Short Christmas Thought #6 - Sweet Little Jesus Boy

Sometime in early November Patrice pulled me aside and asked me if Kara were going to sing "that wonderful carol" again this year sometime during
our various celebrations.

I remembered the song she meant, even though every song Kara sings is memorable. And with her father, Joe, playing her accompaniment, it is even more special.

And so it came to pass....at our Christmas concert, Kara came on stage to sing, Sweet Little Jesus Boy. I was sitting beside Patrice and heard her deep sigh.

Sweet little Jesus Boy

They made you be born in a manger

Sweet little Holy Child

Didn't know who You was

Didn't know You came to save us Lord?

To take our sins away.

Our eyes were blind, we couldn't see

We didn't know Who You was.

Long time ago, You was born

Born in a manger low

Sweet little Jesus Boy

The world treat You mean, Lord

Treat me mean, too

But that's how things is down here

We didn't know 'twas You.

You done showed us how

We is trying

Master, You done showed us how

Even when You're dying.

Just seem like we can't do right

Look how we treated You

But please, sir, forgive us Lord

We didn't know 'twas You.

Sweet little Jesus Boy

Born long time ago

Sweet little Holy Child,

And we didn't know who You was.

A year or so ago Robert Cottrill commented on this blog about one of the articles. I found out he wrote a book on Christmas songs titled, Discovering the Songs of Christmas, and I ordered a copy.

There is a gold mine of devotional Christmas thoughts, including something on this song, in this marvelous book.

He tells us that the writer of the song was Robert MacGimsey (1898-1979),
an African-American songwriter and exceptional  whistler. Incredibly, he could whistle in three-part harmony--leading one symphony conductor, Mishell Piastro, to quip, "He makes the violin envious!"

MacGimsey wrote the Christmas song  in the 1930's, during the Great Depression, and during a time of great racial strife. He wrote it in the form of a modern-day spiritual.

He knew first hand the sting of prejudice and cruelty, and he poured the pathos of his own experience into his song.

Some people knew who Jesus was --Anna, John the Baptist, Simeon, the Wise Men, and others.

Some didn't seem to care -- the priests who told Herold where the Child was to be born -- why didn't they go and see for themselves?

Probably all of us have had the experience of saying something cruel or
unflattering, at least something that shouldn't be repeated, only to find out that the person we were referring to was in the room--or within hearing--or a family member was present. (Or maybe I am the only one who has ever done that!)

Knowing who is around certainly determines much of our behavior!

Peter reminded the crowds in Jerusalem, and us today, of such a time: But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer  [Barabbas] to be granted to you...Yet now, brethren, I know you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (Acts 3:14, 17)

But we do know. We are not ignorant of His Lordship. We are the recipients of His glorious forgiveness. We live in His lush landscape of His grace.

We have received the greatest gift of all time - for all time!

P.S. But I have trouble getting away from the talent of being able to whistle in three-part harmony! I wonder if there are old recordings. I would love to hear it!

Good News from Gotham - Revival?

A few months ago Chuck Colson's editorial featured some startling information on church growth in New York City.

He wrote it after the New York City officials excluded prayer and members of the clergy from the 9/11 10th anniversary service.

One former city official (deputy mayor when the terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers on 9/11) commented, "To have a memorial service where there is no prayer, this appears to be insanity to me."

 [I think most of us agreed with that -- that was not the case here in Bay City, where clergy and prayer were prominent in our anniversary service!]

Here's some more of Colson's article:

While it is easy to get upset at the decisions like this of timid city leaders, Christians can rejoice at some good news in Gotham. As the Washington Post reporter earlier this yer, 'New York is exploding with religious fervor...It's hard for many folks outside the Big Apple -- who write off the country's largest city as hopelessly secularized -- to grasp this.

...According to the Values Research Institute, Central Manhattan has nearly 200 evangelical churches today--with 39% of them started since the year 2000. During one two-months period in 2009 researchers found that one new evangelical church was opened every Sunday in New York.

Colson asks, "What, besides the Spirit of God, explains all this recent vitality?"

     Well, 9/11 itself was part of the answer. LifeWay Research has     found that 38% of Americans are more open to considering  matters of faith after national crisis...The Sunday after the 9/11 attacks, attendance at the great Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan jumped from 2,800 to 5,400, and on the spot pastor Tom Keller decided to add another service.

Colson goes on to cite some other reasons....

      Despite the fact that many white Christians were leaving NewYork in the 60's and 70's because of crime and other factors, huge numbers of immigrants were coming in -- and many of them Christians. They came from Eastern Europe, from Asia, Africa, Latin America. People saw an opportunity to start churches and spread the gospel.

 There was also the emergence of powerful voices raising the public profile of Christianity in New York -- like Keller himself and my hear friend, the late Father Richard John Neuhaus.

Colson goes on to tell a story about a young man, Michael Carrion, whose parents were incarcerated. When he was 6 years old, one of Colson's Prison Fellowship angels Tree volunteer came to him with a Christmas gift and a special message: "Your dad loves you and so does Jesus." He prayed with Michael.

That one prayer, Michael told Chuck, changed the course of his life and the life of the South Bronx, where he is now the Rev. Dr. Michael Carrion of Promised Land Covenant Church. and Michael has helped plant four churches in the Bronx. His goal is to plant 20 within the next 5 to 8 years.

Colson concludes, "So even if city officials keep God off the dais at the 9/11 ceremony, there's no stopping Him from building His church-- in New York or anywhere else.

I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(Matthew 16:18)

Pray today for:

• Prison Ministries of Chuck Colson and  those prison outreaches our church supports.
• Revival - all over this nation - and wouldn't revivals in prisons be a great place to start?

Sermon Notes for 11/27/11

Thoughts from Daniel 3....A Perfect Picture of Man's Religion

Bro Mike's text was Daniel 3:1-7

This text tells us about the gold image King Nebuchadnezzar erected on the plain of Dura in Babylon.

At its completion the people were told that when they heard the sound of horns, flutes, zithers, lyres, harps, pipes and all kinds of other music, that they should fall down and worship the image. Those who did not were to be thrown into a fiery furnace.

Man's Perfect Religion:

1. A god everyone can see. The image was 90' tall and 9' wide. So it was easy to see.

Now Thomas, (called Didymous), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put  my hand into his side, I will not believe it."  John 20:24
A perfect religion has a god people can see.

2. A doctrine everyone can understand. We don't want to have to think. When you hear the music, bow down. If you don't bow down, you're thrown into a blazing furnace. That's very clear. Easy to follow.

3. Its origin everyone ignores. They watched the image being built. There was no question about where it came from.

Bro Mike then took us to Acts 17 to hear "A Word from God on Man's Religion." Paul is in Athens and brings the good news of the gospel to them.
They are very religious -- idols all over the city. Even an idol "To the Unknown God" in case they left one out!

