Accountability Questions

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Biblical Guy

Key passages: Proverbs 25:12; 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:8-12; Romans 14: 13-23; 2 Corinthians 12:19-13:6; Galatians 6: 1-6; Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 4:9-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; James 5:15-16; Hebrews 3:13 

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” — James 5:15-16 

Accountability allows us to be answerable to one another, with the focus on improving our key relationships with people such as our spouse, close friends, colleagues, coworkers, a boss, small group members, or a pastor. Accountability will also enhance our integrity, maturity, character relationships in general, and our growth in Christ. Accountability is sharing, in confidence, our heartfelt Christian sojourn in an atmosphere of trust so we can give an answer for what we do, see where we need help, understand our struggles and where we are weak, and be encouraged to stay on track, seek prayer, care, and support when we fail, and model guideposts for one another to keep us going. 

Below are some key Accountability questions you can ask yourself and/or have a mentor ask you. These are designed for small groups and mentoring for those from high school youth to seasoned adults. They are for men’s groups, women’s groups, and so forth. Because of the number of questions, all you need to do is choose three or four questions for each week. If there is a particular struggle area, add that one, too. Also, incorporate one of the key passages above and spend significant time in prayer: 

  1. Did you spend significant time with God through His Word, prayer, quiet time, devotions, and other spiritual disciplines? How much; how constant? Is He your driving force? 
  2. What blocks your growth in Christ? What blocks growth, in your other relationships, from becoming more mature and effectual?  
  3. How has your time with God been? Did you pray for others? Are you satisfied with the time you spent with our Lord this week? How so? What can you do to improve it? Did you pray for the others in this group?  
  4. Have you faithfully served the Lord, His people, and the lost?  
  5. Did you go and participate in church activities and worship this week? How so? Why not?  
  6. Did you set spiritual goals this week? What were they? Did you achieve your spiritual goals? 
  7. Have you made your family a priority? What noteworthy activity or deed did you do for your spouse and/or family? 
  8. How have you struggled with sin? What are the sins that have weighed down your walk with God this week? 
  9. What did you do to enhance your relationship with your spouse/friends? What can you do to make that relationship better? 
  10. In what ways has God blessed you this week? How have you shared your blessings?
  11. What disappointments did you face? Did they consume your thoughts? What did you do about it? What can you learn
  12. Have you filled the mandates of your call, work and school, practicing excellence, and being the best 100% as you can be for His glory?
  13. Have you committed any sexual sin? Did you look at someone lustfully? Have you been alone in a compromising situation? Have you been flirtatious? Have you struggled with pornography or “romance novels?” Have you exposed yourself to any sexually oriented material? Did you put yourself in a situation with a member of the opposite sex that could appear to be compromising, even though it may not have been?
  14. Have you shared your faith? In what ways? How can you improve? Have you had an opportunity to share with a non-Christian? 

15. How well are you handling your finances right now? Have your financial dealings been questionable? 

16. Have you been trustworthy? Have you lied? Stolen? Cheated? Been Dishonest or Manipulative? Have you elevated yourself over another for your own personal agenda? What about your language and attitude? 

17. Have you allowed the media and its distortions in TV, music and movies to unduly influence you? What about peer pressure? 

18. Have you been prideful? Have you been guilty of Gossip or Anger? Slandered? Shown Indifference? Been Greedy? Not Controlled your tongue? This hinders people from knowing and trusting Christ the most! 

19. Have you demonstrated a servant’s heart? How so? What have you done for someone else this week? 

20. Did you struggle with a disappointment this week? How did you handle it? 

21. Have you respected and treated your classmates, co-workers and peers graciously by showing them compassion and the love of God in your words and deeds? What can you do to enhance your relationships here? 

22. How is your level of character, according to the comparison of Gal. 5:22-23 versus Gal. 5:19-21? 

23. How did you practice joy this week? Have you had a thankful attitude toward God? Have you struggled with anger toward God? How so? What can you do about it? 

24. Have you taken care of the temple of the Holy Spirit with rest, sleep, exercise, healthy eating, etc? What about addictions, gluttony, or substance abuse? 

25. Has your thoughts been kept pure? 

26. Are you giving to the Lord’s work with your time, talent, and treasures? What about financially? 

27. What do you need to do to improve your relationships with God and with others? 

28. What do you see as your number one need or struggle for this next week?

29. Have you compromised your integrity in any way, or lied about the above questions? 

30. How can this group help you? 

Take it slow and easy. Don’t try, or even expect, to immediately delve into the deepest, darkest corners of your life. Begin by having your close friends hold you accountable for things like praying regularly and integrity issues. As you see the benefit and results of this, you will also be building up trust, which is necessary for accountability in more personal and private areas. 

If you need further help in this area, seek a qualified and trusted pastor or Christian counselor. Also, seek someone to whom you can be accountable. Do not just trust yourself; have a small group or mentor ask you these questions on a regular basis!  

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long” (Psalm 32:3). 

If you fall away from these questions, or refuse to have someone hold you to them, then Satan will have a foothold in your life. These questions are not just for the pastor or church leader; they are for all Christians who want to live a life of integrity and significance. The failure to have accountability will produce sin. At that point, it is not a question of if you may fall, but, rather, when you will engage in sin and destroy everything in your life. The relationships and ministry God has given you as well as your family and those around you, for generations to come, will be destroyed. Yes, there can be restitution and restoration, but the cost can never be completely repaid. Just look at King David; his sin had dire consequences with which we still live.  

“The highest proof of true friendship is the intimacy that holds nothing back and admits the friend to share our inmost secrets.” — Andrew Murray 

The Christian life offers glaring, empirical proof that “all of us make many mistakes,” (James 3:2) and we are grateful for the forgiveness offered to us through Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). 

© 1990, 2004 Richard J. Krejcir Into Thy Word www.intothyword.org

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Applying the Mind-Set of Fullness

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Biblical Guy

Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17

It is my prayer that we can carry out our lives with the right mindset of what is really important in life, so we do not end up in loneliness and regret. We do not need to miss out on what God has for us. We do not need to spend all of our energies chasing after what is fleeting while ignoring what is good.

Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:11-12

Fullness equals knowing who you are in Christ, and what He did for you on the Cross. This is paramount, because, all you do as a Christian is a response to what He has first done in you. With this knowledge, you will have the proper attitude and discernment to make correct decisions, based on God’s Will. With this knowledge, you will ask the right questions and look for fullness, not merely fulfillment! The difference is that fullness seeks Christ as Lord; fulfillment is seeking someone or something to meet your needs and wishes, or seeking to fill your own desires or lust! Fulfillment is seeking what we want, and that often is not the best for us. It is filling our emptiness with the wrong filler. It is much like putting gasoline in a diesel-fueled truck; it is fuel, but it will not work, and will damage the engine. These passages testify to such as this. Sin and the desires of our lust can, and will consume us, taking us far away from God and His goodness. So, this pursuit of fulfillment will end up bringing us nothing but emptiness, the very thing we try to avoid. Sin will dig in us, causing our thinking to be skewed, and our decisions flawed.

Fullness is the filling we have. It is like we are “Twinkies” and He is the filling, as Twinkies are not much without the filling! It is the realization that we are missing our “filling” and we are indeed Poor in Spirit. Being poor may conjure up ideas of physical and social poverty, but it actually means total dependence on God, realizing our sinfulness! It is the realization that we are sinners, having no righteousness of our own. We are saved by the grace and mercy of God alone! Poor in Spirit applies into our daily lives as we strive to be humble and surrendered, where we do not look to ourselves, but to God. Where we have a Christ-centered drive and not a self-centered drive to life and relationships, this is the letting go and letting God concept. So we are able to see though our poverty and discover it is much better to be in Christ and His fullness and not in our self. Letting go of our ways to surrender to His Way! The preface to the Matthew passage is the word Blessed or Happy, which means we are fortunate to realize who we are in Christ. We are overjoyed because what Christ has done for me and this gives us our fullness, He is our fullness (John 8:32). We rejoice because we are a part of His Kingdome. See how this all fits together? The cure to physical and spiritual poverty is the realization of what really is important, and who we are in Christ! Humbleness is the fruit that shows fullness has taken hold in your life.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Romans 6:12

The opposite of this concept is being prideful and self reliant, to the exclusion of allowing Christ to work in you, or allowing Him to use you to help others. In so doing, you are keeping yourself, and others, in spiritual, and physical poverty, and oppression (Luke 18:9-14; Rev. 3:17-19)!)

Galatians, chapter five, gives us two sets of fruits that we can choose to produce. There are the ones in verses 19 to 21 that are the rotten scum of life that create division and strife, or verses 22-23, what will produce goodness as we build one another up. In addition, verses 24-25 give us the reason for our motivation and pursuit. God’s Word tells us that we choose the ways of adultery, fornication, and impure thoughts, that make us eager for destructive behaviors, and pronouncing them to be pleasure. These are what the Bible calls uncleanness. These are what create relationships filled with hostility, quarreling, jealously, anger, selfish ambitions, and divisions between people and God. The focus is on envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and all kinds of sin. One’s attitude conveys the idea that everyone else is wrong, and those who will agree with you become the desired allies! The Bible gives us a harsh warning that if we pursue these things, then workable relationships cannot be built. Nor can one be formed with God, as you will impede His presence with you. You will not inherit the kingdom of God!

Fullness is first seeking Christ and His work in you, so you are pursuing righteousness and all that is good, as a way to glorify Christ as Lord. What we all need to be doing is applying fullness into our relationships from our friendships to dating is seeking someone to be your complement—a helpmate in your service and mission for His glory. And, this is to be the same in dating and on to marriage. This is real, authentic fullness that is essential—not only in our faith development, but also in how we are to prepare ourselves to build relationships and interrelate with others.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

This is serious business, as “The Kingdom of Heaven” directly relates to fullness as in living or lives as who we are in Christ. That means our identity, who we are, what we want and where we are am going is fueled from our fullness in Christ. This is the quintessential aspect on earth we are to pursue, after our salvation by what Christ has done. This was “inaugurated” for the Christian Church at Pentecost and is spiritual in nature for the time being. It will “culminate” when Jesus returns, where it will involve the day of judgment and the new heavens and new earth, where we will be with God and Jesus for eternity! Both fullness and the Kingdom of God exist, and are concentrated in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. This means He is the One to rule our Will and heart on earth, climaxing in eternity. This is where are fullness must reside! The Kingdom of Heaven produces the fullness as our completeness in Christ from our comprehension of who Christ is.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Colossians 1:13

When we are just self-seeking, we are selfish and unconcerned with eternal values or with serving our Lord. By doing so, we fall into a trap, not because of God’s vengeance, but because we are not doing as we should. As a result, natural consequences will take over. God’s precepts are for our benefit and protection, and are what is best, just as loving parents would have for their child. Fullness makes a relationship real, centered upon Godly directions. Fullness will seek the love of 1 Corinthians 13, and will compel you to desire to share your fullness and self with others. So, out of your fullness in Christ, you build yourself up in Him, casting away what is wrong, and replacing it with Biblical character and values. This will be the foundation to create the lasting bonds with others, as you glorify our Lord.

Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise. Ephesians 5:15

Ephesians 5:15-21 gives us a picture of walking in that fullness, as people who are wise in the ways of the Lord are also on their guard to the ways of the world. We are to be careful how we live, so we treat our lives and others with dignity and respect. We ought not to be careless with what is precious. We are to make the most of our lives, and the opportunities He gives us. To waste it away is what a fool does; so, let us not be fools! When we understand what the Lord wants us to do—and, by the way, this is not hard—we will do good in life. It is not hard because what God is concerned with is our character. We form our character from understanding, and putting into practice this fullness.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18

Verse 18 tells us that we need to be filled with the Spirit, which means having great joy from our commitment in God (Nehemiah 8:10). It also means we are to seek His power with joy for the overcoming of our sins, and for the courage to witness and do ministry, even to people we do not like. This will flow into attitude number three. This joy means radiant joy that fills us up with the joy that flows among the Persons of the Holy Trinity. That very love which God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit have for one another will be in us. And, it will overflow from us to others around us! If we follow the first part of verse eighteen, we will miss out on what Christ has, because our purpose and direction become cemented in sin, and not in Him.

This joy in Ephesians will become sealed in us as we mature in the faith and are filled with His Word. It is the power to enjoy Him in worship as a lifestyle that affects all aspects of our life and the lives of others around us. It then empowers us, for His service, for His glory. It literally means music flowing from our hearts!

This fullness creates joy. This is what will fuel our friendships, our search to find our love, and in making the right decisions. This is what we are to seek so it can be repeated; we are not to seek it for our betterment or attention to ourselves, rather, for Christ’s sake! It is a fullness that we are to be completely filled up with. This translates into joy that comes from being in His Word, and because we are in Christ! This is the extra power He gives us to glorify and serve Him, and the extra power that we need to make sure we are on the right track!

Will you be controlled by drunkenness, which is any kind of sin that takes you away from God? Or, will you allow yourself to be controlled by the Spirit? Remember, He does not force you; the choice is yours—and so are the consequences and rewards. We can ruin our life, or grow in fullness. Also, remember that what you do does not affect just you, but will touch all those around you, too.

Your objective is not just to seek fulfillment or desire, but, to build relationships that last, and that are impacting and real. In dating, your commission is to choose a mate with whom you can live together, with unbroken devotion to the Lord. This brings the fullness we talked about in the first chapter, that will make your house reflect God, serve for His glory, and be an example to those around you.

Regeneration means that Christ is at work in me and through the Holy Sprit making me completely new. He is my hope! This fact hits me when I have a sense of my need and futility. If I continue in sin I realize that my regeneration is in question. Because the control of the Christian life is grace not sin! (Matthew 5:3; Romans 6:15-23; Galatians 4:19).

My response to Regeneration is a desire to be humble, knowledgeable and repentive, and always seeking God. I can be a changed person and move in the direction of maturity and fullness in His Kingdome. My identity is in Christ and all I do is because of Him. So my desire is to continue to operate with passion, truth and conviction.

The key aspect to help you improve yourself and your personality will be how much time you spend in improving your spiritual life! This is what builds the fullness, character, and love we have been talking about! For a how to on this, see the Appendix on, “How to Build your Faith”!

Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:11-12

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Christian Apathy

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Biblical Guy

 

Principle Scriptures: Matthew 13:25-26; Hosea 13:6; Romans 13; Revelation 3:1-6; 14-18 

Is this you: But don’t blame me. I didn’t do anything. I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home. That’s what Christianity is to me now. Perhaps you may have a problem with apathy? 

Apathy is a disease caused by being overwhelmed with all the stresses and struggles in live even in ministry to the point of shrugging our shoulders and giving up, but still going through the motions. Or it is the lack of wiliness to move forward in your spiritual formation and even discouraging others to do so too!

Apathy or Indifference or Laziness is the opposite of God’s call for you. Apathy is thinking the greatness is in the past. The vine becomes withered and there is no desire to impact ones self with Christ. Apathy destroys passion and devotion. When there is no effort to impact others, the church will stagnate, and eventually die. Laziness is a fear of change, because it requires one to grow beyond his/her comfort level. Resisting change becomes the prerequisite of an unwilling and unyielding heart to the Lord, or the energy to follow Christ; all it leaves is excuses. So, the diseases of apathy, gossip, pride, legalism, and slander–the list can go on and on–will take the place of enthusiasm!   

If you are not helping or a part of a solution to grow in Christ and help others do so too, then you are in apathy! 

Another symptom of apathy is thinking the greatness is in the past, and the past is then worshipped and adored. All views and passions to Christ are rooted in the past and the vine is now withered. It is our human nature to consider comfort and security a primary concern. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as it does not make us complacent and take us away from the goals and reasons we are in the pulpit, or in leadership. If we are too comfortable, we become apathetic, not wanting to stretch ourselves in our personal walk. This, then, becomes a slippery slope of not desiring to stretch the congregation, or being afraid of making any challenges that may offend someone’s pride. This disease will produce no growth, no serious discipleship, no serious Bible studies, no serious teaching in the pulpit, just basic stuff to please and police people. 

Believing something does not mean you live it. Faith must be real and invoke a response from within you. It cannot be just academic! People then, as people today, differentiate people by their words, and more importantly, their actions. What do your actions say about what is in your heart? For the Jew, confession about God was the essential aspect of what it meant to be a Jew (Duet. 6:4; Mark 12:29). To confess one thing and do another was what Proverbs and the Jew would heartily say was a fool! Thus, our faith will produce our actions, but our actions will not produce faith. We only respond with our faith to His work and His call.  

The cure is to Wake Up! We need to be on guard for stressful and overwhelming situations, for pride, and for being too comfortable in our positions. When we are not growing, and not on our guard, then we will venture into the land of apathy, and that is one place that will not grow any fruit or give any glory to the Lord.  

Enthusiasm is you key to stay focused (Matt: 5:16; Rom. 12:11; Gal. 6:9; Colossians 3:23; 4:7-8) Enthusiasm is interest and passion working together with a goal. This will enable us to overcome disappointments and setbacks, so we can be positive, optimistic, and keep up our interest, attitude, and zeal, even when things are harsh. Enthusiasm is the fuel that empowers the Christian, his/her testimony, and gives him/her the love for the call that he/she has been given. Enthusiasm is the pipe through which flows the earnest endeavor of our work and service. Along with this passion will come the natural desire that we do our best for God’s glory.   

When someone becomes a Christian or when a church is started and grows, one of the primary growing factors is enthusiasm. This is a result of the joy and vigor that its new members have, and then spread to their friends and neighbors. They see the joy of serving the Lord, and the growth they are experiencing must be shared with those around them. So, they do this, and the new Christian is responsible for most of the new converts that cause the church to grow. When a new church is started, and it’s members lack enthusiasm, it will wither quickly; they will give up, and close. There are many other factors that cause a church to grow or to die, but a big factor in it all is enthusiasm. Without enthusiasm, it is an uphill battle that cannot be won.

Somewhere on our Christian journey, many forget what it is all about. We can forget what is important, and the reason and purpose of our relationship with Him. Pastors sometimes think that since our call is a tangible, unyielding, permanent position, we do not need more training or time with our Lord; therefore, the main thing is neglected. We think we are protected, and since we are pastors, then the knowledge and intense training we have gained will carry us through the ministry.

But it does not. We lose site of our call because we lose site of the main thing, just as so many regular (we are all ministers together) Christians do. And, we need to keep the main thing the main thing, our main thing being our personal, growing relationship with Christ. Church politics and countless crises have replaced prayer and devotions, so we have dried up and burned out. When we realize it, it is to late, as we have fallen off the path our Lord had for us. The passion has been lost. 

            Enthusiasm plays a big part in our personal spiritual growth; without it, we are not motivated to read our Bible or spend time in prayer. We exercise our spiritual disciplines out of obligation, we become dry, and become unable to absorb what we are to learn. Or, we give it up and use all kinds of excuses, such as lack of time or fatigue. When our spiritual lives suffer, so does our ability to relate our Christian experience to others, and we become ineffective leaders and partakers in the building of the Kingdom of God.

When the leaders are not experiencing the wonders of the spiritual life and the Christian experience, the ineffectiveness trickles down to the rest of the body and spreads like malignant cancer. We, as fallen human beings, are always looking for excuses not to put forth the necessary effort for spiritual growth. I know I can get that way, and every pastor I have ever met sometimes feels that way. Just as we make excuses for not eating right or exercising, perhaps endangering our health, not exercising the spiritual life will endanger our spiritual health, and infect the rest of the congregation because it is tempting and contagious.  

            The principles of the Gospel must impact us so we are influenced and energized by them. If we are not excited, the message will drop off and fall flat. The learner, the hearer will not desire something irrelevant or unexciting. If they see no excitement in us, why would they want to be a part of it? The nature of the Christian life is the joy and excitement of being in Christ above all else, and this should be our greatest motivation. Consequently, the excitement of our growth becomes contagious to those around us. This is influence. Being in Christ means living our lives for Him with passion, at all times and in all places. This is influence.

Encouragement is the fruit of the mature walk of the Christian life. It empowers us to uplift each other, not put them down. It is the immature and ungodly individual that constantly puts down his/her fellow Christian, and a despicable and repulsive Christian who does it to the unbeliever. This is often the reason for the horrible reputation we Christians have in society.

Can you imagine Christ putting people down with insults so He could uplift Himself? Absolutely not! When we are called to model His character, and are created in the image of God, then we are to model that essence and attribute of our Lord. We are never to be critical, condescending, or belligerent to others, for this is a slap in the face of our Lord, a misrepresentation of how we are to be as His people to the world. We cannot excite, energize, or influence people by arrogance. There is nothing worse in the church than an arrogant leader. If Christ, as God and Creator of the universe, lived a life without arrogance, then how can we take that kind of attitude, unless we are greater than He?

The effective Christian, especially a leader, will not be a force of personality and power plays. We cannot be power-seeking controllers of the lives of others when it is the Lord who is in control. As a church, we must be relationship oriented, centered on building and mentoring others for Christ. The effective Church must ask this question, what is more important, my career and desire for control, or the discipleship of the people?

If your desire is self-seeking, then you are not a true leader of God’s people. You need to get out and get help. You must re-boot yourself with God’s purpose, not your own. Our true accomplishments are in the faith we build, not in the numbers we attract. The Encourager is powered by the Spirit, filled with enthusiasm, and knows the difference between being a relationship-builder and being a self-seeker.  

Out of gratitude will come the desire to please God, and the desire to please will synergistically combine with the passion to produce the love of His call to fuel our eagerness and passion. When we love the Lord, then we are attentive to the needs and expectations of the people around us. Thus, our service is coming out of our love of doing it instead of out of an obligation. This is much like the person who loves his/her hobby and spends a majority of his/her time and desire on it, versus the person forced to do something he/she does not like to do.

The one temptation that all will fail at is the loss of hope! When you have the hope of Christ in you, you will persevere and be triumphant! Never lose your confidence of who you are in Christ! We can look to God for our help (Heb. 4:15). We can admit we have a problem; we do have a sinful nature and will cave into sin (1 Cor. 10:13; Gal. 5:17). Thus, we have to admit our need and seek help from Him and others (Gal. 6:1-5). We need to set boundaries for our desires so we will not deliberately seek sin out. Then, we will be victorious! We will persevere and be approved because the trials we go through will enable us to be poured out to God (Gal. 2:20-21). We will be able to come to the place where our will is emptied, our desires are set aside, and His will is at work in us. To refinish a fine piece of furniture, it first needs to be stripped of the old finish; we need to have the finish of our self stripped, so His finish will shine through us! 

