Supposedly it has
been hundreds of years since the last time that eclipse happened in my
backyard. It was no backyard then, but was seen only by the forest and any
animal or bird that happened to notice. While our life blooms like a flower and
then fades away, God’s creative work continues.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">3. “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to
dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). For a moment all human beings
were equal. The color of our skin did not matter. Our political views, social
status, cultural background – all the things that separate us – for a few
minutes they ceased to exist. I was not only mindful of the equality of
humanity in the world today, but the equality of humanity for all time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I thought about how thousands of years ago
there were people living on this planet who saw the same moon that I saw block
the same sun. I felt closer to mankind for a moment. I felt the way I am supposed
to feel about humanity all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">4. “Look to the heavens and see; And behold the clouds—They
are higher than you” (Job 35:5). This earth is fraught with problems. We are
preoccupied with them. Life is a series of joys and exaltations, struggles and
disappointments. There are good times and bad times and we are in a rat race
and we have forgotten the things that really matter. We don’t look up enough.
We do not appreciate the stars. We have a God that is far above the clouds, whose
ways and thoughts are higher than ours. There is strength in looking upward.
There is peace in knowing that beyond the sun and moon there is a God who is incontrol, who loves us and who has saved us. We need to look up more. If we want
to see awe and majesty and divine splendor we don’t have to wait for an eclipse
day to do that. We can see it every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A Day is coming when we will all look up. But on that Day,
nothing will block out the Son. Maranatha!</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-45908687308691515182015-06-11T11:27:00.000-05:002015-06-11T11:59:34.397-05:00Sometimes you need to have a cow<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF8Ny7appQKErA62MpRE2xl1bvA-2TuFKpuPzShqHR0QbUhFiaK3jH1MfRUJRthdkYEwtoiNTtqekXmz_ir-M_lmtkNW9bio51Ap8IkaB8j5rCgoD7WwGHXCfZlmfrSw2Pj1j4LM_b-c/s1600/1552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF8Ny7appQKErA62MpRE2xl1bvA-2TuFKpuPzShqHR0QbUhFiaK3jH1MfRUJRthdkYEwtoiNTtqekXmz_ir-M_lmtkNW9bio51Ap8IkaB8j5rCgoD7WwGHXCfZlmfrSw2Pj1j4LM_b-c/s320/1552.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friend was telling me about the adoption of a calf that
had been separated from its mother. The calf had been a twin, and the mother
had chosen from the time of the birth of her offspring to care for the other sibling.
But the weaker calf died, and once it was gone, the mother cow no longer wished
to tend to the living calf. So the calf was adopted by the compassionate next
door neighbor. A special place in the yard was fenced and the woman fed the
calf straight from a bottle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over time this calf and its caregiver grew to be very close.
Sometimes it was treated almost as if it were a human. It had also been
periodically placed among the sheep and would make sheep sounds now and then.
After a while a donkey was put inside the calf’s fence in order to keep the
coyotes away. Finally, it was decided that another older cow needed to be
placed inside the fence. Why? Because the calf had never seen a reflection of
itself. It didn’t know if it was a sheep, a donkey, or even a human. It needed
to be with one of its own kind. It needed an example cow. Sometimes you need to
have a cow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When God created the heavens and the earth, He made the animals
to be creatures after their own kind. They each had the seed within themselves to
reproduce offspring and raise them to adulthood. Animals of similar kind
congregated and became communities of creatures with a common identity and specific
design. It was in God’s plan for every creature to know its kind and fulfill
the purpose for which it had been created.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Human beings were created in the same way. The only
difference was that they were also made with an eternal spirit, fashioned after
the image of God. Ironically, they lost their identity and purpose and forgot
who they were. So God created a new community. He fenced them in. And then He
sent Jesus. Even then God’s people did not understand. It was only after the
Son of God had died that they realized He had come to save them and to be their
example. Jesus had been brought into the confines of the human world to save
mankind from itself. He came to solve man’s identity crisis. He came to show
the reflection of God and to be the ultimate example of the potential of men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every day in our world I meet
people who are going through life without understanding who they are and why
they are here. You see, it is entirely possible for you to exist in a pen. You
can be fed with milk from a bottle. You can grow and mature into adulthood. You
can live a long life and experience health and all of the blessings of the
physical world. But if you don’t know what you are supposed to be, if you don’t
have the right example, then you will never really know who you are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That little calf needed a cow.
And we needed Jesus. And we still need Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man
named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he
arose and followed Him.” – Matthew 9:9<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-42750680563139162812015-05-29T09:59:00.001-05:002015-05-29T10:02:16.707-05:00Parents: Stop Wimping Out and Lead Your Children!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7Nl4vktf0aZ4RETq4xpdKSEy3txKqyg2utwsc8SDh96FV9KozuyPIVCcJnwNWpLPs5lCcB4pB9Tiva8n6NO3CqoPuRC9KMR1KrQtSbK6HukoOcNScfyrzfUknPp8KIMqE8lQWF7zPiY/s1600/leadershipNotLikership.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7Nl4vktf0aZ4RETq4xpdKSEy3txKqyg2utwsc8SDh96FV9KozuyPIVCcJnwNWpLPs5lCcB4pB9Tiva8n6NO3CqoPuRC9KMR1KrQtSbK6HukoOcNScfyrzfUknPp8KIMqE8lQWF7zPiY/s320/leadershipNotLikership.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have many conversations weekly with numbers of parents who
are currently in the same place we are in our home – trying to raise Christian
children in a world that is less and less friendly to those who love the Lord.
I hope every parent will read this prayerfully. This is not aimed at any family
I know in particular. I write this as humbly as I know how and as I do so, I
solicit your prayers as both a preacher and a parent. I need help: from God,
from older mentors, and from other parents of children who are still living at
home. Having said all of this, I would like to be blunt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents, will you please stop wimping out and make the firm
commitment to lead your children? I don’t know what has happened since I was a
boy, but I find that kids are having way too much say-so these days when it
comes to the decisions that are being made at home. Maybe it is because parents
are too preoccupied with their occupations and the human rat race. Maybe it is
because parents have listened to too many modern day child psychologists. Maybe
it is because parents are just getting too lazy and are failing to follow
through with needed discipline. Maybe it is because parents are not making the
commitment to put God and His kingdom first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Case in point: I am coming into contact with more and more
parents who are letting the children decide what the family will do over
spiritual matters. Probably no less than 10 times over the last year parents
have talked to me about their family’s spiritual goals and decisions and have
made the following statements:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. We decided to let the kids choose which church we would
attend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. We know that congregation is not doing what is right, but
our kids are so involved in the youth group and we hate to take them away from
their friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Our kids really like that church and so we want our kids
to have a good church experience so that they will want to go when they are
older.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. I know we miss services and events quite often for ball
games, but we don’t want to make our kids hate church and we don’t want to let
the coach or the team down. Our kids have made a commitment to the team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could list many more statements I have heard that are
similar to these. But what is the real problem here?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents, you have both a right and a responsibility to make
the correct spiritual decisions for your children. If the kids don’t like the
decisions you make, too bad. This is not a democracy. For a while, dad and mom
are king and queen. They will learn to do what is right by obedience. Even
Jesus had to suffer and submit to His Father by obedience (Heb. 5:8-9).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not afraid that my kids will hate church because I
never let them miss. I am not afraid that they will hate church because the
church doesn’t cater to their whims. I am not afraid that my kids will hate
church because they miss a ball game to go to VBS. But I am afraid that one
day, because I have not led them, that they will not know that God must be
first in all things. And I am afraid, that one day they will leave the church,
because I wimped out when I should have been stronger than they knew how to be.
I am afraid, that I will be guilty of provoking my children to wrath, because I
did not bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parents, I am not the authority on parenting. But God is.