God expects us to search out "religion." Then He wants us to come to Him....He has revealed Himself. Because of His grace.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.
           Ephesians 2:8-9

 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. That is what the ancients were commended for.  Hebrews 11:1-2

Red Sea Rules 9 and 10

Red Sea Rules --

#1 - Realize that God means for you to be where you are
#2 - Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief
#3 - Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord
#4 - Pray!
#5 - Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work
#6 - When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith
#7 - Envision God's enveloping presence
#8 - Trust God to deliver in His own unique way
#9 - View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future
#10 - Don't forget to praise Him

      Sunday, November 20, 2011 - Evening Reflections

Bro Mike finished up the Red Sea Rules tonight with concluding thoughts on #9 and #10.

#9 - View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future

The LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.  Exodus 14:30-31

From J. Hudson Taylor: I know He tries me only to increase my faith.

From Robert Morgan: We don't always know why God allows problems, but we know He intends to use them to heighten our maturity and deepen our faith. Trials and troubles are dumbbells and treadmills for the soul.


What exactly is faith?

Elizabeth's words to her cousin Mary in Luke 1:45: "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."

And in Romans 4:20-21 Paul says that Abraham "was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised."

And in Acts 27:23 Paul says, "So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he [the angel] told me."


#10 - Don't forget to praise Him

Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:

I will sing to the LORD,

For He has triumphed gloriously!

The  horse and its rider

He has thrown into the sea!

The LORD is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

He is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father's God, and I will exalt Him.

Exodus 15:1-2

Maybe we need a crisis.

One of the reasons God puts us in tough situations--or allows us to be there--is to give us the opportunity to sound forth His praises. He expects our gratitude for His deliverances. -- Robert Morgan.

Bro Mike reminded us of chapter 8 in Deuteronomy when Moses gives his instructions to the Israelites and urges them, after they have entered the Promised Land,  to remember to praise God for all He did, and was doing, for them.

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God...be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God...remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth...

Then we turn to Revelation 18-19 and look at what Robert Morgan calls "The Perspective of Prayer."

Revelation 18 describes the destruction of the future city of Babylon, worldwide headquarters of the evil empire of the Antichrist. In one hour, the greatest city in the world will become a smoldering heap of ruins, and those watching from afar will weep and mourn, throwing dust on their heads, crying out, wailing and saying, "Alas, alas, that great city...! For in one hour your judgment has come" (verse 10).

But in chapter 19 the scene sifts to heaven where the angels and elders, witnessing the same event, are exuberant: "I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Alleluia!...Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever! Alleluia! Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both great and small...Alleluia! For the Lord God omnipotent reigns!"

Whether we have an "Alas" or an "Alleluia" depends on our perspective.

Angels in Acts - Sermon Notes for November 20, 2011

Main Text:

Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducces, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." Acts 5:17-20

                 Sermon Title: God Moves in Mysterious Ways

A popular cliche, but true.

Some notes from Sunday's Sermon....

We always want to know what and why. We want to figure it out.  If we can't  figure it out we often assume we are not good enough Christians. The root of this, as so many sins, is pride.

1. Sometimes God uses angels, and sometimes He doesn't.
2. Sometimes they show up to prevent an incident. Sometimes they show up to utilize the incident.
3. They are unlimited in their ability except when it concerns your obedience and your assignment.

1. In the Book of Hebrews we read: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrews 13:2)

This assumes that angels exist and are present. It does appear, though, that God does not use angels as much today as He did in Bible times.

•  There is no consistent pattern of angelic activity in the Bible.
•  There is no indication that angelic activity is a sign of  special favor from God, nor that it occurs in a particularly bad situation.
•  Angelic activity fits the pattern of God's incarnational approach to man. [I love that point.]  He accommodates us in whatever way we need for God to reach us.

2. In Daniel 6:22 we read how an angel came to the lion's den and "shut the mouths of the lions."

3. When it comes to our own obedience and our assignment, no one can do it for us. A parent can make sure their child has all the things he needs to do his school work, but they cannot do it for the child.

In the text in Acts, the angel has not come to just get them out of jail. He is bringing a message from God.

Why would the apostles be in jail? They had important work to do. Why were the bad guy at home sleeping comfortably and the good guys in jail?

God moves in mysterious ways.....

"Go, stand in the temple courts...." they were told. "Stand," don't hide. Do we stand up and get others' attention - at work? in public? even for a few minutes?

They went right to the temple because God told them to. Angels do not make their own assignments - only God does. God uses human beings like you and me to do His kingdom work.

God Moves in Mysterious Ways...

                                                       ....Our Response

We must always keep in mind that His ways:

• Are not our ways
• Are superior to our ways
• Should be welcomed by us (even if unpleasant)
• Should be seen as the right ways

Bro Mike illustarted these points by referring to a high school football game -  at various times throughout the game, probably 80% of the men present are in disagreement with the officials -- That's not the way I would call it, etc....

Another thought about angels -- He does not need them....
so it is a mystery why God uses them.

He could have:

--prevented the arrest. (They were on a roll. Pentecost had come with its powerful gift of the Holy Spirit. People were being saved. The church growing.)
--inspired one of the temple leaders to persuade the others to let the apostles go
--caused an earthquake and had them freed with great attention, and not quietly, with only a few knowing what happened.

• What is God doing in your life?
• What if angels were at work in your life and you didn't know?
• Are you able to discern God's "ways" in your circumstances?
• Are we on a journey that includes surprizing, sometimes painful, circumstances?

Opposition in Acts -Sermon Notes for 11/13/11

Introduction: Quoting Psalm 85:6: Will You not revive us again that Your people may rejoice in You?

How many times can we ask God to do something He has already done?
Apparently there is no limit.

Being "revived again" (the Hebrew word for "revived" is "to live again") can be defensive -- keeping us from getting off track or offensive -- allowing us to go forward.

Four reactions to the gospel message:

1. Opposition
2. Indifference
3. Approval
4. Obedience

We began with the first - Opposition

There is a theology of opposition - we need to have a framework to deal with those who oppose the message.

Main text:

Then the high priest and all his associates, who made up the party of the Sadducees, were filled with  indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.    

Acts 5:17-18

Background review: This was a new church. The only church in town.
The apostles had been preaching and healing all manner of diseases.
The hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira had led to their instant death.
People around were awed and afraid of what was going on, and yet many believers were coming into the church.

There was a point when Jesus, during His ministry, quit performing miracles. He wanted to concentrate on spiritual teaching.

Jesus Christ Himself is often the dividing factor, the cause of opposition. He is often the reason for the controversy.

Verse 17 mentions the high priest. Maybe he had a close friend or family member who experienced healing by the apostles. The Greek word for "indignation" here is the word for "zealot." It indicates great hostility.

He and his council leaders rose up in great indignation to oppose the apostles' work.

1. When is opposition an indication you are doing right?

Bro Mike encouraged us to be careful when thinking God is on our side and everybody else is wrong. That is a major temptation. [I thought about Survivor this week -- one team prayed and they won the challenge and bragged "God was on our side!"]

How to determine if opposition indicates we are doing right: (1) Who is opposing you and (2) what are they full of.