Our hope: “`Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.” (Jeremiah 33:6)

2001 R.J. Krejcir www.intothyword.org

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Communion

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Biblical Guy

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28 

Why do we observe Communion? 

  • We observe Communion because the Lord told us to.  And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24 
  • When we observe Communion we show our participation in the body of Christ. His life becomes our life and we become members of each other:

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 

  • In observing Communion we are remembering Christ and all that He has done for us in His life, death and resurrection:

And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24

  • In observing Communion we are remembering that we are a part of a new covenant paid by His life, death and resurrection:

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. 1 Corinthians 11:25

  • In observing Communion we are proclaiming our allegiance and faith in Him until He comes. It is, then, a statement of faith:

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26

  • When observing Communion we take time to examine ourselves:

A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 1 Corinthians 11:28 

More info:  

Three main Christian views regarding the blood and the wine during the practice of Communion: 

  • The bread and the wine become the actual body and blood of Christ. The Catholic term for this is Transubstantiation.
  • The bread and the wine are unchanged elements, but Christ’s presence by faith is made spiritually real in and through them.
  • The bread and the wine are unchanged elements, used as symbols, representing Christ’s body and blood, in remembrance of his enduring sacrifice.  

Scriptures Associated with Communion: 

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28 

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” Mark 14:22-24 

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:19-20 

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 

And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:53-54 

From “About” http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/f/whatiscommunion.htm

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Concert of Prayer

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Biblical Guy

1.  Worship and opening prayer Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving

2.  Announcements and welcome

3.  Offering and prayer

4.  Responsive reading    Ephesians 1:3-23

5.  Concert of prayer

i.   Prayer for world:  Bhutan

Capital:  Thimphu.  Population 800,000 – 2.2 million, mainly Tibetan Buddhists, or Hindu

ii.  Prayer for nation

Samuel Alito nomination, president, Supreme Court, Senate, House, Iraq, military, etc.

iii.  Prayer for Lake Ave Church

Who:  Pastors, ministry council, staff, lay leaders, congregation

What:  surrender to lordship of Christ, spiritual formation, godly character, care for pastors and staff, protection against Enemy, discernment, vitality, vision of God’s purposes, humility, protection against gossip and negativism, encouragement, stewardship, forgiveness, discipleship, fruit bearing, protection against pride, solidness in the Word, genuine corporate and private worship, healthy relationships, holiness, prayer life, unity, missions and outreach.  (from “Prayer Guide for Your Church and Pastor!”  © 1989, 2005 Dr. R.J. Krejcir Into Thy Word Ministries www.intothyword.org)

iv. Prayer for 9 AM Network

Thanksgiving to God; future direction; current leaders; needed leader – outreach/missions, financial provision; caring for one another.

v.  Prayer for 9 AM Network missionaries

See back

vi. Prayer for ourselves

Just pray for your own and if time echo others’ prayers, aloud or silent.  Unsaved family and friends, burdens, needs, health.

6.  Closing prayer

Class Missionaries

Benjamin and Gigi Benedick – Wycliffe, Papua New Guinea:

  • Thank the Lord for Ben and co-workers passing aviation regulations exam
  • Thank the Lord for third child on the way (joining Abigail, Joel)
  • Pray for more aviation mechanics and endurance for Ben
  • Pray for health, and growth in Christ for family
  • Pray for Gigi for wisdom as a wife and mother

David and Carrie Cronk – East Asia:

  • Pray for a recharging of their drained batteries during furlough
  • Pray for health
  • Pray for adjustment for the three children to life in the USA (Philip, Hannah, Esther)
  • Pray for fellowship and friends for all members of the family

Didier and Donna Heslon – Campus Crusade for Christ, USA:

  • Thank the Lord for the health of the entire family (Kayla, Ellie)
  • Pray for mental and spiritual preparation for new ministry in France
  • Pray for decision about where to locate in France
  • Pray for ministry team to come together
  • Pray for wise time management, endurance, perseverance, and fruit

Richard and Mary Krejcir – Into Thy Word Ministries, USA:

  • Thank the Lord for baby on the way (due May 7)
  • Pray for financial provision through supporters or extra employment
  • Pray for pastors in Pakistan
  • Pray that new Field Guide book would help many and glorify the Lord

Steve and Paulina McCracken – HCJB World Radio, Quito, Ecuador:

  • Thank the Lord for safe and productive travels this fall
  • Pray that their year in the States will encourage many by what God is doing through HCJB
  • Pray for prayer and financial team to come together
  • Pray for daughters Keilah and Kendra to adjust to life in USA and for all needs
  • Pray for believing Ecuadorian friends in Quito to continue to grow and bear fruit

V. Unreached People Psalm 126

Country         People Cluster

Mauritania                   Moor

Mali                             Songhai

Niger                           Tuareg

Morocco                      Riff Berber

Egypt                          Egyptian Arab

Saudi Arabia               Bedouin-Arabian

Kazakstan                   Kazak

Guinea                         Fulani

Senegal                        Wolof

Ethiopia                       Afar

Afghanistan                Hazara

Pakistan                       Punjabi

India                            Brahman

Laos                            Black Tai

China                           Uyghur

Indonesia                    Acehnese

Targeted by LAC: Cambodia          

  • LAC 5-year partnership with World Relief
  • India Trip Summer 07, need participants and opportunities 

VII. Personal Prayer Requests

Current Happenings

  • 2008 Elections
  • North Korea and Iran rumblings
  • Israel-Lebanon conflict … 

VIII. Communion

Concert of Prayer
Journey, Lake Avenue
December 31, 2006 

Prayer Time

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 

    I.   “ACTS” Preparation

Adoration

Names and characteristics of God:  Almighty, Creator, all-knowing, all-present, Provider, just judge, righteous, glorious, merciful, Healer, patient, glorious, good, covenant-keeping …

Confession

Heart issues:  Prayerlessness, pride, unkindness, jealousy, rebellion, untruthfulness, self-absorbed, disrespectful, unmerciful … 

Thanksgiving

Personal:  life, health, salvation, the Holy Spirit, peace, country, safety, necessities, God’s word, family, friends, fellowship, employment, good plans … 

Historical and global:  The Exodus, the Ten Commandments, the prophets, the Atonement, the Resurrection, the apostles, the martyrs, the missionaries, modern evangelists/Bible teachers/musicians/visual artists in the Church, God’s hand in current events … 

II.      Secular Leaders  Romans 13:1-3                                

International:  Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran (Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad), North Korea (Kim Jong-Il), England (Tony Blair), China (Hu Jintao), Japan (Junichiro Koizumi) … 

National:  George Bush, Dick Cheney, Condoleezsa Rice,
Pentagon, Iraq war, Afghanistan war, branches of military … 

State and local:  Arnold Schwarzenegger, mayors of LA and Pasadena, Police Chief, Fire Department, Boards of Education, Media leaders, medical leaders … 

III. Church Leadership Ephesians 4:11-16 

Local Churches:  Paz Naz, Calvary Chapel Pasadena, Pasadena Covenant, Mosaic (Pasadena), Glendale Pres., Hollywood Pres., Church on the Way (Van Nuys), Grace Church, Church at Rocky Peak, EV Free Fullerton, Calvary Church (Santa Ana), Saddleback (Lake Forest), Mariners (Irvine), Harvest Christian Fellowship (San Diego) … 

Pastors at Lake:  Chuck Olson, Bill Mead, Roger Bosch, Dave Koser, Tim Osborn, Scott White, Jeff Mattesich, Albert Tate, Marion Skeete, John Wilson, Josh Higgins, Dena Mohr, Betty Ann Hughes, Gwen Cram, Carol Cuatt, Tim Scheidler, Curt Gibson … 

Ministry Council:  Lee Merritt, John Lewis, Jeff Jones, Linda Neuenburg, Dayna Lucas, Sung Choe, Bernice Collins, Jeff Ellis, Joanne Gilbreath, Jeep Jensen, Lori Johnson, Robbin Okamoto, Denny Repko, Harry Scolinos, Bill Spuck, Cliff Woosley, Kim Wright, Robin Northrop  … 

Other church sectors:  Pastor search committee, Denny Bellesi, administration, Worship & the Arts (Robin Northrup, John Sutton), Comunidad Las Americas, Korean Ministries, Arabic Ministries, Ethiopian Ministries, Metro Kidz, homeless ministry, Lake Avenue Foundation, counseling ministry, jail ministry … 

Classes:  Friendship, Singles @ 11, Galileans, InHarmony, Crossroads, Covenant, Bridge, King’s Couriers, college, high school, junior high, children … 

Journey:  Need class members to rise up for leadership positions for 07, Richard, Rhodora, Jim, Dan, Barb, Elizabeth, Brian, Tuan and YOU!

IV.    Harvest Matt. 28:18-20

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God’s love must be our model for life

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Biblical Guy

During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier’s fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell’s heart was touched and he said, “Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!” 

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:7-12

           God, through His Word, is pronouncing to us that the effects and results of love will live far beyond the moments of our life. When we pass on into eternity, and our frail, mortal bodies are laid into the grave to rot, what we have done on this earth, and who we were, will still echo to all those whom we have touched. Such deeds of love will never rot. When real, authentic love is in our lives, it is endowed with an eternal quality, because God is empowering that love. 

So, we need to take this seriously, and with confidence, to allow love to flow into us from Christ, and, in return, flow out from us to those around us. God’s love is the ultimate power for the Christian. Character, and the love that infuses it, will be the only thing we produce that we will take with us into Heaven, the only thing that matters. Love has power that transcends human logic and emotions. So, while we remain here on this earth, let us perform our life with love! Allow your relationships to be built on love instead of the pride and spite we so often dish out.  

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, “Do not waste your time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.” 

If you are thinking, wait, I might get hurt. or, I have been rejected after I spent so much of my time and energies on so-and-so. Well, take to heart this valuable point; you did not waste your time. Giving love and time to others even when we do not get anything back or even if we get hate thrown back at us, is never a waste of time. Emulating and fostering real love is never a waste, because we followed Him! Love is not about our circumstances; it is about Christ working in us. Remember, God has born your hurt, too! 

When love is practiced, our relationships are certain to succeed. When we practice love, we are both trusting and obeying our Lord, doing His prime will. We can take to heart that the love we give will never be defeated, no matter how poorly people treat us in return, or, only appear to be playing their part. When we give love and it is not returned, the hurt and rejection we receive is not in vain. We may feel hurt, confused, and not understand what has happened or why we did not succeed. But, in God’s eyes, we did succeed. Our time of giving love did not go to waste!  We all, at some time, will experience love for someone who does not return it to us; perhaps you were even the one who did not return it to someone else. There are a multitude of reasons for that. Maybe the love was not meant to be; perhaps he/she was the wrong person for you. Maybe you got your signals crossed, or maybe you were too afraid to take the chance. Maybe the fear of being rejected consumed you, so, you are alone now. Your hurt has become your identity, while love and relationships go unmet and undone. If this is your life, remember: Love is never offered in vain. Your hurt has not been borne alone! 

Pride goes before destruction!  

God is eternal, He is self existent always was and is. The power to be in of Himself, without outside start or influences. He is not dependent on anything else, eve our worship and praise that please Him, does not feed Him. We have a strat and finish. We begin and we will end. In this God was already there, He already existed, a firm foundation all all eternity, Love with beginning or ending seeking us. OH  WOW what a great comfort we have! 

