tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454645077632440502024-03-05T08:18:50.306-06:00Faith BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-63524407337230070732020-06-24T16:19:00.001-05:002020-06-24T16:19:12.358-05:00Liturgy - Good or Bad? - Part 1Liturgy…Good or Bad?: Part 1<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One of the scariest words for people to hear in a Baptist church is the work liturgy. As soon as you mention the word people start to imagine priests walking around in solemnity—with all their pomp and circumstance—waving around a thurible filled with incense and speaking in Latin. This is what we associate with a liturgical church. Our disposition might lead us to suppose that liturgical churches are wrong. We might think they are just concerned with outward appearances and not concerned with changing the heart. You might even hear someone say that a liturgy is all about what we do and it leads us to believe in salvation through our works. Even though we associate liturgy with services that are full of ornate symbols and tradition, the truth is that every church whether Catholic, Episcopal, Non-denominational or Baptist uses a liturgy. No matter how hard churches try to escape from being labeled as a liturgical they will always use a liturgy because liturgy does not dictate what is done in a service, but is merely the order things will happen. Liturgy is just a formal way of saying “the service order”. Let’s look at a couple examples of liturgical services.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Generally speaking, a stereotypical Baptist liturgy might start off a service with a rousing congregational hymn. They might follow this with a time of hand shaking to welcome each other before someone comes and gives the announcements for the following week and says a prayer for the offering. After this they might sing a couple more songs before having some special music. Next the pastor comes up on stage and begins his message by telling everyone a joke that will hopefully relate to the message and make people laugh. He will end his message by giving people an<br />
emotional appeal to come to the altar while the congregation sings all 10 verses of “Just As I Am”.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Contrastingly, a Non-denominational church typically seeks to make a comfortable environment for all people to walk into, and many times they try to stay away from typical church stereotypes. When you enter the building you might see the band or praise playing on the stage. As the service starts they will sing a couple songs that create an exciting atmosphere. After this the pastor, dressed in torn jeans and a T-shirt, might come up and give announcements and welcome people. They may even play a video that tries to explain “churchy things” for people who have never been to the church. A second section of songs that is typically moving and personal will be sung<br />
before the message is preached. After the message (or some pastors may call it a talk) there will be a couple of songs sung before the people are sent off by a pastor. The church service is designed to have moments of high energy, levity to release tense moments with humor, and worshipful moments that make people feel the presence of God. In both of the above examples there was an order and purpose to how they did their service—or you could say there was a liturgy to help them accomplish their goals. I am not saying that one service order is better that the other—I am simply giving<br />
examples of a liturgy.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Liturgies can be either good or bad because a liturgy is our ordered response to the truth we believe about God. In fact, the Bible God has given us has many examples of worship that was pleasing to God and examples of worship that was offensive to the Lord. Let’s look at a few examples of worship that pleased God. In Nehemiah 8, we see all the people gather to hear the Book of the Law read aloud, and they fall down and worship God. The Psalms are filled with examples of worship to the Lord (Ps. 3; 5; 75; 95…etc.). The epistles also help us see what should be included in our church worship (Acts 2; I Cor 11,14; Eph. 6:18). Also, in the book of Revelation we see get a glimpse of what worship will look like in the future (Rev. 4-5; 19). There is many more example of what Worship should look like, but let’s also see some examples of worship that was not pleasing to God<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>All through the Old Testament, God is concerned that his name be Holy and that Israel does not worship Him in the same way pagan nations worship their gods (Lev. 20:22-23; Deut.12:31; Jer. 10:2-4; Ex. 32). In second Samuel 6, we learn about a worship service with good intentions that ended in the death of Uzzah because he reached out and touched the Ark of the Covenant. In the New Testament, Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for the way they are taking the Lord’s Supper (I Cor. 11). <br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The scripture is filled with examples of good and bad worship, but my<br />
intention in writing today is not to give you an in-depth look at worship practices in the scripture—I want you to see that worship is important to God and our liturgy (the order we use) matters. I am not saying that there is only one good way to order a service because the Scripture does not say that; however, Scripture does present us with patterns that we can follow as we approach God in worship. Next month, I plan to write on the patterns we see in scripture, and I hope that it will stir conversation and give you insight into the way I choose to order our service.<br />
