affirmations from God

via Anne Voskamps A Holy Experience

I had to share this list.

With love!

A Persian gentleman by the name of Gilbert spoke at our church on Sunday about his walk with Christ. His story was very moving and I wanted to share with you all.

He was born into a Christian family as the 3rd son of a minister. Now the problem is this; Christianity was not accepted because Muslims dominated the region. He said that his father was often beaten because of his faith. the government often took his father bound and blind folded to a place where the tortured him for hours. But he never stopped ministering that Jesus is the Christ. As a child he learned that it was normal to be beaten for his faith as Jesus and the believers in the bible were also beat in the streets.

He shared that the church was often bombarded with stones and trash even while they were inside. Despite this danger he became "Minister of music" in his fathers church. Which caused him to get slapped around even more than before. One day when he was 17 his father did not return home. They thought that he was once again taken and beaten, but he did not return home in the middle of the night as he normally would. Additionally they realized that this time no one left a letter saying that he was taken to be flogged. 12 days had gone by before he was found. But this time it was worse that before. He was found stabbed to death. Someone had stabbed him 28 times and left him in a ditch.

After this account he found it hard to love his enemies anymore. His father had taught him to love his enemies no matter what they did to him. but after his fathers death he said that he became bitter with a deep hatred for all Muslims and government officials. But he never stopped loving God or ministering that Jesus is Lord. One day while he was getting ready to setup for service a little girl about 7 years old came to him and asked "did he have a father?" Instantly he got saddened, but because she was so cute he just told her, with gritted teeth "no, no I don't." The little girl turned around and walked away. but shortly after she came back and asked the same question again. This time out of anger he explained to her why he did not have a father. Afterwards she just smiled and walked away. After a short while she came back and asked again. He began to cry and she said to him "You do have a father, God is your father." Afterwards she walked away.

After service he tried to find that little girl but she was nowhere to be found. He asked everyone in the church but no one saw or knew her. He went out to other churches to try and find her but again no one had ever seen that girl before. He realized that God had sent an angle to help console him. He stopped hating Muslims and government officials and wrote a song, about God being his Father.

~In fact he sang it on Sunday after sharing his story. It is a pretty song knowing what he went through.

Now he lives in the US or as he calls it the promised land. This came about because of missionaries that went over to witness. One day after a service he was pushed into a narrow road by a guy with a knife. The guy demanded that he deny Christ otherwise he was going to stab him. He thought that this guy was just off his rocker and decided that no I'm not going to deny Christ, he said Jesus is Lord. The guy pulled the knife from his shirt and waved it around in anger. He was afraid that he was going to cut his fingers off so he balled his hands up under his shirt. (He said that since he played the piano for a living he needed his fingers). The guy stopped waving the knife around and looked him in the face and said if you don't want to end up like your dad deny your Jesus. He thought to himself that this guy is serious maybe I should just deny Jesus but not mean it, but before he could open his mouth one of missionary men came down the street. The missionary just happened to be a member of our church, he was an ex-gang member and was able to fight the guy off.

Like stated before he lives in the US and does live preaching back to Iran. The latest of his live sermons was taped at our church this past Saturday. There were over 120 people in attendance. He has an album that he is selling to help cover the cost of his ministry. They are the songs that he wrote based on his life experiences with God and his faith.

planks

Just finished listening to this program on the radio and I wanted to share it with everyone.

http://discovertheword.org/2013/12/06/how-being-a-splinter-remover-has-its-risks-but-also-rich-rewards/

Friday, December 6, 2013, Part 4
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck out of your eye,’ and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye. Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (Matthew 7:1-6).
IDEA: Recognizing your own faults enables you to help others.
PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate the ineffectiveness of pride.
Listen to an illustration that Jesus used in the Sermon on the Mount, and then let’s talk about it.
I. The illustration is found in Matthew 7:3-5:
“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck out of your eye,’ and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
What does this illustrate?
What do you think the crowd did as they listened to Jesus?
Is humor in a sermon an effective way to make your point?
II. What does this illustration assume about the “plank-eyed” person?
Would he say that he wants to help someone else with his criticism?
Why does Jesus call him a hypocrite (Matthew 7:5)?
Does the brother with a splinter in his eye hurt? Could he use help?
If we go to help someone in need, does it matter in what spirit we do it?
What does this look like in real life?

remember this

the great commission

Jesus said

Psalm 116:2

blessings everywhere

Humberto got back from Lima Peru yesterday and today he shared pictures and stories from his Church building trip. While he was talking I was most struck by how he is blessing us by his experience of sharing Christ with people from another country.

He spoke of how poor they were and yet he talked of how a school principal came up to him and asked them to come speak at her school. We can't do that here.

We saw pictures of them setting up and having a worship service in the street and we normally can't do that here.

There was a picture of a street and at the top of the street was the name JESUS painted on the side of the building. I'm not so sure we can do that here . . .