Step up and lead your kids! It is not your job to acquiesce to their request. But
it is your job to lead them in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:24).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the
iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not
restrain them.” – 1 Samuel 3:13<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-57152316080716816652015-04-02T08:59:00.002-05:002015-04-02T09:53:11.120-05:00A Preacher's Thoughts on Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6uitVsg98-mKlEmbvWiihpjMln8uYASOfKc9O8kOu31m9qkqtIRM0XIZAgzVSK36LCEaA-drra5gA3vcL583Vr3V4VtHzqFJ-3AZgyR_BdRvZW0FEPtnDkdgcUV9H6Hkn8QJf7JuDzI/s1600/Easter-Sunday1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6uitVsg98-mKlEmbvWiihpjMln8uYASOfKc9O8kOu31m9qkqtIRM0XIZAgzVSK36LCEaA-drra5gA3vcL583Vr3V4VtHzqFJ-3AZgyR_BdRvZW0FEPtnDkdgcUV9H6Hkn8QJf7JuDzI/s1600/Easter-Sunday1.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I think of Easter I think of growing up and hunting
eggs with my family. I remember all of those Sunday mornings I woke up to see
my new candy-filled, Easter basket on the kitchen table. There are pictures of me
sitting out in our lawn in California in my diaper eating a huge hollow chocolate
bunny. They are horrific. I think the only way they got me clean after that was
by hosing me down. I remember going to our friends’ house one Sunday after
church and playing with a new rabbit they had received as a gift after we had eaten lunch and
searched for eggs. I remember an 88 year-old widow lady from our church, my
secret pal when I was about 10, who had bought me a new shirt to wear for church
one Easter Sunday. I wore it and sat next to her. I was so thankful for her and
for the shirt. Easter for children is about candy, egg hunting, and fun times
with family and friends.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I grew up and got behind a pulpit, Easter took on a
different meaning for me. It was the day I could expect the biggest crowd of
the year in our building. I began to think of ways I could make the biggest
impact on visitors and the people in the church who were not faithful in their
attendance. I learned each year by trial and error how to preach meaningful
lessons that would hopefully bring people back another Sunday. I have been
excited, nervous, stressed, and have felt just about ever other human emotion you can imagine in anticipation
of the pulpit opportunity an Easter Sunday brings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easter is different for the preacher. The reality is that
after the largest crowd of the year in the morning, the lowest crowd of the
year is that evening (see also Mother’s Day). It is ironic that this man-made
holiday, which supposedly seeks to elevate the Christ, is really more about
people, their families, and their traditions. If you are a preacher you really
have a choice to either be happy that you had an opportunity to preach the
gospel to more people than usual, or you can let yourself be disillusioned by
the people who are somewhat disingenuous. You could become depressed when you
see Christians who are usually faithful Sunday nights cater to their unfaithful
families for a day because you know they are just trying to keep everyone happy
and together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am personally confident that there is a reason why God
never ordained specific religious holidays for the New Testament church. For
one thing, God knows that man’s nature is to change the original intent of any
religious observance to suit himself. The Israelites did this with every holy
day in the Mosaic system at one time or another. They were often disciplined
for it, and eventually God completely wiped the old covenant away by bringing His
Son to the cross. It is merely my own opinion, but I believe that in the
Christian age God has refused to give men an opportunity to celebrate a specific religious
holiday regarding Jesus. He knows man will always abuse it and change it. In
the meantime, we have made new religious holidays anyway. And for each person,
these holidays mean something different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What you need to know about Easter, or Christmas, or any
other religious holiday that man has created, is that you are not obligated to
observe it. At the same time, you need to respect what these holidays mean to
those who observe them and respect their right to act according to what they
know. Romans 14 teaches us that while we know certain days mean something to
some and nothing to others, we ought not to offend anyone who esteems one day greater
than another. Trust me, whenever I have written or taught about man-made religious
holidays I have always approached the subject with trepidation. I am hugely in the
minority. My views on Easter and Christmas and other religious holidays are largely
unpopular. I understand that teaching what the Bible says about those things is
going to be an eye opener for many. It may even offend them or cause them to
struggle to understand the point I am actually wanting to make. And when this
happens everything else I may have been trying to accomplish with those I want
to influence for Jesus and the church can be lost in the shuffle. Even today, if I post
this some people will have to argue with what I have said here. They are too
convicted in their own thoughts about it. They won’t be able to stand it. These
struggles I face are all a part of being different from the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Bible facts are Bible facts. There are no “high days” for
Christians. Not when everything we do or say is supposed to be done in the name
of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17). Not when every Sunday has been set aside by God
for worship and the commemoration of the death, burial, and resurrection of
Jesus. Not when there is zero authority from the text to observe a day that is
not in the text. Not when the apostles never observed them. Not when the church
of the Bible never observed them. Not when God never asked for them to be
observed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Easter. Though
instituted by man, it is to me a reminder of what my Lord did for me, and I am
thankful that a great portion of the world is still remembering that, even if
it is just for a day. This holiday also ushers in the spring, warmer
temperatures, and the beginning of new life after several months of death, and
no doubt this is spiritually analogous for people in the northern hemisphere as
to what God can do on the other side of the grave. Did I mention I also LOVE
jelly beans? Easter is jelly bean season! There is a whole aisle in Walmart
dedicated to different kinds of jelly beans! And beyond all of this I am going
to have an opportunity to talk to people about Jesus for a Sunday who I might
otherwise never get to meet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember years ago in my younger preaching years talking
to a man who rarely attended church services. He had just gone to an Easter
service the week before at a neighboring congregation. He said the preacher got
up and berated all the people who only come twice a year. The visitor’s
response was that he was never going back again. He said, “And he wonders why I
don’t come! Well who would want to come and hear about what is wrong with them
all of the time? I need encouragement. I already know what is wrong with me. I
don’t need the reminder the one time I actually get up enough courage to come
to church.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Funny, isn’t it, how we humans are? The reality is that we desperately
need God. We need His word every day. We need to be faithful. And we need to
actually be able to distinguish between man-offered religion and God-ordained
religion. Easter is a true reminder that we are struggling in this world as a people
to follow God. In the background is the remembrance of the event that changed
the world, and in the foreground is the fact that many people don’t even know
that God never asked us to celebrate Easter at all. It could be said that the
world has not been changed by the death, burial, and resurrection as much as it
needs to be changed. Jesus died that we might all die to ourselves, and yet
because of our lack of attention to His Word and our desire to do things our
way, we still find ourselves in a place of confusion as to what we are actually
supposed to be practicing in the name of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I look to this Sunday, I am promising myself that I am
going to be thankful. I will not concentrate on local Easter gimmicks from big
city churches. I will not be cynical and judge the hearts of the people who I
may not see again for 6 months. I will not be a 21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> century scribe
and pretend that I have everything figured out when others do not. Instead I am
going to take this opportunity to love God, and to love people, and to pray
that this one day will lead to many other days of faithfulness to the One who
bled and died for all men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easter, even if it is man-made, definitely does one thing
that is absolutely undeniable and beyond human comprehension. It reminds us
that God’s love cannot be quenched. In a world lost and spiraling away from God
in the sickness of sin and death – there is still a day remembered – yes, even
set aside because Jesus died and rose again. It is an absolute fact. Jesus
came. He lived. He loved. He died. He arose. He ascended. And the world knows
it. And the world, as long as it remains, will always know it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“He is not here, but is risen…”- Luke 24:6<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-68015692429544661502015-03-10T10:36:00.004-05:002015-03-10T11:12:41.221-05:00Believe the Best<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqliw8wwUVZ0UlBAU_FBLviy8dWHNf-m3G-Yy5DQf1g9p2bpVnUPWaNM-E5L7YNkxkVTjgIqdiZ4noQgDkYv06XMtEoWNJwwbYe9ZUDkvMUd6cFkyb7sZQuahzs7_UVodnNtVbZsbVWM/s1600/i+believe+in+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqliw8wwUVZ0UlBAU_FBLviy8dWHNf-m3G-Yy5DQf1g9p2bpVnUPWaNM-E5L7YNkxkVTjgIqdiZ4noQgDkYv06XMtEoWNJwwbYe9ZUDkvMUd6cFkyb7sZQuahzs7_UVodnNtVbZsbVWM/s1600/i+believe+in+you.jpg" height="206" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God believes in people. He believes in people even though
they sin against Him, reject Him, and ultimately fail to be like Him. But God
believes in people because He created them. And a Father always wants to
believe in His children.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We tend to be the same way with our children. We give our children
a longer leash than anyone else in our lives. We do this because we know they
have to grow and we understand that in their maturation process they are going
to make mistakes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What if we took the same approach to believing in others as
we take with our children? What if we allowed people to have their own
personality, their own weaknesses and strengths, and their own opinions about
those things which were not matters of faith? If we could do this the church
would be better, happier, and more love and peace and joy would abound in our
fellowship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Unfortunately we often don’t practice brotherly love. One of
the last things Jesus told His disciples was, “A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus knew
that not only was this best for the hearts of all believers, it would be what distinguished
them from the world.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why is it then that we seem to judge our brethren more
harshly than anyone else? While Paul taught the Corinthians to work out matters
amongst themselves, and to examine themselves individually and collectively and
to deal with sin in the church, the overtone of the whole experience still
expressed the need for humility and grace and love. Why is it that from time to
time we stereotype our brethren, think the worst of the best people, and tend
to write off the people with whom we worship as soon as they do something we
don’t like or approve? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The church everywhere could be benefited with a heaping dose
of humility. In a world so full of sin and strife the church is supposed to be
a refuge. We can stand for truth without being hall monitors. We can preach the
saving gospel without always making the worst kind of assumptions about people,
especially when we have scarcely sacrificed any of our time and energy to truly
understand them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you want the church to grow, if you want it to be full of
peace and comfort, if you want it to be a place where joy and love abound –
then you need to believe in the people. Don’t go to church, be the church. Don’t
be a part of a click, but get out of your comfort zone and fellowship with the
whole body. Learn about your brethren, their lives, their circumstances, their
dreams, and their challenges. See how God is working through them, and look for
something in them that you know you need yourself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sitting next to you in the pew or across the building
somewhere are the people who are the salt of the earth. They are the best of
this world, so believe the best about them. They are the blood-bought people of
God. They are the faithful followers of Jehovah. They are the people who truly
make up your spiritual and eternal family. They deserve the benefit of the
doubt. They deserve your love and affection. They deserve your time and effort.
