Before It is Too Late

St. Louis, MISSOURI. A young girl is dancing to the music on the radio. She opens a jar and takes a tablet out of it. "How many would that be now? Well, they won't be that strong altogether," she thinks. The song on the radio stops and an advert shoots through admonishing people to join the church of their choice. She laughs. "Church? I'm much too young for that! First I want to live a bit!" For the time being Rock 'n' Roll is her music, and tablets are her life. "There's enough time left for serious things later." She grabs one more tablet, then another one, and another one. Minutes later she falls to the ground. Her dizzy head realizes that she had one tablet too many, and there is nobody at home who could help her now. If she could only make it to the 'phone to call her best friend ... just a few more steps ... but she can't; her life ends just a few centimeters from the telephone. She was only fifteen years old - too young to die ...

San Francisco, CALIFORNIA. A young man is standing in front of the mirror, combing his hair for an exciting night out on the town. He is so excited that he can hardly look straight ahead. "This is the night I will really have a great time," he is saying to himself. He opens his can of beer and makes his way to the car. Now his fun has just begun! While he is driving, he notices a big advert: "God forgives. Let Him." He only reacts with shrugging his shoulders. Maybe, one day, he thinks - but not tonight. For now he is only thinking of all the girls and the party he is going to join in only five minutes. Suddenly, out of the blue, a car is coming towards him. He is driving far too fast to be able to stop in time. And there is no way out! The accident wasn't his fault really, and yet they are pulling his mutilated body out of his totally wrecked car ... This is the place of his death ...
Houston, TEXAS. A young mother is angry that she has to get up so early on a Sunday morning to prepare breakfast for the family. The eldest of her children puts the television on. Jimmy Swaggart is on the screen, singing songs of worship to God. For a minute she listens, quite interested. But then, the baby starts to cry in its chair and the three year old is pulling on her apron to get her attention. "Who, with three little kids, can find time for God?" she asks herself. There is no time to go to church or to read the Bible. Not even if you really wanted to!

The song starts to annoy her and she shouts at her eldest child to switch the television off. Finally, breakfast is over, the baby has fallen asleep and the other two are playing outside. She sinks into a chair for a little while and lights up a cigarette. She tries to rest a little bit and flicks through a Sunday magazine, but she is so exhausted that in the end she falls asleep. The lit cigarette falls out of her hand onto the paper. Before anybody can reach her she is engulfed in flames. There was a bit of smoke and fire damage in the house, but the family is without a wife and a mother ...

New York City. He smiles as he puts the last bank note into his wallet. There was no doubt - he had made himself a lot of money and he had done it all by himself. He is in the latest edition of "Who's Who in America" in case you want to read more about him. But this venture is one of the biggest so far. By accomplishing it he can have a very good life indeed for the rest of his days.
From now on he can retire from active business without facing financial problems. He is booking a flight from La Guardia to Florida. There he will meet five of the leading businessmen in the country who are interested in the deal he has set up. On board the plane he flicks lazily through a magazine which somebody must have left on the seat. He is surprised to see a drawing of Jesus on the cross. His thoughts go back to his childhood on the farm, to Sunday school, to the stories his teacher told him about Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. His heart is moved, but only temporarily. The excitement about the big deal is coming back home to him. This other thing can wait, he keeps telling himself. "I know I should do something about my spiritual attitude, but I'll have plenty of time to think about such things, whenever this big deal is settled." How was he to know that the plane would crash only thirty miles from its destination! And there were no survivors ...

A farm in Israel (2,000 years ago): He had a better harvest this year than ever before. All the barns were filled and the whole day he had been working on plans for new and bigger barns. Now he would be able to sit down and rest and enjoy life. "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?" (LUKE 12:20).

Heaven can wait? You can live your life however you want and you can convince yourself of having much time. You can have plans to seek Christ as your Savior - but not today. There may be more important or amusing things or so you may think. And yet heaven can wait. Can it really wait? It won't be your destination unless you have prepared yourself by active faith in Christ.

What it Takes

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What Church Should Be 06/27 by RobCunningham | Blog Talk Radio

What Church Should Be 06/27 by RobCunningham | Blog Talk Radio

Fathers Are

Fathers are to be honored, respected, and obeyed -- Honor and respect your fathers by obeying them (as long their commands are not against God's commands) and you are promised to "live a long life on the earth."





Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”



Colossians 3:20 (NIV)

Children, obey your parents in everything [as long as their commands do not contradict or go against God's commands], for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers are to discipline their children -- Do not complain when your father disciplines you because your father should discipline you out of love, and because he is commanded to do so by God.



Deuteronomy 8:5 (NIV)



Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.



1 Timothy 3:4 (NIV)



He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)

Fathers are to instruct their children -- We are to be trained by our fathers so that we may become strong and mature Christians.





Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.



Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Fathers are to love their children -- Fathers are told in the Bible to love their children.





Psalm 103:13 (NIV)

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.



God as our Heavenly "Father" -- We are all called the "children" of God. The Bible also shows how God can have similar roles to human fathers.





1 John 3:1–2 (NIV)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.



Romans 8:16-17 (NIV)

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.



Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV)

My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.



