Category Archives: George W Black, Message Notes

George would like to share these message notes with you. You are free to use them in your church, Bible study, Small Group, etc.

WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, Pt. 2 of 2

All things are possible

WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, Pt. 2 of 2

Understanding The Nature of Salvation

3-13-16

Pastor George W. Black

Confession: I am a victorious believer, redeemed by the Lord, washed from my sins in the blood of Jesus my Savior, saved by grace through faith, filled with the powerful Holy Spirit, poised for God’s eternal purposes, and boldly sharing the joy of God’s love, with my world.

I am a faith walking, Word talking, over-comer in this life. I am a Victor, not a victim. I can do, all things through Christ. Today, my mind is open and alert, and my heart is good soil, for the seed of God’s Word.  I will be a diligent disciple, to apply its’ truths, for from this day forward, by the miracle of spiritual growth, I will never, ever, be the same again.

 

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

 Matthew 19:16-26  “Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” 21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

 

  1. The nature of salvation is it is a free gift. We can’t earn it, but we do have to receive it.

To receive a gift from another person, we have to be willing to receive it. If I extend a gift to you and you don’t reach out and take it into your hands, you have chosen not to receive it. The same is true with salvation. If God offers us salvation, but we do nothing to reach out and welcome it into our lives, we have chosen not to receive it. A gift may be free, but it does not enter our life until we are willing to make it our own.

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8 NLV “For by His loving-favor you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith. It is not by anything you have done. It is a gift of God.It is not given to you because you worked for it. If you could work for it, you would be proud.”

 

  1. Jesus wants to save all the lost places in our lives, not just take us to Heaven.

Jesus has come to seek and save the lost, and that which is lost in us. Every one of us bring a broken life to Christ when we are born-gain. Even after our sins are forgiven and we start living our new life in Christ, Jesus is working to heal our brokeness. We are like the clay on the potter’s wheel. He is molding and shaping us into His own image. This includes healing and deliverance where we need it.

Luke 19:9-10 NKJV “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

 

  1. Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a part of your complete “salvation” package.

The Bible teaches that born-again believers were never meant to try to live the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowerment or “endument” that is subsequent to being born-again and water baptized, and is promised to us. However many are not taught about this gift and live a life of repeated rededication seeking God’s fullness.

Acts 2:38-39 NKJV “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

 

  1. Once I place my trust in Jesus Christ through repentance, faith, and obedience, I am a “forever” child of God.

Becoming a child of God does not make us perfect, but it does plant a perfect seed of the Father’s nature in us that begins a process of becoming like Christ. The direction of our life changes, and even when we make mistakes, we continue to seek God’s grace and strength to make changes and continue growing in our faith and obedience.

Hebrew 5:9 NKJV “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”

John 10:27-29 NKJV “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

Jn 5:24 NKJV “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

 

  1. “Eternal Salvation” and “Eternal Security” do not mean the same thing. The first means we are saved forever as long as we want to be saved; the second means we can never be lost again no matter how we live our lives. The Bible does not teach “Eternal Security.”

There are no perfect Christians. But every truly born-again Christian has a new nature that wants to be like its Father. This means we have a deep conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgement. For a Christian to continue in habitual sin, there are only two possibilities: either we have never truly repented of our sins and had a spiritual new-birth, or we have consciously and knowingly rejected our salvation and thereby committed what is called “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.”

Let me be quick to state that if this latter explanation is possible, it would be very difficult. Before a person could ever walk away from and “lose” their salvation, the Holy Spirit will do everything in His power to prevent this from happening. But if we continually harden our hearts against Him, our conscience can become seared to the point we no longer feel conviction for our sins. At this point we will have crossed the line and “blasphemed” the Holy Spirit by our rejection of Him. It is this point that the following Scriptures seem to explain.

Hebrew 6:4-8 NLT “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame .When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.”

2 Peter 2:20-22 NLT “And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

 

  1. The nature of salvation is that we are saved for a grand and glorious purpose that only begins when we repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord (Leader, Boss, CEO) and Savior. This grand purpose has no end and is the reason we exist.

God has a GREAT BIG PLAN that begins with salvation through the new-birth. However, becoming a Christian so you can go to Heaven when you die is not the full spectrum of salvation. God wants to put Heaven into our lives right now through a rich and fulfilling plan. Jesus said He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Jn. 10:10. Your inheritance in Christ begins the day you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, not just when you die.

Ephesians 2:4-10 NLT “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

What Is The Nature of Salvation?  WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, Pt. 1 of 2

All things are possible

WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, Pt. 1 of 2

Understanding The Nature of Salvation

3-6-16

Pastor George W. Black

 

Confession: I am a victorious believer, redeemed by the Lord, washed from my sins in the blood of Jesus my Savior, saved by grace through faith, filled with the powerful Holy Spirit, poised for God’s eternal purposes, and boldly sharing the joy of God’s love, with my world.

I am a faith walking, Word talking, over-comer in this life. I am a Victor, not a victim. I can do, all things through Christ. Today, my mind is open and alert, and my heart is good soil, for the seed of God’s Word.  I will be a diligent disciple, to apply its’ truths, for from this day forward, by the miracle of spiritual growth, I will never, ever, be the same again.

 

 

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

 Matthew 19:16-26  “Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” 21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

 

  1. The nature of salvation is that we can never save ourselves. It is a supernatural gift that we receive by faith.

Titus 3:5 NKJV “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit”

A.  Salvation begins as a “seed” of new life that is planted in our lives by God.

 Peter 1:22 NKJV “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever”

B.  This “seed” of salvation is planted when we are born-again.

John 3:3-7, 9-10, 16 NKJV “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

  1. The nature of salvation is that it is a process, with a beginning and an end. This process begins in our spirit and travels outward, rather than the process of religion which starts on the outside and attempts to travel inward. This process is called the “Tenses Of Salvation.”

Matthew 13:33 NLT “Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”

TENSES OF SALVATION

A.  We Have Been Saved – Justification.

This is spirit salvation when we are washed from our sins in the blood of Jesus and become born-again, or born anew, or born from above…a spiritual re-birth. As a legal matter, this is when all of our sins are expunged from our record. We are now “justified”, which means “just as if I never sinned.

B.  We Are Being Saved – Sanctification.

This is soul salvation, which is a process. We are being changed by the renewing of our minds, and continually being conformed to the image of Christ in thought, word, and deed. We go from faith to faith, and from glory to glory. Sanctified means “set apart” from our old life and way of living and thinking, and becoming holy. Holiness is the nature of God. It is through sanctification that we can have the mind of Christ.

C.  We Will Yet Be Saved – Glorification.

Glorification is the final salvation of our body when it is transformed from mortal to immortal, and from corruptible to incorruptible.  God has promised us that in the resurrection we will have a glorified body like that of Jesus Christ when he arose from the dead. This new body will never die, never grow old, and never be subject to sickness, disease or decay.

 

  1. What must I do to be saved? We must do what the early Christians did when they repented of their sins and placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Acts 16:29-33 NKJV “Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.”

The statement “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” meant something different to the people of Paul’s day than it does to us. Instead of adding faith in Christ to whatever other beliefs they may have already had, to them it meant “exchanging” their faith from other gods or religions, and placing it fully in Christ alone. Inherent in this process is that of repentance – a change of mind and direction. Jesus never said “only believe.” He said “repent and believe.”

Mark 1:14-15 NKJV “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

The Amplified Bible translates the original Greek text of “Repent, and believe” in this way:

“repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life] and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good news [regarding salvation].”   Mark 1:15 Amplified Bible

Acts 2:38 NKJV “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The Amplified Bible translates the original Greek text of “Repent” in this way:

“Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah]”   Acts 2:38a Amplified Bible

 

  1. The nature of salvation is that we are saved for a grand and glorious purpose that only begins when we repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord (Leader, Boss, CEO) and Savior. This grand purpose has no end and is the reason we exist.

God has a GREAT BIG PLAN that begins with salvation through the new-birth. However, becoming a Christian so you can go to Heaven when you die is not the full spectrum of salvation. God wants to put Heaven into our lives right now through a rich and fulfilling plan. Jesus said He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Jn. 10:10. Your inheritance in Christ begins the day you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, not just when you die.