The first church was built near the temple - for centuries the temple had represented where and how to meet with God. It had been built according to God's exact specifications.

Now God was asking them to move away from the temple. The religious leaders were holding on tightly, but the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit.

2. When is opposition an indication you are being corrected by God?

Sometimes it is a signal that we are wrong.

Your theology must allow for you to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, yet possibly be in a situation which requires correction.

Example:

When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw himself back and separate himself from the Gentiles, because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 

                Galatians 2:11-12

Peter was opposed because he was wrong. He needed correction.

The church began in Jerusalem. 100% Jews. Embraced Christ. They had been taught: you do not eat with Gentiles. They needed a course correction.

Question: Where is your courage to live out what you believe?

3. What or whom have you opposed lately?

Were you opposing from a wrong spirit or were you being used by God for corection?

Therefore: be careful in your interpretation of the opposition you encounter.
Seeing others oppose something doesn't necessarily mean it is wrong. And seeing others embrace something doesn't necessarily mean it is right.

[This was a full sermon. You can hear it on our site:fbc-bc.org. But the music was especially great today also. And the hand bells performed a patriotic medley. And the Choir anthem was a real highlight. So to get it all, call the church office and ask for a CD -- 245-5518.]

Red Sea Rule #8 - Sermon Notes - for Nov 6, 2011

Red Sea Rule #1 - Realize that God means you to be where you are
Red Sea Rule #2 - Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief
Red Sea Rule #3 - Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord
Red Sea Rule #4 - Pray!
Red Sea Rule #5 - Stay calm and confident and give God time to work
Red Sea Rule #6 - When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith
Red Sea Rule #7 - Envision God's enveloping presence

Red Sea Rule #8 - Trust God to deliver in His own unique way

Main text:

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to the on their right hand and on their left.
Exodus 14:21-22

We saw in verse 10 that the Israelites were afraid. Now we see their deliverance.

Bro Mike reminded s that there have three waves of miracles in the recorded history of God's people: (1) at the time of Moses and Joshua, (2) at the time of Elijah and Elisha, and (3) at the beginning of the church.

In each case God was introducing a new era: leading His people from Egypt into a new land, introducing the age of the prophets, and then introducing the era of God's witness through the church.

It [the parting of the Red Sea] was the Old Testament's most dramatic object lesson, one of God's greatest miracles. Its simple lesson: trust God to deliver in His own unique way. That's His specialty. -- Robert Morgan

Other words from Robert Morgan:

When God does not deliver overtly (through a miracle) or covertly (by providence), He will deliver mysteriously, with a deeper level of intervention than we can discern; in the end it will be better for us, though for a time we may be perplexed.

An example from Paul's life: In his last letter, Paul declared, "The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:18).

A while later he was beheaded and his body tossed aside. Was he delivered?

Yes, he was snatched away from the evil that surrounded him, removed from tears, pain, stress and sickness. He was where Satan could on longer attack. He was present with the Lord "which was far better."

When before the throne we stand in Him complete, all the riddles that puzzle us here will fall into place and we shall know in fulfillment what we now believe in faith--that
all things work together for good in His eternal purpose. No longer will we cry, "My God, why?" Instead, "alas" will become "alleluia," all question marks will be straightened into exclamation points, sorrow will change to singing, and pain will be lost in praise. -- Vance Havner

Conclusion....

What we seem to lose sight of routinely and regularly is that we are here temporarily. We are on a journey.

When the Israelites watched the Red Sea pull back and saw the dry land appear, they were blown away. They didn't ask for that miracle.

God can do anything he wants. He can do something unusual in your life, or He can keep you where you are. When Paul lost his head and his body buried, he likely still had that thorn in his side.

We can trust God to save and deliver us from every evil work and preserve us for His heavenly kingdom. 

He will save and deliver in His own unique way, whether miraculous, providential or mysterious.

He always does that for His children. That's His speciality.

Asking for it again! - Sermon Notes for 11/06/11

You showed favor to your land, O LORD;

You restored the fortunes of Jacob.

You forgave the iniquity of your people

and covered all their sins. Selah.

You set aside all of your wrath and

turned from your fierce anger.

Restore us again, O God of our Savior,

And put away your displeasure toward us.

Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

Will you not revive us again,

that your people may rejoice in you?

                                                              --Psalm 85:1-6

Preparing for revival was Bro Mike's topic this morning. 

63 days from now (January 8) the LifeAction group will arrive to lead and direct us as we look to God for a revival of our church.

63 days to prepare....a few notes from this morning's message...


1. The vocabulary of revival.

"Revive" is a biblical word. In the Hebrew it means "to live again."

Some churches speak more openly about revival. But for some people the word has a negative connotation. It has become almost synonymous with a negative caricature of Christians active in their churches.

The first verses (first paragraph) of Psalm 85 are historical. The Psalmist is remembering what God has done in the past for His people.

The last verses show us how we should ask for revival again, to bring us back to where we used to be....to restore and revive.

2. The Need for Revival

Might God have given us revival 3 months ago? 2 years ago? a generation ago? How many times do we ask God for revival? Do we have to keep doing it again?

If God really moved 2 years ago, why are His people no longer  at that point of revival and restoration?

God's people drift...the flaming spark grows dim....we need to be renewed..."to live again"...

It's just the way it is here on this earth. It will be different later.

3. The Recipients of Revival

2 groups of people in the world: (1) Those who belong to God and His family
and (2) those who don't.

Group (1)  needs the revival. Group (2) needs evangelizing.

God needs His people to repent before He can evangelize and change society.

1 Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people, who are called by my name, will  humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Repentance comes first from His people. And then the forgiveness and the healing of our land.

4. The Picture of Revival.

This week was specially designated by God and worked into His calendar for us. Bro Mike was calling LifeAction about a week next year, and this particular week presented itself. It was not a accident. God has a special purpose in the week of January 8-15, 2012, for this church.

The outlook of our society seems dismal right now. God wants us,  during this hard time, to look to Him, to learn to trust Him....

        Will you not restore us again so  that your people may rejoice in you?

There is some particular significance of this week that is on God's calendar for us.

Bro Mike urges us to look at our calendars and mark in the dates of Jan 8-15 as set aside to experience a revival in our church. Set aside for God to do a work in us.
He referred to the series in our evening Reflections (The Red Sea Rules) and reminded us of Rule #2: Be more concerned for God's glory than for your own benefit.
Our own relief seems to be our default position. We usually pray, "Lord, I want you to fix this..." but true revival comes when we can look to Him and rejoice in Him and His will and glory.

5. The Question of Revival.

Bro Mike asked us to memorize the last verse: Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you?  Let's join together in praying this. We are asking God to again revive us so that we may rejoice in Him and His glory.

6. The Preparation for Revival.

That's the question for each of us: "Whatever God is speaking to you about right now." Consider it. What does God want you to learn? To do? To experience? What does He want to show you?

We didn't choose this time for the revival. God chose it for us. We need to look for His Hand -- seek His face.

        Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you?
                                                 --Psalm 85:6








1.

Red Sea Rule #7 - Sermon Notes for October 23, 2011

Red Sea Rule #1 - Realize that God means for you to be where you are.
Red Sea Rule #2 - Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief.
Red Sea Rule #3 - Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.
Red Sea Rule #4 - Pray
Red Sea Rule #5 - Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work.
Red Sea Rule #6 - When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.

Red Sea Rule #7 - Envision God's enveloping presence.

Main Text:

The Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went from behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.  Exodus 14:19-20

         And the God of Israel will be your rear-guard. (Isaiah 52:12).

We know from earlier verses (Exodus 13:21-22) that God Himself was in that cloud and He is the One who led the Israelites across the Red Sea and continued with them in their journey.

Bro Mike referenced a quote from Amy Carmichael:

He is first and He is last, and we are gathered up between as in great arms of eternal lovingkindness.


He also spoke of the importance of "envisioning" in our lives. How that practice can produce many helpful results.

What do we envision when we pray?

The Israelites did not have to actually "envision" God's presence for they had the actual presence of  God with them in the pillar of cloud and of fire.

At the Red Sea, God put His people in a position where His presence had never been so real to them. Using difficulty, He cultivated within them a greater appreciation for Himself. "God's presence
in the trial is much better than exemption from the trial, wrote one commentator. "The Lord's presence is never so sweet as in moments of appalling difficulty." --Robert Morgan.

Four suggestions for envisioning God's enveloping presence in our lives.

1. Affirm His nearness in your heart. The psalmist was doing that when he wrote in Psalm 139:5-6, "You have hedged me behind and before...such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high; I cannot attain it."

Some good verses to memorize and use to remind ourselves that God is near:

a. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything. (Philippians 4:5-6).

b. Fear not, for I am with you. (Isaiah 41:10)

c. Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. (Genesis 28:15)

d. Speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, (Acts 18:9-10)

e. I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

2. Visualize God's presence in your mind. Even picture Him sitting in a chair next to you and talk to Him naturally, as you would another family member.

The biblical writers used such imagery. "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27). "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." (Psalm 23).

The Apostle Paul, when he was facing the Roman tribunal, reported, "At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me...But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. (2 Timothy 4:16-17)

He imaged God standing right there beside him, in the courtroom, like an "omnipotent advocate and undaunted friend."

3. Access God's nearness through prayer. James 4:8: Draw near to God ahnd He will draw near to you.

The best way to develop an abiding awareness of God's presence is to speak to Him often in prayer.

4. Reflect His preence in your demeanor.

Bro Mike closed with an illustration from Brother Lawrence and some of this letters cntained in The Practice of the Presence of God. Bro Lawrence was a member of a Carmelite monastery in Paris in the mid 1600's. In even the most menial tasks--picking up scraps and weeds in the garden, washing dishes,scrubbing floors--if undertaken for God's glory, are holy; and wherever the Christian stands, is holy ground, for the Lord is there, too.

The pillar of fire and cloud that followed the Israelites through the wilderness--that same presence now resides in us, everywhere and at every moment. We are not facing difficulties alone, for the Lord is "closer than a friend or brother." We must learn to envision His presence with us all the time.




.

Red Sea Rule #6 - Sermon Notes

Red Sea Rule #1 - Realize that God means for you to be where you are
Red Sea Rule #2 - Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief
Red Sea Rule #3 - Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord
Red Sea Rule #4 - Pray
Red Sea Rule #5 - Stay calm and confident and give God time to work


Red Sea Rule #6 - When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith

Main Text:

     The Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward."
                                                                   --Exodus 14:15

From where the Israelites were at that time, it was not far to their destination. But it ended up taking them 40 years!

God generally leads us step-by-step, provides for us day by day, cares for us moment-by-moment.

     Your strength shall be renewed day by day like the morning dew. Psalm 110:3

     Give us this day our daily bread. Luke 11:3

     Blessed day by day be the Lord, who bears our burdens. Psalm 68:20

     The Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the
     LORD. 2 Chronicles 30:21

     Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man
     is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16.

"Whenever I haven't known what to do, I've tried to do what comes next, to take the next logical step by faith. I've decided that sometimes plodding is better than plotting when it comes to finding God's will."  (Robert Morgan)

Day by day, and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my  Father's wise bestowment,

I've no cause for worry or for fear.

--from Day by Day by Karolina W. Sandell-Berg

From the words of Jesus in His "Sermon on the Mount" -  "So don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow, too. Live one day at a time" (Matthew 6:34 TLB)

Example from the story of Abraham's servant Eliezer while on a mission to Mesopotamia to find a bride for Isaac. Arriving there, he met Rebekah and explained to her family his mission.

 In Genesis 24: 27 we have these wonderful words; "And I being in the way, the LORD led me."

Example from Samuel. On the occasion of Saul looking for his father's lost donkeys. He never dreamed the entire trip had been designed by God to led the young man to the prophet Samuel.

When the two met, Samuel anointed Saul king over Israel and gave him some specific signs to look for. There would be three men with three goats, some bread and wine. They will offer your bread - take the bread.. These were exact instructions. Then verse 7 (of 1 Samuel 10) reads: "And when these signs come to you, do as the occasion demands; for God is with you."

Br Mike closed with some words from A. T. Pierson: "To go as I am led, to go when I am lead, to go where I am led -- it is that which has been for twenty years the one prayer of my life."

Take things moment by moment, and when you don't know what to do, just do what comes next. Trust God to lead you a step at  time.

     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I took away so much from this message. I loved the references to biblical personalities, to music, and the quotes from others. There was a lot for me in this message (and after all, it's all about me, right?)

Acts of the Apostle - Sermon Notes for 10/09/11

Random thoughts gleaned from Bro Mike's message on October 9, 2011.

We looked again at Acts 5 - Ananias and Sapphira. When Barnabas sold his property and gave the money to the apostles to help care for the poor, he was praised and received a lot of attention.

Ananias and Sapphira apparently yearned for that same kind of attention, and so they also sold property and then conspired between themselves to bring part of the money to the apostles and yet say that they were donating all of the money.

Peter was angry, reminding them that the property was theirs to do with as they wished. No one told them to sell it. And the money from that sale was also theirs. No one asked them to donate any of it.

But they lied about it in order to receive praise. At Peter's words, Ananias and then Sapphira, were struck dead.

This is a scary story. Does God judge this way very often?

Most people can handle seeing others get acclaim and positive attention. Most of us realize that we will not get the title, "Most Likely to Succeed" or "Most Handsome" etc. We understand there is always someone else who is quicker, brighter, more beautiful, smarter....we learn to handle it. It's just one of those facts of life we learn as we grow up.

Apparently Ananias and Sapphira did not. They saw the respect and attention Barnabas was getting and wanted it for themselves.

When Luke included this story in his chronicle of the early church we have an indication of his historical honesty. He did not suppress the information, but included it to show us what it was like in the "early days." This incident was part of the real story of the early church.