He told us of how he talked with them about how they may be poor but they may have more than the people who have full wallets and stomachs because they have open ears and hearts so they can hear the Lord.

So much is running around in my mind that I just wanted to start writing it down but another thought that kept coming into my mind is that while we couldn't all go to Lima that we have a huge mission field right here with people who think that they are good - but they don't know the gospel at all.

At the start of this post I kept repeating, "we can't do that here", but this is a lie. We CAN do this here and we must do this here.

Please take a peak at this short clip: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=366846306795155 and you'll see what Jesus says about all of this.

How exciting that one of our own was launched into another country to spread the gospel :)

absent from the body present with the Lord!

All,

Just wanted to let everyone know that Cody passed away yesterday evening.  He was in no pain and went to sleep and never woke up.  He is now in God’s care enjoying what we one day aspire to.  The family is soliciting all of our prayers as they go through this difficult time.  “To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord”.  Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-21.

Love you all,

Cody McCoy

Cody

Last week we were all asked to pray for Cody. His family wanted us to ask God to heal him.

Today we got a message from the family saying that while Cody was expected to leave this earth last week, that last night he was at church during their Hallelujah night and he even dressed up! The family thanked us for our prayers. Please continue your prayers for Cody and his family. It is so exciting to see God working through this 16 year and touching all of us.

Hello my name is church

Stumbled across this article that I thought those of us in the church would be interested in:

Hello my name is church,

I'm sure you've heard a lot about me. I have no shortage of critics. Perhaps you have heard that I am...

Boring
Shallow
Cheap
A waste of time

You've heard that I am full of:

Hypocrites
Clowns
Greedy people
The self-righteous

Maybe you have visited me before and discovered:

Horrible music
Passionless singing
Dry preaching
Rude congregants

Maybe you needed me and I was:

Too busy
Too "righteous"
Too broke
Too blind

Maybe you joined me and found I was:

Distant
Demanding
Dull
Preoccupied

Maybe you tried to serve in me but were caught off guard by:

Business meetings
Committees
Teams
Bureaucracy

Maybe you left and were surprised that nobody:

Called
Cared
Noticed
Invited you back

Perhaps your experience has driven you to:

Speak negatively of me
Swear to never come back to me
Proclaim that no one needs me
Believe you're better off without me

If this is true, I have something to say to you:

I'm sorry
I was wrong
I blew it
I made a huge mistake

But remember, I never said my name was:

Perfect
Flawless
Complete
Arrived

My name is church. I welcome the:

Hypocrite
Dry
Self-righteous
Shallow

I welcome the

Sincere
Passionate
Forgiving
Selfless

I cannot shut my doors to the people who make you:

Angry
Uncomfortable
Impatient
Self-conscious

But I would remind you that we couldn't always worship in the same room. In the Old Testament there was a division between the:

Gentile
Jew
Man
Woman

In order for us to all worship in the same room Christ was:

Shamed
Beaten
Killed
Resurrected

Which is far worse than being:

Bored
Uncomfortable
Embarrassed
Ignored

So why not come back to church and let all of these messed up people:

Challenge you
Sharpen you
Strengthen you
Humble you

I can't promise you that the people will be great. This is church. It's not:

Heaven
Paradise
Beulah Land
The Celestial city

Come back.

God wants you here.
The body needs you here.
The world needs your witness here.
You belong here.

Hello, my name is church.

I miss you.
I love you.
I'm sorry.
Can't wait to see you.

Follow The Unappreciated Pastor on Facebook: www.facebook.com/unappreciated.pastor

I found the article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-unappreciated-pastor/hello-my-name-is-church_b_4124322.html

The Truth behind Fear

     To put it simple the truth is, fear is good for you. "What..?!" How? I'm glad you asked. We know the Bible say the "fear" of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But will fearing to witness to others stop me from going to heaven? No, unless you let fear consume you and you never do as Christ instructs us to do. Now, let me tell you about some men of God that admitted to being fearful. Moses, Jonah, Jeremiah and Paul just to name a few.

     We all know the story of Moses, the man that God chose to be the voice for Israelite's. We know how he pleaded with God saying that he was not an eloquent speaker. You Should also be familiar with Jonah and his fear to go witness to the Ninevite's. His fear was so great that it caused him to try to run from God. Jeremiah may not be on the forefront of your mind but he too wrestled mentally with wanting to minister the word of God. When he was called the first thing he said to God was "Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child." Lastly remember Paul, the man that worked for Rome before God met him and "opened his eyes." In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul admits that when he came to speak the word to the Corinthians he had "fear and much trembling." 

     All these men, though they never met have one thing in common. That is the Power of God to aide them in delivering "His" message. In fact if you read their stories you will see that God speaks to each of them.  I also noticed that when God wanted to deliver the nations he physically came down to give instructions. He came down to speak to Moses in the burning bush. He also came down to speak to the disciples and to Paul. We can rest assured that we too have God's support when we go to witness "His" word.