Ephesians 2:4-10 NLT “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

What Is The Nature of Salvation?  WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

ENTERING GOD’S “REST” OF FAITH

Rest of faith

Entering God’s “Rest” Of Faith

2-21-16

Pastor George W. Black

 

Introduction: Current Events Are Robbing Our Peace

Pope floats idea of one world religion – I enjoyed the Pope’s comments this last week directed at Donald Trump, suggesting that anyone who only wants to build walls and not build bridges is not a Christian. It was entertaining. However, and more sobering, this world leading Pontiff recently called for all faiths to come together. In a video put together by the Jesuit Global Prayer Network, the Pope is shown requesting collaboration with “those who think differently, but meet God in different ways.” In the Bible, the Book of Revelation describes a ‘great harlot’ or a false one-world religion will be prominent during the end times, led by a false prophet.

https://www.trunews.com/pope-francis-calls-for-one-world-religion/

World War III Could Start This Month, 2/16/2016, Michael Snyder

Three-hundred fifty thousand soldiers, 20,000 tanks, 2,450 warplanes and 460 military helicopters are massing in northern Saudi Arabia for a military exercise that is being called “Northern Thunder. According to the official announcement, forces are being contributed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia and several other nations. This will be the largest military exercise in the history of the region, and it comes amid rumors that Saudi Arabia and Turkey are preparing for a massive ground invasion of Syria. But if Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their allies go in, they run the risk of a full-blown war with Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/55194-world-war-3-could-start-this-month

World economy – A Global Recession Is More Likely Than Anyone Realizes

Countries now in recession include Greece, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Venezuela, Brazil, Russia, Taiwan, and, as of Feb. 1, Ireland.

And the United States is closer than anyone realizes to joining them.

It appears that anyone drinking the Kool aid of this year’s state of the Union message about a growing economy isn’t willing to look at the real numbers on jobs, devaluation of the dollar, and economic recession. With a 19 trillion-dollar national debt, America is living on borrowed time.

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/a-global-recession-is-more-likely-than-anyone-realizes/

Movie release – “Deadpool” opened two weekends ago with a $135 million dollar record crushing “R” rated movie weekend, on Valentines weekend no less. Besides sex, nudity, violence and gore, movie goers got treated to about 84 F-words and its derivatives, 3 obscene hand gestures, 21 sexual references, 34 scatological terms, 19 anatomical terms, 8 mild obscenities, 2 religious profanities, and 9 religious exclamations. Does the success of this movie reflect the loss of morals in our society, or do movies of this nature condition us to tolerate and even accept todays anti-morals, anti-God, secular revolution? In both cases we are presented with a “state of our union” that must surely be what the Bible refers to as “perilous times.” Ps 101:3 “I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.” Check out www.MovieGuide.org to know before you go.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431045/parentalguide?ref_=tt_ql_7

Politics – For the first time in the history of the United States we have an avowed socialist not only running for POTUS, but having won the New Hampshire primary, and having come in a close second to a near-socialist in both Iowa and Nevada. Socialism is now the anti-capitalism doctrine being taught by the so-called elite in our Ivy League colleges, which has bred a generation of truly misguided millennials who are now asserting their influence. Socialism, as you may recall, is the economic doctrine used by Communism, and does not have one successful long-term experiment to show proof of concept in any country of the world, ever. It led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, has held Cuba in poverty for 70 years, and has Venezuela mirroring the failures of Cuba. In every instance that pure socialism is tried, it invariably requires a revolution and dictatorship to remain sustainable. There is no such thing as a free ride. The price of the ride is hidden in the surrender of personal rights and liberties until the state owns you.

Zika Virus – New Evidence Suggests Monsanto Larvicide Is To Blame For Birth Defects in Brazil

 Zika virus may not be the culprit in huge increase in microcephaly cases but, rather, Monsanto larvicide used in Brazilian water supply. The report from Argentine doctors noted that the Brazilian Ministry of Health, who has so far maintained that Zika is to blame, failed to recognize that “a chemical larvicide producing malformations in mosquitoes has been applied for 18 months, and that this poison (pyriproxyfen) is applied by the State on drinking water used by the affected population.” This suggests that the malformations that the larvicide causes in mosquitoes is also what is causing the malformations for the human babies that are affected. Since the larvicide is in the water supply, it is highly likely that the pregnant women with the microcephalic babies were exposed to the larvicide. 

http://www.trueactivist.com/new-evidence-suggests-monsanto-larvicide-is-to-blame-for-zika-virus-epidemic/

 In spite of all these harrowing reports, there is a place of rest in Christ.

 

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 Message “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

 

  1. Entering God’s rest by faith begins with staying focused on why we are here. We are all running a race given to us by God. Our life is not our plan, but His.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Hebrews 12:1,2a NKJV  “… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, {2} looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

 

  1. Jesus is our example of how to endure the hardness of the race with a view to future victory…stop running for yourself and run for Him.

1 Corinthians 16:19-20 MEV “What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God, and that you are not your own? You were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Romans 12:2b NKJV  “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

  1. Sometimes the race gets hard to help us let go of whatever is holding us back, and refocus on our true source of our strength…God, not ourselves.

Philippians 4:13 MEV “I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me.”

Hebrews 12:3,4 “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. {4} You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”

 

  1. No matter what you face in life, you must never give up, you must get up…after you have kneeled and surrendered everything to Him again.

The desire to quit is the last obstacle between you and what God has promised you.

Deuteronomy 33:25b NKJV  “…As your days, so shall your strength be.”

Galatians 6:9 NKJV  “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

 

  1. In the final analysis, we must enter God’s rest of faith by trusting your Heavenly Father to know what is best for us.

Romans 8:28 NKJV  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; {6} In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. {7} Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. {8} It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”

WHEN HOPE WAS BORN

Christmas 2015, When Hope Was Born

WHEN HOPE WAS BORN

12-20-15

Pastor George W. Black

Confession: I am a victorious believer, redeemed by the Lord, washed from my sins in the blood of Jesus my Savior, saved by grace through faith, filled with the powerful Holy Spirit, poised for God’s eternal purposes, and boldly sharing the joy of God’s love, with my world.

I am a faith walking, Word talking, over-comer in this life. I am a Victor, not a victim. I can do, all things through Christ. Today, my mind is open and alert, and my heart is good soil, for the seed of God’s Word.  I will be a diligent disciple, to apply its’ truths, for from this day forward, by the miracle of spiritual growth, I will never, ever, be the same again.

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

 Luke 1:26-33 NKJV  “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, {27} to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. {28} And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

{29} But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. {30} Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. {31} “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. {32} “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. {33} “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.””

 

  1. The birth of Jesus Christ brought real hope to a troubled world.

The coming of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of a promise God made to the world about sending a Savior who would rescue us from sin. A promise always gives hope, and a fulfilled promise makes our hope a reality.

Mat 1:21 NKJV  “”And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.””

As God is exalted to the right place in our lives, a thousand problems are solved all at once. ~ A. W. Tozer

 

  1. The human spirit needs hope to survive and to thrive.

Hope is a very timely topic.  George Gallup the public opinion pollster said, “People in many nations seem to be searching with new intensity for spiritual moorings these days.  Why is that?  One of the key factors prompting this search is a need for hope in these troubled times.”  The point I want to make is that the God of the Bible is that source of hope.

One expert said, “Since my early years as a physician I learned that taking away hope is for most people like pronouncing a death sentence.  Their already hard-pressed will to live can become paralyzed and they may give up and die.

The writers of the Bible recognized this more than 2500 years ago.  King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 13:12

Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

I love how the Good News Translation interprets this:

“When hope is crushed the heart is crushed.”  GNT

 

  1. When some people talk about hope, they are talking about wishful thinking, blind optimism, and ambitious dreams.

In everyday conversation we use the word “hope” in various different ways that aren’t really consistent to what the Bible refers to when it’s talking about hope.

A. Wishful Thinking

Wishful thinking is when we try to hope things in or out of existence.  We blow out the candles on our birthday cake and say, “I hope I have another year of health and happiness.”

Or we turn on the TV and say, “I hope the Dallas Cowboys repeat as NFL champions this year.”

Wishful thinking is that kind of hopeful feeling that somehow, some way things are going to go the way we want them to even though we have absolutely no power over the situation.

But we don’t have any power to make it happen.

Wishful thinking is not Biblical hope, because it has no power at all.

B. Blind Optimism

I think it’s great to be an optimistic person.  I tend to be an optimistic person but some optimists are not faith-based optimists, they are blind optimists, seeing everything through rose colored glasses.  They ignore their problems as if they didn’t exist, while their debt continues to grow, or their marriage continues to fade.

Sometimes people in their blind optimism will pretend things are great when they’re not.