He shows us that not all of the historical events were admirable. It also illustrates the strategy of Satan, how he sneaks around, how he "crouches at the door," trying to get access into our lives.

Miracles...

When Peter confronted the couple, they died instantly.

When do miracles like this happen?

Miracles were the norm in three major times periods in the Bible:

(1) Moses and Joshua
(2) Elijah and Elisha
(3) Christ and the Apostles

These periods lasted less than 100 years each.

Certain elements were common in each of these periods:

1. Miracles introduced a new era of revelation. They alerted people to see that something important
was happening.

2. Miracles authenticated the messenger in that new era of revelation.

3. Miracles caused the people to listen and heed  the new revelation.

Moses and Joshua introduced a new era in Jewish history.
Elijah and Elisha introduced the period of the prophets.
The Apostles introduced the period of the church.

There are still miracles today. But they are not part of the normal life of the church.

The Apostles were unique. The first item of business after Christ's ascension was to elect a new apostle to succeed Judas, so there would still be twelve.

1. The Church was founded on the Apostles.

     Consequently you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and   members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles.... (Ephesians 2:19-20)

2. Apostles had to be eye-witnesses to the resurrection.

3. Apostles were authorized by miraculous signs.

    The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. (Acts 5:12).

4. The apostles had absolute authority. Peter's questions to Ananias and Sapphira resulted in their immediate deaths.

5. Apostles have an eternal and unique place of honor.

     The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21:14)



God does not judge this way today. Am I glad? Yes.

But I am also sorry, because it means I can stay in my sin longer. I am on a longer leash. And the church grows weaker.

Ananias and Sapphira did not go to hell because of their sin. They are in the presence of God right now. He just had to move them on.

Red Sea Rule #5

Red Sea Rule #1 - Realize that God means for you to be where you are.
Red Sea Rule #2 - Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief
Red Sea Rule #3 - Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord
Red Sea Rule #4 - Pray

Red Sea Rule #5 - Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work

Main Text:

 Moses said to the people: "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which
He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace."
                                                  --Exodus 14:13-14

Activity does not always accomplish what we want.

Psalm 46:10: Be still and know that I am God."


In times of great difficulty and expectation, it is our wisdom to keep our spirits calm, quiet and sedate; for then we are in the best frame both to do our own work and to consider the work of God.
                               -- Mathew Henry

Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. Deuteronomy 1:29-31

Do not be afraid of them; the LORD Himself will fight for you. Deuteronomy 3:22


Moses was telling the people: you've already seen God do great things. How short is your memory?

Why do we need to give God time to work? Why does He need time?

It takes time for us to get on track...God needs nothing. He puts Himself in the position to work with us. God lovingly allows us to partner with Him.

"Fear not" and "do not be afraid" appear 107 times in the Old Testament and 42 times in the New Testament.

God wants us to be courageous. There are lots of ways to show courage.. Sometimes it is more courageous to stand and wait. (Don't just do something! Stand there!)

I don't care what the circumstances may be, the Christian should never be agitated, the Christian should never be beside himself, the Christian should never be at wit's end, should never be in a condition in which he has lost...
it implies a lack of trust and confidence in Him.
                                                                      --Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Bro Mike reminded us of the poem, Footprints in the Sand, picturing for us that when there was only one set of prints visible, that's when He was carrying us. A beautiful reminder of God carrying His children in the wilderness back then and in our wilderness today.

A Problem in Acts - Sermon Notes for 10/02/11

Main Text:

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.  With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received from the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal?

What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
--Acts 5:1-4

Universal concern of parents - that their children not get involved
with the wrong crowd.

In this case, the danger was hanging around with the right crowd.

When you hang around with the right crowd:

1. You will see people do impressive things that get noticed
2. You will be tempted to be noticed yourself
3. Your desires to be noticed may lead your to do something you never thought you were capable of doing.

This message really cut to the quick. There is a subtle but powerful lesson for us all (at least for me).

To think about: Do you know where you are supposed to serve the church right now?

Can you handle God's assignment on God's terms?

Can you serve and see others serving and attracting more attention?

They were in the middle of a revival - how could Ananias and Sapphira have done this?  They were never asked to bring in any of the money. But envy of Barnabas and his gift  (and the attention he got) led them to this dishonest act.

Reminder:

1. Satan is always hanging around and eagerly looking for
ways to bring us down.

2. We are always just a few seconds away from temptation.

3. Bring God into our circle of temptation. He is saying, "I know your weakness. Let me help you."


Last question: Do you know where you should be serving?

This message was hard for me -- I enjoy the service ministries we are involved in....I also like the appreciation expressed to me....and I really like it when people compliment me.... 

 I do feel each ministry is an assignment from God but my own pride is so much involved in the service I do.  I think I do anticipate people's approving words to me more than I look for God's approval. The praise of human beings often motivates me more than pleasing my Father.

Some of the people who help me when I have a specific need say, "I want this to be anonymous," and I deeply respect them for that quality. Frankly, I don't say that myself very often.  And certainly it is rare when I even think it. I like being noticed...and approved of.... and I think I even enjoy that self-righteous feeling that sometimes comes from being active in church ministry.

Wow, do I need help!

God, please be merciful to me, a sinner.....

For me, the main issue is the humility I need to have and exhibit. And the "servant spirit" .... and the unselfish love for others so that I can see them excel and be genuinely happy for them...and be more
concerned with God's glory than my own....and to earnestly seek to make others look good --- to put the shining light on them and off myself....

Yes, I have a long way to go...

Please, God, be merciful to me......

These are just random thoughts I walked away with Sunday morning. You can hear the full sermon on our website: fbc-bc.org.

Red Sea Rule #4

Red Sea Rule #1 - 8/23 -  Realize that God means for you to be where you are
Red Sea Rule #2 - 8/30 -  Be more concerned for God's glory than for your own relief
Red Sea Rule #3 - 9/23 -  Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord


Random service notes from Bro Mike's message Sunday evening, 9/25

Red Sea Rule #4 - Pray!

This message brought us back to the "prayer issues" we have been dealing with lately.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray - not how to fish - not how to get along - but how to pray.

Main Text:

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. Exodus 10:14

Quote from Matthew Henry:

Their fear put them apraying, and that was a good effect of it. God brings us into straits so that He may bring us to our knees.

Quote from Bro Mike:

Let's get real. If you don't get into trouble you'll never learn to put great effort into prayer. It's good to be in trouble.

From Robert Morgan:

I'm not talking about regular daily quiet time prayer habits, important as they are. I'm talking about crisis-time prayer.  Prayers of importunity and intensity. Prayer during life-threatening or soul-searching events.


Part of the theology of prayer is to keep "pounding on the door." Despite opinions to the contrary, the Bible recognizes  such a thing as "storming heaven," "praying through."  The fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16).

Desperation brings us to this kind of prayer.

Open yourself up.  Listen to the hurt and pain around you. What can we do in love to minister?

