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I have an interesting question for you to ponder. Do you serve God or does God serve you? Even though it may seem obvious we don’t always act like we know the answer. How many times do we dismiss obedience as unnecessary and do what we feel like doing? Yet, when we want something from God, we expect Him to be right there on the spot ready to do our biding.
How seriously do we take our relationship with God? Why did Jesus establish the Church? Were we created for the church or was the church created for us? Why are there pastors, evangelists, prophets, and elders and deacons? The Bible plainly lays out instructions for the gathering of the church body. “Forsaking not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is.”
Is it the church’s responsibility to serve you or your responsibility to serve the church? How much do you want to see the church do? How willing are you to help? We want all we need to feel good about how things are, but are we personally willing to get involved? Most people that complain about church are the ones that never get involved in the ministry of the church. Attending services when you decide to and never doing anything else doesn’t make you an active member. You must decide where you want to fit in. Don’t just drift the easy way by staying uninvolved. “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” Gal. 4:16
continued from last week…
I discovered there are five essential elements to effective prayer. Each one happens to begin with the letter “A” which makes it easier for me to remember. I call them Prayer Basics.
#1 ABIDE Although this is the first prayer basic, it is enough to get your prayers answered. In John 15:7, in the Amplified Bible, Jesus promised. “If you live in Me (abide vitally united to Me) and My Words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” Now that is an awesome promise! Think of it: Ask whatever you will and Jesus said it shall be done for you. It all hinges upon that little two-letter word “if”…
If you live in Christ (abide vitally united to Him).
If His Words remain in you.
If His Words continue to live in your heart.
If you ask for whatever it is that is on your heart.
While on earth Jesus walked in this powerful truth day-by-day and He wanted us to have the same advantage. Because He stayed vitally united to His Father in prayer, He could ask whatever He willed and it was done.
Remember the leper that came to Jesus wanted to be healed? He said, “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean” (Matthew 8:2” Some people know that God can, but don’t know if He will. Others believe that it’s God’s will to heal, but they don’t believe He can heal them. This man had the will and can in the right perspective and got his miracle that day.
Psalm 91 describes an impenetrable fortress of protection that is available. However, there is a condition that must be met before the protection promise can go to work. Psalm 91:1 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
The definition for the word shadow in Strong’s Concordance is “shade”. That secret place is a cool spot to abide in. no matter what weapons the devil may be forming against you, they will not prosper. Psalm 91:16 says, “With long life will I satisfy him and shew him My salvation.” When you stick with Jesus, you have it made in the shade!
Haggai 1:1,2 “…in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, ‘Thus speaks the Lord of Hosts, saying: “This people says, ‘The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.”
June 1 is the first day of our sixth month. That was this past Tuesday. I encourage you to read all of Haggai chapter one. I am not implying that the chapter is a word from God for us here at New Life in its entirety, but there is a principle involved. Due to my physical condition the past two years have been spent just trying to live and function. This limited the energy I had for many necessary things that needed doing. Now that repairs to my body have been made and things are beginning to get back to normal, attention needs to be given to church needs.
I want to thank everyone for support and prayers and for filling in for me over the past six months but now I ask for your help in a different way. You may be aware that it is projected the new Heartland parkway will someday take our property here. Due to that we have tried to reduce spending money on our property. However, we have much needed repairs. It looks like it may be several years before the road is built. We need to keep our building up to par. This will take some money (not a great amount) and much labor by anyone available. There is a job to fit your skill and time. I am in the process of compiling a list of “chores” that need doing.
June needs to be called, “build the house month”. “Consider your ways!” What are you available to do? You can work on your own schedule. We will give a list of things that need doing. Time, labor, and money are what we need. Let us all rise to the occasion.
Let’s get ‘er done!
Good or good enough, which is it? Our lives are based on what we perceive to be right in our own way of thinking. We don’t always act the way we know is right. We act the way we want to act. Just because I might believe something is wrong, doesn’t mean I won’t do the thing. I probably just hope I don’t get caught.
In a Fox News article they gave the results of a national morality poll. Over 90% surveyed said they believe adultry is morally wrong. Great belief, but what about actions? Statistics show that over 50% of spouses commit adultry at some time in their marriage. This proves that humans will do things they don’t really believe is right.