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- Pastor Seth PetersonUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-48202548347954803022020-06-24T16:12:00.002-05:002020-06-24T16:12:19.647-05:00Thinking About Justice The recent brutal murder of George Floyd while onlookers cried out for him to let the man up so he could breathe and vainly entreated the other officers (who have now been charged with aiding and abetting the hideous crime) to step in and help Mr. Floyd get up so he could breathe leads me to share some thoughts about justice.<br />
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First of all, justice is part of God’s character. Isaiah says, “For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18) In a judgment against Jerusalem for evil within that city Zephaniah says, “The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust know no shame.” (Zephaniah 3:5)<br />
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Next, since justice is part of our Lord’s character, we know He loves justice. Since He loves justice we can be certain that He hates injustice in any form. David writes, “For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.” (Psalm 37: 28) One of the joys of our Lord’s justice is to know that He preserves us forever. We are not preserved through any of our merit, because we have no merit apart from Jesus Christ dying for us on the cross and raising from the dead to be our living Savior<br />
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Next, a pagan king saw that God is just and characterized by justice. After a sleepless night Nebuchadnezzar came to the lions’ den and cried out asking Daniel if his God had protected him. When King Nebuchadnezzar saw Daniel was not harmed by the lions he said, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (Daniel 4: 37) Since our Lord is just and justice is part of His character any injustice is evil.<br />
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Next, since God is just, loves justice and is righteous, He expects the same from His people. Amos delivered God’s warning that He was not pleased with the Israelites’ solemn assemblies and offerings while they dealt unjustly with others. He said God called for them to “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24) Micah expressed that warning in these words: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) This involves not only helping the powerless and exploited find justice, but to show them mercy and to walk humbly with God. That leaves absolutely no room for pride.<br />
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Finally, when justice is done it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. Solomon expressed it in these words: “When justice is done it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” (Proverbs 21: 15) Justice is joy to us as His saints whom He has declared righteous because in justice we see one more wonderful aspect of His character for which we give Him praise. Justice is a terror to evildoers who receive the just punishment for their deeds.<br />
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We must always remember that God’s justice and God’s mercy met on Calvary. Had we received justice without Jesus going to Calvary we would have no eternal hope. But since God met us mercifully that day on Calvary we have eternal life from the moment we trust Jesus as our Savior and forevermore!<br />
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David OldfatherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-82239339020256792352019-12-09T15:27:00.000-06:002019-12-09T15:27:43.307-06:00God's Work of Grace (Philippians 1:6) In a September 17 Turning Point online devotional David Jeremiah writes, George W. Bush wasn’t doing well as a young man. He was drinking heavily and lost in life. One day he went for a walk with Billy Graham and asked if reading the Bible would make him a better person.”<br />
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Bush told Jeremiah that Graham told him about one of the Bible’s most fundamental lessons. “One should strive to be better,” he was counseled, “but we’re all sinners who earn God’s love not through our good deeds but through his grace.”<br />
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Graham soon sent Bush a copy of The Living Bible which he inscribed and included a reference to Philippians 1:6. Jeremiah writes, “That began a change in Bush’s life. It does for all of us. We can never improve ourselves in any lasting, significant way without the grace oi God. We need for him to begin a new work in us, then we need to remember that the One who started His work will finish it.”<br />
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Bible commentator Matthew Henry shares six truths about Philippians 1:6 in which Paul writes,<br />
“being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”<br />
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Henry begins, “The work of grace is a good work. It makes us like God and fits us for the enjoyment of God”. Without God’s grace we could neither enjoy God now nor in the world to come. Sinful though we are, God’s grace allows us to be more like Him as we allow His grace to work in our lives.<br />
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Henry continues, ‘Wherever this good work is begun it is of God’s beginning. We could not begin to ourselves for we are by nature dead in trespasses and sins and what can dead men do toward raising themselves to life?” Just as only God could create the world only God can begin a life that allows for fellowship with Him.<br />
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Henry also says, “The work of grace Is but begun in this life; it is not finished here.’ We will never become all God wants us to be this side of Glory but we can allow Him to grow us in that direction.<br />