They deserved to be loved with the love of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To my church family: I love you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe in you. And I am happy to call you,
“brethren.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who
loves is born of God and knows God.” – 1 John 4:7<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-70594581763956125972015-03-03T10:13:00.000-06:002015-03-03T12:39:57.091-06:00Committing to the Covenant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIK27ETOj7jMjdhJRr-e4P51Kpsd8RUodvBhhS8mFv7afcUrVAjD7enQB9rOgbMBjtqL8uxCyquD-gTaS4Mbv37gKT0xMXUzndo-fdtbJAcMs4E4kh2F41VYRmJ49UHXWeLcmr9VE9DvQ/s1600/Friend-of-God.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIK27ETOj7jMjdhJRr-e4P51Kpsd8RUodvBhhS8mFv7afcUrVAjD7enQB9rOgbMBjtqL8uxCyquD-gTaS4Mbv37gKT0xMXUzndo-fdtbJAcMs4E4kh2F41VYRmJ49UHXWeLcmr9VE9DvQ/s1600/Friend-of-God.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
God is a covenant making God. He is good. He blesses. He promises. He delivers. In fact, God is so perfectly good and so completely holy that it is sometimes hard to fathom why He would be willing to make covenants with mere men. God is not like man (Num. 23:19). He never breaks a promise. He never fails to keep His part of the covenant. Nevertheless, because He is a loving God He makes covenants. He has not only made covenants with men, but He has even made covenants with all of creation (Genesis 9:9-17). <br />
<br />
Since God offers covenants in benevolence and mercy and love, they ought to be embraced! It is time for the rest of us to realize that God expects us to accept our part of the covenant. The truth is that we struggle with covenants because we know upfront we are going to break them. We know we are fragile and weak and many times we even fail to please our own spirit. So we look at God's contractual offer and we often turn away, feeling that we'd better not commit to anything like a covenant, especially when it involves the One who is going to judge our souls. But to err on the side of caution - is still to err!<br />
<br />
There are two common examples of our failure to commit that can be seen in every day living. They both involve the two greatest commitments a person can make during their lifetime. They are the two basic forms of marriage, spiritual and physical. We have the spiritual marriage of making a commitment to Christ through obedience to the gospel. We have the physical marriage that involves the public exchanging of vows to be once and for all obligated to our mate. In these two cases there are some common denominators that describe each individual's fear of commitment:<br />
<br />
1. We are afraid we will regret the decision to give ourselves up completely.<br />
2. We are afraid things will not turn out as we had hoped, that our expectations won't be realized.<br />
3. We are afraid we will fail in our duties to the one to whom we have made the promise.<br />
4. We are afraid we don't have enough experience or knowledge to perform our commitment as we should.<br />
<br />
Remember this - God knows how weak we are. He knows how sinful we are. He knew Jesus would have to die for us even before He made us. He made us anyway. He wants us anyway. He loves us anyway. He is a gracious and merciful God! Do we not understand that God is not as interested in our ability to perform as He is in our desire to love Him completely?<br />
<br />
Noah agreed to a covenant and then committed an egregious sin that broke up his family. Abram agreed to a covenant and then lied about who he was. Moses agreed to a covenant and then failed to give God the glory. David agreed to a covenant and then committed adultery and murder. All of these men broke the covenant, but they repented and turned back to God and God restored them. They are considered spiritual giants! God was willing to be patient and let them learn and grow until they could love the way He loves. God will do the same for us.<br />
<br />
If we needed to be perfect to enter into a covenant with God, we would forever be lost and cut off from His holiness. God simply wants us to know the means by which we can enter the covenant, and then He wants us to enter the covenant with our whole heart. The rest we will figure out as we go. And if we stay humble, His grace will be there for us.<br />
<br />
Stop making excuses about why you can't make a promise. Realize that it is in the covenant alone that love and hope and salvation and joy and relationship exist. Without covenants, without relationships, our lives would be meaningless and loneliness would abound. God saw that it was not good for man to be alone. So He made covenants. Now it is your turn. Make the commitment! Walk by faith! Enjoy the blessings of the covenants God has made available! Live your life in praise and glory to the God who offers covenants!<br />
<br />
<em>"Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments." - Deuteronomy 7:9</em>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-13285996365034925172015-02-18T10:52:00.000-06:002015-02-18T10:52:30.048-06:00Control<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVh_JezcxOfB5XoFCMrcRawNzsQIZnoGdHAJ6JsVVkfJUm3DzUMiQkSNIU_5hKb3kZzYMmBDBJ4ou0Plex0F5PtcdOtRq1iiqDozKunSE-892v_wMeNRk5BTBh2aQvySerzxEDfzZIYuk/s1600/god-in-control.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVh_JezcxOfB5XoFCMrcRawNzsQIZnoGdHAJ6JsVVkfJUm3DzUMiQkSNIU_5hKb3kZzYMmBDBJ4ou0Plex0F5PtcdOtRq1iiqDozKunSE-892v_wMeNRk5BTBh2aQvySerzxEDfzZIYuk/s1600/god-in-control.png" height="247" width="320" /></a></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3159" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3158" style="font-family: Calibri;">Control: Some people think they have it, and most people want it. Well, forget about it. You never had it and you never will. The weather this past week humbled us all and reminded us how small we are. As I watched tree limbs crash in the woods behind our house, as I saw people slip and slide on the roadways, as I continued to get reports of people losing their electricity, as I called a friend each day who is sitting up at the hospital with his wife waiting for a better day for her and getting no answers from the doctors – I kept thinking about how powerless we all really are in this world.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3165" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3164" style="font-family: Calibri;">We have created for ourselves straw houses that we believe are made of bricks. We have a false security, a carefully constructed façade. When it comes to sickness and death and tragedy, we pretend we are removed from it, that it will never happen to us. When it comes to future plans we make them as if nothing is going to change our ability to make them realities. When it comes to spiritual matters we put them on the shelf, falsely claiming that our sins aren’t that bad, that they don’t need to be dealt with immediately, and even if they are ruining our lives and our eternity we still will have plenty of time to deal with them later.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3168" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3167" style="font-family: Calibri;">Wake up, people! God is in control! “He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His ice like morsels; Who can stand before His cold?” (Psalm 147:15-17). This weather event was nothing to Jehovah. As we slept and wondered if trees would fall on our homes, the majority of the rest of the world wasn’t even aware of any danger. And then there is our God, who somewhere through the vast expanse of space exists in His heavenly home, having created the entire universe with the breath of His mouth.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And yet it is God who cares the most. It is God who has visited us in our time of need. It is God who looks down from heaven and considers our ways and our thoughts and the meditations of our hearts. And the ironic part is that He is wondering when we will ever stop trying to have control and let Him be in charge when there has never even been one second in time when He wasn’t on the throne. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so I will stand at the invitation song again this Sunday, if Sunday ever comes. And I will look out to several hundred people who either have the illusion that they are in control, or are simply just unwilling to stop trying to have control. This must be the case. Otherwise we would have revival. Otherwise we would have restoration. Otherwise we would have responses. Otherwise we would have repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3181" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3180" style="font-family: Calibri;">It is time that we stop pretending. <i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3179">“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God…” (1 Peter 4:17).</i></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3177"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3176" style="font-family: Calibri;">“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust…” – (Psalm 40:4).</span></i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span><i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3174"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1424277775457_3173" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” – (Isaiah 12:2).</span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-18931359109462919212014-12-31T10:25:00.001-06:002014-12-31T10:25:19.146-06:00Sowing All Over Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcH847RwidvlFcqEvvWXAdlpYNLTQyfKnyxOwww3KpNuVw2Cwmg9bwo4-77WH2AWZbMEeI-uai1PP75bHjpTGSmW2SNSsgJOTUa1zCHAv5UlzFvdanOeCiBNEsLjGDMlcx_OZimIIO73g/s1600/00+winter+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcH847RwidvlFcqEvvWXAdlpYNLTQyfKnyxOwww3KpNuVw2Cwmg9bwo4-77WH2AWZbMEeI-uai1PP75bHjpTGSmW2SNSsgJOTUa1zCHAv5UlzFvdanOeCiBNEsLjGDMlcx_OZimIIO73g/s1600/00+winter+field.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
January is usually a rainy season in the south. The fields are wet and muddy. The water table is recovering. The hope of spring is still several freezes away. But it is not too early to start getting ready for new growth.<br /><br />A new year sparks evaluations and resolutions. Many assess the past year and consider their ways. People usually don't go into the year saying, "I am hoping to have the worst year I have ever had." They think about opportunities and challenges and they dream that everything is going to be great. They want success, and happiness, and peace. But how can they help it happen?<br /><br />Our lives are like fields. They primarily contain weeds. We do not just come up producing strawberries. Sometimes we try to mow the weeds, cutting our problems down on the surface. But if we really want to bear fruit we must go deeper. We need to get under the soil. We must plow the field and sow all over again.<br /><br />This year, you will bear fruit if you...<br /><br />1. Plow up the weeds of anger and resentment you have and remove them from your life. Did someone hurt you? Did you get a raw deal at work? Are you unhappy about some circumstance? Are you holding something in your heart? Such weeds will dominate your field and leave little room for growth. Forgiveness is one of the main ingredients to success in life. It is an attribute of God (Psalm 86:5).<br /><br />2. Plow up the rocks of idleness. Most people bear no fruit because they sow no seed. Christians are supposed to be living stones built upon the foundation of Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). But many are just cold hard rocks taking up space. Jesus explained that people cannot belong to Him of they do not bear fruit for God - "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:8). We cannot bear fruit alone. We need Christ (John 15:4).<br /><br />3. Plow up the old, dead ground. You have to cultivate the soil. You have to add nutrients to your field. The best additive to your field comes from above. The farmer knows that nothing is better than good seed and the rain from heaven to water it. The Word of God is the seed (Luke 8:11). The rain that we need will come from God if we patiently and confidently wait (James 5:7).<br /><br />"Father in heaven, thank you for today. Thank you for a new year. Thank you for hope. Be with us and help us. Help us to grow closer to you. Help us to sow all over again. Help us to glorify your name. In Jesus name, Amen."<br /><br />
<div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">
"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." ~ 2 Corinthians 9:6</div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-3648090783122909622014-12-23T20:58:00.002-06:002014-12-23T21:07:21.898-06:00The Nice List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQMGexoz8ThPnCcK1ealLHlMzKBt_gzGQ7H1HBn2ujdmIBVIR0_4yGxhBQKFA0qYFHrByWK7xwNaKGsq0yW9hRE1E_nmd9GbLe6zY0yI8m9VZMgVqvm71o4iTDXTFI2n5zVpnqXX14wI/s1600/nice+listr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQMGexoz8ThPnCcK1ealLHlMzKBt_gzGQ7H1HBn2ujdmIBVIR0_4yGxhBQKFA0qYFHrByWK7xwNaKGsq0yW9hRE1E_nmd9GbLe6zY0yI8m9VZMgVqvm71o4iTDXTFI2n5zVpnqXX14wI/s1600/nice+listr.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past week has been a very nervous one in our home. My
two youngest children have been concerned about what Santa might bring. One of
them said that Christmas Eve was the most stressful night of the year. When you
are a kid you have a lot invested on what may happen on Christmas morning. This
is the magic of the holiday - the joy of innocent imagination and the laughter
of experiencing the reception of realized dreams.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then my daughter said something to me, tonight, December
23, that really made me think. She was talking about whether or not she was on
the nice list. Her anxiety about it brought her to tears. She knew her cousins
were soon arriving and that she had one more day to be good. She said she would
be good all day and share her toys and make sure that Santa would know that she
was a nice person and that even though she wasn’t always good she surely wanted
to be good. Being on the nice list matters to my daughter! It matters enough that
she is deeply sorry for anything she might do to remove herself from it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a time for all of us when being on the nice list
mattered. It was when there was someone watching over us whom we considered
more powerful than us – who held the key to our happiness. We did not want to
disappoint him. But when we grew up and our innocence was lost there were many
of us who no longer cared about our presence on the list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lack of genuine kindness is usually an adult problem. We
become cynical, impatient, and we get distracted with things that are not
important. One minute we are volunteering at a soup kitchen and the next minute
we are cutting people off for a better parking spot at a busy holiday shopping
mall. One minute we are delivering a fruit basket to a widow and the next
minute we are cross with the waitress who isn’t serving our every whim.
Kindness spent on others is often lost on our spouses and children. Patience we
extend to a person for whom we have compassion is often shortened for anyone we
don’t respect. And the scariest thing from all of it is our general justification
for our bad attitude. We just don’t cry at the idea that a nice list might be
something on which our name would not be found.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus’ appearance to the earth was not just for salvation,
but for peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Titus tells us that the
kindness and goodness of God toward man presented itself in the person of Jesus
Christ. This is when grace came that taught us how to respond to love of God.