In the Hebrew language, God is described as love throughout the OT Scriptures. Especially when He leads out His people from bondage into the promised land. 

In Mica we are asked what does the Lord require of you? The essence of the passage is love, as the operational parameters in all of the work and function in life that we do. 

In the book of Hosea  the basic theme is loving mercy (Hos. 4: 1-19).   The profit is giving us a subpoena from God that we have committed a crime, spiritual adultery. The Hebrews flat out rejected His truth, His priests, His prophets and every thing eslse that is godly. This was not a pep talk, but a walk with God the Father to behind the woodshed for a beating they deserved. The Hebrews forgot truth and mercy and love was left as waist, and waist was used as their spiritual food. “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge” not because of a lack of food or military might, because they forgot God and to follow His decrees. They forgot to be the light to the world, they forgot who they are in God and what He did for them. So God asked Hosea to take a wife who was a harlot as an example of what God has gone through. The name of the son and daughter they have is an example of who Israel behaved to God and how God can and would retaliate using the same behaviors against them as they used to God and others, Yet God remains hopeful and still operates to His problem children in Love!  God rejects the people for their sins and still remains hopeful they will come back to Him and says they will come back to Him. 

Electing or Sovereign Love of God:  Eph. 3: 

Gen 29: 28 vs 31; Rom 9 Jacob God loved and Esau God hated! So why? God has some sort of preface for the distribution of His love. He loves them both, but one more than the other. So the % of the difference is so vast it seems like hate as in a comparison.

Three types of love 

Benelavence means good well being, the opposite is menelavance which is to with evil on someone. Luke 2:8-20 The Shepard’s song of glory to God in the highest, peace, good well. This is benalavence, God’s good well to us, then how we are to be toward others. God’s only will is good, and this is His attitude toward us as his created beings. Ezec. 33:10f; this is where Frances Schaeffer got his idea of “How then Shall we Live?” 

Beneficence love is doing good actions flow out of good will. Matt. 5:43-48 love is a verb here where we normal classify it as a noun. It is love as an idea verse love as an action, what we do come out of what we are. 

The word arus does not appear in the NT, but the writes would have been well aware of it! It is erotic love as in the temple prostitutes and even though the Greek philosophers used it and cleaned it up so to speak, it is necessary for us to know of it for reason of contrast and that there are different and very different levels and interpretations for love. 

Agape is the ultimate form of love. Jesus says to Peter do you love me more than me, and Jesus calls Peter Simon! The word agape is used. Peters answer is yes and you know I do, an almost rebuke, but Peter uses the word phelo. Although John uses both words interchangeable and thus the two words for love in their context can be the same or it can be a contrast, perhaps both. I believe it is a contrast and peter is still coming in to maturity and ownership of his faith. This was Jesus final personal challenge to him. So an inference by the tree time the question is asked that Peter is missing the point. And Peter does follow Jesus and is even martyred for the faith. Remember we too have the same call to Love and the giving of ourselves to Christ and the people of God! 

I Cor 13, love cannot exist when the opposite traits are ruling us, love cannot be in the same parameters as love… 

What love is not is as important as what love is!  

In society it is our performance that gets peoples attention and respect. Most commentators during the Clinton scandals said what he did on his off time did not matter. Thus, if you are an actor or a president and have illegitimate children, cannot not manage your personal life and have a string of affairs it does not matter. But in Christianity performance is secondary, because it is our love that matters. And our character and behaviors will flow from our love, so we can manage our lives effectively and godly. Love cannot exist when the opposite traits are ruling us, so love cannot be in the same program parameters as love. If we are envious we cannot love. 

Just look at envy and how destructive it is. It cases us to desire what we do not have then takes it further to violence and destruction such ad vandalism; can you imagine Jesus acting that way? 

Love does not parade itself, this is what animas do to attract a mate, it is our vile fallen nature that exhibits this, to puff ourselves up as we are then main show as we are all that. When it is Christ who is all that.  This is hard for us to do, to do seek others ahead of ourselves even a spouse or family member. So seek their insets and what they want over ourselves, but this is what Jesus does. “Not my will but yours father”. This is not being naive, but modeling Christ like behavior. 

God is not calling us to have a child like faith, but a faith in maturity. Yes there are aspects of child likeness we are to emulate and that is the trust and acceptance, but as paul say as a child I aced as a child….! 

No matter what we do if we do not have love we have nothing! 

This is a reflection of God’s love. What love is not is as significant as what love is. 

(See RC book Loved by God; J Edwards book on love charity and its fruits) 

As we are the mirrors of Christ, He is seen by who we are. When we stand up for the faith and act in good character, people will come against us with gossip and slander because their plans become disrupted and their desires are found guilty. But, when we remain faithful, regardless of the circumstances, they will see virtue and honor in action and, thus, have a glimpse in God’s character and call even if they reject Him and seek to kill us. There will be times when it seems our efforts are weighted because people do not listen or do not repent. But, they are not. Each action we share is looked upon by others. We are watched! So, when we live to honor God, people will have the example they need to accept His grace or reject Him. We may never see the fruits, but they are there. We have a God who will judge and return, so let us get busy and make sure all those who come across our path see Him in us!

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What Does it Mean that God is Love? PII

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Biblical Guy

God’s Love is Defining  Apr. 9 

John 13:34-35; The distinguishing characteristic of Christ’s followers, Our standard is Christ’s love for us.  (cf.); John 3:23; 4:7-8, 11-12, 19-21). Lev 19:18; Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27 

John 15:12-17: Christ’s love was not only in words but also in his sacrificial death 

John 17:25-26

On the whole, God’s love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him.  C.S. Lewis.

            Who is God and what is He like is a resounding question for the ages of humanity. Philosophers and theologians have pondered this for many ages since we were created. And we can know this for sure, who He is, what He is like and how does He express Himself to us? God’s love is defining, because it is who He is. It is a central character and attribute that He has that made and saves us. And His Love confirms the authenticity of us as His followers, because it is an attribute He calls us to emulate. 

It is natural to love them that love us, but it is supernatural to love them that hate us. 

A relative of mine tells of a story that happened During World War II, Hitler commanded all religious groups to unite so that he could control them. Among the Brethren assemblies, half complied and half refused. Those who went along with the order had a much easier time. Those who did not, faced harsh persecution. In almost every family of those who resisted, someone died in a concentration camp. When the war was over, feelings of bitterness ran deep between the groups and there was much tension. Finally they decided that the situation had to be healed. Leaders from each group met at a quiet retreat. For several days, each person spent time in prayer, examining his own heart in the light of Christ’s commands. Then they came together. 

Francis Schaeffer, My relative who told of the incident, asked a friend who was there, “What did you do then?” “We were just one,” he replied. As they confessed their hostility and bitterness to God and yielded to His control, the Holy Spirit created a spirit of unity among them. Love filled their hearts and dissolved their hatred. 

When love prevails among believers, especially in times of strong disagreement, it presents to the world an indisputable mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ.  

Discussion on: 

Love, real love must take us beyond ourselves. It is unselfish and surrender and sacrificial as it was with Christ and how He showed His love for us! 

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 13 as how God is and how He deals with us. 

God is patient; do you realize how patient He has been with you and with the world? Patient means that our God is a long-suffering God. When God delays His judgment, this means He is demonstrating His love, grace, and forbearance for the consummation of His purpose. We are not swiped away when we deserve it, so let us praise Him for that. We are to take comfort in that He is a God of grace and mercy and is patient with us when we do not deserve it. He seeks our repentance and trust. Therefore, we have no need to be impatient or confused or allow the mocking or misleading of others to distract us from His purpose and plan (John 6:39). 

God waits for a reason that we can trust. He lives outside of space and time and is not governed by our physical or temporal laws of physics or humanity. For God, time is totally relative and in the scope of eternity, that God’s view and perspective of things is not our view and the converse thereof. This is an aspect of His sovereignty (Psalm 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:1-18). We have no knowledge of God’s timing! It seems that God is slow to us, but He is in absolute control and we can have patience and trust in Him and His timing. We are impatient with our thinking and expectations, whereas God is patient, allowing His grace and plan to work out. He did this with the nation Israel for thousands of years and He will do it in your life for your benefit. This aspect of His love helps us trust Him, to be obedient and wait actively in His Word and truth.

When God tells us that love is patient, He means love endures a long time. Love helps us endure extreme hardships, keeping our eyes upon our Lord. It is longsuffering, with the focus on accommodating others and not ourselves. So, we can give others room to grow, and time to accomplish the work that God is doing in them. When someone is abrupt with us, or when someone treats us wrongly, we are called to be patient, because we cannot have everything our way all the time, every time. We cannot allow ourselves to become angry when others fail to live up to the expectations that we set for them.  When our spouse angers us, or disappoints us, we are not to give up on him/her. Because God is patient with us, and God loves us, then, we are to show patience with others. We need not become angry, but be content, for this is love (James 3:17). Authentic Love endures, never giving up on others! 

Think back to what the Lord has done for you, so you don’t forget His grace, His provisions, and His answered prayers and blessings. We are not to be overcome with the struggles of the moment so we do not see how He has brought us through them in the past. We are to refresh our memory in Him. 

God is kind, When God tells us that He is kind, He means He looks for a way to be constructive and useful; He invests in us, and declares us valuable. He looks for the best in us. God takes the circumstances of our lives, and uses them in a constructive way for personal growth, and for better support for one another. God is not treating us as an object to be manipulated or controlled, because, He has given us free will too. We should do the same with one another. Therefore, we need to always be seeking the healing of relationships as he heal our relationship with Himself by what Christ has done.

We can respond by bringing out the best out of our friends and family by always treating them with kindness.

(Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:11-15, 32; Philippians 1:6; 2:13; 1 Peter 4:10; Hebrews 10:24). Authentic Love cares more about others than it does about self!

God does not envy, When God tells us that He does not envy, it mean that His has no jealously or resentment. He truly want the best for us, He wants us to succeed and grow. It means that God is in control, and He has a unique plan for you and me. He means we need to be happy for whom we are, and what we are, and what we can be.

We are not to be comparing ourselves with others, nor are we to be jealous, spiteful, or possessive of others, because, 

When we hear that a friend receives a promotion before we do, or gets something we wanted, we are to be happy for him/her. If we have a sibling who excels, we should be happy with him/her. If our neighbor has a brand-new car, we should be happy for him/her, and be thankful for the old wreck that we may drive. When our spouse is doing better than we are, we are to be happy for him/her. In other words, we are to be happy for someone else who has something we do not have, even if we do not like it.

We must not become possessive, or control freaks, especially where it concerns others and our relationship with them. Being possessive, and attempting to control others, will cause the destruction of a church very quickly. We will soon lose our contentment, and run ourselves off into that maze of despair, dejection, and desolation.

At the very least, this will compromise its effectiveness. Love is letting go of our desires and wills for a greater love we cannot receive on our own—grace (Proverbs 14:30; 1 Corinthians 12:15-16; Philippians 4:12-13; James 3:16). Authentic Love does not desire that which it does not have! 

God does not boast, When God tells us that love does not boast, He means we are not to go around bragging about our accomplishments and abilities. When this love is working, we will have no desire to impress others. Thinking that we are important is foolish, and distracting to our call and purpose in life. We are not to go around showing off our possessions. In so doing, we are patronizing to those who do not have such things. We are not to be so full of our accomplishments that we fail to see what others have accomplished.