     I know I veered off a little bit from the subject matter but I did so, so that you could see that "Greater is he that is within me than he that is in the world." But for many that concept is still hard to grasp, so I will say it this way. If you were in a helicopter or on a high hill watching a babbling crowd headed towards a ravine. Would you say anything or hope that they somehow notice it before its too late? I'm sure that love will cause you to speak out even if it was to say "STOP...!" That one word may be enough to save someone's life who in return will see the danger ahead and tell the next guy who then tells the next and so on.

     Believe it or not that is how God works. If you tell someone loud enough to the point of belief they will be moved/compelled to tell someone else. This causes a wonderful chain reaction of God filled converts because of one voice, and it started with Christ. If Christ lives in you, you should yearn as Christ did for the lost. I will leave you with is final word; 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (NIV) 
     I pray that this touches your heart and has helped you see that fear is natural, but instead of ignoring God as Jonah did let your love for the lost cause you to speak boldly as Paul did. Even if it is with fear and trembling. ~ Be Blessed.
  

Using your testimony for Gods purpose.

     Today, Virgel Braswell, stressed the importance of sharing your testimony and passing on your experiences with God. After repeating his message again and again it got me thinking how significant it really is as a tool to witness to others.I realize that the significance is not in how glamorous or boring your testimony sounds. The core of your testimony is that Christ saved you. Many people feel that they don't have a testimony because they were not strung out on drugs, committed murder or lost in the world in a whirlwind of sin. But the truth of the matter is we all were in a whirlwind of sin until we met Christ.
     Despite that simple truth many still say in their heart's that *Doug still has a stronger and more motivational testimony. Since Doug was once a gang banger, drug dealer/user and because of a gun fight he was accused of murder and did time in the pen. While there he found God because of a jailhouse witness program that came to minister to them. When he got out he joined that church and has been serving on the front lines of the street ministry team, preach the word to those who are headed down the same road he was on.
     Wow, you look at this and think I cant compete with that...! But the truth is there are more average Joe's than there are thug criminals. You can reach more people on your level by telling your simple truth. People want to know that they can relate to someone. Again many people are just like you and have never seen a needle or held a gun. But they have sinned and are in need of a savior, that's where your testimony has room to minister.

     To help you better see how filthy you once were, compare your old life with Gods law, the ten commandments. Have you ever been angry with your brother for no reason, that is murder in Gods eye. Have you ever looked upon a woman/man to lust after them? Well that's adultery by His standards. Have you ever taken anything that did not belong to you (regardless of the value), or lied to a friend to spare their feelings? When you look at where you were and reconsider your testimony you may have been a murderer, adulterer, liar and blasphemer.
     Furthermore God said that if at anytime you violate any of them you are guilty of them all. That is why we need a savior. Tell your testimony through the eyes of God and people will see that they need a savior because they are average Joe's just like me and you. Use your testimony in conjunction with Gods law they are powerful together, so use them..!

*(fictional character I created for the purpose of demonstration)

S.O.S. "The Christian Test"

     A person does not become a Christian to flee from his hardships in life. In fact becoming a Christian will cause hardships to come into your life, so that you may be refined. A person becomes a christian because they realize that they have offended the one true God and is in need of a savior. The bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It also teaches us that the word of God is written upon the hearts of every person. This is evident when you check your conscience (con = with; science = knowledge).
     I want you to search you own heart to see if you have become a Christian for the right reason. When you walked down that isle to the foot of Gods throne to surrender your life were you remorseful about the sins that you had committed? Did you do it knowing that you sinned against a holy and righteous God, or were you just trying to run from the consequences of sin? Time does not erase sin, nor does "good deeds", so when you came to Christ did you repent and turn from the things that were displeasing in his site?
     By your own admission of you being a Christian, are you living up to what it means to be one? A Christian is first remorseful and accepts that he/she is a sinner in need of a savior. He/she does not try to justify their sins or try to erase them with "good deeds". He/she accepts Christ as Lord of his/her life and clings to the things of God with dear life. If you truly believe that Christ has saved you, these things would not be a problem.
     For instance, if you were out at sea then some how you fell overboard, when someone throws you a life preserver would you just look at it believing that it would save you but never put it on? "No..!" You would cling to it knowing that without it you would eventually drown. Because, when you truly believe in something your actions reflect that belief. In the case of the life preserver, if you believe it will save your life you show it by putting it on.
     The same holds true as a Christian, if you believe that Christ will save your live you have to show it as he did. Christ did not come to earth to have a good time among those that he created. Instead he came to share the truth to those that were perishing. His desire is for every man to be saved, But with out the truth they will drown in their sins. We therefore must do as he did and go into the world to share his message. For we know that no man seeks after God, but upon every mans heart the truth is written. We therefore have to shine the light upon that truth to help bring them out of darkness.
     Lastly if you truly are a Christian you can not watch a man drown and not try to save him. Think about all the men and women that we pass in the grocery stores, malls, local pharmacy and even in our own neighborhoods that we never take the time to speak to because of fear. Are you going to sit back and truly watch them drown or are you going to extend a life preserver? Its not as hard as you think, because God has already given us an inside man, their conscience. I encourage you to click on the "Way of the Master" link (left side of the screen under "Resources") and find out how to better witness to the lost. ~ Be Blessed.

our work

As cultural opposition toward Christianity grows, what is its effect on your evangelism at work? Are you more faithful or more fearful?