When was the last time you cried out to God?

When was the last time you cried out to God on behalf of someone else?

Service Notes - September 25, 2011 - Acts

What a wonderful service Sunday!

Daren somehow seems to select music that echoes in my mind throughout the week.

Our first  hymn was Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee..."Hearts unfold like flowers
before Thee, Opening to the sun above....Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!"

Immortal gladness....what a wonderful thought!

And we sang He Keeps Me Singing....

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife
Discord filled my life with pain
Jesus swept across the broken strings
Stirred the slumbering chords again!

Broken strings - to immortal gladness!

Immortal gladness from broken strings...

Bro Mike's message text was Acts 4:32, 34 (yes, we are moving slowly):

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had....there were no needy persons among them.

Bro Mike talked about how we might, at a younger age, offer our lives to God, expecting Him to call us to the mission field --China or Africa. To most of us that was what was meant when we said we were giving our lives to Christ.

But we have learned it was not limited to that -- the question now is what God wants to do with our lives and possessions here -- how will the Holy Spirit influence us to use what we have?

What does He want us to do with our stuff?

1. He will lead you to see your possessions as available to the Kingdom
2. He will lead you to offer your possessions for the Kingdom
3. He will lead you to commit your possessions to an actual situation


1. These words from 1 Timothy 6:6-9:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 

[Well,  I can certainly give lots of pertinent examples of that last sentence!]


2. Bro Mike used verses 34 and 35 of  Acts 4 to picture this (our offering of our possssions)) for us:

From time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from their sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

This is the "offering" - as Mary bowed in humility at the feet of Jesus
and washed His feet, drying them with her hair.

The early Christians brought the money from the sale of their property and placed it at the feet of the apostles - they left it there. They walked away. It was a true offering of what (maybe all) they had.

When the Holy Spirit invades our lives He produces generosity in us.

The question here is: What do I feel about my stuff?

3. Bro Mike gave us an illustration of a growing church in Buenos Aires - people were inspired to give their homes, cars, titles to property, to their church. The deacons met and prayed at length, and then returned the titles to the property --
telling their congregaton to keep the houses and cars - to live in their homes and drive their cars - but just remember it all belongs to God, so use it for Him!

What a great story!

Bro Mike took us to Romans 15:26 and we could see that the practice of sharing all their possessions did not resolve permanently the problem of need in the early church at Jerusalem --(Jesus had pointed out to the disciples, when Mary was criticized for using her expensive perfume to wash Jesus' feet, "The poor you will always have") -- Paul was telling the Romans that the saints in Acaia and Macedonia were making contributions for the poor in Jerusalem and in 1 Corinthians 16 Paul was talking about churches in Galatia ahnd Corinth collecting money "on the first day of the week" for Paul to take to those in need.


Everything we have comes from God.  We are asked to manage it.

Is there any evidence in our lives that the Holy Spirit influences what we do with what we have?


This is a challenging message. I am not doing it justice here. But these are just random notes. I need to go to our website and listen again....fbc-bc.org

We closed with the uplifting song, "There's Room at the Cross" and Bro Mike reminded us that even though the economy is bad, that there does not seem to be enough, or sufficient, money to take care of all the probolems we have - great debt, etc., that God's economy is different. There is a surplus in His economy. There's room for every one in His Kingdom. And there is never a shortage in His bounty to us!

There's room at the Cross....And its grace so free is sufficient for me, and deep is its fountain, as wide as the sea....

Yes, there's room at the cross for all of us...even for me..even for you....

God is good. All the time.

Red Sea Rule #3 - Sermon Notes

Red Sea Rule #1 - August 23
Red Sea Rule #2 - August 30

Red Sea Rule #3 - Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord - Sermon Notes for 9/18

Bro Mike was gone. Charles Koenig continued the series on Red Sea Rules. And he did a great job!

Random notes:

Exodus 14 sets the stage.

The Israelites left Egypt, not fearful, but victorious. They also left loaded with spoils, too, gifts
of the Egyptian people.

God orchestrated another step in His redemption plan for His people. "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD."

(It's always about God's glory!)

"So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him....and he pursued the Israelites who were marching out boldly..."

Pharaoh came upon the Israelites where they were encamped -- in the exact place God told them to
make their camp.

The  Israelites were terrified and cried out to God and challenged Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us out here on the desert to die?" (I really love that line!)

Moses answered them, telling them to stand firm, to not be afraid, and to "see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." (And that sure came true!)

After all the miracles the people had witnessed in their last days in Egypt, they even now, already, doubted God's power and goodness.

Satan is always ready to step up and stir up trouble and try to defeat us and destroy God's plan.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

                                      I Peter 5:6-8

Satan wants us to be defeated, not victorious.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you ..." I Peter 5:9-10

         Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:67



Words from Charles Haddon Spurgeon: The great tyrant has not forgotten you and he desires your recapture and enslavement.

Then God told Moses to tell the Israelites to move on and shared His divine plan with Moses, step by step, and what would be the outcome.

(I think this is the best part -- God willingly shared His plans with Moses. He could have told Moses to just tell the people to 'relax and everything will be okay'--- but He did so much more. He told him what would actually happen -- step by step -- and why (for God's glory) -- and God arranged His main characters on the set (the angel and the pillar of cloud) moved from in front of the Israelites to the rear -- and the stage was then set for the next act of the drama. There's a verse in Psalm 25 (verse 14) that
says "The LORD confides in those who fear Him..." What a wonderful promise -- He will let us in,
as He did Moses, on His plans...) Like we are in the "in crowd" -- part of His inner circle-- like being
able to go in and out of the Oval Office and have the President show us his heart and share with us his plans. What an amazing God we have!)

Back to Acts - Sermon Notes

Just some general, random notes from Bro Mike's sermon on September 18. Hear the complete message at our church website: fbc-bc.org.

Main Text:

       All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions
       was his own, but they shared everything they had.  Acts 4:32

A pastor today is responsible for leading a particular church to be faithful to what got started in Jerusalem on that Pentecost.

People deserve, by God's grace, to be able to walk into a church that is faithful to the blue-print
laid out for us in Acts.

If someone says a certain church is of "one heart and soul" - what do they mean? Is the sanctuary full? Is the music loud and joyful? Are people friendly?

Luke means their "stuff." They said, about their possessions, "You can have it!"

It would be a good practice for us to begin noticing what we say about everything -- our calendar -- our things -- our money --

Apparently these early Christians said "If it is mine, it is yours" and they meant it.

So what do Spirit-filled believers do?

1. They act on their beliefs.
2. They gather around other believers
3. They are generous with what they have.


Generosity- tipping at restaurants, blessing people, making room for people in your schedule, etc.
It's a generosity of spirit that involves the sharing of everything  - time, energy, resources...

What did they (do we) have in common?

1. They were (we are) all  condemned and in need of  a Savior. We must understand that we are lost.
2. They knew (we know) that Jesus is Lord and our lives should be ordered around Him and His
teaching.