Happy Fathers day especially to the greatest Father, our Father in Heaven, Happy Fathers Day to All Fathers. A blessed day to all.

Why Do We Suffer As Faithful Christians?

If we are Christian and try to live a life of good, it is natural to ask, “Why do bad things happen to Christians?” More to the point, if nothing happens that God does not cause or permit, why does He let His people suffer so much?



But if God does let bad things happen, then there is at least some comfort that He lets it happen. If we trust in Christ, we’re like Job because God puts a protective hedge around us (Job 1:10). And like Job, even when God lets the hedge down for a while and Satan attacks, he cannot go further than God allows (Job 1:12; 2:6). So, why let the hedge down at all?



Paul didn’t live under the illusion like we often do that becoming a Christian’s going to make your life better. From a human perspective, his life got worse when he came to follow Christ (I Corinthians 4:9, 13b; II Corinthians 1:8).



In Romans 5:1&2, Paul tells us that God really doesn’t let bad things happen to Christians—not in the end anyway—not the worst things that could happen to us. The truth is it’s all going to work out in the end, even if it doesn’t in this life. God sent his Son Jesus to the death of the cross so that we would never be eternally separated from Him.



But that’s still future. What about now? And so Paul makes a second point: God uses suffering to accomplish His will in our lives—to where we can even rejoice in our sufferings (v.3). Now, it’s ok to say, “I hate this and I wish God would take it away.” But even if God doesn’t, Paul says: that you can find great joy even in the midst of your suffering. Why? Because suffering produces perseverance and character which ultimately leads you to the hope that does not disappoint.



Through prayer, mediation on the Word, and suffering great believers are made. Paul explains in II Corinthians 1 some of his sufferings, but now he’s grown! His faith is stronger and it’s because of the sufferings (v.9).



Some believe “God won’t give us more than we can handle.” Not true. It is misunderstanding what God says about temptation in I Corinthians 10:13. God uses suffering in our lives to show us we need Him—not just to go to heaven—but to make it through each day. God doesn’t want us to figure out the answer to suffering so much as to see that He is the answer even as we suffer.



We’re never going to find a satisfying answer to this question. When God finally speaks to Job, He never really answers the question, “Why?” And yet, Job seems to be content with that because it’s personal, not theological.



God says in Isaiah 66 that as a mother comforts her child so He comforts us. When there’s pain and suffering she doesn’t lecture that suffering is for the child’s good. Instead, she picks up the child in her arms and holds it close: “It’s ok—mommy’s here.” And slowly but surely, the child feels better. The child still doesn’t understand, but it’s got mom and that’s all it needs.



So, you may not get the answer to the question “why”, but Paul says in Romans 5:5b: “God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us”—a reference to Baptism.



You’re God’s child! You can rejoice in suffering—not just because it brings perseverance and character—but because you’re still wrapped in His arms: “It’s ok. I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” He’s demonstrated His love in this: “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8b). See, if you’re suffering, God doesn’t give you answers, He gives you Himself.

Broken Vessels

Fill me up, Lord,

With your Holy Spirit,

Pour your anointing oil

Into this broken vessel

And watch your love light radiate

Through my many cracks and fissures.

Let the world see

Your power and glory

Through me,

For God loves

Broken vessels, so

God truly loves me and

God truly loves you too.

The Bishop and I

Truly, the way God works is amazing and incredible beyond what the human mind could ever comprehend or express. To say that I was greatly impressed by the Bishop is like saying that the rain is wet. Bishop Moore was everything you would expect in a Bishop and great Man of God and then some. His presence commands an err of respect while at the same time his heart of Christ lets you know that he is not only approachable but also full of love and grace. By dress he appeared to be ready for the cover of GQ magazine. His manner of speech could go from intellectual to being able to speak to the modern teen and even a gangster and relate equally as well with all. Seldom have I felt Jesus radiating from any man as powerfully as I did from Bishop Moore. Yet, his spirit was humble, accommodating, and comforting while at the same time expressing that indeed he was human too. Refined but with others in mind is the best way to describe Bishop Moore.



As I have expressed many times before, I am far from the traditional Preacher. Though having lived in Michigan for 13 years now, my southern accent is as pronounced and evident as ever before. Because I have been unable to work for a couple of years now due to health issues and the fact that my weight has greatly fluctuated due to this and recently discovering I am diabetic, my wardrobe is greatly lacking. What I managed to piece together as business apparel greatly paled in comparison to Bishop Moore. Because of his refined nature and sophisticated style, the Bishop came bearing gifts. Because of being such a country boy, my idea of an awesome greeting is a big smile and a firm handshake. I did feel bad at not having gifts for the Bishop but he was kind enough to tell me not to feel that way. This definitely was in every aspect two completely different worlds coming together to meet in the middle for the Body of Christ and the glory of almighty God.



Interestingly enough, though we came today from two different worlds, the fact stood out above all that in so many ways Bishop Moore and I think very much alike and share the same Holy Spirit inspired visions. We both have experience in leadership and management and share the same philosophy on our visions, doctrine, and belief in Jesus as well as Christianity and what the Church should be in contemporary times.