Nice should not be a stretch for a people visited by the Son of God who willingly
spilled His blood and forgave His murderers while still hanging between heaven
and earth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My child taught me a great lesson this evening. She reminded
me I should always want to be on the nice list. She reminded me that the very
thought of not making it on the list should reduce me to tears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man
appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the
Holy Spirit.” – Titus 3:4-5<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-21309575806633141362014-12-17T22:50:00.000-06:002014-12-17T23:04:04.865-06:00Jesus and the 21st Century Sabbath<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35uSHaRxnSp6gTYeOafA3vDhkEANMgTJSrsZodX0goeDWK_lYIDiVKG0zkKlh-SyVBh0YguvMC9wBbKwFAkClYOkoD8rXTriXRNq2sQmRQi2SPKasR0EiMfwxL4-jnxXQHz9-UlXDaM0/s1600/Jesus-Lord-Of-The-Sabbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35uSHaRxnSp6gTYeOafA3vDhkEANMgTJSrsZodX0goeDWK_lYIDiVKG0zkKlh-SyVBh0YguvMC9wBbKwFAkClYOkoD8rXTriXRNq2sQmRQi2SPKasR0EiMfwxL4-jnxXQHz9-UlXDaM0/s1600/Jesus-Lord-Of-The-Sabbath.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a three and a half year sticking point: Jesus and the
Sabbath. In John 5 Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath. From then on it was
all the unbelieving Jews could think about. The very next week His disciples were
found plucking the heads of grain and eating them, again, on the Sabbath. Jesus
spoke about the Sabbath on several occasions and expounded on why the Rabbinical
teachings on the Sabbath were out of line. Jesus never violated the Sabbath. He
simply exposed the Pharisees’ improper interpretation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two statements from Mark 2:27-28 basically explain why Jesus
acted the way He did from Sabbath to Sabbath. “The Sabbath was made for man, and
not man for the Sabbath.” “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” The
first statement explains that God set aside the Sabbath to teach man a
spiritual lesson. It was not just about the obedient resting, it was about
learning what God had done. The second statement is a call to understand that
Jesus was involved in creating the material universe, and every holy law. He
had the right as having the divine nature in Himself to change any law He
created without being questioned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God ordained the Sabbath as a holy day for the Jews because
He wanted them to remember His creative work. The Sabbath was a reminder of the fact
that God had ceased from that work. But Jesus explained later (John 5:17) that since
day seven the Father and the Son had continued working. Jesus had not taken a day
off since day seven. When He came to earth He was doing the work of God seven
days a week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If one were to closely examine everything Jesus did during
His human life on the Sabbath, it would be impossible to prove that he had in
any way broken the commandment. The Jewish Mishnah, (a Rabbinical commentary on
the law), had come up with 39 specific activities that were unlawful to do on
the Sabbath. Jesus certainly broke many of them, and in the meantime encouraged
others to do so. He knew it did not matter, because the Mishnah was an addition
to the Law of Moses. It was therefore not binding, and in fact it was causing
people to miss the entire spiritual purpose of the commandment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can learn some very important things from Jesus’
treatment of the Sabbath: 1. God’s law is for a purpose, it is divine, and men
must do it. 2. We are not supposed to do more or less than has been commanded. 3.
It is important for us to see why the law is there as much as it is important for
us to follow the law. 4. The only one who has the right to make adjustments to
the law or set it aside altogether is God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus shocked the people by what He did on the Sabbath. But
He never broke it. They were just doing it wrong. Which makes me
wonder, if Jesus came into our churches each Sunday, what we He do differently?
Would we realize it was us, and not Him, doing it wrong? And would we
accuse Him?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” – Matthew 12:8<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-34735403849853362042014-11-25T11:24:00.001-06:002014-11-25T11:42:19.298-06:00Falling in Love all Over Again<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21cXCu5DFR7bXLqLu-SjL7PsSgKDs8wcBkqovSNScmZRlAvY8DTE1G057SW6wVdp5ZhqGKziQiRg-otUSVri-KQ_GVgP0URwJbN1nPGXvlVl4LV3-i4FhVToLEw2mbIUeqUxz5suRUEs/s1600/young-couple-in-love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21cXCu5DFR7bXLqLu-SjL7PsSgKDs8wcBkqovSNScmZRlAvY8DTE1G057SW6wVdp5ZhqGKziQiRg-otUSVri-KQ_GVgP0URwJbN1nPGXvlVl4LV3-i4FhVToLEw2mbIUeqUxz5suRUEs/s1600/young-couple-in-love.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you remember when you first fell in love? I am not
talking about your first schooldays crush. I am not talking about your first
infatuation. I am not talking about the time when you saw that person and
thought to yourself, “I would be happy if they were mine.”
I am not referring to those moments in your life because those moments were not
about love at all. Those moments were about you, and genuine love at its very
core is not about you. It’s about others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am talking, however, about the first time you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> fell in love. When you knew that
you and the other person truly cared for each other. When you knew the two of
you were willing to do anything for one another. When it was a joy to hear
their voice on the phone and you anticipated the next time you would hear it as
soon as you sadly had to say goodbye. When every song you heard reminded you of
them, and when everything you read found a relationship to your relationship
with them, and when every thought you had somehow included them, too. And then
that love matured when you came to the point that you decided to make a lifetime
commitment to this other person and become their spouse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marriages go through periods in which the feelings of
courtship fade and the relationship needs to be renewed. Couples must keep
dating. They must continue to express their feelings and love for each other in
a variety of ways. Exciting new things sometimes become everyday regularities.
The once unexpected blessings soon become normal and there is a danger of each
person in the relationship taking the daily sacrifices of their companion for
granted. But a committed relationship also leads to seasons of falling in love
all over again. The more things in life you experience together, whether good
or bad, the more that you realize your mate loves you. The loyalty of your
spouse and their constant support and sacrificial giving will hopefully lead to
you falling in love with them over and over again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spiritual renewal is very much the same. Inward revival is
falling in love with Jesus all over again. We remember the first time the cross
brought conviction and tears. We recall the overwhelming weight of our sin
coupled with the unconditional love of our Father. Then we add in the suffering
of the cross and the yearning of Savior for our souls and we conclude in our
minds and hearts that we are in love with Jesus. Because Christianity is also a lifetime
commitment, the more time we stay in the relationship the more opportunities we
have to fall in love with Jesus. And His blood remains. And
His blood cleanses. And we love Him all over again because of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every person wants to be loved the way they were loved in
the beginning. It seems natural then to conclude that God also would want the same.
Every new day is an opportunity for us to look at our loved ones and be
thankful for their presence in our lives. By their simply being there and
loving us we can appreciate what they mean to us and fall deeper in love with them - one day at a time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you woke up today I hope your first though was Jesus. I
hope your second thought was of a very special person here on earth who loves
you. And I hope that each day that you live God will grant you the ability to
keep falling in love with them over and over again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The Lord has appeared
of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore
with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’” – Jeremiah 31:3<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-40303616638766539792014-11-05T09:49:00.000-06:002014-11-05T09:53:22.865-06:00The Part of You God Doesn't Have Yet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9_T8foNgOyj3pWmO_dWYcX4qFLize-nZ9T3tiOcWtoZpGRhB-bBKkYlaTf15AwsHh84q2crbAydIoaVm94eUBQVYIvAgouVpePXyVXGlP6MjJh8r2j0OyFhTzQKGbCR4JZU5kGgeyrQ/s1600/100%25cover-photo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9_T8foNgOyj3pWmO_dWYcX4qFLize-nZ9T3tiOcWtoZpGRhB-bBKkYlaTf15AwsHh84q2crbAydIoaVm94eUBQVYIvAgouVpePXyVXGlP6MjJh8r2j0OyFhTzQKGbCR4JZU5kGgeyrQ/s1600/100%25cover-photo.png" height="118" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One hundred percent! We have made an effort for this Sunday to
have all of those people in attendance who have made themselves a part of the
local congregation here at Willow. This is an impossible task. Some people will
be sick or shut-in. Some people will be traveling. Some people will decide not
to come. Some people will be at work. Some people will somehow not know about
it (they must live on Mars). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many
barriers stand between us and one hundred percent. But does this mean we should
not try?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obstacles in life can remind us that there are things that
are keeping us from completely belonging to God. Even if you are a strong and
faithful Christian, there is a part of you that God doesn’t have yet. Although
you may argue for it, you cannot convince me that you have given God everything.
Your effort may be admirable and even worthy of imitation, but your activity
gives you away. Be honest with yourself. It may be your thoughts, it may be your
time, it may be your love – it really could be just about anything. The most important
question deals with whether or not you have been able to identify which part of
yourself you have been holding back from the Lord – and whether or not you plan
to give it to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God knows everything about us. He knows every thought in our
mind. He knows what our goals are. He knows what we are doing now and what we
did five minutes ago. He knows for certain what part we have been holding back
from him. He not only knows about it, but he desires for us to give it to him.
This truth has been exemplified throughout human history in God’s interaction
with mankind. Why else ask Abraham to offer Isaac? Why else ask for daily
sacrifices from Israel? Why else consider the greatest commandment of all to be
to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? God
wants to know if we truly love him altogether. After all, this is the way he
loves us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Bible says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Blessed
<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">are</span></em> those who keep His testimonies,
who seek Him with the whole heart!” (Psalm 119:2).</i> The beginning of giving
God our all has to do with what we are seeking. If we have no intentions to
deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus, then we cannot be his
disciples. Though we will always fall short of God’s glory, our Lord will be
satisfied with our effort to be like him and much as possible. If we run the
race with less than our very best we have missed the whole point of even
running (1 Cor. 9:24).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is something extremely exciting about unreached
potential. It means we still have a purpose. It means we can still make gains.