You could hardly be blamed for being more fearful. The rapid advance of social liberalism and human resources policies promoting workplace “tolerance” only exacerbate the two fears we commonly cite for not sharing the gospel with our co-workers: fear of social harm and fear of career repercussions, like job loss or career stalls.

Evangelism has always been hard. If there is anything new about our challenges today, it’s how emboldened the opposition seems to be. Non-Christians used to say “To each his own.” Now they are just as likely to accuse us of stupidity (“Seriously, you don’t believe in evolution?”) or hateful bigotry (“How dare you say homosexuality is a sin?”). Employers increasingly do rigorous social media background checks before making hiring and promotion decisions. How long before companies who are fearful of workplace harassment and discrimination pass over the more visible Christian for someone who makes fewer waves?

In spite of all this, I am so grateful for the brothers who feared God more than man and shared the gospel with me. My own faith is the fruit of workplace evangelism.

LOST, AND FOUND IN THE WORKPLACE

Twelve years ago, I was a researcher at a mid-sized consulting firm in Washington, DC. I was a self-confident, self-sufficient, professionally-prospering Hindu. You wouldn’t have assumed I was spiritually uncertain. Frankly, I didn’t know I was spiritually uncertain. What I was not was a guy who was actively seeking Christ.

Enter my Christian colleague Hunter. Well-known and well-liked around the office, Hunter was a high-performing sales guy with a range of interests. Someone told me, “He’s a Christian, ya’ know.” Neither one of us knew for sure what that meant, but both of us believed it was relevant enough to add a knowing, “Huh.”

I did know Hunter didn’t fit the mold of a Christian that I had mentally constructed. Christians were nice, old-fashioned, hypocritical, one-note tunes. Hunter wasn’t that. So I started watching him.

We became friends. We spent time together and talked about a range of topics—The Simpsons, Lord of the Rings, Christ, Krishna, coffee, work. While the Lord used Hunter to pursue me, I never felt like a project, just a friend. As only God can do, he providentially arranged for Hunter to be there at the same time that God orchestrated a spiritual crisis in my life. And he gave Hunter the wisdom and boldness to speak truth into my life when I needed it most.

BEHAVIORS OF A WORKPLACE EVANGELIST

While young in the faith himself at the time, there is much about Hunter’s example that any believer can apply in a workplace setting.

1. Put Christ on the Table
First, put Christ on the table. Because it can be rare to meet Christians in the workplace, it is essential that people in your office know that you are a follower of Christ. That way you can make yourself available to weaker believers and an example to non-believers. It was a non-Christian colleague who told me about Hunter’s faith. Obviously we should not do this obnoxiously or irresponsibly, but by recounting your weekend, describing a Bible study that you are in, or sharing how you pray for others, people will soon know.

2. Work with Excellence
Second, work with excellence. When you put Christ on the table, expect to be studied by your peers as I studied Hunter. Work in a way that reflects the creativity, purpose, and goodness of God. Demonstrate faithfulness and integrity. Work “without grumbling or complaining” (Phil. 2:14). Submit to those in authority, and serve humbly.
This in itself isn’t evangelism, but the content of our lives at work should reinforce, not undermine, the content of the gospel message we share.

3. Love your Peers
Third, love your peers. Invest in friendships with non-Christians in your workplace, not perfunctorily as “projects,” but lovingly as those made in God’s image. Don’t underestimate the importance of trust. Consider that it was a year and a half after Hunter and I met that we studied the Bible together and God gave me ears for the gospel.
Use your lunch break strategically. As you’re able, make generous use of hospitality, where you can share your life with a colleague away from the office and the usual chit-chat and office banter.

4. Prepare to Evangelize
Fourth, prepare to evangelize. As silly as this may sound, be sure you know how to easily explain the gospel. Practice if you need to.
When the Lord provides an opportunity, you don’t want your inner voice screaming at you for being unclear—you want your mind free to listen to your colleague and what they are struggling to understand. After all, it is the gospel that saves, not our quick wit and strong grasp of apologetics. I praise God for Hunter’s clarity, boldness, and trust in power of the gospel.