Yet, it is our differences that shall be our strength moving forward. First of all, you have the obvious racial differences which are not seen as differences by the Bishop and I at all. Yet, contemporary society is still very much affected by the strongholds of racial prejudice from all races though, very thankfully, far from all people. There does seem to be a constant and unwritten rule that black people do not belong in white churches and white people do not belong in black churches. It is no coincidence that Bishop Moore has a unique understanding of the world of a white person and I have been blessed with a unique understanding of the world of black people. Most of my closest friends from childhood, especially those I still have the priveledge of calling friend today are black. God sees no differences in us but rather sees whether or not Jesus is in our hearts. It is time for society as a whole to see the same. Bishop Moore and I are going to build a powerful and far reaching ministry the likes of which has never been seen before. I can not stress enough, all glory to God.



Bishop Moore comes from a long line of Preachers. I come from the Mississippi delta and a dysfunctional family. Bishop Moore has a Masters and Doctorate in Theology. I have an Associates of Art in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Bishop Moore has been a Bishop for a number of years. I have been an Ordained Pastor for a little over a month and was called into ministry less than two months ago. Yet, the Holy Ghost brought us together to be partners and grow a ministry that is going to break strongholds, lead countless lost souls to Christ, start a Nation wide and Worldwide Revival, and glorify God at all times. How truly awesome our God is in every way and beyond what any of us can even comprehend.

The Time Has Come

Today I meet with Bishop Moore about our partnership in ministry and God's plans for the future. It indeed is a very blessed dream come true. Truly, I see the Holy Spirit provided goals of the Church being fulfilled and more. Bishop Moore is a great blessing and he and I share the same vision. It is a very exciting time and I can truly feel the revival starting now.



Please know that as we grow so shall other ministries because the vision is that the purpose of reaching the top of the mountain is to lift others up as well. There are many out there and indeed among us who are hurting, lives in crisis and despair, financially ruined, grieving, and feeling lost and hopeless. God is putting His plans together so that we may do something about this together as a family and as one unit under God. One nation and one world under and with God.



The vision has always been to break strongholds and barriers. It has been and is to help others from around the country and the world. To bring light to those in darkness and comfort to those in need of comforting. It has been and is to transcend all barriers of gender, race, social status, ethnicity, etc... God has brought to us some of the most faithful and Holy Spirit filled women Pastors and leaders from around the world. In terms of racial barriers, we have from the very beginning stood together without even seeing racial differences as indeed is how God wants us to be and I am so thankful to you all for and about. Now, Bishop Moore and I have formed a partnership to break those racial barriers from the street level forward. We are going to come together from all walks of life and all areas of the world to praise and worship the true Lord, Jesus Christ.



Please keep your prayers with us as we meet today and moving forward. Please know that you are all very dearly loved and a blessing beyond what words can ever say. The season has come folks and God's children from all over this globe are going to blossom, shine, and praise Him like never before. Have a wonderful and blessed day.

What is a Christian?

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Focus on Nigeria | WePay

Focus on Nigeria | WePay

Fathers Are

Fathers are to be honored, respected, and obeyed -- Honor and respect your fathers by obeying them (as long their commands are not against God's commands) and you are promised to "live a long life on the earth."


Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”


Colossians 3:20 (NIV)
Children, obey your parents in everything [as long as their commands do not contradict or go against God's commands], for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers are to discipline their children -- Do not complain when your father disciplines you because your father should discipline you out of love, and because he is commanded to do so by God.

Deuteronomy 8:5 (NIV)

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

1 Timothy 3:4 (NIV)

He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)

Fathers are to instruct their children -- We are to be trained by our fathers so that we may become strong and mature Christians.


Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.


Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Fathers are to love their children -- Fathers are told in the Bible to love their children.


Psalm 103:13 (NIV)

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

God as our Heavenly "Father" -- We are all called the "children" of God. The Bible also shows how God can have similar roles to human fathers.


1 John 3:1–2 (NIV)
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.


Romans 8:16-17 (NIV)
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.


Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV)
My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Happy Fathers day especially to the greatest Father, our Father in Heaven, Happy Fathers Day to All Fathers.  A blessed day to all.

The Church of the Risen Son

The Church of the Risen Son

Listen 2 My Radio / Radio Streaming - Free Account

Listen 2 My Radio / Radio Streaming - Free Account
All Christian All the Time!

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Blog Talk Radio Show

The first episode shall be focused on what Church should be as opposed to what it has become.
These are the short term and long term goals as provided to us by the Holy Spirit:

Short Term:

Prison Ministry by what of distributing bibles and Christian Materials. Cards sent to and visits with senior citizens in nursing homes
Support of STAND ministries and their work in schools
Support of Kenn and Tj's Tent ministry
Teach people how to read and how to read the Bible
Support Political Candidates who support God and a return to family values.
Taking the word to hospitals, children's hospitals and cancer centers to read to the patients, doctors and nurses.