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Next Henry says, “If the same God who begins the good work did not undertake the carrying on and finishing of it it would live forever unfinished.” We can neither carry on ourselves nor complete in our own strength the work of grace our Lord began<br />
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Henry also says, “We may be confident that God will finish the work of his own hands.” We have this confidence because God leaves leaved no work undone.<br />
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Henry concludes, “The work of grace will never be perfected until the day of Christ Jesus. When he shall come to judge the world, then his work will be complete.”<br />
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As we begin a new year let us daily celebrate the work of grace out Lord began in us that will be complete when we see Him. Let us also celebrate His love that makes grace possible.<br />
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David Oldfather<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-68395039809483314882019-08-17T17:27:00.001-05:002019-08-17T17:27:51.619-05:00Mourning ComesWhen Mourning Comes<br />
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Mourning is part of life. Solomon writes, “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4) When we experience temporary separation from our loved ones when they enter their heavenly home mourning is as natural as breathing. Our knowledge that they will never again surfer pain, illness or sorrow does not diminish the loss of their presence we feel in our lives.<br />
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When we—or a loved one—experience the loss of a dream the pain of mourning is less intense but just as real. Jesus promises, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)<br />
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When mourning comes we must look to our Lord in faith. In Psalm 42 (attributed to the Sons of Korah) intense feelings of being ‘downcast” are expressed several times. At one point the Psalmist writes, “My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” The Psalmist was distraught because of the taunts of his enemies but found hope amidst his trials by knowing this: “By day he directs his love, at night his song is with me.” (Psalm 42:8) Hannah faced the taunts of Peninnah concerning her barrenness (I Samuel l:2-8). Rather than continuing to mourn over her situation, Hannah took the matter to her Lord in prayer, promising to give a son to the Lord all the days of his life (I Samuel 1:11). Our Lord turned Hannah’s mourning into joy with Samuel’s arrival and she kept her promise to our Lord.<br />
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Mourning will also call that we turn to our Lord in repentance. William Barclay in his comments on<br />
Matthew 5:4 in his Daily Study Bible, writes that mourning for our sin is appropriate. Whether it is what we do that we shouldn’t have done or don’t do what we should do (the dilemma Paul writes about in Romans 7:16-25) it is entirely appropriate to grieve over it, repent of it and turn to our Lord in faith asking Him to forgive us. When we do that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Our Lord turns that mourning into the joy He wants us to have.<br />
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Our Lord knows we will experience mourning but He doesn’t want us to live like mourners throughout life. He wants us to have the kind of joy that comes only through Him and through His love. Praise God for love like that that turns mourning into joy!<br />
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David Oldfather<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-91455276380752303352019-08-03T13:55:00.001-05:002019-08-03T13:55:11.845-05:00Have you made your social media an idol?To post or not to post... and what should I post? (aka: The social media idol)<br />
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Over the last 5-10 years an alarming trend has developed with respect to social media and the way Christians utilize its many avenues. As I have been reading ahead of myself in preparation for sermons on Matthew’s gospel I had a thought while reading through Matthew 6 that I think may be helpful to us as we think through how to live pleasing lives for <br />
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Christ, even while we are online.<br />
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Recently I’ve noticed more and more of my brothers and sisters in Christ making a point to announce to social media when they are having, about to have, or have had a time of private prayer and Bible study.<br />
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Let me preface this by saying that it is not my intention to impugn anyone’s motives or judge their heart, but simply to make an external observation and perhaps a warning.<br />
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In Matthew 6:5-6, Jesus is teaching about the self righteous arrogance of the Pharisees who love to pray loudly and in public in order to be seen…<br />
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Matthew 6:5–6 - [5] “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. [6] But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (ESV)<br />
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Culturally I doubt many would stand in the public square praying loudly with arms outstretched and their Bible open for study these days... short of some open air preachers in the right context. However, is it possible that such posts online, whether the poster realizes it or not, are being made with a similar heart behind them?<br />