Because God loves us so much, we should have no need to impress one another. We are not to condescend to our spouse, or anyone, for that matter, with pride, criticism, or contempt, nor are we to withdraw from them when we think they do not meet our approval.

We must allow God to impress us with His greatness, because He is God and we are not. We can so relax and enjoy who we are in Christ, and that we are approved by Him, we do not have to be in control or be the life of the party to feel secure. Nor, do we need the say-so of others since we have the approval of God, the Creator of the universe. Love is the security we have in Christ that needs nothing else for fulfillment (Proverbs 13:10; 16:18; Matthew 7:5; 1 Corinthians 12:25-25; Ephesians 3:18-19; 1 John 1:6-7). Authentic Love does not strut around! 

God is not proud, in that he does not condescend to us in what we deserve and that is death and judgment. 

When God tells us that love is not proud, He means we are not to have inflated ideas about our significance, or ourselves. Being vainglorious is having a conceited mindset—the quintessential thing that God hates the most—so we must not be that way—period! Christ means, we must be willing to be in relationships with all kinds of people, especially those outside our perceived likeness, such as background, and/or race. We must not let our fears hold us back from one of life’s most precious gifts, friendship. Not being proud means that when we make a mistake, we can own up to it, and we can admit that we are wrong. We can go to our spouse with open hands and seek forgiveness. Pride will create contempt, arguments, misunderstandings, resentment, loss of community, and indifference. Because God loves us, He is on our side, and wants us to grow and mature in His love. We do not have to have an inflated ego about the perceived importance of ourselves. We need to seek others first and their well-being, not our arrogance and egocentric mentality (Job 41:34; 2 Chronicles 26:16; 32:26; Psalm 10:4-5; 18:27; 31:18; 56:2; 59:12; 62:10; 73:6-12; 101:5; 131:1; 6:17; Proverbs 8:13; 11:2; 13:10; 16:18; 21:4; 24; 29:23; 30:13; Isaiah 2:11-21; 13:19; 16: 6; 23:9; Ezek. 28:2; Obadiah 1:3; 1 Corinthians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 5:12; 7:4; Galatians 6:4; –and these are just a few!). Love lifts up God, not us. Authentic Love does not puff up the giver, or parade itself!

God is not rude, When God tells us that He is not rude, He means that He treats us with respect and dignity, which we should return. Because God loves us, He sent His Son to cover us, and protect us from His wrath. Therefore, when we make everyday mistakes—or even the big mistakes—lightening bolts do not zap us. Because we are loved by Christ, we are not consumed by God’s wrath, as we deserve.

Our goal is to worship Christ with passion and distinction. When we are worshipful, we can seek to have good manners for people and property. We are to strive to model distinction and admiration for others.

We are to treat our friends, and especially our spouse, with the utmost dignity and respect. So, in return, we should not go around with pride or commencing judging, zapping others with evil looks, spitefulness, or condescending comments, thinking that we are “high and mighty,” and better than everyone else. Never think of yourself as the capstone or the most important piece of the puzzle, because you are not. We should be grateful that God chooses to use us.

In so doing, we are to work together and not be little dictators, especially in our relationships. Love cannot be in the same room with pride or apathy (1 Corinthians 11:18-22; Philippians 2:1-5). Authentic Love does not force itself!

God is not self-seeking, When God tells us that He is not self-seeking, He means that He does not take advantage of us. He strives to lift us and empower us to life one another up, never demanding or manipulating us to get His way. He is considerate and appreciative of our trust and obedience. He does not plot evil, or allow unwarranted or unnecessary abuse to get to us.

We are to give allowances for the shortcomings of others. Our call is Rather, we are to model Christ-like character so it is contagious and inviting. Because God loves us so much, He never had a self-seeking attitude. If He had, He would never have sent His Son on our behalf.

Every Christian must respect the rights and dignity of other people, and never force our will and thoughtless behaviors onto others. We cannot force expectations or demands to our friends, or our spouse. We need to be happy when others around us experience success and growth, and never be jealous. Love is the seeking of His truth, and finding a way to bring it to others (Proverbs 10:12). Authentic Love does not have a “me first” attitude! 

God is not easily angered, When God tells us that He is not easily angered, He means just that. He is not touchy, easily provoked, fretful, resentful, suspicious or oversensitive with us. Because God loves us so much, He did not allow His anger to wipe us out of existence when we so much deserved it. Instead, He allowed His drama of redemption to unfold throughout history, climaxing with the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 feelings. We are to be very slow to get angry, and we are not to let little things cause us to “fly off the handle.”

Understanding His love helps us see the debt we owe to Him and the unfathomable love and concern He has for us. We need to try to understand other people, and place ourselves in the shoes of another, respectfully. We need to listen, and not allow our hostile feelings to get the best of us.

We are not to let the sun set before we extinguish our anger with our spouse. Since God is patiently working in us, we should reciprocate with the Love put us in another’s shoes (Proverbs 12:16; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Matthew 5:22; Romans 12:19; Ephesians 4:26-18; James 1:19-21). Authentic Love is not touchy or resentful, and does not “fly off the handle!”

God keeps no record of wrongs, When God tells us that He keeps no record of wrongs, He means He is forgiving. He does not go around with a list, writing down our faults when we have repented. Because God loves us so much, He does not keep a scorecard of our sins as long as we honestly repent of them.

Rather, we are to look for the positive things that happen in our relationships, and to affirm others.

We are to seek reconciliation and forgiveness, never strife or dissention. We should not go around with a negative attitude, but, rather, with one that is positive, enthusiastic, and equipping to God’s people. We are not to keep track of the mistreatments we may receive from friends or our spouse.

We do not need to reflect or gossip about the flaws of other people in order to elevate ourselves. God refuses to do that to us. Love lets things such as resentment and anger go, so they do not build up and destroy us and our relationships (Matthew 18:21-35; Mark 11:25; Hebrews 13:21-21). Authentic Love does not keep a scorecard!

God does not delight in evil, When God tells us that He does not delight in evil, He means that He does not enjoy it when bad things happen to us. He feels our plight and acts upon it in His time, which is perfect. He is filled with compassion for us and desires that all of our relationships, especially those with our family and spouse are centered in Him.

When others plead or grovel, we should. We not only do not need to enjoy doing bad things to each other, but we must refuse to allow evil to happen.

We should feel badly when we see others being hurt. Compassion is one of God’s great characteristics, and we should strive to our fullest to model it to one another. We are to refuse to think evil, or let any harm come to them, by word, or deed.

Because God loves us so much, He is deeply grieved when we do not follow His example and His will. We are not to put others down in order to make us feel good about ourselves. Love is hurt even when an enemy is down (Isaiah 40:11; Matthew 9:36; 18:12-13; 23:37; Mark 1:41; Hebrews 4:15; 5:2). Authentic Love does not delight in evil!

 God rejoices with the truth, When God tells us that He rejoices in truth, He means He is concerned with injustice and desires it to be corrected. Since He is truth and justice, He rejoices and empowers us to personally stand up to the pressures of life, and prevail with integrity and truth.

Because God loves us so much, we should live our lives so that we reflect a God of truth and justice. Thus, we should find delight when we see justice being played out in others. He calls us to treat others with respect, kindness, and honesty, and this should feel wonderful. God’s Word is His love and truth. When we get into it and live it, we are showing Christ the Love He deserves.

As Christians, we should get excited when justice prevails, and we should be mad enough to do something when injustice occurs, and we see the rights of others being violated. We should stand up, and affirm and support our friends and spouse, never lie to them, or manipulate situations.

 (Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 2:17; James 2:1-9). Authentic Love takes pleasure in truth!

God protects, When God tells us that love always protects, He means we should allow love and trust to endure. We are to accept and stand with others, believing in the best in others. We can swallow the bitterness that some relationships can bring us by coating them with the sugar of love. With this kind of love, we can feel protected, and, in return, protect those around us. This does not mean we become security guards; rather, it means our actions and attitudes should be such that they project protection, and not destruction. Because God loves us so much, He does not forsake us, even though others may do so. People will always disappoint us, and we will always be disappointing to those around us, but God will never disappoint us. Love perseveres, and is an easier route than running off and abandoning relationships to which we have made a commitment. We need to be able to protect our friends and spouse, and realize that even though they will disappoint us, we should deal with it using the right, encouraging attitude. We should realize how much God is grieved when we fail to walk in His path for our lives, and when we do not trust His protection. Love is always on the lookout for the best interests and protection of others, where gossip and strife cannot function (Isaiah 42:2-3; Matthew 11:28-30; John 14-15; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; 7:6-7). Authentic Love has staying power!  

God always trusts, God always hopes,

When God tells us that He always hopes, we should be assured He will give us a future. We should be confident that when things are going bad, they will always get better, and that there is hope because our circumstances will always change. We should never lose hope. 

Because God loves us so much, He always has hope for us. God is patiently working in us, and when we understand what God has truly done for us, then, we should have as much hope as we could ever need.

We need to see the potential, and how we can bring our relationship with our spouse to a deeper level of love and commitment. Love will see the potential in other people, what they can accomplish and become, and not hold them back out of our jealously (Psalm 31:24; 33:22; 71:14; Jeremiah; Romans 12:12; Hebrews 6:11-12; 18-20; 17:7). Authentic Love always is enduring and points to the future!

God always perseveres, When God tells us that He always perseveres, He means that His love has staying power; it will last, and not fade nor weaken. Thus, we can have confidence in God to hang in there and keep us going strong, especially when things get tough.

Because God loves us so much, He will stand with us, and even carry us through our difficulties and upsets. Even when we feel we have reached rock bottom and have no hope, when we are filled with despair, God is carrying us because He loves us.

Real love will never fade or become obsolete. It will remain standing when all else has gone to ruin.

This love will destroy rumors, and gossip, and cause us to believe the best about one another until proven otherwise—by facts. We will be able to maintain our relationships with friends, and with our spouse, and not give up in times of dire stress and confusion. Love carries us to the ultimate hope, and points us to the cross, and the eternity to come. This love will show us that what we do and learn here on earth will echo for eternity (Psalm 86:12; Matthew 5:16; John 13:34-38 Romans 5:5; 15:7; 1 John 4:7-12). Authentic Love refuses to quit! 

God never fails. God is sovereign and in control! God’s mighty hand was in the environment and in humanity before the beginning of time, and continues today and on to eternity. 

These are His descriptions who God is, One that we can Love, One that we can trust, One that we can put our hope into, without question or merit on our part. 

Show me a church where there is love, and I will show you A church that is connected with Christ and connected with each other, and thus a church that is a power in the community. 

Whoever loves much, does much.  Thomas a’ Kempis.

The End

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What Does it Mean that God is Love?

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Biblical Guy

John 3:16; Romans 5:5-11; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; 1 John 4: 7-12 

For Network

The answer to this is quite simple yet so complicated. It is simple in that God plainly and clearly tells us what Love is. In these descriptions He gives us from His Word form various passages we can get who He is. We can understand that He is a God of love from what He tells us of His character and attributes. And then we know who He is more, we can grasp His love deeper, what love is and what He calls us to do within the meaning, submission, purpose, function, relevance, treatment and application of love. Such as that love is patient and kind and we are told what love is not, such as it does no brag nor is it rude. Love is as important what it is not as what it is. These are the parameters we have, knowing more about Christ and what He has done for us and what He asks of us in love. 