Long Term:

Worldwide  adolescent centers for all youth that would be staffed with professional volunteers and where kids could come and not only be safe but be taught about God
To support and sponsor at least two major world missions per month
Building new senior centers that are run by volunteers and supported by ministry funds.
Funding political campaigns of those who support God and a return of prayer in schools
Fund legislation for a return of prayer in schools
Establish missions and churches worldwide

When God Speaks

Perhaps you are already aware of God's foundation law, Seedtime and Harvest. But for those who are not, it behooves us to start with an explanation: Seedtime and Harvest is the basis or foundation principle of all that God has done, created, is doing, or will ever do. It is without exception, the fundamental law or principle that He operates within, and all other laws of God operate within. In other words, no other law or principle operates outside of the law or principle of seedtime and harvest.

    Now would be a good time to note that God always operates within laws or principles. There is a very good reason for this. For every time God speaks or makes a statement, it does two things, it becomes fact and it becomes law. It can be said that every time God speaks, He creates. For instance, if it is Tuesday and God said it was Thursday, then it becomes Thursday! God's spoken word is the creative force of the universe, but this is another subject. Suffice to say, that when God says something is so, it becomes a law.

    It would therefore also behoove us to know something more about laws, or what a law is before we go any further. The most important thing to know about a law is that it is changeless. It is not a probability, something that happens sometimes. It is repeatable and finite. If a law is really a law, it is always so every single time, without fail. In other words, if it is a law, it will always be true. It is also appropriate to say that all truth, if it is in fact the truth, will be found and substantiated in God's Word. If it cannot be found and verified in God's Word, then it is not of God and therefore not true.

Let's listen to what God has to say about seedtime and harvest in His Word:
"While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night

Shall not cease."
Genesis 8:22
(New American Standard Bible)

    What God is saying here is: "Here is my foundation principle and law within which I operate. It will remain in force as long as the earth remains." One could logically deduce that the reason He is telling us this is He wants us to be about the business of learning what this principle is about and operating within it. He doesn't want us to even contemplate a time when we would not consider this law, or to consider the remote possibility that we could operate outside of this law, which we can't.

    It's a fact that everything we think, say, and do is a seed. It's a sobering thought that you cannot operate outside of this law of seedtime and harvest. (By the way, even the ungodly who are not a part of God's kingdom operate within the confines of seedtime and harvest. Seedtime and harvest affects everyone). So what do we know about this process and law, seedtime and harvest
?
The Multiplication Factor
First, seeds grow up, they mature. But that's not all they do, they also multiply. Think about it: Did you ever see a corn plant grow up and produce just one more corn seed? Of course not, it grows up and produces ears with rows and rows more corn seeds. Now, if you haven't made the connection yet with what this has to do with your life, let me help you. For if all that we think, say, or do is a seed, and seeds grow up and multiply, that is, produce many more of their own kind, then we'd better like the seeds we're planting, and make no mistake about it, like it or not, we're all planting. So we are all operating within this process of seedtime and harvest weather we like it or not!

Sowing Seeds Intentionally
But how does God want His process of seedtime and harvest used or applied? He wants us to use this process and law, with its multiplication factor, of sowing and reaping intentionally, for the good of His kingdom. He wants us to sow seeds according to His will. " But how do we know we are sowing according to His will" you may be asking? The answer is in the book of John:
    "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." (John 10:10) This scripture verse tells us how to identify our seed. Does the seed we are sowing come under the heading of killing, stealing, or destroying? Or does it come under the heading of life and life more abundantly? Let me give you an example: A seed of love (and God is love [I John 4:8]) is obviously a "life more abundantly" seed. It is a fact that love produces abundant life. Now a seed of hate conversely, destroys and is of the enemy.

    Let's think of some other examples: If you are a Christian, what seed did you sow to get saved? You got saved by sowing a seed of faith, obviously a godly seed. If you've been a Christian for a while, you may have sown monetary seeds into the kingdom of God. These are obviously godly seeds of which you can expect a harvest, that's the multiplication factor. But what if you sowed an ungodly monetary seed, spending your money on various forms of dissipation against the will of God? I'm sure you can think of many examples of this. Well, you can expect those seeds to multiply also, but you're not going to like the resultant harvest! For an ungodly seed, just like a godly seed, can only produce after it's own kind or reproduce itself. But don't forget the one corn seed, it's not just going to produce one more of it's own kind, it's going to produce many, many more, the multiplication factor.

    So first we must become aware of this process and law of seedtime and harvest. The next step we need to take is to start to sow seeds intentionally according to God's will. The beauty of this law and process God calls seedtime and harvest, is the multiplication factor. For where good seeds are sown for and into the kingdom of God, you can expect a multiplied harvest of joy and life.

Look how Jesus depicted the kingdom of heaven in the 13th chapter of Matthew:
(31) "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;
(32) and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." (Matthew 13:31-32)

    Be aware of the seeds you sow, are they godly seeds? Sow seeds according to God's will, and you'll be pleased with the harvest. And if you're not sure what seeds He wants you to sow? Just ask Him, He'll tell you.

Prayer Has

Prayer has divided seas, rolled up flowing rivers, made flinty rocks gush into fountains, quenched flames of fire, muzzled lions, disarmed vipers and poisons, marshaled the stars against the wicked, stopped the course of the moon, arrested the rapid sun in its great race, burst open iron gates, conquered the strongest devils, commanded legions of angels down from heaven. Prayer has bridled and changed the raging passions of man, and routed and destroyed vast armies of proud, daring atheists. Prayer has brought one man from the bottom of the sea, and carried another in a chariot of fire to heaven; what has prayer not done!