5. Pray
Fifth, pray. Pray for your colleagues regularly. Pray for good opportunities to share the gospel. Pray that you would grow in boldness. Pray that God would be big and man would be small—we’re all guilty of getting the two mixed up.

And invite brothers and sisters in your church to pray as well. Hunter later told me that his men’s Bible study group was praying for me from the moment I asked him about his Christian faith.

A CALL TO FAITHFULNESS

As workplaces grow more hostile to Christianity, these basic practices will be all the more essential. The Lord has been kind to answer my many prayers for good opportunities and the words to speak. Being known as a Christian, living out my faith professionally and interpersonally, and loving my colleagues more as God’s image-bearers has gained me opportunities to speak openly of my faith. And, in his amazing grace, God has chosen to use me to bring a colleague to faith.

We should expect the Lord to answer our prayers and grant us opportunities to speak of Christ, so pray for boldness. And be willing to spend your relational capital. God has put you where you are for a purpose.

Ashok Nachnani is an elder at First Baptist Church in Durham, NC, and a strategy executive at a multinational energy management company.

http://www.9marks.org/blog/evangelism-workplace

I came across this article via challies.com and right away knew that I had to share because this is exactly what we've been talking about in our study.

As children of a wonderful God we are to be good stewards of the things that God gives/blesses us with. Including but not limited to our life, money, time, house, children, our worldly possessions and even the very air we breath. So last week I asked the following question as a survey to some friends, family and co-workers. I would like for you to reply to the question before you read the replies, so that you can answer honestly with out any outside influences.

If you were given 1 million (tax free) dollars, and two options as to what you were to do with it, which would you choose?

These are the options: (1) Since you have a job you could give it away to a group of below poverty families, chosen by the person who gave you the money. In return you get the satisfaction of knowing that you helped someone worse off than you. Or (2) You can keep the money and do as you see fit, (pay off student loans, old debts, buy a house, etc..). These are your options think about it as if the money is sitting right in front of you right now. How would you reply to that question? Please send me a return message with your “honest” answer..! Thanks.

Again before you proceed, if you have not done so, go to the comments section and leave your honest answer before reading any further. Don't worry there is no right or wrong answer, this is just a good time for you to search you heart.

I have a few replies that I would like to share but first I want to share my honest reply. I would honestly take the money and do as "I" saw fit. Remember that it was "given to me." It would not matter the source from which it came because I know that, "My Father knows the things "I" need before I ask, and that the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the just." (Matthew 6:8, Proverbs 13:22). Now that it belongs to me I would therefore "first" give $100k to the church that encouraged me to be the man of God that I am, Canaan Worship Center of KCMO. Then take care of my home, because again the bible says (in 1 Timothy 5:8) that a person that does not take care of their relatives, especially the members of their household has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. So I would be sure to take care of my family then those that were less fortunate than myself that God leads me to help, may it be a random person on the street or a charitable organization.

Now that you know my heart, I will share a few replies of some others.:

Before any of the options, I would give first to the Lord (all if it is HIS anyway), then help out those less fortunate than me.

I would choose #2  and buy a house and buy my daughter a house and the rest I would choose to give to who I want—like salvation army –the food kitchen, big brothers……

I would pay off everything, make sure my family was ok and then go from there. I do know that God is who gives us what we have. I would hope I would do what is right with what He allotted me.

 I would keep some and give some away is my honest answer.  It would not be an all or nothing either way.

#2 for me…. My first option is to take care of home, then church, then help others if needed…

My honest answer is neither.

I would give it to my church for missions projects

Well, at first I thought about myself.  Then God put it on my heart to reply with option number 1.  Part of being blessed is blessing someone else.  See as stated in the scenario below, I already have a job. Although I would like to pay off my debt, I could not help but think of the unfortunate.  So, I would help those in poverty rather than help myself.  There is so much more joy in that.

Regarding your question, I would say that it would matter to me who this fictitious person or institution is - giving away the 1 million.
Say it was some kind of settlement or government refund of some sort.  In that case I would be much more inclined to use it up for personal/family use (pay off bills, better car, kids’ college, etc). Then I would give some away (to missionaries, Christian charities, etc.)
If the gift was from say, a wealthy Christian person, I would revert the priorities more. I would be more willing & ready to give a greater amount of it away to worthy causes, more aligned to the giver’s wishes. 

~ The whole point of this is for you so see yourself and know your heart. The bible tells us that we are to prepare and be ready for his return, and knowing your heart is the best place to start. (Matthew 5:8 & 24:44). Be Blessed..!

nice get-together

See You at the Pole

     Back in 1990 in Ft. Worth, Texas, ten students began praying at schools in their community. Two years later the praying led to what is now called "See you at the Pole". It is a student-initiated, student-organized, and student led event. It has been regularly set for the forth Wednesday in September. This year the date is September 25th (today) at schools across the United States and many countries around the world. See you at the pole brings students together to witness to eachother, and intercede for other students, schools, families and nations. To find out more about this event go to: everyschool.com

I represent Christ to my colleagues

I represent Christ to my colleagues was what we discussed in class on Tuesday. 