Simple, yes it is. But it is complicated because we complicate it with our tendency to not see His love, or not willing to understand it. Perhaps we have been hurt or jilted or never seen it expressed the way we wanted it to be. So we complicate it, and love for us becomes lost or stagnate in our understanding and application of love. Including how we worship Christ, run His church, treat our family and friends and even how we see ourselves and exhibit maturity and character. God is love and what us to see it and trust in Him for it and then model it and not be imprisoned by our false ideas or fears of love. 

Love is seen by the world as earned or dependant on how the other person teats or sees us. Love is defined by “The American Heritage Dictionary” as “an intense affection for another person based on familial or personal ties”. The world sees love as an emotional state or a favored relationship or somthing we have via incommon or euphemistic. The world even sees love as some form of perversion of sexuality or lust. But none of these are a biblical definition. For God, His love is not based on feelings or emotions or subjective ideas, it is not even earned because we could not do it. This is demonstrated by the fact that He gives love to us who are sinful who are unlovable. Because unlike our ideas of love, God’s love for us is purely unconditional and undeserved. Unlike the worlds love, God does not love us because we warrant it or we merit it or because in some way shape or form we are lovable or we make Him feel significant or satisfied. God simply loves us because it is His nature to do so. 

Jesus tells us in the Gospels that love is the greatest commandment, that we should love Him will the entirety of our being then we are called to apply that love to others around us (Lev. 19:18; Duet. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-32; Luke 10:26-27). What does this mean for us? Basically the veracity of love is it must be the prime factor why we are to function and thus must be the preeminence of all we do in life. Love is even the reason why we were created.  Love in the Greek verb is agapao, not phileo!  Phileo means, brotherly love, as in friendly affection; but, agapao means a deep commitment and devotion that comes from our willingness and our realization that it is a duty (1 Cor. 13). It is also a response of our gratitude for the love God gave us (1 John 4:19-21)! 

The purpose of love and God’s love for us is to encompass us, our mindset, feelings and actions, how we connect with Him, others and ourselves. We are to love with all we are—our entire personhood. Love is not just a part, or an aspect of who we are to be or what we should be—it is all. Loves meaning is to submit to His love and pass that love onto our entire personality—our thoughts, behaviors, and goals.  

Even in the Old Treatment, we are told that God is love by His actions and His call to us. The passage that resounds this is best is in Deuteronomy, it is called the “Shema;” Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deut. 6:4). This is the Jewish “confession of faith,” and sets the theme for life and our worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. That love is paramount and covers all we are and all that we should do in life, in service to God and others. Love is who we are and who we are to be. Because God loves us, we should have the motivation to love others (Rom. 5:8; 8:1-4; 13:8-10)! 

Love comes down to the question of, Who is our Lord (Psalm 110)? If Jesus is our Lord, love should not pose a problem for our life, as we will be centered on Him, be filled with purpose and meaning, and will benefit all those around us! When we grasp the real Truth, our private faith will become more real and more impacting; then, our public activities will be a blessing to others (Rom. 13; Phil. 2:1-11; Col. 2:2-3). When we love God, we will love our neighbor. If we do not love others, it is highly likely that God is just a convenience, we have not been really or fully convicted and our love for Him is not sincere! Our “truth” is made up, or misdirected; it is not real Truth and thus we have not real love! 

But consider this, God’s love is amazing when we conceder how we are as sinful beings and who He is as His Holiness! That we do not deserve His love yet we receive it anyway. We do not earn it or achieve it in any way or merit what so ever, yet it is there for our taking, only by what Christ has done in our behalf. 

How is God Love? 

Many people have said that God Himself is pure love, to the point that all of God is, is love. Leaving out the rest of His characteristics. All of humanity in all cultures and time have sought out the meaning of love and wondered is there a God and if so does he love and care for me? They have sought this truth through experience, emotionalism, experimentation, seeking desires to name a few. But without a real understanding, all we have is speculation. Then, a common excuse and objection I get so often for why I teach and promote doctrine, if God is love why do we need to know any more of Him. And others say isn’t all God is, is love? So I always refer people to the Scriptures as our source of absolute truth and the passage in First John that says, “God is love”. First it says God is of love (1 John 4:7-16), a love that comes from God. A love that goes beyond human love and understanding and proved by how he sent us His Son do live and die for us. God’s love and its meaning is pure unnatural sacrificial love that we are incapable of understanding or exercising, this is the love of grace of what Christ has done and given us. So for us to have/ receive this love we have been born and regenerated by God Himself, it is given to us, again without merit or earning!

The Bible itself tells us that God is love, as said by so many people over the centuries. But the Bible does not say all God is, is love. There is a difference, love is one of His many “essences” or “attributes” or sometimes called “substances” that He personifies. His love does not need to be attained nor does He need to attempt to attain as we do, nor do they reverse or regress as our understanding and application of love does. For us love is a possibility, for God it is continual, actual and real. His attribute of love is very important one, but it does not stand alone as that He is only love. His love is codependent upon His other attributes and nature such as His Sovereignty, justice, wisdom, spirit, consuming fire, righteousness, holiness, purpose and the countess others (Lev. 11:44-45; Deut. 4:24; 19:2; Psalm 7:9; Isaiah 6:3; John 4:24; Heb. 12:29; 1 Pet. 1:16; 1 John 1:5).

Each of His attributes are important and not subcategories of His love. At the same time, because He is love it is His activity and how He creates, Judges and rules the universe including His action for how He knows us, deals with us, and saves us which is unselfish on His part and unmerited on our part (Ex. 20:6; Deut. 5:10; 7:9; 10:18; 33:3; 2 Sam. 12:24; 1 Kings 8:23; 10:9; Psalm 89:28; 106:45; Isa. 43:4; 48:14; 54:10; 63:9; Jer. 31:3; Hos. 14:4; Zeph. 3:17; John 3:16-17; 14:24; Rom. 5:6-11; 15:30; 2 Cor. 5:14; Eph. 5:2, 25; 6:23; 2 Thess. 2:16; 1 John 3:1, 16; 4:10). And what this means for us is twofold. First we have a God who does sincerely, purposefully and constantly loves us, so we can trust Him and realize our election in Him and grow in our faith in Him. Second, we have a model for love that we can learn, imitate and seek to apply as He calls us to. God indeed is a God of love, the question is do we understand this and if so are we practicing this in our Christian life especially how we are towards others. We should be overwhelmed by His love as John was when by God’s inspiration penned the words that “God is love!” 

So when John said God is love, the verb “to be” which in English is: is, is the bridge between the subject and the predicate which can be an equal sign in some contexts, but in this context it is that it is saying God is so loving He is linked and overshadowed by His love. Remember we always examine Scripture in its context and to other passages that say the same or similar thing. His character is love but that is not all who He is, if so it is a big distortion to His other characters. It would limit Him to be a puppet on our behalf, a controllable God that we do not have to worry about holiness, wrath, judgment or His sovereignty. God is not made up of factions or schizophrenic where He is one part love and one part judgment and so forth, where His attributes are antagonistic to each other. Since God is pure His attributes are harmonious and equal in their scope and relevance to one another. 

God’s characters all have love flowing from them, so when He judges in His sovereignty He is doing it in love. We may not fully understand this until we are called home; nevertheless, all of God’s actions and motivations are based in love. God’s love is holy, which means set a part and different form everything else in the universe. His majesty rises above all things; which keeps Him pure and separated from sin and evil. God cannot be contaminated, by us or any other fallen thing. This is why Christ was needed, to take His purity and impute it, place it on us, so God sees us as pure, that is the work of the cross.

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Preparing to Grow!

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Biblical Guy

(Sermon, Foothill 08-08-10)

Passage: Matthew 22:36-40:

 36″Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  And Mark 12:30 adds, and with all your strength….

Psalm 34:3;

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

6 teens drown in La. river during family outing!

(From Associated Press)  August 03, 2010 10:39 AM EDT

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Six teenagers wading in the shallows of a Louisiana river drowned in front of their horrified families after falling into deep water. None of the teens or nearby adults could swim.

A seventh teen, a 14-year-old boy, was rescued. Officials scheduled a news conference Tuesday to release more details about the deaths Monday in the Red River, in a popular recreational area where sand bars give way to 20-foot depths.
“They had one lifejacket here. As you can imagine, everybody started yelling for help,” said Caddo Parish sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindy Chadwick.

Shreveport Assistant Fire Chief Fred Sanders said he believed the victims, ages 13 to 18, included three brothers from one family and a sister and two brothers from another.
“They were out here with some adults. But unfortunately, neither the children nor the adults could swim,” he said.

Swimming skills can be scarce among African-Americans like the teens in this tragedy. A study commissioned by the sports governing body USA Swimming found 69 percent of black children had low or no swimming ability. Segregation kept blacks out of public and private pools for decades and the disparity continues because many poor and working class children have limited access to pools or instruction.

Sanders said victims’ names may be released Tuesday, after the department is sure relatives have been notified.

The teens had started playing in a familiar area but ended up at a spot in the river where the bottom fell suddenly and that’s where divers found the bodies, Sanders said.
Marilyn Robinson, a friend of the families, told The Times of Shreveport she watched helplessly as the victims went under. She said a large group of family and friends, including roughly 20 children, were out at the sandbar to barbecue and have a good time. They frequent the area and were familiar with the water, Robinson said.

“None of us could swim,” she said. “They were yelling ‘help me, help me. Somebody please help me.’ It was nothing I could do but watch them drown one by one.”
Sanders said he did not know whether one teen fell and pulled down others, or if they were trying to rescue each other.

It took more than three hours to find all the bodies, he said. “It’s devastating,” Sanders said. “To my knowledge the city has never experienced an incident of this magnitude.”

Rescue crews were delayed a bit because the accident was reported as near the Jimmie Davis Bridge but was nearly a mile away, Sanders said.
The families were in a recreational area of the Red River that has sand bars, Sanders said. The park is a popular picnic and fishing area and some people do go wading.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 
Such a heart wrenching tragedy, the story goes on to say The sheriff and responders stated that living in that area, they should have known better and aware of the dangers. The officials and reporters in that area stated they should have learned how to swim or at least have more than 1 life vest for 7+ people… We can see that blame can be placed on so many areas, yet the loss to these families is unmanageable as well as needless.

When we fail at our faith and forfeit our purpose in our lives and our church we will fall off a sandbar that we think can support us into a water we think we can wade in, yet all we will do is go down and drown too. Not literally, unless you have a very bad plumbing problem…but the tragedy remains and the ripples of that pass on to many generations. We need to learn how to swim with our faith, pay attention to signs like the precepts of God’s Word and take precautions to engage in life, faith and church. We have to keep the main mission up close and our focus on our Lord, and this Matthew passage sets that focus very clear.

In this passage, Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy, called the “Shema;” Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deut. 6:4). This is the quintessential Jewish “confession of faith,” and sets the theme for Jesus call and for the building of one’s faith and church. This is how you build a life and a church! This passage was memorized and recited frequently at worship services in the Tabernacle and then the Temple and today at virtually every Synagogue. It was and still is quoted by every Jew every day during prayer time, and thus became just mere rhetoric over the centuries until Jesus takes it back as the Command of God. The command that we can take to the streets of faith and life and church!