The New School Prayer

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.



We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen


If you aren't ashamed to do this, please pass this on.
Jesus said, " if you are ashamed of me," I will be ashamed
of you before my Father."

Not ashamed. Passing this on ...

Spiritual Warfare and the Christian Soldier

"The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted."
(Prov. 29:25)

Believers all over the world have become trapped in the snare of the fear on man. They are afraid to publicly show their faith; they are afraid to share the gospel with unsaved friends and coworkers; they are afraid to obey Christ when it may bring ridicule.


"Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;
In these verses, we see some men who were ensnared by the fear of man. They would not openly express their belief in Jesus for fear of losing the privileges of their religious positions. But ultimately, this showed that they sought man's approval above that of God, and they feared man more than God.


Let's see what God has to say of the fear of man in Luke 12:4-9.
4 "I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.
5 "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!
6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
8 "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God;
9 but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God."
Man only has power to harm in this life on earth. God controls eternity and has power to punish in hell and to reward in heaven.


"I, even I, am He who comforts you.
Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies
And of the son of man who is made like grass,
That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker,
Who stretched out the heavens
And laid the foundations of the earth,
That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor,
As he makes ready to destroy?
But where is the fury of the oppressor?"
(Is 51:12-13)

Man is powerless beside almighty God. We should live our lives with the ultimate goal of pleasing God in everything. Don't be afraid of what other people say and do--fear the Lord, who controls eternity. Let us stand up for God and be the true Christian Soldiers that He has called us to be.

Matthew 16:17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

Mark 4:19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

1 Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 2:2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Ephesians 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

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

Ephesians 6:10-17  ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Why Spiritual Armor?
Romans 13:12  The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Jeremy 46:3-4  "Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armour!"

1 Corinthians 14:8  For if a trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who will get himself ready for war?

Stand!
Luke 21:36  "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Malachil 3:2  But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?..

1 Corinthians 10:12-13  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Jude 1:24  But to Him who is able to keep you safe from stumbling, and cause you to stand in the presence of His glory free from blemish and full of exultant joy...

James 4:7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The Belt of Truth
Ephesians 6:14  ...fasten the belt of truth around your waist...

Isa 11:5  Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash round his waist.

Exodus 12:11  This is how you are to eat it [the passover lamb]: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand...

1 Kings 18:46  The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Ephesians 4:25  Therefore, put away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor."

Ray Stedman: "No Christian has the right to a private life. Our lives are to be lived openly before all men, transparent, a spectacle unto all the world. We have no private lives and we must not expect to have. This is basically and fundamentally wrong. Christians are to be demonstrations of the truth."

John 4:24  "God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Colossians 3:8-10  But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 ...They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

The Breastplate of Righteousness
Philipians 3:9  ...Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.

Isaiah 59:16-17  ...Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head...

Exodus 28:15  "Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions... Make it like the ephod..."

1Kings 3:9  So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.

Psalms 94:15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Proverbs 2:7-8  He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path.

Standing on The Gospel
Eph 6:15  ...your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Eph 6:15  ...as well as the shoes of the Good News of peace--a firm foundation for your feet.

Rom 10:15  ...As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

Imagine yourself standing barefooted in a rocky climate, like in the Middle East. You could move--ever so carefully--but without shoes you would be useless in battle. The weight of the other pieces of armor would only make your feet more sensitive if you had no protection. You would be a "push-over" for the enemy, as you would have no agility and be wincing in pain every time you attempted to move. This is why it is essential to have our "feet shod with the gospel of peace".

1 Corinthians 15:1-4  But let me recall to you, brethren, the Good News [Gospel] which I brought you, which you accepted, and on which you are standing, through which also you are obtaining salvation, if you bear in mind the words in which I proclaimed it--unless indeed your faith has been unreal from the very first...-- that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that He was buried; that He rose to life again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

This is the gospel as we have received it. It is foolishness to many, but life and light to those who believe in it and are willing to follow and be "included in" Christ's death. In practice, the Gospel means we are dead to our self-life with all of its lusts and instincts, and alive with new life in Christ. The good news is that by considering ourselves "dead men" in Christ, we can be put at peace with God in Christ. If we have truly died to self, then over time our instincts will be "dead" to the rocks and glass and thorns of this world which used to move us. Those standing on the gospel will not react in the flesh. Instead, we will move by God's Spirit with a protected disregard for such "fleshly" considerations, being "readied" by the "shoes" of the "death, burial, and resurrection of Christ", which is the Gospel that brings peace.

1 Peter 2:11  Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

Galatians 5:16-17  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

Romans 8:5-13  For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ...the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God... But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Isaiah 52:6-7  "Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation [Yeshua, Jesus!] who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"

The Helmet Of Salvation [Jesus]
Isaiah 59:16-17  And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation [Yeshua] upon his head...

1 Thesalonians 5:8  But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love; and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

Psalms 140:7  "O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation [Yeshua], You have covered my head in the day of battle."

Jesus--Yeshua in Hebrew--means "Salvation". Salvation is Jesus Christ.