That’s not biblical hope.

Blind optimism has no power at all.

C. Ambitious Dreams –

These are the lofty goals we tend to set right about this time of year, these resolutions before we go into the New Year.  We set a lofty goal.  We say, “Next year I’m going to buy a new car.”  And not only do we set this goal but we go about saving money and preparing so we can actually buy the new car.

Or we say, “Next year I’m really going to improve my golf game.”  And we don’t just say it but we go out to the practice green and the putting green and we really practice to try to improve.  Or we say, “Next year I really, want my marriage to be better.”  And instead of just saying it, we invest time to really build into our spouse to improve our communication and so forth.

All of that is fine.  It’s wonderful to set ambitious goals and then to work toward achieving them.  The problem is that often we are restricted by our own limitations or by things that are outside of our control.

I can shoot baskets on our driveway.  I can do that night and day but I will never realize my ambitious dream of playing in the NBA.  Or there are thousands of people employed by a certain company.  They have lofty goals.  They want to retire with a nest egg.  They want to climb the corporate ladder of achievement.  But what can happen? They can close down, sell out to another company, or downsize. Then good people are out of a job.  It’s beyond their control.

It wasn’t because their dreams were bad.  But sometimes our own limitations or circumstances or other people can affect our dreams in such a way that we end up disappointed or worse.

Ambitious dreams do not have the power of Biblical hope.

God has a better plan.

 

  1. God offers a hope that is so powerful that it can transform a human being’s life and it can rewrite a person’s eternity.

Rom 15:13 NKJV  “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

It’s not surprising if God created human beings with this craving for hope it would make sense that He would also serve as our ultimate hope.  In fact, in Romans 15:13 it describes God as the God of hope.

All total there are 95 references to hope in the Old Testament.  There are another 85 references in the New Testament.  This theme of hope is woven all throughout scripture.

Contrast wishful thinking and blind optimism and ambitious dreams with Biblical hope.

For most people hoping is something that they do.  But the Bible talks about hope as something we can have.  See the difference?  Hope is something you can have.  You can possess it.  You can own it.  You can grab a hold of it.  For someone who follows Jesus Christ here is the definition of hope.

Hope is the confident expectation that God is willing and able to fulfill the promises that He has made to you.

The Bible refers to this as living hope because it is always directly linked to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:4 CEB “You have been born anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you.

Through His resurrection, Jesus Christ demonstrated once and for all beyond any doubt that He is God and that He really does possess the power to fulfill the promises that He makes to us.

Promises that He’ll change our lives, promises that He’ll guide us, promises that He will walk side by side with us through the turbulence of life, promises that He can cause good to emerge from the personal problems that we face, promises that He will grant us eternal life in heaven with Him.  The resurrection is an actual physical event in history that sealed Christ’s identity as being the God who loves us and who is committed to helping us.

Hebrews 6:19 “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul firm and secure.” 

Our hope is only as good as what it is attached to, as what it is anchored to.  Hope in and of itself has no power.  You can wish for something, you can hope for something, you might feel a little better about it.  We might fool ourselves into thinking everything’s ok.

But the only way hope has any real power is when it’s anchored in the God who has real power.  And not only real power but a real desire out of His love for you to help you.  Those who follow Jesus Christ hope in the confident expectation that God is willing and able to fulfill the promises He’s made to them.

There are two main reasons we have hope:

A. We have hope because we’re absolved of our past.

Lamentations 3:21 “This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning.”

1 Timothy 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

B. We have hope because we’re assured of our future.

Titus 3:5,7 “He saved us in His mercy – not by virtue of any moral achievement of ours…  We are acquitted by His grace, and can look forward in hope to inheriting life eternal.”

 

  1. YOU NEED HOPE! The Christmas gift of hope can be born in you if you will surrender your life to Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life.

Mat 1:21 NKJV  “”And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.””(Gal 4:4-5 NLT)  “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. {5} God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.”

 

Hope is born because Christ was born, and continues to born in every heart that makes room for Him.

Merry Christmas,

GWB

 

THANKS-GIVING SUNDAY – BE THE ONE!

One Came Back To Thank Jesus

THANKS-GIVING SUNDAY – BE THE ONE!

11-22-15

Pastor George W. Black

Confession: I am a victorious believer, redeemed by the Lord, washed from my sins in the blood of Jesus my Savior, saved by grace through faith, filled with the powerful Holy Spirit, poised for God’s eternal purposes, and boldly sharing the joy of God’s love, with my world.

I am a faith walking, Word talking, over-comer in this life. I am a Victor, not a victim. I can do, all things through Christ. Today, my mind is open and alert, and my heart is good soil, for the seed of God’s Word.  I will be a diligent disciple, to apply its’ truths, for from this day forward, by the miracle of spiritual growth, I will never, ever, be the same again.

 

Opening Scripture:

(Luke 17:11-19 NKJV)  “Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. {12} Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. {13} And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” {14} So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

{15} And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, {16} and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. {17} So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? {18} “Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” {19} And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.””

 

  1. Radical Gratitude is Being The One who thanks Jesus in all things. Developing the habit of constantly whispering thanks to him—no matter the situation—is a mustard seed of life-changing power.

Psa 30:11-12 NKJV  “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, {12} To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

 

  1. Everywhere we go, and everything we do, followers of Jesus have the opportunity in life’s crowded and difficult moments to be the fragrance of Christ. Radical Gratitude – Be The One!

John 12:3 NKJV  “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”

2 Cor 2:14-15 NKJV  “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. {15} For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

 

  1. Radical Gratitude is a key to praise, and praise can open doors that nothing else can. Be The One!

Psa 100:4 NKJV  “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

Heb 13:15 NKJV  “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

 

  1. Radical Gratitude brings joy to the heart, and fills our lives with a positive atmosphere. Be The One!

Prov 15:13 NKJV  “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

Prov 17:22 NKJV  “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.”

 

  1. Radical Gratitude is an expression of trusting God that He is in control of all the elements of your life. Be The One!

Heb 13:5-6 NLT  “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” {6} That is why we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?””

 

  1. Radical Gratitude is an expression of a God centered life, and an important part of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Be The One!

Eph 5:17-20 NKJV  “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. {18} And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, {19} speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, {20} giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Watch Thoughtful Video: THANKSGIVING CHAIR

Watch Musci Video: TAKE A LITTLE TIME, by Andre’ Crouch

TIMOTHY, PROFILE IN COURAGE

TIMOTHY, PROFILE IN COURAGE

11-8-15

Pastor George W. Black

 

Confession: I am a victorious believer, redeemed by the Lord, washed from my sins in the blood of Jesus my Savior, saved by grace through faith, filled with the powerful Holy Spirit, poised for God’s eternal purposes, and boldly sharing the joy of God’s love, with my world.

I am a faith walking, Word talking, over-comer in this life. I am a Victor, not a victim. I can do, all things through Christ. Today, my mind is open and alert, and my heart is good soil, for the seed of God’s Word.  I will be a diligent disciple, to apply its’ truths, for from this day forward, by the miracle of spiritual growth, I will never, ever, be the same again.

 

Opening Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:2 NKJV “To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.”

 

Tmothy’s name means “honoring God.”

His name is mention 25 times in the NT, which is extraordinary.

Paul put Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus in 65 AD. He is the perfect selection for this assignment as his dad was Greek and therefore a Gentile, and his mother was Jewish Christian. The Ephesian church is one of the gentile churches in Asia Minor, now known as Turkey. As the overseer for the church he was known as a Bishop.

In the NT the term “Bishop” is sometimes used interchangeably with the term “Elder” which means older, or mature. However the role of a Bishop became known as an overseer of more than one church or a group of churches by the end of the first century.

Ephesus is one of the seven churches referred to in the Book of Revelation, and is often considered the most advanced church in the New Testament because of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians.

Before he became a Bishop, there was a process that required his personal profile to be one of courage. Many are called but few are chosen. What God asked of him was hard, but he said yes anyway.

The process begins in his childhood. Timothy was a native of Lystra in Lycaonia. When Paul and Barnabas first visited Lystra, Paul healed one crippled from birth, leading many of the inhabitants to accept his teaching. When he returned a few years later with Silas, Timothy was already a respected member of the Christian congregation, as were his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, both Jewish Christians. In 2 Timothy 1:5, his mother and grandmother are noted as eminent for their piety and faith. Because of this Timothy is said to have been acquainted with the Scriptures since childhood.