The chapter started off like this: "There is a group of people who often know you as well as your family, or perhaps better."   :)

(We do spend a whole lot of time with each other AND there is no television here to distract us.) 

Next week Carol asked us to bring our Bibles as she will have some handouts and we'll be marking up our Bibles - The parts of the Bible that talk of how to obtain salvation. After all, the reason we are going through this workbook is so that we can know how to bring the Gospel to others, Christ love. 

We are nearing the end of the workbook.

All are welcome!  

(Images were found via a google search and they were found at twothingsincommon.blogspot.com)

love one another

1 John 4

 

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

 

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

sharing with family

This morning I came across this article that fits in with what we are talking about in our Bible Study time, sharing the gospel with family:

Question: I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been writing to my parents about Jesus for about 3-4 months now. I feel as though there is no change in them at all. I really miss talking to them and I love then. I just want them to be saved!!! Any suggestions? Thank you so much!!!
– Unlocking the Bible Radio Listener

Answer: This is Kevin from Unlocking the Bible. Thanks for writing sharing your story, we will be keeping you and your parents in prayer! Let me commend you for sharing Christ with your parents. It is an act of love and obedience and is something that honors Christ!
Here are a few things to keep in mind in evangelizing to lost loved ones:

1. God can use what you have said to plant seeds in your parents’ hearts.
Even if it seems like your parents are unresponsive, God can use your words days, months, or years down the line to help them come to Christ. You may not see growth now, but God can use your steps of faith in the future. We will pray that God grows the seeds you have planted into saving faith in Jesus Christ!

2. Don’t forget to show genuine love no matter what.
I do not know what your relationship with your parents looks like, but I encourage you to seek to love them as a daughter whether or not they respond to the gospel as you would like. God can use your life and testimony to open their eyes to His Truth. This honors your Heavenly Father who commanded you to honor your earthly father and mother (Exodus 20:12).

3. Be patient and remember that God is the one who saves people.
At times I have relied on my own efforts to reach people. This led not only to frustration, but also strained relationships. God has since taught me to remember that saving people is His job (Jonah 2:9) and my job is to rely on Him, being obedient with the opportunities that He gives me. A lot of times that means not rushing to talk about Jesus as quickly as possible, shoving the gospel down people’s throats, but rather loving people in a conversation and following the Spirit’s leading for an opportunity to share the gospel. Remembering that God is the one who saves takes a lot of pressure off of us! Success in sharing Jesus is measured by being faithful, not by winning converts–that’s God’s job!

4. Remember that following Jesus will cause division.
Jesus says in Matthew 10:35-36 that he would turn “a man against his father, a daughter against her mother.” Jesus is not necessarily desiring to separate people, He rather is explaining the reality that following Him has a cost and would inevitably divide families. This can be a tough pill to swallow. But the good news is that through faith in Jesus, we are welcomed into the family of God, which is incomparably greater!

5. Pray!
You seem to be already are doing this–keep it up! This is the most important thing you can do. Seek to be like the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8 and continually approach your loving Heavenly Father on behalf of your parents. I have heard countless stories of God saving people after one of their loved ones prayed for them for years. Remember that in heaven, you will never wish you prayed for your unsaved family members less.

 

I thank God for your love for your parents and desire to see them saved. I hope some of those tips were helpful in putting your situation in perspective. I don’t know if your parents will be saved, but I do know that God is faithful and you can give Him all of your trust.

In Him,
Kevin Halloran

https://www.unlockingthebible.org/family-evangelism-tips/

unlockingthebible.org is full of wonderful information.

I found this website via another website - twitter. I follow a guy named Tim Challies and the description at the top of his website explains what he does: Informing the Reforming. :) Through him I find all kinds of articles and goings on that I would never have found on my own. The article I copied above is a perfect example. Here's the link to his website. http://www.challies.com/

what comfort!

I represent Christ to my family

We opened with prayer.

Lesson 16, page 204

Day Two: I represent Christ to my family

Many things were brought up in todays lesson. 

Witness Christ, by living your life, this is how you witness to an unsaved spouse or child - not by your words. If you think about it - how does a person see you when you come up to them with a blaze of words? Do they think that you are witnessing to them or do they think that you are trying to win an argument?

When God is trying to speak to us He often brings the subject to us in many different ways all at once. Case in point would be the lesson on Tuesday. Then, when I got home I saw the quote below on Facebook and then coming into work this morning John MacArthur's sermon was about, How God saves your unsaved family members. :)

Pray that each member of your family may always know your love and the love of God. Remember that often your voice and your arms express God’s love. 