"Believing" is demonstrated by measurable commitment -- we must act on what we believe. What we truly believe is more than just an opinion.

Example: Corrie Ten Boon and her family. Living in the Netherlands during the 1940's and seeing
what Hitler was doing to the Jews. They demonstrated their Christian beliefs by building a hiding place
in the home and saving the lives of some Jews. They paid dearly for living out their faith. Their belief in Christ's message was not just an opinion.

We talk about giving "a portion" back to God -- the early Christians gave everything back to God.

We need to look at ourselves, not at others down the street to see what they are doing.

Am I a Spirit-filled believer?

God's grace - sure, we often come up short. He says, "I am  not here to knock you down. I am here to
help you."

His river of life flowing through us has no end.

The Wrestling Match - Sermon Notes for September 4, 2011

Great Labor Day Weekend Service!

Mike Henderson shared an important quote -- Sin is the freedom that keeps us chained -- that is surely something to ponder in the coming days
.
Bro Mike announced that we will have Lord's Supper next week and that becomes a reminder that we should begin now to prepare ourselves for that incomprehensible event.

The sermon text  for today's message was from Genesis 32. The well-known section where Jacob wrestles with God - and Bro Mike compared it to our wrestling with God in our prayer life.

The subject of prayer seems to be heavy on Bro Mike's mind these days. It is a theme that underlies much of his messages to us -- the importance of prayer, its practice and its power -- especially its power.

A few weeks ago at Wednesday prayer meeting he handed out to us copies of a short quote from Richard Foster:

     The primary purpose of prayer is to bring us into such a life of communion with the Father
     that, by the power of the Spirit, we are increasingly conformed to the image of the Son.
     None of us will keep up a life of prayer unless we are prepared to change. We will either
     give it up or turn it into a little system that maintains the form of godliness but denies the
     power of it -- which is the same thing as giving it up.

I can't get these words off my mind.They are clipped to my brain like a yellow sticky note. I do not,
or only rarely, take into account the power of my time with God (TAWG - Time Alone With God).
I seem to ignore that aspect completely. Why? I guess so I don't have to confront Him. Jacob had to confront Him.

Again, today's message was really all about prayer. And the illustration from scripture was the
time of Jacob's wrestling with God - his perseverance, and his demand for a blessing. It is interesting to me that Jacob had already cheated his brother Esau  out of his blessing and birthright - and now Esau
is waiting for Jacob, probably to kill him, and Jacob is asking God for another blessing! How amazing is that! (Is there a message there?)

I had never thought of this event in Jacob's life as an example of confronting God - and God confronting us - in prayer. I never saw that part of the story.

Here are a few random notes that I found provocative. There was so much more. Go to our web site (fbc-bc.org) for the complete message.

Here is the text:

     That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and  crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 

     So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him til daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.


     Then the man said, "Let me go for it is daybreak."


     But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."


     The man asked him, "What is your name?"

    "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

    Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" And he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."

So who was Jacob wrestling with? Was it the angel Michael? Was in an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ? We don't know for certain. But in any case, it appears to be God's very, very special "Man."

Some things Bro Mike brought out:

(1) Jacob was alone. His life was reaching a climax. He had years before swindled his brother out of his inheritance, tricked his father, planted seeds of animosity in his family (his own and Laban's) and was now fearful that he was going to reap the tragic harvest.

Sometimes we have to be truly alone to hear God's voice.  Jacob was finally alone, and so God came down to him.

(2) The duration of the event. God is eternal. He has all the time in the world, but He does not give us unlimited time. We must take advantage of the situation when He is speaking to us.

(3) The attitude of Jacob. He did not give up. Like the parable of the woman who kept pleading with the judge in Luke 18. The  purpose of the parable, Christ said, was to demonstrate that we should always pray and not give up. 

Jacob did not name the geographic place of his encounter  to show that he had won a wrestling match with God. He made mention of the place because he had an encounter with God and "yet his life was spared."

He knew it was only through God's grace that he was allowed to enter God's presence.

Why should we wrestle with God in prayer?

Maybe God wants to bless us. Does God let us miss things He has for us?
We should wrestle with Him in prayer and look for the blessing.

Sometimes His blessings equip us to become the person He wants us to be.

There will probably be a scar. And we will say, "Thank you, Lord" for that experience. Jacob left with a limp.

This was a "big" sermon - to hear it all, or hear it again -- go to fbc-bc.org.

Red Sea Rule #2

Notes from Bro Mike's message August 28:

Main Text:

     Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Haharoth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this.   Exodus 14:1-4

Red Sea Rule #1: Realize that God means for you to be where you are. (August 21 message)

Red Sea Rule #2: Be more concerned for God's glory than for your own relief.

Most of our prayers seem to be involved with asking God to relieve us, or at least bring us relief,
in particular circumstances. "LORD, help me get out of this!" Or, more often, "LORD, get me out of this...PLEASE!!"

Bro Mike challenged us, next time we feel overwhelmed, instead of praying, "How can I get out of this mess?" to pray instead, "LORD, how can I help bring glory to You in this situation?"

Examples:

1. John 9:1-3. As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

We should be careful about giving God options. It's often not "this" or "that." We do not see the whole picture He is painting.  He is working out His Kingdom Agenda. It's not about us. It's about God's glory.

2. John 11. The death of Lazarus. When Jesus received the word that Lazarus was seriously ill He did not immediatley drop His plans. He didn't rearrange His schedule to rush to be with the family. And we know that Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were dear to Christ.

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days.
Two whole days more?

Jesus' said: "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
And that's exactly what happened.  God's glory was shown through His Son when Lazarus was raised from the dead, after 4 days.

3. John 12: Some faithful Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Feast came to Philip and said, "Sir we would see Jesus." Philip told Andrew and they both told Jesus about the request.

Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified....now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour?' No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
Father, glorify your name!"

Those Greeks who wanted to see Jesus needed to know that basic truth -- we are saved, not for our own comfort and blessings, but for God's glory.

How many of us, when we said "Yes," to the gospel message, did it because we thought it would be a good thing for us? It all sounded like a good idea. After all, it IS the best deal in the universe. We give Him our filthy rags and He clothes us in garments of joy and salvation.
But it's not about us. It's about Him.

What is the chief purpose of man? "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." I learned that when I was
about 8 years old. And it's still the best news I've ever heard!

Once he was nicknamed 'Son of Thunder' - Sermon Notes from Terry Farrar

Terry Farrar brought us the message Sunday. He spoke about John -- of his transformation from
one of the 'Sons of Thunder' to the loving and patient John of his Gospel of John and his letters (1, 2, and 3 John) to early Christians.

His metamorphosis from the loud and angry fisherman Christ called to follow Him to the John who declared For God so loved the world....  (John 3:16) and  Dear children, let us not love  with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18) was not an over-night journey.

Terry's overall theme was about doing the right thing - all the time. An example from his own life
concerns his duty as a statistician for the Texans. It is his job to record exactly (and there is no room for error) which players played in each game. There is a video that can be checked in case of error - it is another record. But managers and family members and the press and the public depend on Terry's meticulous notes. They have to be right - every time!