Colossiansl 1:18  And He is the head of the body, the church...

1 Corinthians 2:16  "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Philipians 2:5  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...

1 Peter 4:1  Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5  Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Ephesians 4:14-16  ...We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The Sword of The Spirit - The Word of God
Isaiah 49:2  He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver.

Matthew Henry: "To the Christian armed for defense in battle, the apostle recommends only one weapon of attack; but it is enough, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. It subdues and mortifies evil desires and blasphemous thoughts as they rise within; and answers unbelief and error as they assault from without. A single text, well understood, and rightly applied, at once destroys a temptation or an objection, and subdues the most formidable adversary."

Hebrews 4:12-13  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

2 Corinthians 6:7  ...in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left...

Psalms 149:4-6  For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands.

The Shield of Faith
Ephesians 6:16  ...take the great shield of faith, on which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the Wicked one.

Psalms 35:1-3,9  Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."... Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation [yes, Yeshua again].

Psalms 3:2-3  Many are saying of my soul, There is no salvation for him in God. Selah. But You, O Jehovah, are a shield around me; [you are] my glory and He who lifts up my head.

1 Peter 1:5  ...who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Psalms 33:20  We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

1 Timothy 6:12  Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 John 5:4-5  For every child of God overcomes the world; and the victorious principle which has overcome the world is our faith. Who but the man that believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world?

Proverbs 30:5  "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."

Be Strong In The Lord, By the Power of Grace
1 Corinthians 16:13  Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

2 Timothy 2:1  ...Be empowered by grace in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:7  ...I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me, according to the working of His power.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Colossians 1:11  Since His power is so glorious, may you be strengthened with strength of every kind, and be prepared...

Philipians 4:13  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

The Battle is The Lord's
1 Samuel 17:47 [David, speaking to Goliath] "Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands."

Deuteronomy 20:3-4  ..."Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be faint-hearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

Psalms 18:32-35  It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.

Zecariah 4:6  ..."'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty."
Rom 11:36  Because of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.Spiritual Warfare: The Battle for God's GloryWinning Spiritual WarfareThe Handbook for Spiritual Warfare: Revised & UpdatedEveryone's Guide to Demons & Spiritual Warfare: Simple, Powerful Tools for Outmaneuvering Satan in Your Daily Life

Wlaking Closer With Jesus

"Behold, I give you POWER over serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in HEAVEN" -Luke 10:19-20

Christians are no longer Christlike!
Yes, it's true! Christians are no longer following Jesus Christ! Preferring to "do their own thing," rather than follow and obey Jesus's teaching, Christians are constantly falling into lives of sin, and denying the Lordship of Jesus by their actions! As a result, churches are lukewarm, the Power of the Gospel is being replaced by programs to draw people in, and God the Father is displeased. He is quoted as having said, "I wish you were cold or hot; but since you are lukewarm, I will spue you out of My mouth."


CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTLIFE 2COR 10:5
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: So do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.....


Study 1st Corinthians Chapter 13...

JESUS told us to love one another; He also told us to love our enemies, and pray for those who despitefully use us.

The battle for our souls starts in our thought-life; obedience to ungodly thoughts can affect our relationship to our Savior, and keep us from walking in love with one another. 1Cor chapter 13 tells of the importance of love in our lives;
Learn it!

1John 4:7-8 tells how important it is for a Christian to have LOVE: "Beloved let us love one another;for Love is of GOD and every one that loves is born of GOD and knows GOD; He that does not love, does not know GOD for GOD is Love."
If we judge ourselves, GOD will not have to judge us.
Think about it!Satan goes about like a roaring lion, seeking who he can destroy!
Most lions are stealthy and quiet..but old toothless lions roar to scare small prey like rabbits, freezing them in place. Then they pounce and eat! DON'T BE A RABBIT! KNOW GOD'S WORD AND USE IT AGAINST SATAN - ASK FOR GOD'S HELP! Remember Satan has no power over you - You are JESUS's! He bought you with His Blood when He was crucified.
You are bought with a price, and you are not your own, you are blessed, honored by GOD, under Grace, and given authority (Luke 10:19-20). So rejoice! Your name is written in HEAVEN!

Luke 10:19-20 Says Jesus gave His diciples authority!
We have power over the power of the enemy!
We don't have to be defeated - Jesus is our General, He has already defeated Satan,& it is just up to us to fight a few battles, standing against the enemy in FAITH.

Pray for understanding as you study Gods Word!
Ephesians 6 tells us we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (people are not your problem, Satan is) but against principalities, powers and rulers of darkness in high places.
Everywhere you look, someone needs you...

So help out wherever you can! When you love someone else, you defeat the work of Satan. You are Jesus's hands and feet - walk where HE needs you, and do what HE tells you.
He has something for everyone to do - don't make excuses! Get out there and LOVE!Are you a helper, or are you just in the way?
Don't get in the way of those who are serving God!
Help by praying for them, offering suggestions, working with them, providing food, and things of that nature!
 