Proverbs 27:17

 

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

 

grin

When I saw this post on Facebook I got this huge grin on my face. They said it so much better than I ever could. When I see one of you I see Christ. What a great gift from God. Have you ever stopped to think about how many ways he blesses us? Giving us sisters and brothers, making us Princess and Princes of the Kingdom . . . do you realize who our big brother is? Do you realize who stands beside us or between us and who proclaims us as His?!?

Do you have a big grin too?

love

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Today's lesson was: God wants me to be a loving person.

God has two big rules:

• Love God
• Love others

I'll let you review the lesson which began on page 197.

Two people in today's study class said something that I just had to write down.

Miss Carol told us about Andrew Murray's book Humility. She said that what he wrote we would find eye opening.

Mr John said something that I will be taking to heart: "Prayer ought to augment and not replace our time, treasure, and talent as we help others."

Team Angel

 

Angel was brought before us as a prayer request from a friend of Carol's. His parents are nurses and they adopted him after caring for him. While Angel is inspiring, it is his mother who keeps capturing my heart with her beautifully worded prayer requests and descriptions of what her boy is going through. Please pray with us that God's love continues to show brightly through this family.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Team-Angel/222567347803759?id=222567347803759&sk=info 

The Spurgeon Lectures - John MacArthur will be in KC!

'nough said

show love

Not too long ago Humberto was kind enough to have an advocate from The Voice of the Martyrs stop by our Bible Study. I signed up to the Facebook page, and last night they wrote about a woman who was imprisoned in China, and they were asking for letters for her as she is very ill and suffering.

There are other prisoners listed on this website as well.

Could you take a moment or two and choose a prisoner for Christ and write to them?

They've made it easy for us by having phrases we can choose from in the prisoners own language. We can then print what we have chosen and mail it.

Such a simple way to show someone who is suffering for their faith - Christ's love.

http://www.prisoneralert.com/ to write a letter

http://www.persecution.com/ Voice of the Martyrs

Tuesday's Bible Study

We continued with Lesson 15, the section that deals with conflicts that come outside of the church (page 191).

How do you feel about this statement?

usurping

“I know he’s a Christian but I don’t like him. Well, learn to like him now because you are going to be spending eternity with him.” ~ Heard on the Turning Point radio program with Dr. David Jeremiah.

Jesus the Judge

For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.
John 5:22

Some of the most scathing words recorded in the Bible are those of Jesus in Matthew 23:13-39—the section where He passes judgment on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Seven times He says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees!" He accuses them of being hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, blind men, and snakes, and says they are like dirty dishes and tombs—clean on the outside but dirty on the inside.

Is this the same Jesus who said, "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1)? Yes, the very same. So is Jesus the hypocrite in this case—telling others not to judge but acting like a judge Himself? No, because He knew why He had been sent into the world. Jesus knew that the Father has "committed all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22). Jesus' entire life—His words and His works—was a judgment on this fallen world. On occasion, He put those judgments into specific words as He did with the Pharisees. And He will do it again when He returns as Judge of the nations at His Second Coming.

We are not to judge one another because God has "committed all judgment to the Son." When we place ourselves over others as judge, we are usurping a place given by God to Jesus alone.

No man's conscience is to be a judge for another.
Charles H. Spurgeon

low-minded Christians

I just got through reading an article that I have to share.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/gospeldrivenchurch/2013/07/30/in-praise-of-the-low-minded-christian/

In Praise of the Low-Minded Christian

A long time ago in a blogosphere far, far away, a fellow named Judson Heartsill offered the following toast at the Boar’s Head Tavern. That post has been lost to the electronic aether, but I’m glad I archived it for safe keeping. I present to you “A Toast to the Low-Minded Christian”:

I’m talking about the low-minded Christian.
Everybody knows one. Or two.
They send you chain blessing emails. (Send this back to me and 5 other people, or you’re a mean pud who doesn’t like God). They send you emails PURPORTEDLY by Andy Rooney about how there’s pictures of the 10 commandments everywhere in Washington D.C. on buildings.
They probably believe the earth is 6,000 years old.
They’re Christians primarily because they don’t want to go to hell.
They want to go to heaven primarily to see their grandma.
They watch some TBN occasionally.
They gave you a copy of “The Purpose Driven Life”.
They’re threatening to give you a copy of “Your Best Life Now”.
If they even know what apologetics is, they probably think it’s demeaning to Christians.
They read certain portions of Ephesians and tell you “now, I just can’t believe that Paul really means what he’s saying here, on election.”
Know the type?
Here’s some other facts about some of them.
They believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead– something only God could have revealed to them.
They watch their tongues.
Singing hymns or praise songs makes their heart leap upwards.
They read their bible every morning at 5:00 AM.
God is using them, right now, to make his will be done on earth.
God bless them.
High-minded Christian: You know a lot. Are you putting all that knowledge to use to serve your Master and your fellow slaves? Or are you using it to stoke your ego? It pleases God to use the weak. Just how weak are you? As weak as your low-minded brethren? I sure hope so.