Combine that with the fact that many people don’t even have a moral standard on which to base their behavior. This leads to a mixed up set of values. Our values are based on what we are taught and that becomes our ground rules of life. Most of our values are a product of the society in which we live. Biblical standards cross cultural lines and remain true. However, if we interpret the Scriptures with a cultural bias we are subject to opinions as much as real truth. We must allow Scripture to form its own interpretation and standard. Romans 12:2 in the Amplified Bible says, ” Do not be conformed to this world (this age) (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial curstoms), but be transformed (changed) by the entire renewal of your mind ( by its new ideals and its new attitude) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in HIs sight for you.”
| continued from last week…
There are different types of prayer with rules that govern each. For example there is the prayer of faith, which is the prayer to change things. It is always based on God’s Word and never contains the word “if”. a few examples of this can be found in Matthew 21:21-22 and Mark 11:22-24.
This is very different from the prayer of consecration, which is the type of prayer that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Saying, Father if thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will but Thine, be done.” Luke 22:42. People mistakenly think that every type of prayer should begin or end with asking God’s will be done. When Jesus prayed for the sick He didn’t end with “if it be thy will” as so many do today. Often He said “Your faith has made you whole.” We know from God’s Word that it is always His will to heal the sick, save the lost, and deliver the oppressed.
Other types of prayer are the prayer of commitment (1 Peter 5:7), the prayer of worship (Acts 13:1-4); Luke 24:52-53), the prayer of agreement (Matthew 18: 18-20), united prayer (Acts 4: 23–31), and intercessory prayer (Romans 8:26-27, Ephesians 6:18). Although there are many types of prayers, it is vital to always pray in faith and expect results every time.
I heard a story once about a congregation that me in a field to pray for rain, to relieve a long dry spell in their area. The preacher looked severely at his flock and said, “Brothers and Sisters, y’all know why we are here. Now, what I want to know is where your umbrellas are?”
That congregation must have forgotten the word of Jesus, “Therefore I say unto you, what things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). |
Over the next few week I would like to talk about prayer. Every activity in life has basic rules that must be followed to be successful. For example, if you want to play baseball, you would not use the rules for basketball. You can’t get to first base, let alone a home run without a bat.
They same principle is true when it comes to prayer. There are basic rules that must be followed in order to have a winning prayer life.
Prayer has been defined as “communication with God.” Jesus was in constant communication with God, His Father. Hebrew 5:7 Amplified. “In the days of His flesh (Jesus) offered up definite, special petitions (for tat which He not only wanted but needed) and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him. Who was (always) able to save Him (out) from death, and He was heard because of His reference toward God (His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father).”
Now, if Jesus, the Son of God offered up “definite, special petition” for what He “not only wanted but needed,” shouldn’t we follow His example? The Word doesn’t say that Jesus’ prayer was heard because He was the Son of God. It says that His prayer was heard because of His reverence toward God!
The devil convinces us that God won’t answer our prayers, so we don’t even bother to pray. How many victories were never won because we failed to go to God in our time of need? Realize today that it is not that God won’t, but rather that we don’t.
“I am the Lord, I do not change…” Malachi 3:8. If this is a true statement, it is imperative that we know correctly the character of God. It is hard for some people to look at the “God of the Old Testament” and “God in the New Testament” and reconcile Their behavior because They look so different in behavior. How can the Old Testament God that appears so angry and hostile that He “kills” and “destroys” sinners be the same God of “grace” and “love” seen in the New Testament?
If the ideas of some “scholars” are true (these are not isolated incidents but mainstream scholars), it means we either have two Gods or a God that changed or one who is a liar. What do we accept? Do we rationalize or do we seek to reconcile the truth? God has never changed. The problem has always been on man’s side. We are not at liberty to violate the Word of God by interpreting things by what we see or how we feel. Everything we accept as Christian truth must be in harmony with the entire volume of Scripture. Nothing of God contradicts itself in Scripture, therefore, it is our responsibilty to find the truth of the Word. We are not students of the Word by looking for Scripture passages that support our opinions. Rather, we must submit our opinions to be supported by Scripture.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us.” What an encouraging and positive statement. Ever notice who said it and when it was said? It is a Psalm of David written five hundred years B.C. It is Psalm 103:12.
Let us consider some things about the statement. First, the statement is in the past tense. This means something has already taken place. It does not say that in about 500 years our sins will be removed from us. David saw it as already done. This supports the Biblical edict about the “Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.”