It means we can do more than we have ever done before. It means the future can
be better than the past. God made us people with unlimited spiritual potential
because he knew we needed hope. He created us in such a way that in the flesh
we would never be perfect. God wants us striving, reaching, trying, so that one
day when we have given all we can give and yet we have still failed to be just
like him, he can take us home by his grace. In that moment God will know that
we loved him because we gave everything we had. In that moment we will know how
much he loves us because he accepted us in our weakness. In that moment there
will be no more need to try, because God will have accomplished it all. In that
moment we will give him all the glory and worship him in joy for eternity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I entreated Your
favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.” – Psalm 119:58<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-47483559869264028622014-10-16T12:04:00.001-05:002014-10-16T12:12:39.056-05:00Advice for Younger Preachers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5ZrWYVpsRHeDB-MF2YQC_WI3NHxQlXuQai2439xdcnhs5Q-bZ8dELDPSUkCIGuWVzfQyYe-gZfS_h5P0qCyijqE9wxZ9HOA_geLlaqMhBJwFtABa039zpf3u6iJGSfGv3qaDts5Ctnc/s1600/preaxcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5ZrWYVpsRHeDB-MF2YQC_WI3NHxQlXuQai2439xdcnhs5Q-bZ8dELDPSUkCIGuWVzfQyYe-gZfS_h5P0qCyijqE9wxZ9HOA_geLlaqMhBJwFtABa039zpf3u6iJGSfGv3qaDts5Ctnc/s1600/preaxcher.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am amazed that I am writing this article. It means I am
getting older. But at 41, I am not in the 20’s and 30’s group anymore. I claim
no great knowledge or wisdom. I do have more experience than before. I am just
doing the best I can with all of my flaws to serve in my Master’s kingdom. It is
a privilege to do so all of the time. Christ is everything. I am nothing. The
world does not need me at all. But the world definitely needs Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past several years I have been watching and rooting
for our younger crop of ministers. I am doing everything I can to encourage
younger men to enter this vocation. I believe preaching is the greatest
occupation in the world. It is not easy but the sacrifices and challenges are
well worth it. I always do my best to think the best of the younger men and
give them the benefit of the doubt (I needed that early on and still need it). With
all of this in mind I would like to address a few areas in which I believe
younger preachers are struggling. Younger preachers, I love you and I believe
in you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1. Please get out of
your office.</b> Younger ministers in the 21<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>st</sup> century love blogging
and texting and writing and the interchange they can receive over social media.
They love being great from the pulpit on Sundays. It builds our confidence,
boosts our ego, and helps us to see we are making a difference. Articles and
books and our best Sunday morning sermons are great and we need them, but lost
people are dying and they need a minister’s personal touch. Rarely is personal
evangelism emphasized anymore – door to door work – home Bible studies – hospital
visits and phone calls - these are invaluable. Even if this is not your area of
expertise it needs to be developed. The book you write with your feet will have
more eternal impact than the one you write with your hands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2. Please respect the
past generation.</b> I am reading more and more articles by younger preachers
that are full of idealism for the 21<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>st</sup> century church. While they
may seem full of light, they are at times questionable when it comes to
practicing pure Christianity. I know we cannot do things the same way the older
generation did them. I know we are restoring the first century church anew in
every generation. But some of the folks that have been restoring it for decades
are still here. Don’t isolate them by making them feel that they are out of
touch. Spend some time with them and learn what mature Christianity is like. It
will bless you and also let them know that all they have labored for will not
be in vain. Don’t forget that any work you do for the kingdom is done while you
stand on their shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3. Be careful about
vanity.</b> Early success in ministry can be both a blessing and a curse. When
you are younger people love you. You are Absalom and David is old hat. Everything
you do is fairly new because you are new. But eventually you will have been
preaching a while and something else and someone else new will come along. If anything,
this humbling reminder helps you to refocus and give the glory to God. He must continually
increase while you decrease. The greatest preacher in the brotherhood has no
individual fame and is probably only known by the lives he has personally
touched.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4. Take criticism
with grace.</b> Early on in preaching I thought because I loved the Lord that I
could not be doing anything wrong. Well guess what, I was wrong. I need help
and I need criticism. I need criticism of all kinds from all kinds of people.
Jesus was probably criticized more in 3 years than any other preacher in
history, and He was perfect. In time, you will see that you can love the Lord
and do your best and continue to make improvements along the way. Your best day
is still a work in progress. Therefore we need to embrace counsel. While no
chastening seems good for the present, in time it will bring the peaceable
fruit of righteousness by those who have been trained by it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>5. Preach the Word!</strong> (2 Tim. 4:2). That is all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6. Don’t quit.</b> Even
if you are fired. Even if you are cheated. Even if you are ridiculed. No matter
what happens, the Lord needs you. The church needs you. The Lost need you. God
chose the preaching of the gospel to save those who would believe. He has no
other plan. Love Him always with the same fervor you had when you decided to
preach in the first place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preachers of all ages, God loves you and I love you. Second
to Jesus, you are my heroes. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for
preaching the glorious gospel of Christ!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Meditate on these
things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to
all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing
this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” – 1 Timothy 4:15-16<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-32908404686648626192014-10-09T14:35:00.001-05:002014-10-09T14:59:38.322-05:00Can We Choose When We Die?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTFIGvTbZp_qwx296SXSrQunIoGxonhNfJ9rkhHZPe1X6x-wdZTo9DPMKXgoaIZgOMwBuzaRGKu-j0y0819cnsumgAPC7q_42fPm_jU4glLZiioKv_Bm5b1SH-kXolCWcgMFhpeyEOYg/s1600/life-death-page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTFIGvTbZp_qwx296SXSrQunIoGxonhNfJ9rkhHZPe1X6x-wdZTo9DPMKXgoaIZgOMwBuzaRGKu-j0y0819cnsumgAPC7q_42fPm_jU4glLZiioKv_Bm5b1SH-kXolCWcgMFhpeyEOYg/s1600/life-death-page.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brittany Maynard, age 29, has terminal brain cancer. She says
she does not want to die. But she has chosen when. You can read and watch here:
</span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/08/terminally-ill-brittany-maynard-29-has-scheduled-her-death-for-nov-1/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/08/terminally-ill-brittany-maynard-29-has-scheduled-her-death-for-nov-1/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.
This link will make you sad. You will empathize with this family. Cancer is a
terrible disease. I was diagnosed 10 years ago. I have had many friends and
family die from cancer. As a preacher I have been there until the last breath
was taken numerous times. I have seen the worst it has to offer. But consider
for a minute with me the moral issue at stake with euthanasia. Excuse me, in
2014 the political world prefers to call it, “Dying with dignity.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not going to pretend to tell you that I think I have
all of the answers to such a sensitive subject. One of my best friends and
mentors in ministry took his life several years ago. He had suffered from
bipolar disorder and chronic depression for years. He had been suicidal on
occasions that caused periods of hospitalization. Suicide is not a black and
white issue. There are people who take their lives who are so fragile mentally
and emotionally that it would be difficult for any human being to say what was
happening in the moment they chose to kill themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For any person who is reading this article that has been affected
by cancer, or some other terminal disease, or for any person out there who has
had someone close to them choose to end their life, I want you to know that I
love you. I could never understand how much you have suffered and how difficult
it has been to go through such a terrible experience. Please understand that what
you are about to read is being expressed for the purpose of pleasing God and
promoting mental and physical and spiritual health for all people. Life is very
precious. It is God’s greatest gift to man both now and eternally. This is why
the issue of ending life is so important. Do we have the right to choose what
day we die?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arguments and discussions about specific situations can go
on and on concerning this topic. Without a doubt, I would never think it was
morally right to force someone to try to keep themselves alive by unnatural
means. But I want to simply address the particular case at hand. Brittany
Maynard has chosen doctor-assisted death for November 1, 2014. She moved to
Oregon because it is one of 5 states that allow it. She has rejected other forms
of medication and treatment. In the meantime she has been traveling and
spending the last few months and weeks with the people she loves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scenario in which one chooses early termination of life has
been thrust upon us recently through the tragic death of actor Robin Williams.
So many things were written about that episode, that I chose to write
absolutely nothing. In his case, nobody would say he died heroically. Rather,
he was a victim of mental illness and he needed help. For many his iconic
superstardom swept the morality of the issue aside while people celebrated his
achievements. I enjoyed many of the things he brought to the entertainment
world, but I also realize that putting people on a pedestal is dangerous and
can be spiritually unhealthy. Our determination should be that of allegiance to
the one Man who ever lived perfectly. Jesus Christ is not only Lord, but our
only ideal example, role model, and hero.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are several moral questions that trouble my mind in
Maynard’s case. Is it ok to be euthanized while refusing forms of treatment,
even if we have been told there is no cure? Is it ok to accept defeat and not
battle for earthly life as much as is within us when we know this world is not
our home anyway? Is it ok to refuse to suffer any pain that may come to us in
life or death? Is there a difference between what Maynard is doing and people
who choose not to be resuscitated, or cancer patients who accept a morphine-induced
coma at the last stages of their illness? I believe so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The difference is faith. Faith believes in unseen things
(Heb. 11:1). Without faith, pleasing God is impossible (Heb. 11:6). What if
even though no one has ever survived this disease, Brittany Maynard was the
first? What if November 1 rolls around and on that particular day she is
feeling healthy and strong? What if the experience of suffering caused her to
rely on spiritual things over physical things, and helped her to change her
mind about what she really wants to do? What if this suffering changed her future
eternally? I have some current relationships with a few very close friends who
I love dearly who are dying at this moment from terminal illnesses. They do not
know how long they have. Some have days, maybe weeks to live. But they have not
chosen the day of their death. Are they not also, “dying with dignity”? I would
like to tell you that I believe beyond all others they are. You see, they
believe in God, but they will not play God. They trust in God, and they know
that we are not supposed to “die on our terms.” After all, are we even supposed
to live on our terms (1 Cor. 6:19-20)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am afraid that we are living in a world that is progressively
devaluing life. I have heard no mention of God in this case at hand. My heart
goes out to this young lady and her family. On some level, but admittedly not
completely, I understand their dilemma. I was 31 when I found out about my
cancer. I had a wife and two small children. I did not know what was going to
happen to me. But I chose life, not death. By the grace of God ten years later
I am still here. But if I had not lived, I would not have chosen euthanasia.