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Certainly some are. I know of at least one who has, in years past, posted for such reasons as to be ‘liked’ on social media and seen as super-holy. Am I being judgmental of that person and their motives? Yes, I am, because I know their motives well for that person was me. <br />
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It’s been some time since I stopped but my stopping came from more of a pulling away from spending so much time on social media in general rather than by conviction of post content. Though now I am having this conviction and will have to be all the more careful of the temptation.<br />
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Is there a place for posts such as the ones I mentioned? Sure there are. Is everyone who makes such a post doing so to be noticed and appear to be super-holy? No, I do not believe it would be fair to say that all such posts spring forth from “self” motivated desires.<br />
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However, consider this, beloved, could it be wiser for us to examine our hearts before we post something not just to examine the appropriateness of the content but also our motive behind it?<br />
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Some of our brethren are likely posting such things out of sheer enjoyment of posting their daily activities on social media. We live in a world that believes that our every move of the day is of utmost interest to everyone online. <br />
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It could also be that in posting every detail of your life, particularly your spiritual devotion time to Christ, you could be coveting 'likes.' Had you thought about that? When you open your preferred social media platform... how do you feel when you see there are notifications? How do you feel when there are none? How do you feel when there are notifications but they turn out to not be "likes" that demonstrate how much others watch and follow your activity?<br />
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We can save the discussion of how much of our lives should be posted for public consumption some other time. I would add, though, that it has been wisely observed by Dr. John Piper that when that Day comes, and we stand before the Lord, facebook, instagram, twitter, and the like will stand as glaring proof that our lack of prayer and time spent in the Word did not come as a result of a lack of time in our daily schedules.<br />
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Is it necessary that I post a picture of my Bible and cup of coffee before I spend time alone in the Word? Is it necessary or even helpful for someone to post a picture of a beautiful sunset with captions like “Enjoying some prayer time with my Lord in His beautiful creation.”? Such posts may find that they have a small place of appropriateness here and there but on the whole, they are not useful to the individual nor the body corporate.<br />
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Jesus seems to indicate that when we spend time praying we should do so privately and secretly. That is not to say that there is not an appropriate time for corporate prayer, but our private devotional life should be largely kept between us and the Lord.<br />
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We may not be tempted to go and stand in the public square and raise loud prayers with many words any longer, but is it possible that the new way that this happens in our lives is in how close to God we want others to believe we are by manufacturing that persona online?<br />
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If you are not an avid consumer of social media, consider yourself blessed. I often cannot decide whether I believe it to be truly helpful or harmful. <br />
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May God continue growing us all to look more like Christ as we think through how we should live in this world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-41475155163574876372019-06-30T18:49:00.001-05:002019-07-26T15:28:44.252-05:00Slow to Speak (and post and comment)<div data-originalcomputedfontsize="16" data-removefontsize="true" dir="auto" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(49, 49, 49); color: #313131; font-family: -apple-system, HelveticaNeue; font-size: 1rem; word-spacing: 1px;">
It is sad that few people have any interest in being well informed on any given story/ subject before they blurt out their opinion. One of the saddest results of a social media culture is that we are more concerned to speak up first rather than to speak up accurately/wisely. Contrary to what you may have fooled yourself into believing, it is not necessary that you speak up about everything that pops up just for the sake of being part of the conversation.<br />
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There may be a time to speak, but before you speak, stop and listen. Bite your tongue, metaphorically or physically if necessary. Keep your fingers off the keyboard. Write your thoughts in a journal, pray about it, search the Scriptures, go back and re-read your words. Then if they are useful and well thought through and based on fact and Biblical reasoning, post. </div>
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19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. - James 1:19-20</div>
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The edge that hangs over most misunderstandings is the jump to conclusions. Beloved, we cannot be like the world when it comes to the way we form and express our worldview. Our worldview must begin with ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ not ‘well, I feel...’ The latter leads to miscommunication and a faulty worldview based on lies and sensationalized headlines. The former leads to a mind and speech that glorifies Christ. </div>