I loved that piece then, and I love it now. I also need it, as a reminder and rebuke of my frequent cooler-than-thou-ness.

I remember back when some church produced a video that went viral pitting “authentic Christ-followers” against nerdy “Christians.” The message was as clear as it was simplistic and stupid: “real” disciples of Jesus wear jeans and listen to U2. The kind of Christians we should distance ourselves from are those who wear ties and listen to CCM.

This pitting of “real” against “lame” ones is spiritually bankrupt dreck from the pit of hell. Really what most mean by “authentic” in these contexts is “cool.” And the entire enterprise of mocking the uncool Christians is a huge self-justification project. It is a smug fetishizing of cynicism and hipness that is idolatry.

It is reverse pharisaism. It is, “I thank you, God, that I’m not like that lame, religious guy over there,” which is anti-grace, anti-gospel, and anti-christ.

A good number of Christian culture’s self-appointed Statlers and Waldorfs have effectively answered the question “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9) with “I have no need of you” (1 Cor. 12:21). But anyone who identifies with the way of Christ ought to have nothing but love for all the saints (John 13:35), even the dorky ones.

Look, it’s possible Jesus needs new PR, but I seriously doubt those who’ve accepted Jesus in their snark are the ones who should be providing it.

So, here’s to you, cheesy, kitschy Christians! You are the real deal.

pray and prepare

Last week in our Bible Study we were discussing bringing our concern directly to the person. I thought this article added to our conversation of last week.

answered prayer

Be Kindness

blessed is the man who hears God like a child

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.worldmag.com/2013/07/god_bless_the_child_at_heart#.UfEiecwSVJg.facebook

Then there is this devotion:

READ: James 3:13-17

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. —James 1:5

Wisdom is the beauty of holiness. James says wisdom is reasonable; flexible; forgiving; peaceful; caring; given to friendly visits, small acts of courtesy, and kind words. It is humble, transparent, simple, gentle, and gracious to the core (James 3:17).

Where can wisdom be found? It comes from heaven (1:5). “Wisdom,” wrote Charles Spurgeon, “is a beauty of life that can only be produced by God’s workmanship in us.”
It’s good to ask from time to time: “Am I growing in wisdom?” After all, life is relentlessly dynamic. We’re either growing sweeter and wiser as the days go by, or we’re growing into foolish or even sour-faced curmudgeons. Into what are we growing?

It’s never too late to begin growing in wisdom. God loves us with an ardent, intense affection that can deliver us from our foolishness if we yield ourselves to Him. His love can make the most difficult nature into a miracle of astonishing beauty. It may hurt a little and it may take a while, but God relentlessly seeks our transformation. When we ask, His wisdom will begin to rise in us and pour itself out to others.

We have this promise: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to [you]” (1:5). —David Roper

Lord, please put an end to our foolishness and
turn our hearts toward the wisdom that comes
only from You. We ask You now to take our
lives and transform them into Your likeness.
True wisdom begins and ends with God.

Bible in a year: Psalms 37-39; Acts 26

This is the link to Our Daily Bread: http://odb.org/2013/07/25/where-can-wisdom-be-found/

soul prospers

have you encouraged anyone lately?

 

found on Life88.5's Facebook page

 

 

Faith and Work

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/07/11/faith-and-work-what-needs-to-be-read-and-what-needs-to-be-written/

This article gives some reading suggestions and addresses how we spend most of our time at work. "maybe you've simply realized that you spend most of your life working, so if you don't live out your faith through your work, you won't grow much in grace."

We serve God by sharing His Word with others.

**Copied from Our Daily Bread**

READ: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. —2 Corinthians 4:5

While serving as a maid in London, England, in the early part of the 20th century, Gladys Aylward had other dreams. Her goal was to be a missionary to China. Having been rejected by a Christian missionary organization as “unqualified,” Gladys decided to go there on her own. At the age of 28, she used her life savings to purchase a one-way ticket to Yangcheng, a remote village in China. There she established an inn for trade caravans where she shared Bible stories. Gladys served in other villages as well and became known as Ai-weh-deh, Chinese for “virtuous one.”

The apostle Paul also spread the gospel to distant regions of the world. He extended himself as a servant to meet the needs of others (2 Cor. 11:16-29). He wrote this about serving: “We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (4:5).

Not all of us are called to endure hardship to spread the gospel in distant lands. But each of us is responsible as a servant of God to share Christ with people in our sphere of influence. It’s our privilege to help our neighbors, friends, and relatives. Ask God for openings to serve and to talk about Jesus who gave Himself for us. —Dennis Fisher

My life is a painting created by God,
And as such I’ve nothing to boast;
Reflecting the image of Christ to the world
Is what I desire the most. —Sper

We serve God by sharing His Word with others.

Bible in a year: Job 25-27 & Acts 12