Because God is the giver of life, and God alone has power over death. And
whether I live or die, I am the Lord’s. And I accept His will for my life, and
also for my death, no matter the suffering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For I consider that
the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us.” – Romans 8:18<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Therefore we do not
lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do
not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen
are eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is
laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved
His appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-80028611999418869012014-10-07T15:16:00.003-05:002014-10-08T08:35:24.240-05:00Why Forgiveness is Hard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever been hurt? I mean really hurt. I am not talking about falling down and scraping your knee hurt and getting a bandage from mommy. I am not talking about some wound that was your fault or that happened accidentally. But I am talking about being hurt by someone you loved so sincerely and completely that you fail to understand why they hurt you. I am talking about that part of yourself that says you would never do to your worst enemy what has been done to you by someone for whom you would have given your very life.<br />
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How do you forgive when you have been hurt so deeply by someone you love so deeply? Why is forgiveness so hard?<br />
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<strong>1. Forgiveness is hard because forgetting is impossible.</strong> I know we've heard and been told to "forgive and forget." I have counseled with Christian people who have said hatefully, "I will forgive them but I will never forget what they've done!" I have walked away knowing that there was no forgiveness there. But can we really forget? No. Will we forget? Impossible. But will we learn some things about trust? Yes. Will we learn some things about healthy boundaries? Yes. Will we lean on God more knowing that He alone will never leave us or forsake us? Yes. God wants us to remember so we can learn lessons and thank Him for His steadfastness.<br />
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<strong>2. Forgiveness is hard because trust is difficult to regain.</strong> If you have been lied to, if you have been betrayed, if you have been slandered, or if your loved one has cheated on you, there is a wound that has been created that goes all the way through. This wound rarely heals completely. Whenever a familiar moment arises that reminds you of the time trust was broken, the surface that has healed above that wound is removed and you begin to bleed again. Human beings have a hard time trusting because we tend to over-emphasize our own personal feelings. We categorize and compartmentalize faithfulness. We forget that we are not always trustworthy in all things. We decide that if our loved one has broken trust in an area that we feel is more significant, they can never truly be trusted again.<br />
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<strong>3. Forgiveness is hard because it is natural for us to try to protect ourselves.</strong> We build physical walls to protect our families, mental walls to protect our intellect, emotional walls to protect our hearts, and even spiritual walls to protect our individuality. Anytime a fortress has been penetrated we are prone to pack up and leave an area that was once safe, never to return. If you have been hurt bad enough even one time, you would rather experience anything than to be hurt in that same place all over again. We don't want to be fools, so when we have been badly injured we wrap up and find a cave. There is no forgiveness for the one who has inflicted the pain when we are too busy sulking and licking our wounds.<br />
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<strong>4. Forgiveness is hard because everything is amplified when it is our loved ones who have been hurt.</strong> We would much rather be hurt ourselves than to have it be our spouse or children. Especially in cases where the sin was egregious and unnecessary and cast upon the innocent - we find ourselves seeking retribution and justice. We suppose that if we could see the guilty party suffer for what they have done at least we would have something to hold on to over which we had some control. It is hard to forgive when you are reeling. It is hard to forgive when you see the pain in the face of your pierced and yet sinless child.<br />
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And then it hits us. We can't forget, but God has promised He will forget our sins. We can't trust, but God has forgiven us enough to trust us with the precious gospel and adopt us into His family. We can't be vulnerable, and yet God has opened the gates of His eternal abode and invited us into His most intimate dwelling place forever. We can't overcome the suffering of our loved ones, and yet God has forgiven us for crucifying His only Son.<br />
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Forgiveness is hard for one simple reason. <em>We make it about us!</em> God forgives so freely and perfectly because for Him forgiveness is about <em>others</em>. This is the love of God. When we deserved punishment, He chose mercy. When we deserved banishment, He chose fellowship. When we deserved nothing, He chose to give us everything. When we did what was unforgivable, He chose to forgive.<br />
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<em>"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." - 1 John 4:10</em> Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-34753193497957770602014-09-30T13:04:00.000-05:002014-10-16T16:20:40.581-05:005 Mistakes Parents Keep Making<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I write this I am scooting my chair up to the table and fastening a bib around my neck in order to keep from allowing any humble pie to get on my clothes. Parenting is tough! I have made and continue to make many mistakes. I constantly pray to God for help and forgiveness. But thankfully, with God as my heavenly parent and with His manual close by, in this process of being a father I am learning. Through my own misguided struggles as well as my observations of others, I would like to share with you five major mistakes parents continually make. <br />
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<strong>Some parents worship their children rather than worshiping God.</strong> It is easy to love our children and to do things for them. We are happy when they are happy. But when does their happiness become too important to us? What children want and what children need are not always the same. Our children are here to be loved but not worshiped. We need God-centered homes rather than kid-centered homes. Our lives are supposed to be about God first so our relationships must be guided by the same principle (Exodus 20:3). <br />
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<strong>Some parents try to live their second childhood through their children.</strong> Maybe it is because they never got to live their first childhood, since their own parents rode piggyback, too. Parents need to be parents. When you grow up you are supposed to put away childish things (1 Cor. 13:11). It is time parents stop trying to make their kids be the sports stars they never were. No more with the baby pageants. No more with the crazy parents in the stands. No more with the excessive efforts to make the world adore your children. God loves them. You love them. That should suffice. <br />
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<strong>Some parents believe their children can do nothing wrong.</strong> Let me qualify this problem by saying it usually only starts when the kids leave the house. We may see their faults at home, but the minute a teacher or friend or authority figure accuses our child of anything but excellence, the guard goes up. If our children are going to have any respect for authority, we have to back up those people who are not us who are trying to do their best for our children. Your kids not only can do wrong but they certainly will. When others see your children struggling, take it to heart. They may draw attention to something they need help with that you have been unable to see because you are their parent. <br />
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<strong>Some parents choose friendship over discipline.</strong> Sorry, mom and dad. You cannot be your teenager’s BFF. Not now anyway. Right now they need boundaries. Right now they need to be told, “No.” Right now they need you to tell them that even though that is cool and popular with their friends it is not cool and popular with you and it is absolutely not good with God. Friendship is easier than discipline. It is tempting to be a neat parent. But wimping out when it is time for discipline will lead to disrespect. They may not like you now when you keep them from getting their way. But they will love you and thank you later and be your best friend when everyone becomes an adult. <br />
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<strong>Some parents don’t let their kids be kids</strong>. This one may be the biggest mistake of all. In an age of information our kids are learning things they don’t need to learn. Children cannot process adult topics and problems and they were never meant to. In the name of entertainment we have all said, “Oh, I think they can handle this movie,” and then came regret. Not limiting their internet and phone access and exposure is the same as letting them play with the devil as if he were a schoolmate. Giving into pressure from others about having “the talk” too early keeps a child from retaining innocence. The days are coming when sin will be real and innocence will be gone forever. Our young children are sinless now. Why would we initiate and encourage the process? <br />
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Children are our heritage and joy. They are both our greatest blessing and our greatest responsibility. There is too much at stake to keep reliving the same mistakes over and over. Remember the child. Ask God for help. Do your best. Pray often. <br />
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<em>“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)</em> Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-32529405473896532312014-09-16T10:32:00.000-05:002014-09-16T13:34:09.682-05:00The Great Disappointment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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William Miller was a prosperous farmer and Baptist preacher from the state of New York who began to share his predictions about the Advent (Second Coming of Christ) in 1833. Through extensive studies of Old Testament prophecies he predicted that Jesus would come again in 1843. During a period between 1843 and 1844, approximately 50,000-100,000 people followed his teachings. After several unfulfilled predictions from 1843 to 1844, hundreds of "Millerites" left their homes and businesses behind and all of their earthly possessions, concentrating on the specific date of October 22, 1944, when Jesus would surely return. When Jesus did not appear the date became known as "The Great Disappointment."<br />
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Since the first falling away until the restoration, and even today, Christianity has been bombarded with disappointments that are the direct result of men going beyond what is written. To predict the Advent is to not accept words of Jesus in Matthew 24:36 - "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." If God had wanted us to know the specific time of our Lord's return, He would have told us. But instead His admonition is, "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matt. 24:44).<br />
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Our 21st Century world is now full of beliefs that are merely warmed up leftovers of human doctrines that have been inserted over the centuries. The early church never worshiped with man-made instruments, but not only are they all over the landscape today, most people truly believe God will accept whatever worship they may offer. "Once saved, always saved" remains through the influence of Calvanism, and many religious groups still have part or all of this doctrine in their creed. Sprinkling of infants, salvation by faith alone, and the aspects of premillenialism, to name a few, are ideas that live in the hearts and minds of many religious people. Confused by what they have heard time and again, it is now to the point that many risk their very souls to put faith in teachings that cannot be found in the Scriptures.<br />
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Perhaps the saddest truth of all...people don't know that what they believe is not of God. We cannot believe differently about salvation and all be right. We cannot believe differently about the identity and worship of the church and all be right. We cannot believe differently about the return of Christ and the judgment scene and all be right. The only way to be in line with God and abiding in truth is for us to stop automatically believing what we are told. Remove the filter, open your Bible, and be taught of God!<br />
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Jesus is coming again with clouds (Rev. 1:7). He may come at any time, and when He does, even atheists will bow (Rom. 14:11). I cannot help but think that for many it will be another "great disappointment." But for those who follow God and keep His word in truth and humility, it will be a day in which Christ will be admired and glorified by those who are truly His (2 Thess. 1:10).<br />
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<em>"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1</em>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-5013763672275076622014-09-02T13:21:00.001-05:002014-09-02T13:24:00.259-05:00Robbed by the Thief on the Cross<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"What about the thief on the cross?" This is the question I have heard so many times that I have stopped counting. This question arises whenever I get into a conversation about salvation with a person who does not believe in baptism as one of the essential elements. In Luke 23 we read of the conversation between Jesus and the thief who showed penitence and admitted guilt while asking to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom. We recall the wonderful love of God and extension of grace that brought these words from our Savior's dying lips, "Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).<br />
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Some allege this event proves that salvation is possible by simply believing in Christ, admitting personal sin, and asking God for forgiveness and a place with Him in heaven. While all of these are necessary for a person to be saved, these alone do not exhaust the requirements that God has left for us in His word.<br />