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As you see headlines, remember that they are deliberately trying to be inflammatory. Take time to read and research before you let your tongue loose. </div>
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Keep your speech holy and your mind stayed on Christ. Plead with God for wisdom. These are Christ exalting qualities that we ought to desire. </div>
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27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. - Proverbs 17:27-28</div>
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If you’ve found yourself erring in this way, repent. Go to the Lord in humility and seek His restorative forgiveness. </div>
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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9</div>
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Let us be in the world but not of it; not in actions, speech, or thought. </div>
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We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, - 2 Corinthians 10:5</div>
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It’s not important that we speak up first so much as we speak up accurately and in accordance with His truth.<br />
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— Pastor Jason</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-29216167915824043812019-05-09T14:50:00.000-05:002019-05-09T14:50:06.743-05:00The folly of worry...The folly of worry and how God's Word helps us overcome it...<br />
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Let me speak briefly, I have a confession to make... One of my sin struggles is worry. I fight it but find it a stumbling area often. Desiring to conquer this temptation by God's Spirit I sought out help from the Word of the Lord. So here are my Biblical thoughts on worry and how to overcome it.<br />
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I thought of 5 Biblical reasons to avoid worry, and 4 Biblical ways to combat it.<br />
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<b>1.) Worrying forgets the Gospel</b><br />
It denies God’s sovereignty and power. Christ has said in John 14 that we are not to let our hearts “be troubled.” Why? Because He was going to be and has now died and been raised, thereby making the way for man to get to God. Worry denies the peace promised by the Holy Spirit and makes God out to be a liar. It forgets the Gospel’s power to bring peace as it fails to trust that Christ is a refuge for all our strife. Worry elevates some stresses as being beyond the perfect plan and power of God.<br />
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<b>2.) Worrying is meditation</b><br />
Defined, to meditate is to “think deeply or focus one's mind for a period of time.”1 It is to have your mind captive to something. Scripture tells us that we are to let our minds dwell (meditate) on Christ and His Word. The truths of God are to be our meditation. In Psalm 19:14 the Psalmist pleads with God to let his every word, every thought and every devotion be pleasing to God. Verse 13, however, sheds some additional light to his plea. He petitions the Lord to keep him away from presumptuous sins. The “presumptuous sin” in worrying is presuming that meditating on what you can do about a worry will produce a more favorable result. It sets the meditation of your heart on that issue and resolving it as opposed to trusting the Lord to do what is right and in keeping with His perfect will.<br />
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<b>3.) Worrying is idolatry</b><br />
If worry is your meditation and meditation is that which you think and dwell on... then doesn’t it stand to reason that what you dwell on is your idol? That stings a bit. We know we aren’t to have any idols (Exodus 20:4-6). Instead we are to dwell on Christ alone, but how easily idols sneak in and construct themselves in plain sight, and before we know it we have allowed them choice real estate in our heart. Idols form when our hearts are drawn away from Christ by other things (Deuteronomy 30:17). They are demonic in origin and dressed as something seemingly harmless but massively destructive to us. Be on guard for them in your heart.<br />
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<b>4.) Worrying is disobedient</b><br />
It seems that this one should be most obvious, yet it bears stating even still. Matthew 6:25-27, Jesus declares that we aren’t to worry. Our Father, He says, knows our needs and will provide. So to engage in constant worry is to disobey the Word of the Lord. Before you think me legalistic, please remember that God’s Law is a law of liberty! Though often stated in the negative (“Thou shall not...”) they are always intended for our good. They are intended to preserve our joy by focusing us on Him and our need for Him in all things.<br />
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<b>5.) Worrying is vanity</b><br />
What good does worrying incessantly do? “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27). What more needs to be said about the sheer wastefulness and vanity of worrying?<br />
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<b>So what should we do?</b><br />