We have only once chance to "do it right" in life.

In looking over John's life, Terry talked about John's original calling in Matthew and we compared it to the other synoptic gospel accounts. Putting them all together we learn that James and John were the sons of the fisherman Zebedee.

Since Zebedee is named several times it probably indicates he was a successful fisherman, maybe an important man in the community, maybe even an early church leader. He had hired men to help and so it must have been a thriving business. And we know James and John were business partners with Simon and Andrew.

Certainly Zebedee was anticipating that his sons would take over his business later. What did he think when James and John just left him in the boat and followed that strange Man named Jesus! And the text says immediately. Maybe he knew them to be impulsive at times and maybe he thought they would quickly tire of their "calling" to become  "fishers of men"  and would soon return to their real family fishing  business.

But both James and John persevered in their new calling. They were still acting like "Sons of Thunder" in Luke 9 when some towns did not welcome Jesus and His disciples. "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?" they asked. (I wonder, could they really have accomplished that? Was it just arrogant bravado?)

Later John wrote, "I ask that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love." (2 John)

The details given us in the synoptic gospels are left out of John's gospel--he just starts in at John 1 talking about no one else than Christ Himself. He doesn't even use his own name in his gospel.

Terry  took us on a sprinting tour of the Gospel references of John,  and even posed the possibility that Salome was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John.

We know that John was there at the end -- in the courtyard of the High Priest (where he was well known) and at the Cross when Christ turned the care of His mother Mary over to John.

John- only one life  - but through making the right choices and leaning on Christ - his life was changed from a 'Son of Thunder" to a disciple who loved Jesus, stood by Him, and taught the early church to "love," reminding them constantly, that true love comes from God.

These are just notes -- for the full sermon go online to our church website - fbc-bc.org -  and click on sermons. Hear the full text in case you missed it Sunday, or listen a second time to enjoy it again.

And yes, Terry did incorporate a dramatic element in his message -- we were waiting for it -- he had brought out two large pillows and placed them on the platform before he began his message. That certainly intrigued us. Then at the end of the message when he was talking about John 'leaning back on Jesus' at the Last Supper....Terry arranged the pillows and lay on them to illustrate how the people "reclined" at the table during meals - and especially on that particular evening. They were not all seated on one side of the table in a "photo op" like so often pictured!

I  went home and re-read 1, 2, and 3 John -- !

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.....And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming...everyone who loves the father loves his child as well...we  love because He first loved us....Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God...anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

                          
John did the right things - from the very beginning! What about us?

Feverish Ways!!! - Wednesday Prayer

Wednesday night prayer service was peaceful - a resting place for all of us. Bro Mike read scriptural selections that made us pause and ponder God's control of all events. We prayed between his readings.

If his goal was to lead us to search out an inner place of peace and serenity -- then, at least for me, it worked.

It reminded me of that old hymn "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind". Feeling an urge to re-visit the
words of this fine old hymn, I turned to it in our hymnal.

All of a sudden I didn't feel such peace and serenity -- the wording is wrong! It was so upsetting!

What an awful surprise!  The first lines in the hymnal are "Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways."


That's not the way it goes....It is supposed to say:   forgive our feverish ways...it fits the context so much better. The author was the Quaker (Friends) John Greenleaf Whittier, and he was also talking about pausing in our frantic busy-ness and feeling God's "still, small voice of calm."

Certainly our ways are foolish and we need to seek forgiveness for that. But he is not talking about our foolishness. He is talking about our feverish activity -- our greatly excitable and agitated motions -- our inability to sit still and hear God's voice. Our feverish spirit expresses our restlessness and impatience. Our frantic frenzies do not display God's calm and assuring peace that  "passeth all understanding."

That's what Bro Mike wanted to convey to us. He wanted us to stop -- to block out all the turmoil around us -- and feel God's peace and assurance. To be thoughtful, not impulsive and frantic.

 Don't just do something -- stand there!

Anyway, I looked at some more hymnals -- they all said "foolish." Then I was really agitated...I went back to Whittier's original poem -- it said "feverish.."  People, listen to me, read my lips....it is supposed to be "feverish.."  "FEVERISH..." I'm getting really upset now.

Good grief, is everyone in this world nuts?

I guess I should go back to prayer meeting.....maybe Bro Mike will do the same thing next week, because I think I need a second dose.

In the meantime, I will read Whittier's original lines...that should help...

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, forgive our feverish ways

Reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives Thy service find

In deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like those who heard, beside the Syrian Sea,

The gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word

Rise up and follow thee.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness, til all our strivings cease

Take from our lives the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of Thy peace

Breathe through the heats of our desire Thy coolness and Thy calm

Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire, speak through the earthquake, wind and fire

A still small voice of calm!

You know, I feel better now.

Those words: let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace..

Looks like I have a long way to go.





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Do We Really Want to Know...? Sermon Notes

Sunday, July 10



Bro Mike went back to Moses again. This time the question of the day was "Do we really want to know God's Will?"

Hear the full sermon on our website: fbc-bc.org.

These are just some notes that I felt I needed to pay particular attention to:

The context is Moses at the burning bush. Moses approaches the bush and hears God's voice.
(Exodus 3)

GOD'S WILL

1. His will always reflects His heart.  

    Exodus 3:7. "The LORD said, I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering..."

God had seen. He had noticed. He cared. This is where it gets dangerous. Do we really want to pursue? Do we really want to know God's heart?  That means we have to care about what (and who) He cares about.

Aren't we usually interested mainly about our own situations and problems?

Bro Mike encouraged us to run a check on our prayer life. Is it 90% about us? Do we really want to seek God's heart and how to please Him?

2. His will always involves us - our service.

   Exodus 3:10. "So now go. I am sending you to Pharoah to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

Every believer will be asked to do something. Opportunities are open for everyone. Seeking God's will brings us into the picture.

3. His will always challenges our faith.

Exodus 3:11.  "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'"

There is a fine line between our "comfort zone" and being exactly where God wants us and loving it!
Is it OK to love where we are?

See verse 12 where God tells Moses that "I will be with you." And notice the sign God gave Moses: And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.....

The sign comes after obedience.

When Moses said to God (verse 13): "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you and they ask me, 'What is his name? Then what shall I tell them?'"

God's answer in verse 14: "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites:"

"I AM has sent me to you."

It's the Hebrew statement of God. There is no one like Me.

It is vague. It leaves us with questions., as it should.

It's a leap from serving God on Mt. Horeb and doing something in the local church.

The promise is the same: I will be with you.

Moses had excuses. God answered them all.

Bro Mike's original question was: "Do we really want to know God's Will?"

It's going to involve service....

.What God wants us to do will (1) reflect God's heart (2) involve service and (3) challenge our faith.

When we  say no is it:

Humility or unwillingness?
        Humility or pride?
                   Humility or fear?
                           Humility or unbelief?