Secondly, it is clear that David understood that the blood of goats and bulls could never remove sin, yet, it was already removed. Faith in God’s word is the key to salvation. Believing what God says leads to a peace about the condition of our soul before Him. To much attention to “law” causes us to wonder (or doubt) our standing relationship with God. We did not remove our transgressions from us, He did. Praise God!
(Continued from last week.)
There are over 200 recognized addictions. All addictions can generate an altered state of consciousness by keeping us from facing ourselves. We must learn to discern what is within us that are not of God. Spirits of darkness will always manifest by thoughts, feelings, emotions, or direction. They work through our thinking, speaking, and acting, but they do not represent God’s freedom for our lives.
If we become one with something as if it were us, then God cannot heal us. Therefore, we need to recognize what is working within us. We need to recognize what we have allowed to become part of who we are. We need to repent to God for serving sin. ROMANS 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or obedience unto righteousness”. We have become servants of addiction principalities rather than servants of righteousness. However, our battle is not against ourselves, and we cannot whip ourselves into shape. The world has their 12 step programs to help you manage your addictions, not get rid of them. This is not freedom. God wants us free of all addictions.
We must first recognize the enemy. We need to confess our sins to God. We need to love God, love others, and love ourselves. We need to read the Word to cleanse our minds by the washing of the water of the Word. We need to learn to take every thought captive. Then discern, is this thought of God or coming from somewhere else. Make a choice as to what you will dwell on. Then take your peace.
We need to know the Word and then risk all by doing the Word. Faith says even if I perish trusting you, I will still trust you.
It takes 28 days and a change of heart to overcome addictions. It’s about who we are in our place of security. I’m not saying it will not be a battle. But your life is worth fighting for. Let today be the first day of the rest of your life, addiction free.
All the direct advertising on tv has desensitized us to the seriousness of the abuse. The favorite choice of pain killers in the teen and elderly is Oxycontin or Vicodin, which are highly addictive as well as deadly when mixed with alcohol. In the elderly alcohol remains the most commonly abused substance.
What is the root behind all addictions generational and personally? It is the need to be loved. There is an unloving spirit that will not let the person give or receive love without fear. Spirits of addiction increase their lack of self-esteem, insecurity, fear, anxiety, and stress. This is a battle for the person’s state of being. State of being and state of belonging are two battlegrounds that the enemy uses in our family trees. When people do not like themselves and struggle with their identity, driveness occurs. This allows an altered state of consciousness to mask the pain.
Anything that creates a dopamine rush can become our addiction. When we do not feel good about ourselves, we search for and become addicted to something that gives us a momentary “feel good” sensation. The love of that drug of choice whether it is sugar, heroin, alcohol, medications, or exercise becomes stronger than the love for Father God. There are no “good” addictions or “little” addictions, they all destroy relationships.
| History of Mother’s Day
Anna Jarvis is recognized as the Founder of Mothers Day in US. Though Anna Jarvis never married and never had kids, she is also known as the Mother of Mothers Day, An apt title for the lady who worked hard to bestow honor on all mothers.
Anna Jarvis got the inspiration of celebrating Mothers Day from her own mother Mrs. Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis in her childhood. An activist and social worker, Mrs. Jarvis used to express her desire that someday someone must honor all mothers, living and dead, and pay tribute to the contributions made by them.
A loving daughter, Anna never forgot her mother’s word and when her mother died in 1905, she resolved to fulfill her mother’s desire of having a mother’s day. Growing negligent attitude of adult Americans towards their mothers and a desire to honor her mother soared her ambitions.
To begin with Anna, send Carnations in the church service in Grafton, West Virginia to honor her mother. Carnations were her mother’s favorite flower and Anna felt that they symbolized a mother’s pure love. Later Anna along with her supporters wrote letters to people in positions of power lobbying for the official declaration of Mothers Day holiday. The hard work paid off. By 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. |
While government agencies and researchers claim to be attacking the problem of addiction, more people are impacted than ever before. Never have we seen more children on prescription drugs than we do today. How are we teaching them to handle life? Take a pill? Have a drink? What are they emulating?
Addiction to prescription pain killers is increasing in both teens and the elderly. A government survey estimates that the number of adults age 50 and older with substance abuse problems will double to 5 million in 2010 (from 2.5 million in 1999) in part due to society’s growing acceptance of prescription drugs.