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I write to you, the one tempted to incessant worrying, from the trenches with you. My mother says that I get that nature from her. Maybe I am predisposed genetically to struggle with worry to some extent, but the truth is that I wrestle with it because sin dwells in my flesh. I don’t set out trying to worry, but it creeps in at times just the same. At its worst in me I literally lie in bed, my mind racing so fast over the many daily things I’ve decided to worry about, that I can hardly lie still. There are few things more frustrating than a restless mind fixated on worry. For someone whose sin struggle doesn’t include worrying, this is hard to understand. I explained that those times when the worrying is at its worst, in my mind, it feels as though I am trying to divide a number by a color to derive a letter. I mean that quite literally! I have seen that frustrating formula over and over in my mind at times. (I should note that these extreme times happen mostly while I am trying to sleep, but during times of extreme worry nonetheless). It is the sign of just sheer mental exhaustion that has come on over time as I have failed to pray and rest in Christ as I ought. As the Lord works in and grows me I am learning how to more quickly rest in Him and for that I am grateful.<br />
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Can you relate to this struggle? If so, here are some Scriptural helps.<br />
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<b>1.) Pray </b>– (Philippians 4:6) – Seems simple, but for those who struggle with worry we also struggle to keep our mind focused during times of prayer. If you find it difficult to pray at all times and stay focused, wrestle and pray all the more! Strive in prayer until you feel the Spirit of God bring you rest.<br />
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<b>2.) Seek God’s Glory, not Your Solutions. –</b> (Matthew 6:33) – Certainly we are to engage our minds in problem solving but there is a difference between evaluation and problem solving vs worry. Ask God to help you seek His will above all things. Seek His wisdom and trust His sovereign plan. Striving with worry will only weigh you down (Proverbs 12:25).<br />
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<b>3.) Humble Yourself. – </b>(1 Peter 5:6-11) – Worry is arrogant because it sets our “wisdom” over God’s. Scripture says to humble ourselves “under the Mighty Hand of God.” We are to cast all our cares upon Him “because He cares for” us and is abundantly mighty to take all the cares we can think of and infinitely more. We are promised rest if we will seek it from the Lord (Matthew 11:28-30).<br />
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<b>4.) Remember the Gospel. –</b> (Romans 8:28-39) – Are you born again? Redeemed by Christ? Think on that! What greater promise is there? I know of none, than to be certain that I have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember the Gospel and apply it! What worry is greater than the problem you once had of being condemned and under the wrath of God for your sin? None. Yet Christ was mighty enough to rescue you from your condemnation. Will He now not be able to strengthen you, guide you, and give you joy and rest? Of course! Nothing, not even that which you worry over, can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. Nothing. So, my fellow worriers, let’s press on in the love of Christ together and trust Him to care for us as He has promised to do.<br />
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Soli Deo Gloria,<br />
Pastor Jason<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">If you found this article helpful, please encourage others by re-posting it to your facebook, twitter, or other appropriate social media outlet. Also, feel free to comment and let me know how God has worked in you to overcome worry.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-82081136164789895742019-05-09T11:18:00.000-05:002019-05-09T11:19:25.415-05:00Isaiah's Prophetic VisionOne of the most familiar Scriptures in Isaiah is from chapter 6 when he saw the holiness of the Lord and confronted his own sin. One of the most beautiful prophecies in Isaiah is found in chapter 53, verse 5. In that verse, we find a riveting four-fold prediction that reminds us why it was so imperative for Jesus to die on the cross.<br />
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Isaiah foresaw that Jesus would be pierced for our transgressions. When he wrote “our transgressions” not one person can be excluded. In verse 6, we writes, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus was completely innocent of any of the false charges leveled against Him. We are totally guilty of sin that would have separated us from God forever. Paul describes it this way: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)<br />
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Isaiah also foresaw that Jesus would be crushed for our iniquities. The pain He felt in being separated from God the Father had to be even more crushing than the abuse of His body through floggings, being spit upon and in other ways. Micah foretold of a time when “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depth of the sea.” (7:19). This compassion was expressed in Jesus’ death on the cross to cancel the sin debt we could never pay. Praise God, it didn’t end there! He arose from the grave three days later assuring us that we can live with God eternally!<br />
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Isaiah also foresaw that Jesus’ punishment came so we could have peace with God. We can rest in Him knowing our sins are forgiven! Paul writes, ‘Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Romans 5:1) Peace like this is possible only because of God the Father loving us so much, Jesus Christ dying on the cross and then rising from the grave and the Holy Spirit convicting us of our need for Jesus.<br />