Love, Heart, Soul, Mind and with all your Strength are the imperative commands that form the heart of the Law (Lev. 19:18; Duet. 6:5). The purpose is to encompass; we are to love with all we are—our entire personhood. It is not just a part, or an aspect—it is all. This is a responsibility to love God at the forefront of everything else! Because, the law is the light that God turns on to show us how dirty the room is, and Jesus is the broom that sweeps it clean.

How are you Preparing to Grow?

Grow as in growing in our Lord and preparing this church as the magnificent vehicle and venture for the Kingdom f God! What we need to know are some of the basics of how to prepare your church for growth, and to be your best for His glory. To take Our Lord’s greatest commandment and place them in our lives so they flow out from us and collectively create the synergy to build this church, your church, His Church.

The programs that are active like your small groups and worship team, BARF, the potlucks and the sermons and… the programs that are potential, like a mid week Bible study or and outreach or whatever you envision and dream, it can be achieved and be a Light to the community as we follow Christ and His call.

 Let’s look at the key words in this passage like prime factors that are essential to build our faith and church: Love, Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength!

Prime Factor One, Love!

Love. The Greek verb is agapao, not phileo!  Phileo means, brotherly love, as in friendly affection; but, agapao means a deep commitment and devotion that comes from our willingness and our realization that it is a duty, a character and a choice (1 Cor. 13). It is also a response of our gratitude for the love God first gave us (1 John 4:19-21)!

ILL: FB hurting ex pastor lashing out dude… he has “lost that loving feeling”…and all he can do is criticize and condone to make himself feel good. How sad is that many of us do that and this is what drives people away…

From what I have seen from research and experience in doing church, we are in trouble. Our church families are being torn apart as if we were in a war, and each one of us were a faction, reeling in our hurt and expelling out our anger. Instead of place of love and doing our best in living in Christ’ presence, we are in contention. Thus, many churches are places where hurting people hurt other people, creating unhappy and disillusioned people, living a pathetic life instead of a triumphant life because they are miserable or disconnected. People in my church and even people in my family are in this trouble-perhaps in yours is too. This may not be your problem, but it is still a potential issue and this is what so many people are dealing with, no real love in their lives. The Good news we can rectify this…

God’s Theme and call for us is a Love that is Genuine and Stable:
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35

This passage should be known to you or me, but its practice may be new or difficult. Consider this; the distinguishing characteristic of Christ’s followers is that we are deeply and eternally loved. The application to this is that our standard of love must be Christ’s love for us flowing in us and through us and out from us (John 3:16, chaps14-15).

In ancient times and in modern times a seal is what confirms the authenticity or genuineness of something, like Kings of old sealed their letters with wax and made an impression with their signet ring, or when you install your new Microsoft program you have that multi digit code to put in. This is to insure what is sealed or sold is the real deal… in God’s economy and packaging, Love confirms the authenticity of Jesus!

As Thomas à Kempis, stated, Whoever loves much, does much! How much God so loved you…how much He so loves your marriage…how much He so loves your family! How much He so loves this church, your church, His church and the other people who are here! When you love much, you will be much and you will do much, you will do so much more in your life and in others’ lives as well.  Love confirms the authenticity of Jesus’ followers!

Prime Factor Two, Heart!

Heart, considered the seat of emotions in ancient times, but here it is more of a call to be genuine. The Bible uses the term “heart” to represent the center of your motivations, desires, interests, and inclinations. The act of faith comes from our motivations and then through our mouth. The heart gives what it means from what we believe. The mouth confesses it and makes it real to others (Ex. 20:1-17; Duet. 30:1-6; Lev. 18:2; Jer. 31:31-34).

We come to know truth not only reason, but still more so through our hearts. 
B. Pascal.
The heart has its reasons that reason does not know.   
B. Pascal.

Ill. “Cross my heart and hope to die

The true believer is the one who bases all their life,” IT ALL”, upon Christ, with full trust and assurance by faith and obedience (Gal. 2:20-21; Col. 3:1-3). With our Heart we can listen to our real passions to understand what God might be calling us to. Your heart determines why you say the things you do (Matt. 12:34), why you feel the way you do (Ps. 34:7), and why you act the way you do (Pr. 4:23).

Physiologically, each of us has a unique heartbeat.  Each person has a slightly different pattern.  Likewise, God has given each of us a unique emotional “heartbeat” that races when we encounter activities, subjects, or circumstances that interest us. 
Thus, another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects that you feel passionate about and others that you couldn’t care less about. But collectively we can put it all together in synergy!

Prime Factor Three, Soul!

Are you an offering to God? Has the Christian faith impacted all of you, who you are as well as what you do?  Soul here is also a term for the seat of our emotions, but also a call to love the Lord without pretense, to not be a pretender. To not be merely academic or dry or antiseptic, but allow love to be expressed emotionally and intimately. 

A person who calls himself frank and candid can very easily find himself becoming tactless and cruel.
A person who prides himself on being tactful can find eventually that he has become evasive and deceitful.
A person with firm convictions can become pigheaded.
A person who is inclined to be temperate and judicious can sometimes turn into someone with weak convictions and banked fires of resolution . . .
Loyalty can lead to fanaticism.
Caution can become timidity.
Freedom can become license.
Confidence can become arrogance.
Humility can become servility.
All these are ways in which strength can become weakness.
Dore Schary, Bits & Pieces, December 9, 1993, pp. 3-4.

Real Devotion is rooted in how we react to what Christ has already done and continues to do for us. It is the commitment to “keep the law of the LORD your God or for us to focus on God (1 Chron. 22:19).” It is the application of our faith with discretion and understanding. To allow God’s light to shine on your dirty stuff and allow His Son by the Power of the Holy Spirit and our due diligence, sweep it away… We have to keep His laws and His percepts now in order to be devoted, heart and soul, to Him.

Christ is the noun and object of our devotion. We are to be the verb (the action), and our distinction and function in doing so is the adjective (accomplishments of trusting and obeying Him). We have to have something tangible upon which to place our devotion. If not, we will fill that need with other things that will slowly choke us from His most wondrous plans and opportunities! Fat sheep- skinny sheep….
 
Are you an offering to God (Psalm 1:2; Isa. 26:3)? Has the Christian faith impacted all of you¾who you are as well as what you do?

To mature in spiritual formation, we must have a desire to be impacted and then impact others with Christ who lives and works through us. This is not about certain times, places, or jobs, nor is it a doctrine; rather, it is an attitude that transcends from an idea to a lifestyle (1 Chron. 22:19; Isa. 26:3; Psalm 1:2; 34:8; Matt. 6:24; Rom. 6:13; 12:10; 14:7- 8; 1 Cor.10:31; Col. 3:1-3, 17, 23).
 
Our soul is Real heartfelt Devotion is being devoted to Christ because He is our all in all. It is aligning our personal desires, our plans, our worship, and our hope with God and His principles. It is an attitude more than an act, a pursuit to be offered to God to give Him glory through our pious, fervent, discipline to His Truth. Devotion is bringing our mind, our will, and our heart to God so our whole life is about seeking Him and His will. This is not about feelings; it is rather who we are to be. It is not about what is around us¾our circumstances and stresses; it is about who He is in us and our response to Him with our passionate pursuit.

Prime Factor Four, Mind!

Here our love to God is not to be mindless or silly; rather it is not just emotional it involves our intellect. Love can’t just be emotional or just academic, it has to be real. Romans chp 12 is the prime passage for this, where Paul calls us, his church folks and then urges us passionately that God’s will is to think rightly of His precepts. To think-through our Christian life and the call and precepts God has given. Then Paul pleads with them to make their faith real so it impacts others around them. Then he gives us all a simple way we can do this:

To see our life as an extension of God’s grace and hands, so we are willing and able to be lined up to Him, so we can be better used by Him. We are called to be a living sacrifice, which means we are to be living, growing and performing agents of God. We are not alone in this essential manner, as a Christian the Holy Spirit transforms us completely, all we are and then all that we are to do, our will, plans and our opportunities (2 Cor. 3:18). And we cannot do this unless we give up our selfish will over to His (John 3:30; Gal. 2:20-21; Phil. 3:1-14)!

Let the mind of the master be the master of your mind.  Source Unknown.

 And the incentive for us to surrender to Christ is that His Way is better than ours! His way to run the church is better than ours! He gave us a gift we cannot fathom, yet alone earn the gift of grace and eternal life, so why would we not seek to please our Living Loving Lord?  Then Paul tells us that God’s will is us being willing and able to please Him and serve Him. This is accomplished when we are on guard, that the distractions of the sinful life to not entice, motivate or divert us from Him and His plan for us!

The call is simple, be willing to allow God to transform you and not the world, simple yes, but it takes diligence of our efforts from the trust we have in Christ to succeed! When we do this our thinking, attitude, mindset, all that we are in thought, will change and then impact all that we do in life.

Renewing of your mind is changing our pagan or even faulty Christian mindset away from our selfish nature to His character. Until we do, the deeper things of God’s Will, will not be available to us. Real church growth will not be available to us. Our ideas and attitudes directly shape our values and lifestyle. To get it right, we are to be shaping our mind to God’s Word and then be the tools His uses to shape this church and community and world (Rom. 8:5-9; 13:11-14; 2 Cor. 4:18; 1 John 2:17). 

Then to be Transformed, allowing the Word and Work of Christ to put in a completely new operating system in us helping u to trust and obey. Did you know that the opposite of obedience is not just selfishness or laziness but rather, creating your own opportunities with zeal instead of the Lord’s. The point is to craft our Christian life and church with His purpose and plan. So we do not misplace our passions on the wrong things or on bad trends (1 Sam. 15:22; John 7:17; 13:17). We are to cling to His highest standard, not compromise to the flow of the group we hang out with (peer pressure). The Q is Will we obey? 

Prime Factor Five, Strength!

We have the empowerment of Christ in as well in front, behind, over and under and all around us to grow in faith and maturity regardless of hurts and circumstances. We have been given by God the strength to face any situation, trial, or peril to not only grow our faith and family but to grow our church family as well. It is the ability to react, knowing that God is in control, that He who is in me is greater than he who is against me. 

This can gives us the courage to build our faith and the motivation to say and do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. We are fueled with courage because God promises to help us and save us because of what Christ has done for us! It is allowing Him to work in us with strength, power, and conviction. Because of our saving faith, we should have the response of gratitude, willing to tell others about what He has done for us and what He can do for them. Fear and trepidations will not go away, but when we lean on Him, He will give us the courage for evangelism and teaching.

ILL: when we’re in Christ, we’re under a new law — the law of LOVE. To illustrate: In America there is a law stating a woman must take care of her child. So, a man comes to a new mother’s home. He says “Are you taking care of your baby? The Law says you have to.” The woman, tenderly holding her baby, said, “I don’t need a law to make me take care of my baby.” Why? Because she loves her baby! She feeds him, holds him, changes him because she loves him. I no longer need the Law because I’m under Christ — a law of LOVE.

In closing

Never just rest your faith in a simple sinner’s prayer and nothing else. Christ’s grace gets us the admission into the club, but what good is the club if we never use it. Or is we misuse it! So use the club, but do not just rely on its privileges!

What good is a church where Love, Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength are not flowing from the law of Love, Chris’s love! I grew up in a family where love was rarely expressed well and was more often perverted and I grew up in a church were love was absent, where the fruit of fallen humanities woes was full on. Do not let your homes and church be empty of love or have love practiced wrongly. Our faith and practice must be real, or we will find ourselves on that sandbar thinking we are OK, having fun, the time of our life then splash, we can’t swim, we have the excuses, we did not heed the signs and the tragedy is an empty heart and an empty church in a dimly lit neighborhood that so desperately needs us.