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There are many Bible answers for why the thief on the cross is not our perfect example. We could point out that both Jesus and the thief lived and died under the Law of Moses, or that Jesus nailed the Law to the cross when He brought forth the new covenant in His blood (Col. 2:14; Matt. 26:28). We could mention that New Testament Christians are those who have been baptized into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Rom. 6:3-4) - which would have been impossible for the thief since Jesus had not yet died. We could note that baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins was not available, nor was it a requirement for salvation until the day of Pentecost, when the church began (Acts 2:38). And do we really want the thief to be our example? Do we want to live a life dominated by Satan only to repent in our final, tragic hour? This account is given to us not as an example of how to be saved, but rather as a testimony of the unsearchable and matchless grace of Jesus.<br />
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There is one simple passage which brings a great deal of light and truth on a subject that so many have clouded in an attempt to justify their denominational mode of salvation. In Romans 10:9-10 we read, "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." I only bring up this passage because it has become a proof text for many who believe that baptism is not required for salvation, but merely belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the corresponding confession that Jesus is Lord. In other words, the people who use the "thief on the cross" reasoning for saying baptism is non-essential will quickly go to this passage in order to prove their point. I want to thank them for doing that, because they just proved why their reasoning is false.<br />
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Look again at the passage. Did the thief believe in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead? Paul says in Romans 10:9 that this is a requirement for salvation. But how could he believe it? Jesus wasn't even dead yet! The thief didn't even know Jesus was going to be raised - the apostles didn't understand it until after it happened, and Jesus had been telling them virtually every day for three and a half years. The thief was dealing with a different set of requirements. Those under the patriarchal law and the Law of Moses were cleansed by the blood of Jesus and sanctified through their animal sacrifices. It was impossible for the thief to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead. But we must believe it. The thief was not required to be baptized for the remission of sins, but we are commanded to do so today (Acts 2:38, 10:48).<br />
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We need to rightly divide the Bible. The church does not determine what the Bible teaches, the Bible determines what the church teaches. Study. Humble yourself. Change your mind if you are mistaken. Obey the gospel - and obey all of it - not just part.<br />
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"...casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:5Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-19669010345956488762014-08-26T10:51:00.000-05:002014-08-26T11:58:43.114-05:00Preaching Mistakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past Sunday while trying to quote Mark 16:15-16, I accidentally called out, "Matthew 16:15-16." Then Sunday evening, while Mike Dyer was preaching, when meaning to refer to Jeremiah 29:11, he instead said "Jeremiah 22:11." This happens all of the time. If you speak very much you are going to make mistakes. The most eloquent, polished speakers are going to commit errors because every person is fallible. Preachers don't need to beat themselves up about it, and members don't need to be overly concerned about it. For those of you who don't preach but who worship regularly, us preachers are asking you to give us the benefit of the doubt.<br />
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When I became a preacher I knew I would make mistakes. I have made many in the past, I continue to make them in the present, and I suppose that even though I never want to make another one, I will still have trouble in the future. But all of this reminds me that a preaching mistake, when unintended, can be a blessing to everyone in attendance when our focus is as it should be. Here's why:<br />
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<strong>1. The listener has the opportunity to catch the mistake</strong>. I did not know I said, "Matthew" instead of "Mark," until someone told me. I was so thankful they told me. This let me know that someone was paying attention. It also let me know that they either knew the Scripture or looked it up. Their communication gave me the opportunity to correct my mistake. One of the reasons I am even writing about this and putting it on the front page of our bulletin is to own up to the misquotation. Every preacher who loves the Lord would never want to preach anything but what the Bible teaches. When it is brought to our attention that we have made a mistake, it is a blessing.<br />
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<strong>2. Not everything you hear in life is true.</strong> We have the responsibility to "test the spirits, to see whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). Paul said, "Test all things, hold fast to what is good" (1 Thes. 5:21). The reason why many people leave the church is directly related to how they view preaching. If preaching is someone talking while you listen and nothing else then there is a major problem. There needs to be a meeting of every mind and heart at foot of the cross to hear the word of the Lord. Padded pews and comfortable temperatures are overrated. Paul said that in latter times people would heap up for themselves teachers who would tickle their ears. This is not gospel preaching. A Bible man tells the Bible plan. Everyone should be engaged in the discussion as if their souls are on the line because in reality this is the case. Preaching must be examined, evaluated, tested, and applied. It must be in keeping with the standards of the holy and inerrant word of God.<br />
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<strong>3. Mistakes in the pulpit remind us of God's perfection. </strong>Paul told the Corinthians, who often attacked his preaching, "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1 Cor. 2:3-5). God deserves all of the glory in everything, especially preaching. It is His will, His word, and His wonderful grace. Paul reminded the brethren that he was not behind what was being preached, but every word came by the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Today preachers only have the Bible, but the Bible is all we need and it is still the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Our faith cannot be in preachers. No preacher ever wants to be believed because he is the preacher. Genuine faith is hearing and believing the word of God (Rom. 10:17).<br />
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<strong>4. Mistakes from the pulpit keep the preacher humble. </strong>Every Christian who commits much time to service in the church can be in danger of becoming arrogant. When we receive compliments we might start to believe them. My grandmother (a preacher's wife) always used to say it was her job to keep her husband's head the correct size. If he got complimented too much his head might not fit through the door, but if he was being ridiculed and criticized too much he may get discouraged and decide to leave the ministry. Compliments and criticism together will both be a blessing to a Christian with the right attitude. I have had different people walk out the door with a thumbs up or a thumbs down to the same sermon I had just preached. This humbled me. It also reminded me that God was the only one I was trying to please.<br />
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Preachers make mistakes. People make mistakes. How thankful we are for the Father who resides in heaven who is perfect and holy but who gives grace! How thankful we are for the Son who stands by His side and intercedes with His blood! How thankful we are for Comforter who rules in our hearts and gives us peace!<br />
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<em>"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." - Isaiah 55:7</em>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-7915919501679100202014-08-26T09:58:00.000-05:002014-08-26T09:58:32.246-05:00"Ohhhhhhh Boy!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many years ago a gentleman was born in western Kentucky named Odell Lamb. They called him “Red Lamb” because of his wavy red locks and his ruddy complexion. Odell went from the Kentucky farm to the German battlefields. He served in World War II and was present at the Battle of the Bulge. He came back to the Unites States and settled down with his wife Edna. They had two children together. He worked at the stove plant and also farmed in beautiful Calloway County.<br />
By the time I came to the New Providence church, Odell had lived a long and healthy life. He was retired, but still farming. He had served as an elder in the church for many years, but had now left that work, too. I was only 25; he was about to turn 80. He had a kindness about him. His smile was warm and genuine. He never missed an opportunity to worship with the saints. He always – ALWAYS wore a suit.<br />
Every once in a while there is a person in your life who brings nothing but positive things. In the four years I preached at New Providence, Odell Lamb was peace and joy. Always encouraging – always thankful – always one of my biggest fans. He was dependable, and as solid as a Christian man could be in every aspect of life. He was honorable, he was gentle, he was strong, and he was loving. If you wanted a walking definition of a mature Christian, you would look no further than Red Lamb. When he prayed, you could tell you were listening to a man who had prayed before. He talked with God as one who had carried on life’s conversations with his Creator for more than a generation.<br />
In 2003, I left green fields of Kentucky winter wheat for the rolling hills and streams of southern Tennessee. But I still go back to Murray State Racer country now and then. When I go, I always stop by and look for Mr. Lamb. He resides at Emeritus, an assisted living facility for the elderly. Last October when I saw him he was in bed and could not leave it. I was sure that visit with my friend would be our last. But this past Wednesday, I stopped by again and he was still there; still in bed, and only two weeks short of his 95<sup>th</sup> birthday. When I walked in the door he immediately straightened up, smiled, and exclaimed, “Jeremiah! I never would have thought it!” We sat and talked for awhile about old times and caught up on the new. What a wonderful visit we shared with one another!<br />
Before I left our discussion turned to more serious matters, and he said to me plainly, “I am ready to go to heaven.” “So ready….Ohhhhhhh boy!” As I relay his words it is impossible for me to express his tone of voice and the look behind his eyes. But he said these words with excitement, joy, and a deep longing for something he had been working toward for 95 years. He did not say this because he was unhappy. He was not complaining about his age or the weakness of his body. He was simply saying that he was so blessed to be a Christian and that his time on earth was over and he could hardly stand to wait any longer. He said these things with the understanding that the better country was on the horizon and he could almost touch it. I have seen many a weary Christian long for heaven on a bed of affliction. But I do not know if I have ever seen a deeper joy, a greater hope, or a truer, more genuine faith.<br />
I left and thought, <em>wow!</em> I had just seen something really special. I now know what I want if I ever live to be old. I want that feeling. I want that confidence. I want that anticipation. I want that hope.<br />
Heaven is really going to be glorious beyond imagination. I pray that one day I will be able to see it from the place where I lay my head and say, “Ohhhhhhh boy!”<br />
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<em>“For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.” </em></div>
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<em>– <a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Hebrews 11.14" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Hebrews%2011.14">Hebrews 11:14</a><a class="rtLibronix" href="libronixdls:keylink|ref=[en]bible:Hebrews11.14|res=LLS:ESV"></a></em></div>
- See more at: http://www.faughnfamily.com/ohhhhhh-boy/#sthash.HO5IUq25.dpufJeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-13814765166525741812014-08-19T19:24:00.000-05:002014-08-19T19:51:52.215-05:00Ask People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">About two years ago I met Charli Wilson at Hardees. As I
remember it was at the drive-thru window. I don’t eat there often but sometimes
I will grab breakfast. It is not far from the church building. Not long after
that first hello I talked to her inside the restaurant during another morning breakfast.
I invited her to worship. I believe we were having a special emphasis Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Soon after getting to know Charli <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I met Levi Brewster. He works at McDonalds and
yes, I admit it, I go there for breakfast even more than Hardees. As
coincidence would have it, I discovered Levi and Charli were dating. At least
once a week one of them was handing me food at the drive-thru. About
a year and a half ago Levi and Charli attended worship at Willow avenue for the
first time. It was a very busy Sunday and I barely got to speak to them before
they left. Since they were both Tech students I was hoping to introduce them to
some people their age. But I didn’t have the chance. Although expressing some
interest after their first visit to Willow, they did not come back for about a
year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">But as time went on I kept running into them all over town.
Eventually through our talks and a little encouragement they decided to start
attending Willow again. Since Hunter and Mindy Harp had started a special Sunday
night study for the college age group, Levi and Charli had an opportunity to
spend time with people their age and fellowship and study and build
friendships. They have been studying for a few weeks now and have become
regulars on Sunday night and Wednesday night. As of now their work schedule keeps
them from worshiping on Sunday morning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">And then it happened. I got a phone call. What was supposed
to be a premarital counseling appointment turned into something better. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charli called me and asked if I would meet her
at the building to baptize her. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surrounded by her new college age friends and
Levi she obeyed the gospel. Levi then requested to be baptized as well. They had
both been thinking about this decision for quite some time, and were convinced
from the teaching of the Bible to become Christians. What a wonderful day!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">This all happened because they were asked. They were asked
to come to worship. They were asked to study. They were asked to dinners after
services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were asked to be a part
of a group of friends who love the Lord and one another. Above all, this
happened because they were asked by God to be a part of His eternal kingdom through
the blood of Jesus Christ even before the foundation of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ask people. Stop hesitating. Enough with the good intentions.