He became  Paul’s disciple, and later his constant companion and co-worker in preaching.  In the year 52, Paul and Silas took Timothy along with them on their journey to Macedonia.

 

When Paul went on to Athens, Silas and Timothy stayed for some time at Berea and Thessalonica before joining Paul at Corinth.[10]Timothy next appears in Acts during Paul’s stay in Ephesus (54-57), and in late 56 or early 57 Paul sent him to Macedonia with the aim that he would eventually arrive at Corinth. Timothy arrived at Corinth just after Paul’s epistle 1 Corinthians reached that city. The letter was not well received, and Timothy quickly returned to Ephesus to report this to Paul.

Timothy was with Paul in Corinth during the winter of 57-58 when Paul dispatched his Letter to the Romans. (Romans 16:21) According to Acts 20:3-6, Timothy was with Paul in Macedonia just before Passover 58; he left the city before Paul, going ahead of him to await Paul in Troas. (Acts 20:4-5) “That is the last mention of Timothy in Acts,” Raymond Brown notes.[11] In the year 64, Paul left St. Timothy at Ephesus, to govern that church.

His relationship with Paul was close. Paul entrusted him with missions of great importance. Timothy’s name appears as the co-author on 2 CorinthiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. Paul wrote to the Philippians about Timothy, “I have no one like him.” (Philippians 2:19-23) When Paul was in prison and awaiting martyrdom, he summoned his faithful friend, Timothy, for a last farewell.

All of this means that this man’s level of commitment and courage had to be off the scale. Here are several Scripture’s that give us insight into Timothy’s profile of courage.

 

 

  1. A Fellow Worker – Dedicated to the work of God.

Romans 16:21 NKJV “Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.”

 

  1. Beloved and Faithful Son – Reminding other of Paul’s ways in Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:17 NKJV “For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.”

Spiritual DNA is important. We are not to be a hodge podge of different opinions and beliefs. A mixed multitude can never accomplish the will of God. Abraham went not to war except with 218 trained servants that were born in his own house. This is why stress learning the vision of this church. God doesn’t bring new people here to teach us, He brought you here to learn from us. He knew you needed what we have to offer, or He would not have brought you here.

When people remain disciples of other ministers rather than your own pastor, we have a mixed multitude, not an army. We all have something to contribute, but only after we have embraced the vision of this house.

Gen 11 is the story of the tower of Babel. God himself says nothing they imagine they can do will be withheld from them because they are one, and all have one language. Unity is when we are one with the vision God has given the Pastor for our church, and we all speak the same things about this one vision. If we can ever get to this place, nothing will be withheld from us.

Acts chapter 2 reminds us that when the 120 disciples were all in one place and one accord, just like Gen 11, the power and glory of God was poured out and the Early Church was birthed. It’s going to take this sacrificial unity for this to happen today, but it is possible.

In 2 Chron 5 the Bible says when the priests came out of the Holy Place, they did not keep to their divisions…I take that to mean their different opinions and doctrines, etc. No they came into holy, sacrificial unity by laying their opinions down, and the result was such unusual unity that a cloud of God’s glory filled the temple, and it was so thick and heavy that the priests could not stand to minister, for God was ministering Himself.

Comments about fathers and sons:

Paul and Timothy did not have the burden of dealing with the issues of nationally recognized speakers, who either intentionally or unintentionally draw disciples after themselves. But the consequence of this is we have many people in our churches today that not disciples of their pastors in the Biblical way, but they follow an image, an illusion, they follow a voice, but not a person. These pseudo disciples will never be called upon to submit to these national leaders personally, or work with them in ministry, or get to know them up close and personal, which creates an impossible comparison with the local pastor who can’t compete with a television persona. These pseudo disciples are filled with opinions, but none of them are sons, to anyone. We all need to be sons.

 

3. Paul said you have not many fathers…

1 Corinthians 4:14-16 NKJV “I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. 15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.”
We know we are a son when we have a spiritual father that can correct us. If a spiritual father corrects us and we resent it then maybe we are not a son. If a stranger corrects us we may resent it, but if our real father corrects us we respect it, because we know he loves us and he is watching for our soul, and it is for our learning.

We cannot make someone a son or daughter. You are either a son or daughter or not, because it is your choice. A father may chose you but you must also chose them.

The problem in American culture is no one wants to be a  son or daughter. Instead we want to be equals with everyone. But this is a perversion of the natural order. We always respect our natural parents as fathers and mothers as long as they are living. But we do not welcome and respect spiritual parents without a conscious decision, because it is not our culture. However the American culture is not a Biblical culture. We must understand so many things in our culture that we consider to be our rights, are not in the Kingdom culture. If we were living in Jesus’ day we would quickly find out that kingdom culture and American culture are enemies.

 

4. John told us there are basically three divisions to the Body of Christ, Fathers, Young Men or Sons, and Children. Everyone wants to be Father, but they cannot until they have first become a son.

1 John 2:12-14 NKJV I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.”
The NT word Elder means older, mature, as in fathers. A kingdom culture teaches us to respect our elders, that we are not their equals and that we can never be their equals anymore than a child can equal their parents. We may one day become an elder ourselves, but we will always be subordinate to those who have gone before us. This does not mean we can’t achieve what our fathers have achieved or even exceed it. Every father wants their children to do better and achieve more than they have. But you cannot ever be their same age at the same time with someone who is 30 years older than you. You cannot ever be their equal, and it is a perversion to want to.

 

5. Timothy became Paul’s son in the faith because he humbled himself, refused to be a mixed multitude or a man of many opinions.

He became a son or disciple or “Timothy” to Paul because he chose to…this is a true profile in courage. If he had not, he could not have entered the destiny that Paul’s life opened the door to. He would never have been the Bishop of Ephesus or helped co-write six books of the New Testament, with another two addressed to him.

John 15:13 NKJV “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

 

6. Brother and Minister of God, and our Fellow Laborer in the Gospel – Encourager who strengthened the work of God

1 Thessalonians 3:1-3 NKJV “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.”

 

7. No one Like-Minded – Sincere care for the work of God with no thought of personal ego or gain.

Phillipians 2:19-21 NKJV “But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.”

 

8. Imprisoned For His Faith, later giving all in Martyrdom.

Heb 13:22-23 NKJV “And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. 23 Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.”

That Timothy was jailed at least once during the period of the writing of the New Testament is implied by the writer of Hebrews mentioning Timothy’s release at the end of the epistle. The apocryphal Acts of Timothy states that in the year 97, the 80-year-old bishop tried to halt a procession in honor of the goddess Diana by preaching the gospel. The angry pagans beat him, dragged him through the streets, and stoned him to death.

Timothy’s profile in courage is a reminder that Christianity is not meant to be easy or safe. It is meant to be the greatest commitment and adventure of our lives. It become boring when we don’t give it our all.

Would you let Christ write a profile of courage for your life. Will you take up your cross?

COURSE CORRECTION NEEDED

Sea Diamond Disaster

COURSE CORRECTION NEEDED

10-4-15

Pastor George W. Black

Opening Scripture:

Is 30:15 NLT “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.”

INTRODUCTION: Anyone that has ever spent time on the water in a boat has experienced a unique action known as drift. Whether paddle boat, ski-boat, sail-boat, or cruise ship, everything on the water experiences drift.

Unlike being on land, a boat floats on a constantly changing and moving fluid. Being on land is static. Being on water is dynamic. No matter where the boat is, it will drift from that location because of the effect of current, wind, and sometimes operator error.

Personal Experience: As a boy I once went fishing on Black Lake in Louisiana. It was a lake with lots of Cypress trees and some of the best Bream fishing I have ever experienced. I found a bed of Bream and was having a good time when the wind started blowing on that lake. Normally I would just use a paddle to hold my position, but on this day the wind was too strong. To remain in that good fishing spot I had to tie up to a Cypress Tree. When I was through fishing and ready to head home, I untied from the tree and cranked my little 3 HP outboard motor. Unfortunately my direction home was straight into the wind, and it was now blowing so hard that even with that little motor wide-open, I could make no headway…I was standing still in the water. I finally had to tie up to a tree again until the wind subsided, or I would have drifted further and further away from home.

Bass boats are equipped with electric trolling motors that are used for compensating for drift so a fisherman can remain in one spot.

As Christ-followers we can experience drift in our personal and devotional lives us to the effect of life’s currents, the wind of circumstances, and sometimes operator error. We need an “electric trolling motor” to help hold our position.

Drift is inevitable. How we compensate for it, and whether we compensate for it, is everything.