What God Wants From HIS Church

How many of you have ever read the magazine called “Reminisce”? Several years ago there was an article in that magazine by a woman who told of her father having returned from the war. He, like many men, wanted to buy tools for his workshop, and one of the tools he wanted was a drill press. But tools like that were scarce and expensive. He couldn’t afford to buy one, so he built his own and used some unusual parts to build it:
• an old washing machine motor,
• a Model A Ford transmission,
• a car jack,
• a motorcycle kick-starter
• and a burned out drill chuck.
She said that he used it for more than 50 years and... it still works.



Now I don’t know HOW that soldier put all of that together… but I was intrigued by the fact that this man knew WHAT he wanted and he knew how to build it. He wanted a drill press, but he didn’t build it out of parts you and I would have expected him to use. He used the materials he had on hand. He used common, unimpressive, used equipment.
Now I’m fairly certain it wasn’t pretty… but it worked.
In fact it worked so well… it’s still working.

Years ago, God knew what He wanted
He wanted to build a church.
And God (being God) could have built that church out of any materials He wanted.

I. A Good Ad agency would have told God to make sure He did it right!
They would have done a demographic study to find and target a specific age group.
They would have managed the message so that it would appeal to that target audience.

And they would have told God to make sure this new church had…
• The best music program and song leaders
• The best youth program
• The best ministries for young adults/ senior adults
Then there would be billboards to buy, flyers to pass out.
And they’d want to build an impressive gymnasium so they could have an athletic outreach to the community. And of course, there would need to be a building program so they could have a state of the art Worship Center and Sunday School space.

Now, (for the most part) most of that stuff is ok I guess. There are many good churches who do those very things are very successful for the Kingdom of Christ.
But – we all know God didn’t do it that way.

No, God didn’t follow the advice of a powerful Ad Agency or Church Consultant Group. In fact He built His church out of common, ordinary, unimpressive materials.
It shouldn’t have worked… but it did!!
And it still works!!!

But why?
Why did it work?
What was it about what took place on Pentecost that gave the church such powerful growth and success?

Well, 1st - God was in it.
Acts 2:47b tells us “…And THE LORD ADDED to the church daily such as should be saved.”

When Peter saw the crowd had gathered at Pentecost he seized that opportunity and began to preach to them. Just like Peter, we should always seize every opportunity we can to reach people for Jesus. But after having seized all those opportunities, we tend to ask ourselves…
“What more can WE do to reach the lost?”

Now that’s a legitimate question.
But it CAN overlook a more BASIC question:
“Where’s God in all this?”

When I read Acts 2:47 and it said “the Lord added to the church daily” my mind drifted back to a story in the Old Testament.

In Genesis 6:22 we’re told: “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
Noah did his part.
He built the ark,
He prepared stalls for the animals.
He brought in food to feed them and his family.
And as he worked, he preached to anybody who’d listen

BUT THEN we’re told:
“Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, CAME TO NOAH and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.” Genesis 7:8-9

The animals… CAME to Noah?
He didn’t go out and get them?
Well, that’s what it says.

But if Noah didn’t go out and get the animals… how did they end up coming to him???
God brought them to him.
THE LORD added to the ark… such as should be saved.
When the animals came to Noah he seized that opportunity and put them on the ark

Now this is my point!
1. Noah did his part – he prepared for the ones God would bring.
2. God did His part – He brought the ones who were ready to be saved.
3. Then Noah seized the opportunity to lead them to salvation.

In the same way, that’s how the church will grow best
1. We need to do our part – we need to prepare for those God will bring
2. BUT then we need to depend upon God to do His part… bringing others to us.

Now – that being said - the question is… what should we do to do OUR part?
The answer is found in verse 42
We find there that the first thing they did was focus on the Apostle’s teaching

Acts 2:42 tells us “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”
Not MY teaching.
Not the teachings of a famous author or preacher.
Not the teachings of a creed or a commentary.
Not the teachings of a prominent denomination.
Not the teachings of some Church Council or some Early Church Father.

Now a good teacher/ preacher MIGHT USE those resources as they prepare their lessons. But those resources should never be their MAJOR focus. The principal foundation for the teachings of any good teacher or preacher MUST BE the Apostolic teachings.
Now where am I going to get Apostolic teachings from?
The Bible… and specifically the New Testament.

Why would focusing on the “Apostles’ teaching” be so important?
Well, if I focus on any other authority for the foundation of what I say from this pulpit, I run the risk of leading astray the people God brings to us.

 For example, most of us have heard about the conflict between Galileo and the church of his day. The Church doctrine of that day taught that the sun revolved around the earth. But Galileo discovered that that wasn’t true - it was the earth that revolved around the sun. The Church didn’t take kindly to that discovery by Galileo, and branded him a heretic and made him renounce his findings under the threat of severe punishment.

Now – of course Galileo was right.
But ever since that day, skeptics have used that incident to accuse the church of having gotten their doctrine from their understanding of the Bible.
But they didn’t.


So the first thing we can do - to do our part in the church in preparing for those God would bring to us is to cling to the Apostle’s teachings for our authority and guidance.

The 2nd thing we can do is devote ourselves to “fellowship”
Acts 2:42 says the early church “… devoted themselves to… fellowship”.
It doesn’t matter how good a church’s programs and events may be, if the people don’t get along with each other - if we don’t create an atmosphere where people enjoy themselves & feel welcome – newcomers won’t stay.