Teens find false comfort believing that prescription pain killers are safer than illegal drugs. A recent study done by Partnership for a Drug Free America found that 29% of teens believe prescription pain relievers to be non-addictive. An alarming number of today’s teenagers are more likely to abuse prescription and OTC’s (over the counter) medications than to abuse illegal drugs like meth, cocaine, Ecstasy etc. Nearly 1 in 5 teens (19% or 4.5 million) reported abusing prescription medications to get high, and 1 in 10 reported using cough medicine to get high. Teens say there is easy access to these drugs through the home medicine cabinet or at a friend’s house. This trend, called “pharming” (for pharmaceuticals), has resulted in illness, overdoses, and death.
| “Marvel not that I say unto you, ye must be born again.” In John 3 Jesus told this to Nicodemus. How are we born again? The Bible is very specific about the way in which this happens. I Peter 1:23 says we are born again by the Word of God.
It was the word of God that created all things. God said it and it happened. John says the word was made flesh and lived among us. Everything we have and everything we are is because of the Word of God. The reason we can have eternal life is based on the Word. “Heaven and earth will pass away but My Word will never pass away.” As part of the Word we have life everlasting.
The most important thing you can ever come into contact with is the Word of God. The thing that will affect your life the most is the Word of God. It is central to all hopes of salvation.
Sharing the Word of God with others is the most important mission we have in life. Keep that in mind. Men like the Gideon’s are dedicated to putting the Word of God into the hands and hearts of the world. |
| Honor where honor is due! We are blessed to have one of the best musicians in Kentucky as part of our music team. Dr Bob Reynolds is recognized widely for his concert piano skills. He will be in concert tonight at Columbia Christian Church. There is a complete article on the bulletin board and on Columbiamagazine.com. Bob is an elder at New Life and has been with us for 28 years. Congratulations, Bro. Bob. |
One of the sins that Christians fall into most easily is gossip. In some Christian congregations, if gossip were excluded, scarcely any kind of conversation would be left!
The dictionary offers the two following definitions of gossip: 1. Casual and idle chat. 2. Conversations involving malicious chatter or rumors about other people.
Two of the adjectives here applied to gossip are idle and malicious. It is not enough for Christians to avoid malice in their talk. In Matt. 12:36 Jesus warns against idle speech. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment”.
Although the New Testament explicitly forbids gossip many Christians regard it as a relatively “harmless” sin. Most definitely this is not how God views it. In Romans 1:29-30, Paul lists some of the consequences of man’s turning away from God. Here is part of his list: They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanders, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful”. The position of gossips in this list is significant. Some of the heart attitudes directly associated with gossip are strife, deceit and malice. Gossips are classified with people who are slanderers and God-haters. Christians who indulge in gossip may think of themselves as “exceptions”, but that is not how God sees them.
The words these people speak about others would not normally be described as “curses”, but their effect is the same! They are in fact channels through which demonic forces are directed against other members of the Body of Christ. Also, it is not only the person spoken about who are affected. In James 3:6 the apostle says, “The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body.” The believer who is guilty of gossip actually defiles both himself and that part of the body of Christ to which he is related.
In Matt. 7:1-2 Jesus says, “judge not, that you may not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” From the verb translated “to judge” that the English word, criticize is derived. If we find ourselves in disagreement with the conduct of a fellow believer. It is permitted and sometimes necessary to meet with them face to face as in Gal 2:11. Prov. 27:5 says “better is open rebuke than secret love.”
If we recognize that we have been guilty of gossip or wounding others with our tongues, we need to repent and to seek God’s forgiveness. We may also need to ask forgiveness from those we have offended. |
| “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” 2 Cor. 13:5
What do we make of this verse? How do we examine ourselves? Do we just think about how we are and make a subjected opinion, or do we really test ourselves by objective means?
Examine means to seriously consider the objective evidence and come to a conclusion. For years I have had to physically examine myself with regard to flare ups of congestive heart failure. I knew the symptoms and could tell when fluid was building up in my lungs. Because of close observation I knew when I needed medical treatment. I did not wait until I could not function and had no choice about going to the hospital. I took care of the situation before it got critical. The reason I recovered quickly was because I did not ignore the “symptoms” but recognized them and dealt with them. If we will learn to test ourselves, we can come out ahead in the school of life. Rest assured we will be tested. The real key is who is doing the testing and why. In the physical realm we test for symptoms. In the Spiritual world we call it “conviction”. |
| Post 9/11, we as a nation have a greater sense of the need to be on the alert. Home alarms, car alarms, business alarms and other such security devices are a part of the world in which we live in. With all the talk about national security it seems that life all round us is filled with reasons to be on our guard and to protect ourselves.