 

  1. God loves us and has a Great Big Plan for our lives, but His plan, and the plans that we “drift” into,  can be different plans.

Jer 29:11 NLT  “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jer 1:5 NLT “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Heb 2:1-4 NLT “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. {2} The message God delivered through angels has always proved true, and the people were punished for every violation of the law and every act of disobedience. {3} What makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself? It was passed on to us by those who heard him speak, {4} and God verified the message by signs and wonders and various miracles and by giving gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose to do so.”

 

2. We know we are drifting away from God’s plan for our lives:

A. When sin does not bother us anymore.

So how can we know when we’re drifting? There are some signs, and the first one is when sin does not bother us as much as it used to because we begin excusing it.

  • You begin to ignore your conscience.
  • You excuse yourself when you engage in activities that dishonor God and are contrary to His will.
  • You drift out of the will of God into a life of sin.
  • You begin to live in denial—you disagree that what you’re doing is wrong.

God’s Word is very clear about what sin is…it is falling short of God’s mark. All of us are sinners, and not a one of us should ever judge others for their failings. But God does ask us to judge ourselves. Are we growing more like Christ every day? If not, we are drifting.

B. When we lose interest in God’s Word.

The second indication that we are drifting is that our interest in God’s Word decreases. The Bible is our instruction book—so if we want to know how to live, we must look to God’s Word (see Psalm 119:9-11).We must meditate upon it or every area of our life will be affected.

C. When we neglect to pray.

The third indication that we’re drifting is that we lose our passion for prayer and stop crying out to God. The problem comes when things are going so well that we don’t feel the need to pray. However, that’s the time that we probably need to pray the most because we drop our guard and Satan attacks. Prayer is the only way we communicate with God—the navigator of our life. Without Him, we can’t fight the current or steer our way through the narrow moral, financial, relational, and spiritual channels of our life—and calamity is the result.

 D. When we lose interest in church.

The fourth indication that we’re drifting is that we stop meeting together with other Christians at church and other fellowship and ministry opportunities.

  • You avoid things that are spiritual so you don’t feel the shame of your sinful life.
  • You avoid contact with God so much that you lose your ability to hear God’s voice.
  • Your heart becomes hardened by sin and Satan’s lies.

We are called to worship, sing, preach the gospel, fellowship, pray together, and encourage one another—and there’s no excuse for missing out on that (see Hebrews 10:24-25). If you don’t belong to a church, ask God where you should go. Anytime we’re under the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, God is directing us—He stops us from drifting.

E. When we don’t give our time or money to support the values we say we have.

People are often critical of churches/organizations for asking people to tithe or support them with our money. But everyone else asks for our money, and we are not offended, because it is for a “good cause.” We need to see the Great Commission as the greatest “good cause” we could ever invest in.

Besides, we need to stop complaining when we are asked to obey God’s Word. God gives us richly all things to enjoy. It is selfish of us not to give back. Obeying God’s Word is the key to blessing. However we should never give money out of manipulation. It must be done by faith in God’s Word. We must also budget accordingly.

A budget is simply telling your money where to go. You cannot miraculously give a tithe or 10% of your money to the work of Christ if you have not created a budget for this to happen. To add increased giving, you must subtract spending in some other area. Learning to live within our means includes budgeting for the tithe.

Now, some people will say, “I can’t afford to give my tithe or spend time serving God.” However, you really can’t afford not to do it. You see, when we are faithful to do as God says, He makes the remainder much more valuable to us—He multiplies what we give to Him (see Luke 6:38). However, when we drift in the stewardship of our time and money, it affects everything in our life negatively.

F. When we don’t share Jesus with anyone.

We say we’re uncomfortable speaking out about or faith….why is that? We aren’t uncomfortable telling others about our favorite restaurant, song, movie, etc. Or we may say we are so busy that we just don’t have time to talk to others about the Lord. However, what we’re really saying is they can go to Hell. We don’t want to paddle against the current of the culture, which we know is anti-Christian. It’s just not politically correct to talk to people about Jesus. Yet, understand, we have no obligation before God to be politically correct. Rather, we have a divine obligation to be Biblically correct—because if we’re Biblically correct, we’ll change people’s lives and impact the society.

G. When we no longer feel close to God.

Of course, it’s because we’re not reading His Word, praying, going to church, giving, or witnessing anymore.

We may even begin to suffer in many areas of our lives and not realize it is the result of turning away from the Lord—even though it affects your mind, emotions, health, and spirit.

What we’re losing is the most intimate relationship that we could ever have. Our relationship with God is deeper than anything else, and only God knows how to satisfy us. Why do we forsake this relationship? We do so because of the influence of other people and the lure of the world’s ways. However, when we do that, we miss God’s best for our life. And if we want His best, we must be willing to fight against the current

H. The net result of drifting away from God and His plan is:

  • We grieve God’s heart because He loves you and knows the heartache and destruction you’ll face when you sin against Him.
  • We miss God’s best for our life.
  • We influence other people’s lives negatively especially those of your children and grandchildren.

Heb 12:1-2 NLT  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. {2} We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven.”

 

  1. We must guard our lives from drifting from the finished work of Christ, or we could lose everything in a shipwreck. 

It’s very easy to drift because it doesn’t take any effort; but it takes a great deal of effort to stay on track. That is why any one of us can drift. When we get tired we’re all in danger of neglecting our devotion to Christ.

AP News Report shows that drifting is dangerous because it leads to danger and disaster.

2007-04-07 10:35:07

Captain, Officers Charged in Sunken Cruise Ship – The Sea Diamond

By JOHN F.L. ROSS

“The captain and five officers of a cruise ship that sank off an Aegean Sea island were charged Saturday with negligence, state television reported.

The six officers were charged with causing a shipwreck through negligence, breaching international shipping safety regulations and polluting the environment, state NET said. All were released pending further investigations.

If convicted, the officers face a maximum five-year sentence.

Nearly 1,600 people were retrieved from the sinking ship Thursday in a three-hour rescue operation after the vessel foundered on a volcanic reef, but some passengers complained of an insufficient supply of life vests, little guidance from crew members and being forced into a steep climb down rope-ladders to safety.

Divers continued to search for a Frenchman and his daughter who disappeared after their cabin flooded with water when the ship struck rocks.

The 469-foot Sea Diamond struck rocks Thursday in the sea-filled crater formed by a volcano eruption 3,500 years ago off the island of Santorini, sinking about a quarter-mile off the coast, in waters of uneven depth, a few minutes before it was to dock.”

This ship drifted off-course a few minutes before it was to dock, and ended up on the rocks. We can’t be distracted in our relationship to God; He must always be our priority. Our salvation involves much more than just a moment in time when we made a decision. Rather, the Holy Spirit sealed us as children of God forever and we must understand what that really means and live it out.

We must make an effort to live in a way that honors God.

 

  1. If we have drifted, we must begin to make efforts to recover from the disaster of drifting and course-correct today.
  • We course-correct by anchoring to the Word of God.

2 Tim 2:15 MEV “Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

In his book “Good or God”, John Bevere says, “When we drift, we don’t realize it. We need to constantly come back to the Word of God to anchor our hearts to truth.

Dr. CI Schofield – right way and wrong way to divide or interpret the Bible

King David said “Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against YOU!”

The noble Berean’s of the New Testament searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things they were being taught were true.

Only truth has the power to change us. Good ideas and Facebook sayings never will.

Builds faith

Gives knowledge

Provides wisdom

Jesus is the Word. We can’t have a personal relationship apart from Him and His word.

Everything we need to know—everything that will keep us safely on course—is in the Bible, and God wants to teach us through it. He lifts verses off its pages and applies them to our minds and hearts, giving us clear direction. Whenever we need counsel about what to do, we can always look to God’s Word.

  • We course-correct by obeying the Word of God.

Psa 119:15-16 NLT  “I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your principles and not forget your word.”

 This means that we shouldn’t only read the Bible, rather, we should think about it, absorb it, and do as it tells us to do. In order to stop ourselves from drifting, we must obey God’s Word and make it an integral part of our life. We’ve got to be willing to submit to whatever God commands us to do.

  • We course-correct by surrendering our lives to God.

One of the wisest things we can do to keep from drifting is to submit ourselves to God before we get out of bed each morning. Begin the day with this simple prayer:“Lord Jesus, I surrender my entire life to You today. I am completely Yours.” Then, when some conflict, challenge, or temptation comes along, the Spirit of God reminds us that we have committed ourselves to obedience. It’s amazing the impact that simple prayer can make because God gives us the ability to see trouble coming from far away, and He gently reminds us that we’ve already surrendered everything to Him today. Once He shows us what we need to avoid or correct, we have the ability to yield that area to His authority.