But the early church didn’t just have “get-togethers”
Acts 2:44 says “All the believers were together and had everything in common.”
And verse 46 tells us “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”

Church wasn’t just something they did on Sunday morning.
Being with other Christians wasn’t just something they did once in a while.
They were almost always TOGETHER.
Other Christians were the center of their lives.
In their spare time they preferred to be with their Christian friends.

But even more than that… they were there for each other.
Acts 2:45says they went so far as to “(sell) their possessions and goods, (so they could give) to anyone as he had need.”

By the time of Galileo, the church had grown used to accepting the teachings of human experts and authorities of the
past. Particularly impressive to them were the Greek philosophers and one of most prominent of those philosophers was Aristotle – who taught that it was the earth that stood still and the sun revolved around it.
Now this wasn’t the only time Galileo had clashed with Aristotle’s teachings.
Aristotle was wrong about many things.
But as opposed as he was to Aristotle, Galileo was convinced of the inerrancy of Scripture. At one point he wrote:
“The holy scriptures cannot err, and the decrees therein contained are absolutely true and inviolable…”

My point is this:
The early church misled many people - and gave ammunition to the enemies of God - because they abandoned the Bible as their sole source of authority and sought out human experts to guide their doctrine.
We must never allow that to happen to us.

So the first thing we can do - to do our part in the church in preparing for those God would bring to us is to cling to the Apostle’s teachings for our authority and guidance.

The 2nd thing we can do is devote ourselves to “fellowship”
Acts 2:42 says the early church “… devoted themselves to… fellowship”.
It doesn’t matter how good a church’s programs and events may be, if the people don’t get along with each other - if we don’t create an atmosphere where people enjoy themselves & feel welcome – newcomers won’t stay.

But the early church didn’t just have “get-togethers”
Acts 2:44 says “All the believers were together and had everything in common.”
And verse 46 tells us “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”

Church wasn’t just something they did on Sunday morning.
Being with other Christians wasn’t just something they did once in a while.
They were almost always TOGETHER.
Other Christians were the center of their lives.
In their spare time they preferred to be with their Christian friends.

But even more than that… they were there for each other.
Acts 2:45says they went so far as to “(sell) their possessions and goods, (so they could give) to anyone as he had need.”

Donald A. Nash told the story of Robert Tinsky. Tinsky was raised a Jew. But he became dissatisfied spiritually, so he visited a Christian Church for the first time, seeking some religious truth. He was astounded by the observance of the Lord’s Supper. He didn’t understand it. He asked some young people seated near him what it meant, and they told him the gospel story as portrayed in the loaf and cup.
He was amazed that there was a God who loved mankind enough to give His Son to die for us and at the wisdom that originated such a living memorial. As a result he became a Christian and a eventually a faithful preacher of the gospel.
(Christian Standard 1/30/2000)

So the early church devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread… but it was the last item listed in verse 42 that caught my attention. And it caught my attention because I felt maybe I haven’t done enough of this.

It says “They devoted themselves… to prayer…”
Now it’s not that I don’t pray.
And it’s not that I don’t pray a great deal.
It’s just that I’m pretty sure I don’t pray enough like they prayed.

Too often Christians simply focus on praying for the sick and hurting.
We often do that during our prayer time in worship.
And that’s GOOD praying – we ought to do that!
But I’ve become convinced that it’s the BEST praying we could pray

Paul wrote: “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, WORDS MAY
BE GIVEN ME so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” Ephesians 6:19
He wanted them to pray so that he might be given the words to seize every opportunity to bring people to Christ.

Again he wrote to the church at Colossae: “And pray for us, too, that GOD MAY OPEN A DOOR for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Colossians 4:3
He wanted the church to pray for him that God would open a door so he could seize every opportunity to talk to others about Jesus.

Max Lucado told of a church in Scotland back in the 1940’s that was struggling to keep the doors open. A couple of its members were two older ladies who were invalids and couldn’t get out for worship any longer. But these ladies refused to allow their infirmities to get in the way of serving their God. They became convinced that their community needed Jesus desperately and they were going to do something about it. They were going to pray.
They determined to make their house a house of prayer.

Around the clock they prayed for God do something powerful.

Then one day, one of the ladies became convinced that God wanted a revivalist by the name of Campbell to come and hold meetings at their church. They talked to their preacher and he contacted Campbell… but Campbell was unavailable. He was booked up.

The women refused to give up in their prayers however… and it wasn’t long before – oddly enough – some of Campbell’s other revivals became cancelled and he decided to accept the invitation of that small church. He arrived and held 5 weeks of meetings.

The Revival was so well received that hundreds showed up each night. And lives were so changed that many of the local taverns had to close up because they lacked patrons.

One might think it was because of the powerful preaching of a renowned revivalist. But in reality it was because of the faithfulness of two invalid older ladies who dedicated themselves to prayer.

So I want to set apart a time right now for us pray for God to open a door for us so that He might add

DAILY to our number. And it is my prayer that many of you will not stop praying that prayer… but will continue to pray throughout the week.  And it is my prayer that if you have not yet joined the Church of the Risen Son that you would take the opportunity to do so if the Holy Spirit so guides you.