But what about spiritual matters? The things that concern our inner man are far more important than any material goods we might be able to protect.
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. King Solomon, considered the wisest man to ever live, was the writer of these words. He encourages us to guard our heart above everything else.
The Hebrew word for heart can have symbolic meaning of such things as; the spiritual aspect of man, the mind, the will, the conscience, the moral character of a person, the seat of his desires and passions even the whole man himself.
Our heart is the focal point of life. We can be effective in protecting our homes, business, property and even our borders from terrorist attacks but if we fail to protect this one thing “our heart” it will effect all areas of our lives.
Just as when our natural heart gets out of rhythm if not corrected in time it will soon take its toll and eventually effect the rest of the body. So will our spiritual heart when is not guarded and protected, it will began to beat out of rhythm and will begin to take its toll in our lives.
Proverbs 4:23 New Living Translation “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” |
If one wants to please God he must have faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6) None of us would be pleased if our friends constantly made us a liar every time we opened our mouths. Not one of us would feel like ever doing anything for those who did this. The same is true with God. He is a person and we should learn to treat Him as a person and not insult Him by questioning and doubting every promise that He makes. God is under no obligation to answer our prayers if we do not have implicit faith in Him for what we ask.
Faith is simple. It is believing God without wavering, doubting, or questioning what He says. It is taking God at His Word and believing what He has promised He is able to perform. It is believing not only that He is able, but that He will do it. It is the quality of counting those things that “be not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17) It is “the substance of things hoped for” and the first payment on things that we desire from God (Heb. 11: 1-3)
The way to get faith is by hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) The way to use faith is to take God at His Word and judge Him faithful in granting what is asked in the name of Jesus. Ask and then believe that it is done. Thank God for it as if it was already done. Expect the complete answer whether you see it at once or not. Forget symptoms, feelings, impossibilities, or anything to the contrary of God’s Word and it shall be done regardless of how impossible it may appear outwardly. Faith laughs at impossibilities and cries, “it is done!” It leaves all results and all answers with God as being God’s part. He doesn’t need any help from us! Our part then is to cooperate with faith and not hinder its working by doubting and unbelief and questioning the “how” and the “when” of the answer.
If a Christian will truly exercise faith, there will be no question as to the answer!
So just have FAITH IN GOD!!!
Continued from last week article:
In order for our bodies to maintain all of its systems, the hypothalamus gland in the brain works to regulate factors so that we remain at a stat of homeostasis. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 and our body temperature is 98.6. The hypothalamus is constantly receiving inputs about the status of our body and makes changes if anything goes haywire. The autonomic nervous system controls all those things that happen without you thinking about it. Your heart beating, breathing, sweating, blood pressure, etc. A fearful thought triggers the hypothalamus, it signals the autonomic nervous system which in turn affects your heart rate, breathing, B/P, sweating, etc. The body is ready for fight or flight. There is a time for rest and a time for action. Fight or flight is usually a short time period. But if the stressor is not removed than the fight or flight response is extended beyond normal time and will cause the body to start breaking down. When the body is in a continuous state of fear, stress or anxiety, it leaves no time for rest, recovery, and body repair. Sickness than is the results. Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Yes, doctors will tell you that stress kills, but what do they offer? Prozac or another anti anxiety drug. Jeremiah 6:14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; but there is no peace.
Jesus, not Prozac, is the prince of peace. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.
Just as fear can put in into fight or flight mode. God’s provisions can bring you into peace. His gift of perfect peace belongs to those whose minds are fixed on Him. Staying your mind on Him and not on fear and failures and insecurities will bring your body back into homeostasis.
Acts 1:3 “..to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”
After Jesus’ resurrection the angel announced that he was risen from the dead. He appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus only talking with them, and their hearts burned within them. He appeared to the eleven and Thomas and rebuked them for unbelief. But, He appeared to “them” with MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS.
If we experience the power of His resurrection we can speak “heart-warming” encouragement to those around us. We can also rebuke the doubters for their unbelief. These are the easy parts of our post spiritual resurrection. To be a true disciple of Jesus let us live in such a way that we show “many infallible proofs” that we have truly taken part in His resurrection. The true mark of a risen disciple is demonstration of a changed life. We will live differently than before
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