  • We course correct by staying on guard.

 Understand that Satan is an enemy who will do whatever it takes to get you to drift away from God. Our final defense against drifting is to stay on guard against the schemes of the enemy.

2 Pet 3:17-18 NLT  “I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends, so that you can watch out and not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people. I don’t want you to lose your own secure footing. {18} But grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and honor, both now and forevermore. Amen.”

 

  1. COURSE CORRECTION NEEDED!

First, acknowledge that you’ve been drifting away from God by confessing your sin.

Second, repent by admitting what you should be doing, which is being wholeheartedly devoted to your Lord and Savior.

Repentance is an about face—it’s a change in your lifestyle. You have not repented if you have not made a course correction. You get back on the course of godliness—the path that honors God. You surrender yourself to Him and allow Him to guide your life.

Have you been drifting? Do you lack the power and joy of the Christian life? Acknowledge to God that you’ve been drifting, ask Him to forgive your sin, and obey Him with all of your heart. If you don’t change your course, you’re ultimately going to destroy your life and end up on the rocks like the cruise ship, the Sea Diamond. If you get right with God, you’ll be back on track to experience His very best for your life, and can begin regaining everything you have lost.

Is 30:15 NLT “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.”

GWB

 

LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE, Pastor George W. Black

George Black150x150

LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE

 Pastor George W. Black, shared with Rejoice Church 7-19-15

I know you want my words today to be the right words, words of wisdom and compassion, but also words of Biblical accuracy with no compromise.

I am painfully aware that no matter what I say today, some will feel I didn’t go far enough, and others will feel I went too far. But my objective is not to please anyone here today, for I truly fear God more than I do you. As TD Jakes has famously stated, I don’t get to have an opinion in this matter. All that matters is what God thinks.

And that my friends is the role of the preacher. To carefully and dispassionately convey to you the heart and mind of God as clearly and concisely as possible. I believe people want to know what the will of God is, and when given the truth, they often will choose to let go of their small-minded thinking and embrace God’s great big thinking.

But not everyone wants to the truth of God’s Word.

“Following Jesus doesn’t mean everyone will like you, but it guarantees that some will hate you.” – Lecrae

Opening Scripture:

1 Tim 4:1 NLT “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”

2 Tim 4:3-4 NLT “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.”

Rom 11:2-5 NKJV “Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”

Introduction: On June 26 of 2015, in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court struck down state bans on same-sex marriage, making marriage between same-sex partners legal in all fifty states.

Justice Antonin Scalia, one of four dissenting Justices from the ruling, filed a scathing dissent in which he called Anthony Kennedy’s majority opinion “rootless and shifting,” “confusing,” and “perplexing” and that the ruling “threatens American Democracy.” He also said that it consists of “nonspecific hand-waving,” and that it demonstrates “real cheek.”

His concern was that five men had not interpreted the law, which is the limit of the power of the Supreme Court, but rather they had stepped over into the legislative side of the separation of powers and had actually made law, which is reserved for the States and Congress.

His actual comment was “A system of government that makes the People subordinate to a committee of nine unelected lawyers does not deserve to be called a democracy.”

WOW!

Black Christian News Network One, quoted the President of Russia: “President Vladimir Putin, former KGB agent of a once-atheist nation, rebukes America, a once-Christian nation by saying that by forsaking traditional Christian values and putting same-sex marriage on the same level as traditional marriage with a man, woman, and children, the nation is forsaking God and believing in Satan and will be led into degradation and chaotic darkness.”

Mega Church Pastor Rick Warren said, “I fear God’s disapproval more than man’s.”

The bottom line is this failed decision has been made and is now the law of the land. That doesn’t make it right or moral, and we don’t have to agree with it any more than we have to agree with abortion. But this decision does makes it a reality we now have to deal with. As a church we must also begin to prepare for the horrible fallout that will follow in terms of destroyed lives.

Many people are angry, not just Christians. Our cherished landmarks are being removed and we often do not recognize our country anymore. But as Christians we have to be careful about who we are angry at. Far too much hate speech has occurred in the name of God, and God doesn’t put His name on any of it. Our anger should be turned to saving the lost, not condemning them.

Rick Warren stated “while I may disagree with you on your views on sexuality, this does not give me the right to demean you, to demoralize you, to defame you, to turn you into a demon.”

Homosexuals as a percentage of our population are estimated at 2%, with Bloomberg offering a generous estimate of 4%. What we have to realize is that this gay marriage decision was driven by a lot of heterosexual people as well, including our White House draped in rainbow colors, and many politicians, as well as giant corporations like Microsoft and Apple.

In other words, we now live in a Post-Christian America where basic Christian morals and values based upon the clear teaching of the Bible are no longer the accepted norm.

Newsflash: America has been the exception. This non-Christian era we are now entering has actually been the normal environment in which the Christian faith has historically had to contend.

In the grand scheme of things, rarely, if ever, has the Christian Church existed in a more supportive environment than the United States of America. Our nation was founded by those fleeing religious persecution and seeking a new world where they could practice a Biblical, protestant faith. For over 200 years America has been known as a Christian nation with Christian values. Our first text book was the Bible. Our great universities were founded by ministers. And so we have enjoyed the benefit of a city set upon a hill, one that has given its light to the rest of the world.

But those days have been coming to an end for many decades. As our Christian morality as a nation has slowly leaked away, so too has our blessing and protection. When we took the original textbook, the Bible, out of our schools, the safety and protection of our children left. Seventy five years ago some of the worst offenses in school were shooting spit-balls and pulling girls pig-tails. Today it is guns and drugs.

Fifty years ago most folks didn’t lock their doors at night, or take the key out of their car. And guess what. They slept safe, and their car was never stolen.

But today with the moral erosion that has continued, helped along by an increasingly humanistic educational system that has produced todays adults, including the theory of evolution that robs the Creation from its rightful Creator, and along with it the moral consequences of ignoring His commandments, we now have one of the highest crime rates in the world. I will never forget the time I was in New Orleans and saw the evening news reported the nightly murder rate. The idea of a nightly murder rate rocked my safe world. I was so shocked that I remember that moment till this day.

Fifty years ago teachers still led their class in daily prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Now we hand out condoms, the pill, and allow abortions without parental consent. And I recently learned that there is one state that is actually attempting to make it possible for teenagers to elect gender reassignment without parental consent.

The point of this look-back is to let the younger people in our congregation know that our America has not always been the way it is today. There has been a cause that has brought us to this effect.

What happened to America? The enemy sowed tares while the church was sleeping.

Matt 13:24-26 “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.”

The boiling frog story is an anecdote describing a frog slowly being boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to threats that occur gradually, such as the slow erosion of morals and Christian values in America.

Generally the Church has had to exist in anti-Christ and pagan society that has persecuted true Christians and the true church. Christianity had a good run in America, but that run is over. We now live in a post-Christian society that has largely gone pagan. What we need to understand is that the true church still exists, and will overcome all of these challenges and distractions as a remnant church.

My job as a minister of the Gospel, and your job as a follower of Christ, is to help people understand what the Word of God is still true, and says they can repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ.

3 Jn 7. “No greater joy than children walking in truth.”

How are we going to do this?

 

  1. First of all, LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE is about recognizing that we are all born into this world as sinners in need of a Savior.

Rom 3:23 NKJV  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

We are born with a sin nature that is bent. That is what the world “iniquity” means. This is why Jesus had to die for us, to deliver us from our fallen or “bent” nature.

Is 53:6 NKJV “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Some say gays are born that way. While this is not genetically true, it is true that we are all born sinners in need of a Savior.

 

  1. LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE means we look to the Bible as our final rule of authority for what love and compromise actually are.

2 Tim 3:5-17 NLT “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

Christianity is based upon the Bible, or else it is not Christianity. If it is not based on the Bible, it becomes some other religion. But only the Bible is the Book of Jesus Christ, and only Jesus Christ has died for our sins and can therefore save us from the penalty of our sins and give us eternal life.

We therefore must affirm that the Bible determines what we believe and how we behave. The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice. The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.

 

  1. LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE means that we must lovingly hold to the truth of Scripture when it defines marriage solely in terms of the union of a man and a woman.