No more blaming your lack of evangelism on your fear of rejection. Nothing,
absolutely nothing will happen if you do not ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be His hands, His feet, and His mouth, and
give glory to God in the church and it will grow. Have faith in God. He will
give to those who ask.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Ask, and it will be
given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” –
Matthew 7:7<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-89107761117088827302014-08-11T11:29:00.003-05:002014-08-11T12:51:24.445-05:00Respect for the Bible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am just going to say it. I cannot believe what I am witnessing in our 21st century world! We are living in an age in which God is more of a figment of our imagination than the enthroned Creator of the universe. There is a lack of understanding of who God is and what He has done. There is an even greater lack of respect for the authority of Scripture. Some may be offended by some things I am about to point out. But if these things offend you, please know that I love you. I merely ask you to examine the divine text and see if your beliefs measure up to God's perfect and holy word.<br />
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1. To preach various and sundry methods of salvation is to disrespect the authority of the Bible. An honest examination of the conversions in the New Testament will lead a person to understand that God is not saving people by different methods. He is not requiring different people to do different things. And yet as I speak with people about their salvation they regularly tell me they went about this process in different ways. It seems for many of them, that as long as they were sincere about their decision that is does not matter what they actually did. This takes the mode of salvation out of God's hands and places it in ours. Last time I checked salvation was something God did. We should comply to what God requires in His word.<br />
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2. To call a church by any other name than a Biblical name is to disrespect the authority of the Bible. I can give you 50 different names for churches in our city. There are not 50 different names in the Bible. There are several different ways in which the church is named or described. But you will never see the church of the New Testament named after a man or a methodology. You will never see the name of the church of the Bible attribute glory or honor to anyone but deity. I cannot see how anyone who respects the words of Scripture could even begin to be a part of a church that doesn't even honor God with its very name.<br />
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3. To worship God by another method other than what is found in the New Testament and exemplified by the apostles and the church is to disrespect the authority of the Bible. People want to know why I don't worship God the way they do. This is not the correct question. The correct question is, am I worshiping God according to the commandments that He has left for His church? The responsibility lies with the one who is worshiping. Have they done all the Lord has commanded? Have they added anything? Have they left anything undone? God can and will reject our worship if it does not please Him. He has that right. Who is being worshiped here, anyway?<br />
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4. To believe that Scripture is open to individual interpretation is to disrespect the authority of the Bible. If I had a nickel for every time a person has told me, "Well you know, the Bible can be interpreted in many ways" - I would be a millionaire! No, the Bible is meant to be interpreted God's way. We do not shape the word of God, it shapes us. We must adhere to the teachings of God's transforming, Holy Spirit delivered will. If the Bible is open to individual interpretation, then throw it away. It has no power over us if the power resides in us. The truth is that the Bible as it stands is the very thing that will measure our souls in judgment. It is the bread of God. It is the breath of God.<br />
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As a Christian, I still sin daily. I have plenty of issues and problems. I am realizing as I get older just how little I actually know. But I am confident of this one thing - The Bible is the divine and perfect word of God. It saves us all the same. It teaches us all the same. It will judge us all the same. It has not changed in 2000 years and it never will. I may do many things wrong in my life, but I will not disrespect the authority of the Bible. When I see something, anything in the Bible that is lacking in me, it is time to make a change.<br />
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<em>"Forever, O L<span class="yhwh" id="yui-gen214">ord</span>, Your word is settled in heaven." - Psalm 119:89</em><br />
<br />Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-75423004786449269212014-07-21T11:31:00.000-05:002014-07-21T16:33:50.533-05:00Thanks for Asking!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever had this passing conversation: "Hello, how are you today?" "I am doing fine, how about you?' "Doing well, thanks for asking!" We appreciate certain questions, especially when they are sincere and concern our personal well-being. <br />
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But other questions come to us that hardly have us so excited; questions that challenge our character, our knowledge, or our activity. Farm Bureau Insurance Company has a television commercial that illustrates the frustration some parents experience when their children ask them difficult questions. They present the idea that their representative has all of the answers. It is a clever piece of propaganda. But we all know the truth. Some questions are just too tough for any of us to handle well.<br />
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As a preacher, I get asked a great deal of questions. People call me, facebook message me, email me, text me, catch me after class, after worship, at the store, in the parking lot, you name it - I may get a Bible question anytime from anyone in anyplace. All I can say is 1 Pet. 3:15 is intimidating!<br />
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But from the bottom of my heart I want people to know it is an absolute honor to be asked. I am not afraid of any question. I may not know the answer, and I am not afraid to tell people I do not know the answer. But I might know it. And when I don't know it, I will promise to study and get back to them and point them to the Scriptures. Being asked questions is a privilege and I look forward to every question I receive. Here's why:<br />
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1. I am going to learn something.<br />
2. Someone actually thinks I have something valuable to offer.<br />
3. It keeps me on task with my responsibility of study.<br />
4. It gives me the opportunity to share what I have learned.<br />
5. It may lead to the saving of a soul.<br />
6. If my attitude is right and my study diligent, God will be glorified.<br />
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If anyone ever asks you a spiritually driven question, be thankful. When this occurs, you have one task - deliver only what the Bible truly teaches. Human opinions are plentiful, but the Word of God is true and living and powerful and it saves and it will abide forever. It contains the only answers that matter eternally.<br />
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And if you have a question, don't hesitate to ask (Matt. 5:6). Something wonderful is potentially going to happen because of the question. God is looking for people who are looking for Him. Thanks for asking!<br />
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<em>"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." ~ 1 Peter 3:15</em>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-60102242549303722382014-07-15T09:50:00.000-05:002014-07-15T10:01:59.285-05:00A People for the House of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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God's intention for the church was in existence before the world began. In His infinite wisdom He provided for its establishment with the sacrifice of the blood of His Son. As I age in His kingdom and experience kingdom life, I learn more and more about the superior foreknowledge and design God has for His family.<br />
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In my mind today is how God has set each of the members of His body into the church just as He pleased (1 Cor. 12:18). From the widow struggling to get to worship because of health concerns, to the lawyer or doctor in his suit and tie, to the family of lesser means who needs the church to provide groceries from time to time, God has made each of us essential to the kingdom. He knows we need Him. He knows we need each other. He knows we all have something to offer to the church and that the something we each have is very special.<br />
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To illustrate, I would like to share a few thoughts that have come to me through study and conversations with other Christians this week.<br />
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<strong>1. God is interested in workers for His house.</strong> Last night I was reading 1 Kings 5 to my children before bed as a part of Bible Bowl preparation. This chapter discusses Solomon seeking out King Hiram to help him with the construction of the temple. There were 30,000 laborers summoned for the house of the Lord. There were 70,000 who carried burdens. There were 80,000 who quarried stone. There were 3,300 who supervised. All essential jobs, all essential people. All different types of work. All contributing to a house that would glorify the Lord. God wants people. God wants different people. God understands and it is by design that we are all doing something meaningful to build His house.<br />
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<strong>2. God is interested in the lesser even more than the greater.</strong> Paul said to the Corinthians in his description of the church, "And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor..." (1 Cor. 12:23). We overemphasize the preachers, the teachers, the elders, and the deacons. They get a great deal of praise and are the subject of many public prayers. Certainly we are thankful for their work and the prayers are much needed. But the backbone of the church is comprised of the people who do all of the things we call "little things" that in God's mind are not little at all. A friend of mine said to me this week that we are probably teaching the wrong idea to our young people sometimes. We have made them think that unless they go to Africa and do mission work they cannot be spiritual giants. The fact is that there is something to be said for a person who wants to get married, become a part of a local community with a regular job, and raise a Christian family. This type of dream made the America of the past a beacon and it is what has made the church the last great hope on earth.<br />
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<strong>3. The senders are as important as those who are sent.</strong> As a preacher, I want to personally thank every individual who contributes to the spread of the gospel. If you participate in the public offering each week for the work of the local church, you are contributing to the greatest work that is going on in the world. Paul reminded the church at Rome, "...And how shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach unless they are sent?" (Rom. 10:14b-15a). Not every person will publicly proclaim the gospel of Christ. But every person has ownership in gospel preaching who supports it by hearing, seeking, learning, doing, giving, and sending. Those who preach will be forever indebted to those who support preaching. Those who are saved by the message preached can give glory to God for every person who had a part in the name of Christ and the plan of salvation coming to their ears.<br />
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Church, let me tell you - you matter! <em>Every single one of us matters.</em> God sent His Son to die for us both collectively and individually. He created a house for His people and a people for His house. If you have become one of those people, praise His name. Do your part and be thankful. He is preparing an eternal city for you.<br />
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<em>"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." ~ 1 Corinthians 12:13</em>Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507820238396505743.post-29752684746253014682014-07-08T09:08:00.000-05:002014-07-08T09:34:34.273-05:00Where the Heart Is<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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David Livingstone was born in England in 1813. He spent most of his life exploring Africa and bringing his knowledge of Christ to the people of that country. In 1873, Livingstone died among the people he had grown to love. His body was shipped back to Great Britain for burial, but not his heart. The villagers dug a hole at the base of a mvula tree in Africa. They buried David Livingstone's heart in its rightful place. His heart, his life, and his every desire remained in the country and among the people to which he had given himself completely.<br />
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The Bible tells us a great deal about the desires of the heart. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." (Prov. 23:7). "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man..." (Matt. 15:18-20a). "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."<br />
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One cannot hide the treasures of the heart. Sooner or later, given time and opportunity, the truth about the desires of the heart will be known. We will go wherever our heart leads us. Thus we must shape our individual human heart to conform to the heart of God. God's heart is in our salvation and our sanctification. His desire is our spiritual transformation to His superior will in everything, which will demand all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). <br />
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This leads to a revealing question, a question that demands honesty and humility and self-examination. If you were to die, where would your heart be buried? Would it be located at some place where you work, since you spent all of your waking hours and overtime in that place? Would it be buried at the bank? Would it be buried in the couch next to the remote control? Would it be buried at the field where all those sporting events took place? Would it be buried at the lake, at the store, or some vacation spot? Would it be buried in a place where your family could think of you and give thanks because you had lived an unselfish, honorable, and godly life?<br />
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At our very essence we are whatever our heart is. God knows us completely. He looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). He searches the heart (Jer. 17:10). He weighs the heart (Prov. 21:2). He knows the desires of our heart.<br />
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<em>"Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way." - Proverbs 23:19</em><br />
<em>"O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways." - Proverbs 23:26</em><br />
<em>"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4</em><br />
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Jeremiahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032929810668434740noreply@blogger.com0