How to do this? Rely on Christ; be real in your faith completely! Then you have something wondrous to offer and build upon. Christ’s sacrifice must have reached in the depths of our personality, will and aspirations wholly, so all we are and strive to be in life is because what Jesus has done for us, then we can display that wherever we are at, including here (Romans 10:5-21). 

Let us pray!

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Developing a Purpose

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Biblical Guy

(Sermon 080110 Church of the Foothills)

(Psalm 57; 138:7-8; Prov. 19:21; John 15; Romans 8; 12:1-3; Phil. 2:1-18)

Psalm 57:1-2

 1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me.

Proverbs 19:21

 21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Matthew 6:33

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

There was a sign on a business door in 1963 that said: “Gone out of business. Didn’t know what our business was.” 

The question for us is, do we know what our business is? Our business of being in Christ and being His instruments of praise and reflection? Refection, as the moon reflects the sun, so we reflect the S.O.N…Our business of receiving His mercy and grace so now we have a reason to prevail in life, have a purpose?

Purpose, or otherwise said with adjectives is our reason for being, the point of our existence, the general idea of what do I do now with my life, our principle function, our rationale of why we exist (existential), our chief function (confessional), our intention and what use are we for anyway. Basically, this all means knowing who we are in Christ and what He has done for us, then acting out our relationship and redemption by being obedient to God’s will. It is the pursuit of God, the following of Jesus as Lord, so He becomes the driving force, inspiration, motivation, and reason for all we do in life. That is, we devote our life, character, virtue, Spiritual Gifts, abilities, and call so the best can be realized in all people and used in all situations. What use are we? A fantastic, dynamic and wondrous and formable use for God’s Glory, we are and we can be even more!

Do we have this Purpose working? To many Christians today are so preoccupied by the trivialities and stress’s of life, we miss the main thing. We act as though our needs and comfort were the chief requirements of life, or we are so imprisoned by our hurts and fears we do nothing. But if we are a Christian we have Christ, the Sovereign LORD of the universe giving us His mercy, seeking to direct our path, a God we can take refuge and comfort, so all that we need to make us really happy and content is realizing we are compete in Christ and we have Him to be enthusiastic about, we can pursue His Rightiouness.

This is the meaning of life stuff…by the way, the meaning of life is not about career, money, or power; it is about relationships, with God, with others, and developing faith and character. These are the only real things you can take with us that echo into eternity. 

ILL: I am from Monterey and lived, literally on a golf course, the 6th hole of Del Monte Golf course… when golf was brand new, One of golf’s immortal moments came when a Scotchman (they invented golf, you know that get a way or what Mark Twain said a walk well wasted)… he demonstrated the new game to President Ulysses Grant. Carefully placing the ball on the tee, he took a mighty swing. The club hit the turf and scattered dirt all over the President’s beard and surrounding vicinity, while the ball placidly waited on the tee. Again the Scotchman swung, and again he missed. Our President waited patiently through six tries and then quietly stated, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.  (Campus Life. )

What happens when we do not have a grasp on purpose? Apathy, Meaningless Pursuits, Idleness, and a Lack of Direction in Life, we become the ball that sites placidly on the tee…these are the opposites of our Lord and what He has for us. Apathy and misplaced priorities will have us Running from the call of our Lord will only leave us bankrupt and destitute spiritually as well as leaving us with no meaning in life, while those around us are dirty and confused what we are doing.

When we seek to fill our life with meaningless pursuits instead of seeking God, or dwelling on what someone did or did not do, especially as Christians, it will cause major stress and trouble in every aspect of our relationships, career, and life in general.

Remember,  there were Two people who betrayed Jesus after the Last Supper, one was restored because he repented, but Judas was not willing to abide; thus when his time came, he failed. His purpose became self-focused rather than Christ-focused, causing him to betray his Lord and a refusal to reset himself onto the Lord as Peter did. So, he fell away spiritually and literally.

Purpose in Scripture is usually stated as seeking after God or after God’s heart. This is not about salvation, because in salvation, it is God who seeks us. Rather, Purpose is our determination to place Christ first and foremost in our lives and allow Him to lead. If you ever took a gander at the Pauline Epistlers, Paul was a man of purpose, a man on a mission from God. He knew who he was in Christ and he knew in what direction God was leading him. Without argument or fear, Paul ventured forward in the purpose God had for him (2 Tim. 1:8-12).

He is a prime example for us today! Examples of the opposite of this were the wicked kings in Israel who sought their own plans and ways. They sought idols, neglecting and even fighting against the God who saved and redeemed them. We can see a clear pattern in the books of First and Second Kings where the kings who sought God were blessed and the people prospered. When the kings sought themselves and idols, they became wicked and evil, and the people suffered. (Remember, the people also had the choice to serve God; their punishments came to them by their own will and hand. There is never an excuse to negate our Lord! (1 Tim. 2:1-7))

A lot has been said about what the purpose or meaning of life is. Some say the purpose is up to each person to figure out, like the character Curly on City Slickers, that crusty old cowboy that Mitch, Billy Crystal’s character who was about a man dealing (poorly) with a midlife crisis sought so hard to gain his approval. And once he did, he asked Curly what he felt life was about, and Curly raised his index finger and said, “One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean (shit) poo. Then Mitch asked, “But, what is the “one thing?” and Curly smiles and points his finger at Mitch, That’s what you have to find out. Which would leave a normal person more confused… and dirty…

Then there are others who say it is what people do after they find out what their interests are. It is not enough just to live; we have to have something to live for, a hope and a direction that is imbedded in us as a prime purpose. This is how people succeed in life and business…this is what you will pay thousands of dollars for a private conversation with Tony Robbins, this is exactly what he will tell you…This is somewhat true…But, Jesus gives us a better and clear picture of His purpose for us, which is to acknowledge Him as LORD and worship Him. He is our meaning; He is our purpose (Matt. 16:13-20; John 14-15  As, 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ,[a] the Son of the living God.”).

Having a purpose in life—a good one that is—gives us the key to make something of our lives beyond our own situation and dreams. It moves us beyond hurts and doubts moves our rears and covers our fears. Real Christian purpose is rooted in our faith by Christ’s work on the cross. He is our purpose and the meaning of our life, both here on earth and for the life to come. When we have received His confession and have made it our own, then we can confess His wonder to others and God will use His Spirit to empower that confession as a small part of His revelation. Our daily life at home, work, school, and as we are out and about will be more real and impacting, because we will have a life that is worthwhile and have something to do and say (Phil. 2:5-8). 

News commentator Dan Rather has a good way of keeping his professional objective always in mind. He says he looks often at a question he’s written on three slips of paper. He keeps one in his billfold, one in his pocket, and one on his desk. It is a probing reminder that asks, “Is what you are doing now helping the broadcast?” 

Is what we are doing helping our broadcast, the Kingdom of our Lord, giving Him glory?

How can I do this?

1.  Focus on Christ as LORD. Set aside time each day to focus on the purpose for your growth and maturity (Psalm 119:130; Isa. 42:16; John 4: 23-24; 15), and then make it a priority. In doing so, you will be able to “go for it” with passion and vigor. Make sure it lines up with His precepts and not your wishes! Let Christ transform you through His Word and prayer. Attitude is essential!

2.  We must learn to yield to the Lordship of our God and not to the desires of our will. It means following His plans, not our own, obeying His will, not our own. When we do this, the discipleship process can begin. Our maturity and character development will commence and further develop. However, when we refuse, we will be the strife and conflict that gives Christianity a “black eye.” We will be the problem rather than the solution (John 3:30; Gal. 2:20-21).

3.  Discipleship is not just a curriculum it is a lifestyle. As we step into the lives of others, the purpose for loving them is simply because Jesus first loved us; then, we become instruments of His grace. This can start by our realizing that Jesus “authors” our faith, and teaches us how to run the race according to God’s will, His glory, His worship, and His purpose. Thus, we gain a deeper intimacy with our Lord as our Commander and Friend, as our God and our King and the provider of Grace, as our Love, and our reason for being. In His purposes, we find real contentment, joy, and fulfillment! This is summed up in this adage: we cannot be doing the work of God unless we are the people of God. We have to be growing before we can have a direction and before we can be effective! 

4.  We must realize our circumstances are temporary. Our life here and now is not the ultimate purpose for our lives or God’s plan. We are in the process of learning and growing. Our situations and relationships will grow and change, while new opportunities will be brought to us; but, most importantly of all, our ultimate meaning of life will have eternal treasure and results. We will be able to take our eyes off our problems, place them on Christ, and follow His lead for more impact and meaning in life that will bring more hope and contentment (James 1).

5.  Purpose will bring you a life that has a reason to it. God created you as special and unique; He gave you talents and abilities, and brings you opportunities to use them. Purpose will help you see these aspects, His call, and your prospects. Then you will be willing and able to put your faith into action for His glory. The side effects? A life that is more joyful and content! Yes, there will be ups and downs, but with the Creator on your side, any plans you may have had become insignificant; they would not bring you even close to a life that is meaningful!

Purpose has hope; it allows us to live with the perspective of eternity, so we are not bogged down in our dire circumstances. This moves us from the complacent Christian life to the purposeful Christian life, from just playing church to really being a church. It comes from understanding that God’s purpose and plan is to make us His children (1 John). He is the good Parent who guides His children and protects them. At the same time, He does not over-protect them so they lose out on life’s opportunities to please Him, to the ultimate good. Here, we are temporarily looking to the hope we have now and to come. Christ will see us through if we trust and obey to be in His way. Imagine the possibilities your life will bring to others and bring Him glory!

When we are growing, we will become contagious for the faith. We will then be able to witness because we will have something to say and something to model that people will want. When we are growing, we will become the Church that Christ designed, mobilized in Him to be welcoming and connecting to others for Him.

This is the Church Triumphant! Let us, as the Church Triumphant, adhere to His call and eagerly follow. Let us apply our faith and watch the growth and successes that result, and of being contagious to others! It all comes down to the decision to either make our faith real and impacting, being enthusiastic about Jesus and about our church, relinquishing our pride so we can learn, grow, tell, and teach others, or else planting our rears in the pew, thus making our butt print in that pew our only impact, an impact of a life of apathy and meaninglessness! Let us make sure our impact comes from a life transformed and carried on to the people around us! Let us follow Him and be His fishers of men (Matt. 4:18-19)!

John Wesley. Said, I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship, and the whole world for my mission field.  

In church leadership, purpose is essential; that means your church needs to have a good vision and purpose. Enthusiasm is also essential; this is how people get invited to come ad want to stick around. If you do not know where you are going in life and/or in ministry, you will not be able to lead others in a good way (Proverbs 29:18).
 
© 2004, 2010 R. J. Krejcir Into Thy Word Ministries www.intothyword.org
Philippians 2:1-18
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Philippians 2
Imitating Christ’s Humility
 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
 6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
      did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
 7but made himself nothing,
      taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
      being made in human likeness.
 8And being found in appearance as a man,
      he humbled himself
      and became obedient to death—
         even death on a cross!
 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
      and gave him the name that is above every name,
 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
      to the glory of God the Father.
Psalm 37:23
 23 If the LORD delights in a man’s way,
       he makes his steps firm;

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