The Bible opens and closes with a wedding. God is the author of marriage, and no one can redefine it. To God there is no such thing as gay marriage, for His blessing can never be attached to it.

When it comes to same-sex marriage, Scripture prohibits what the Supreme Court permits.

Matthew 19:4-6 NLT “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

Also Mark 10:5-9; Genesis 1:27-28, 2:20-24; Ephesians 5:21-32.

Not only that, Scripture prohibits same-sex intercourse.

Romans 1:24-28 NLT “So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Also 1 Timothy 1:10; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13

God’s Word makes it clear that homosexual sex is a perversion of God’s design. It is also apparently a choice we make, as with all sinful behavior, that God will judge us for. To say this is not condmening, it is speaking the truth in love. Truth is a warning of judgment.

 

  1. LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE means that despite the chatter to the contrary, no one is born gay; there is no “gay” gene because God created us male and female.

A. Identical Twin Studies Prove Homosexuality is Not Genetic

June 24, 2013 by Mark Ellis –orthodoxytoday.org

Eight major studies of identical twins in Australia, the U.S., and Scandinavia during the last two decades all arrive at the same conclusion: gays were not born that way.

“At best genetics is a minor factor,” says Dr. Neil Whitehead, PhD. Whitehead worked for the New Zealand government as a scientific researcher for 24 years, then spent four years working for the United Nations and International Atomic Energy Agency. Most recently, he serves as a consultant to Japanese universities about the effects of radiation exposure. His PhD is in biochemistry and statistics.

Identical twins have the same genes or DNA. They are nurtured in equal prenatal conditions. If homosexuality is caused by genetics or prenatal conditions and one twin is gay, the co-twin should also be gay.

“Because they have identical DNA, it ought to be 100%,” Dr. Whitehead notes. But the studies reveal something else. “If an identical twin has same-sex attraction the chances the co-twin has it are only about 11% for men and 14% for women.”

Because identical twins are always genetically identical, homosexuality cannot be genetically dictated. “No-one is born gay,” he notes. “The predominant things that create homosexuality in one identical twin and not in the other have to be post-birth factors.”

The predominant things that create homosexuality in one identical twin and not in the other have to be post-birth factors.

Dr. Whitehead believes same-sex attraction (SSA) is caused by “non-shared factors,” things happening to one twin but not the other, or a personal response to an event by one of the twins and not the other.

For example, one twin might have exposure to pornography or sexual abuse, but not the other. One twin may interpret and respond to their family or classroom environment differently than the other. “These individual and idiosyncratic responses to random events and to common environmental factors predominate,” he says.

 

B. There is also evidence to support that some gay adults were molested as children.

There is a growing body of evidence to support the idea that some gay adults were molested as children. It’s not a gay gene that gets passed down from our parents, but it can be a gay demon that gets passed from the adult molester to the molested child. No child wants to be molested, but once they are, that violation has conditioned them for further experimentation with same sex relationships. The Bible calls this an unclean spirit.

 

5. The good news is that God is still in the saving business for all sinners, including gays.

Former Lesbian Turned Christian: ‘We’ve Made God Little if We Believe He Cannot Change People’

November 28, 2014 | Filed under: Highlights,Life & Society,Top Stories | By: Heather Clark 

SAINT LOUIS, Mo. —A former lesbian turned Christian is coming out about her conversion from living as a homosexual, and is testifying about the power of God to change a life.

Jackie Hill Perry, 25, is a spoken word poet, and is expecting her first child, a girl, next month along with her husband, poet Preston Perry.

“I think we’ve made God very little if we believe that He cannot change people,” Perry declared on Wade-O Radio last year. “If He can make a moon, stars and a galaxy that we have yet to fully comprehend, how can He not simply change my desires?”

Perry has become increasingly outspoken about her testimony, as she was once in romantic relationships with other women. The poet says that she was sexually abused at age five, and as a result, developed gender confusion throughout her youth, not knowing if she wanted to identify as a man or a woman. However, she hid her urges as her family attended a church that had biblical beliefs about morality.

In her late teen years, Perry began experimenting with homosexuality, and became sexually active with a girl. She continued in this lifestyle, moving on to a second girlfriend, who encouraged her to dress more masculine. Perry also frequenting “gay” clubs and attending homosexual pride events.

But in 2008, at age 19, she became convicted about her behavior, and she knew that she was heading down the wrong path. Perry said that God spoke to her one day as she lay in bed, the day after she had engaged in sexual activity with her girlfriend.

“The girl who you’re with will be the death of you,” she recalled Him saying. “At that time, my eyes were opened to that it wasn’t just homosexuality that would be the death of me. It was my complete and entire lifestyle. It’s not just, ‘You’re gay. You’re [also] lustful, you’re prideful, you’re a thief, you’re rebellious, you’re a masturbator and you’re a porn addict.’ I saw all of these things that deserved Hell and I really believed and saw that God would be just in sending me there.”

“The Scriptures came alive to me,” Perry told the Christian Examiner. “They said for the wages of sin is death, and I perceived it as real. But [Scripture] also said those who repent and believe will inherit eternal life. And I thought, ‘Ok God, I trust you. I believe You.’”

She knew she had to walk away from her girlfriend and stop giving into whatever her flesh wanted. Perry then sat down and penned a poem called “My Life as a Stud.”

“Instead of me dying to myself, I was willing to die for myself,” she wrote. “There was no fairy whispering in my ear/Only me and the devil telling me what I wanted to hear.”

“The more my will to sin would grow, I could see it in my face …. I could see Him stretched out on the wood…/Being the disgrace for the sin I was committing in His face,” Perry continued. “Seeing Him take on the wrath of the Father on the wood in my place/I still spat in His face.”

Perry has performed the song at numerous outlets nationwide, and has sometimes faced resistance for her stance. Her video performance of the poem, first performed live in 2010, now has over 400,00 views.

“No, my friend, you were not born gay,” she declares. “You were born into sin and shaped in iniquity/When Eve ate that fruit, we were cursed to do anything/ We were open for murder, we were destined to lose/We were given free will/You chose to choose/You chose to defy God’s rules ’cause inside of you, you wanted to be like Him and make them.”

Perry has since gone on to sign with Humble Beast Records, where she released her debut album “The Art of Joy” this month, which is also available for free online. Earlier this year, she married fellow poet Preston Perry. But she said that marriage isn’t the panacea—Christ is.

“That’s so not true,” Perry said. “What’s true is that when you’ve been united with Christ by faith, when you know Him and have been made righteous in His sight, that is your goal. Working from that, it’s going to be to live a life that is pleasing to Him whether through marriage or singleness.”

Don’t believe the lie that people can’t change. The new birth is a miracle of change in the heart and life of every person that submits to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

 

  1. Ten Mistakes People Make with Same-Sex Marriage.
    1. Forget that despite all the sins that existed in Sodom and Gomorrah, God only destroyed these two cities because of the sin of homosexuality.
  2. 2. Miss how it devalues God’s plan that a man be wedded to his wife. (Matthew 19:4-6)
    3. Don’t realize it is a degrading of Christ and His union with the Church (which is what Biblical marriage is a picture of). (Ephesians 5:31-32)
    4. Think that just because it “feels good” and two people are “in love” it must be right.
    5. Miss that lust is very different than love. (1 John 2:16; John 15:13)
    6. Forget that homosexuality is a sin in God’s eyes. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
    7. Overlook the primary function of marriage which is procreation, and to bond an man and women in marriage all of their lives. (Mark 10:8)
    8. Turn a blind eye towards its unnaturalness (“against nature”).
    9. Miss that if marriage is redefined, where then is the line to be drawn? (three women? a man and his dog?).
    10. Don’t realize the ruined lives because of it (due to depression, disease, etc ~ the media hides this truth)

 

  1. LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE compels us to tell our gay friends or family members that Jesus Christ loves them so much that He not only died for their sins, but He arose from the dead so they can have a new life of deliverance and wholeness.

The kindest, most loving thing we can ever do for a person trapped in homosexuality is to share with them that God has a better way through Christ. That if they fully submit their lives to Jesus Christ, God can do a miracle in their lives, God can deliver them, God can heal them, God can restore them to the image He has for them.

 

  1. Closing Thoughts:

Despite the growing influence of paganism in our western society, I am not discouraged. We can never have Christ’s Kingdom on earth without the King Himself. The growing darkness is merely a backdrop for the sons and daughters of righteousness to shine like the stars.

A lot of Christianity we have in America has been cultural Christianity, which does not save. Just because a person was raised in a Christian culture, or even a Christian home, does not make them a Christian. Jesus said you must be born-again to be a Christian, which implies a repentance of our sinful life, and the embracing of a new kingdom and rulership, which is following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

God is stripping the masquerade masks off of cultural Christianity. The defections of various groups, organizations, and even whole denominations from the true faith has not hurt real Christianity. These groups have exposed themselves for who they really are. The choice between the true church and the imitation one is becoming easier.

The true church in America will be persecuted by religious people, and the government, just as it has in so many other countries from Jesus time until now. The wake-up call is upon us. The next few years will separate the men from the boys. Jesus said by their fruits shall you know them.

This is really good news. While the modern church has been content to go chameleon by blending in and adapting to the world’s culture…in so much so that we often can no longer tell where one ends and the other begins, God has another plan. He is forcing a difference so the lost can find their way to the real churches, the ones that still stand for the old ways, and that have not begun worshiping at the altar of compromise.

I believe the greatest revival in the history of the world is still ahead of us. It will come during intense persecution. It will come without the help or support of the Whitehouse or government. It will be a sovereign last-day move of the Holy Spirit to sweep the hungering and thirsting into the Kingdom, and then the end will come.

We are the generation God has chosen for this last-day harvest. What an honor to suffer for Christ, if need be. God has kept the best until now. Now go let your light shine for Jesus. We have come to the kingdom for just such a time as this. GO GOD!

Jesus said in John 2:10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

Love without compromise means we keep sharing the joy of God’s love with everyone so everyone can be saved.

Our mission is not hate, or anger. Our mission is to speak the truth, and speak it in love. Telling someone that God’s plan for them is better than theirs is not hate speech; it is the only truly loving we can tell them. And if we don’t, the Bible says their blood may be our hands when they die.

Ez 3:18-19 NLT “If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 19 If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.”

Our vision is RED, R. E. D., and acronym that stands for Recover, Empower, and Deploy. What does this mean?

Recover the lost by sharing the joy of God’s love & salvation through Jesus Christ (the gospel) with everyone;

Empower them to become fully devoted Christ-followers (disciples) who embrace God’s purpose for their life;

Deploy them into their ministries in the church, & their mission in the world, so they can glorify God everywhere.

This vision statement means more to us today than ever before.

The point of today’s message is that while we are living in an eroding society that is becoming more and more alien to the Bible believing Christian, we have been called to the Kingdom for such a time as this.

If we will embrace this season as an opportunity to be a church that is a city on the hill, sending out the light of hope and salvation all those that are lost and in darkness, our benefit will be fulfilling the Great Commission, our final assignment on planet earth.

ENTERING GOD’S REST THROUGH FAITH

Opening Scripture:

Heb 3:19 NLT “So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.”

  1. God puts faith in every one of us so we have the capacity to see the invisible, and do the impossible.

 Rom 12:3b NKJV “as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

 Rom 10:17 NKJV “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

 1 Jn 5:14 NKJV “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

 Mk 11:24-24 NLT “Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

 

  1. When we enter into a state of faith, the Bible calls this a state of “rest”, meaning we can now rest in the assurance of God’s faithfulness.

Heb 4:1-3a NKJV “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,[a] not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest,”

 

  1. To understand what God is saying to us today about “rest” and “faith”, it is important that we learn from the teaching of the Old Testament.

Many today no longer consider the OT relevant, but without it we cannot properly interpret the NT, because the NT is the fulfillment of the OT. The Bible is really just one book. The same HS wrote all of it. It all reflects the heart and mind of God.

2 Tim 3:16 Living Bible “The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right.”

 Rom 15:4 Message “Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us.”

 1 Cor 10:8-11 NET “And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and twenty-three thousand died in a single day. And let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.”

 

  1. Israel’s failure to enter their “promised land” is an object lesson for us on why we sometimes do not reach our “promised land.”

Numbers 14:20-24 NLT “Then the lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested.21But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the lord’s glory, 22not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. 23They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.”

Heb 3:19 NLT “So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.”

 

  1. The Israelites continually tempted the Lord by disobeying His word. Disobedience keeps us from entering God’s rest of faith, and disobedience is the result of unbelief.

Rev 2:7 NKJV “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

What is God saying to us? That is your test.

  1. Last week He told us through Minister Jackie to POP (Power of Praise). Did we enter into rest by activating God’s Word through faith and obedience, or did we disobey through unbelief?
  2. The previous week the Lord told us through my message that Jesus is our healer. Are we activating God’s Word through our faith?
  3. Several Sunday’s ago God spoke to us through Pastor Cathy about the apostolic anointing that God is raising up in our day, and that God wants to unite the church by His glory. Did we receive that and start contending for it, or have we already let it slip?
  4. A few Sunday’s before Pastor Cathy’s message God spoke to us through His servant Jehu Rodriguez when he told us DON’T LET GO, three things…prayer, Word of God, worship. Did we enter into rest by embracing God’s faith in this message, or did we disobey through unbelief?

Every week God is giving us a living brick to put in our foundation. Are we going back and listening to these messages from God when we miss? Or is our foundation missing important bricks?

Our nation is in trouble because it is ignoring God’s Word. Our founding fathers told us in the beginning of America that a representative democracy would not work without the God and the Bible. So now that we have pushed God and the Bible out of our government and nation, we have now have confusion and every evil work. Look at what God’s Word says and look at what is going on in our society:

Concerning abortion, the Bible says in Ex 20:13 “You shall not murder.”

Concerning homosexuality, the Bible says in Lev 18:22 ““Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”

Concerning adultery, the Bible says in Dt 22:22 ““If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die. In this way, you will purge Israel of such evil.”

Concerning sexual relations before marriage, otherwise known as fornication, the Bible says in Eph 5:3 “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints.” God still wants Christians to be virgins when they get married.

 

  1. God has given us the power to believe and obey. It is a choice we make. What will your choice be today, this week, and for the “rest” of your life?

Joshua 24:15 NKJV “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

GIVE GOD A PLACE TO DWELL

GIVE GOD A PLACE TO DWELL

 

 

  1. The Old Testament gives us many object lessons to teach us what God wants to do in our lives. God brought the Israelites out of Egypt so He could dwell among them.

 

Exodus 19:5-6 NLTNow if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation…”

 

Ex 25:8 “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. 

Ex 29:43-46 “I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence.44Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.45Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, 46and they will know that I am the lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the lord their God.”

 

 

 

  1. The “Tent of Meeting” was a divine meeting place for God’s leader Moses to receive instructions for the people.

 

Ex 33:8-11 NLT “Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. 9As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the lord spoke with Moses.10When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. 11Inside the Tent of Meeting, the lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.”

 Ex 34:34 NLT “But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the lord had given him”

 

 

 

  1. God still calls and ordains leaders to Himself in the New Testament who must have a personal “Tent of Meeting” to hear from God so they can properly lead God’s people.

 

Eph 4:11-13 NKJV “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

 

1 Pet 4:11 NKJV “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

 

 

 

  1. The 5-fold ministry is to train the Body of Christ to do the work of the ministry.

Eph 4:12 “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

 

  1. Ultimately God has called all of us to be a believer/priesthood, to hear from God for ourselves, our families, and for the ministries we may lead by having our own “Tent of Meeting.”

 

  1. This is seen in the gathering of daily Manna. Exodus 16

 

  1. It is also seen in the teaching of the Sabbath Day. There are to be individual “Tents of Meeting” throughout the week, and a corporate one to gather together with others on the Sabbath Day. Notice the Bible says this is a covenant obligation for all time.

 

Ex 31:13 NLT “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the lord, who makes you holy.

Ex 31:13, 16-17 NLT “The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. 17It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”

 

 

  1. What is God trying to teach us through these Old Testament Object lessons?

 

  1. He is teaching us that He wants to dwell among us so He can take us into our promised land. When we are in divine alignment we may go through SEASONS, but never CIRCLES like the Israelites did for 40 years.
  1. The cloud of God’s presence is moving again, and we must move with it.

 

  1. Divine assignments come from divine alignments. God love’s you too much to give you the promotion without the pruning. Make sure you are in proper alignment with the leaders God has placed in your life so you don’t miss this next visitation.

 

  1. Remember that God disciplines every son/daughter He receives so that we can become partakers of His holiness. Correction is never rejection, it is the litmus test for humility, which is being teachable.

 

  1. Answer your call to your personal “Tent of Meeting” and the corporate “Tent of Meeting” which is the local church.