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Isaiah also foresaw that Jesus’ wounds would make healing possible. Physical healing is wonderful but spiritual healing is infinitely better because it is for eternity! Peter writes, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for Righteousness: by his wounds you have been healed.” (I Peter 2:24)<br />
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This possible healing becomes reality only when we put our faith In Jesus Christ. Praise God, when we do that our transgressions and iniquities are forgiven and we are declared righteous!<br />
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David OldfatherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-41560711872469389512018-12-17T12:31:00.002-06:002018-12-17T12:31:24.689-06:00From Woe to Glow!From Woe to Glow!<br />
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In Charles Spurgeon Morning and Evening the author (December 7 devotional) invites readers to “walk the streets by moonlight, if you dare, and you will see sinners.” He also says we could go to jails, reformatories or “where cannibals do their terrible deeds.” He writes, “You’ll find sinners in every home and street of every city, town, village and hamlet.”<br />
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As I read this devotional our Lord reminded me that I didn’t need to travel anywhere to find a sinner. I simply needed to look at the face peering back at me from the bathroom mirror as I shave, comb my hair or brush my teeth. If I drive somewhere I don’t need to look at other drivers but only at the face in the rear-view mirror.<br />
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Isaiah faced the reality of his sinful state after he saw our Lord’s glory. He said, “Woe is me, for I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips; for I have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5) Notice that Isaiah did not say, “Look at them! Look at how immoral they are.” He expresses his understanding that he is a sinner in three simple words: “Woe is me.” God, in His grace, did not leave Isaiah there in his hopelessness and helplessness. He directed an angel to touch a burning coal to Isaiah’s lips and tell him, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (v. 6) God moved him from the woe of despair to the glow of being forgiven.<br />
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When we read Scriptures like this one or like Romans 3:23 we understand how much we need our Savior. Any room for pride is utterly destroyed. We understand how hopeless and helpless we would be without Him. Praise God, He doesn’t leave us in that hopeless condition!<br />
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Our cleansing was not done with a burning coal on the lips, but by Jesus’ shed blood and life given for us on the cross. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave on the third day we are reconciled with God. We have peace with Him and assurance of our home in Heaven one day. Jesus transports us from the woe of being without God to the glow of being His beloved children.<br />
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Not only are we transported from the woe of being without God to the glow of being His beloved children, we are called saints! David advises us to “Sing to the Lord, ye saints of his; praise his holy name.” (Psalms 30:4) Paul writes to “the saints in Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1), to “all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi (Philippians1:1) and “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.” (Romans 1:7) Did Paul think more highly of any of these people than he ought? Certainly not! He saw them as God sees them and as God sees us!<br />
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This wonderful transformation from woe to glow happens only through God’s amazing grace and incredible love!<br />
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Praise His name today and forever!<br />
David Oldfather<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-13728059154791760042018-07-16T14:27:00.001-05:002018-07-16T14:27:19.433-05:00God Sanctifies Us! - I Thessalonians 5:23, 24Sanctification is a big word that describes the mighty work God does in our lives after we have come into His Kingdom. We know our sanctification is part of our Lord’s will for our lives because our Lord requested our heavenly Father sanctify everyone who comes to faith in Him. In Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” He interceded in this way: “Sanctify them in the truth: your word is truth.” (John l17:17) I will share three truths about our sanctification in this column.<br />
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Our sanctification reflects God’s character. Paul writes, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 5:23) The writer who comments on this Scripture in The ESL Study Bible says, ‘God initiated the reconciliation of Christians with himself and is now at peace with them.” Our Lord wants us to be at peace with Him and others and to enjoy inner peace. Such peace is something only God can provide; our fallen world has absolutely no way to provide it.<br />
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Our sanctification also reflects God’s faithfulness. Paul writes, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” (I Thessalonians 5:24) Since our Lord is faithful to accomplish all of His promises our sanctification is secure with Him. Praise God that we can rely on God’s faithfulness; if we had to sanctify ourselves we would utterly fail.<br />
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Our sanctification is wholly God’s work. Jesus speaks of God the Father’s standard for perfection in these words: “You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Paul understood how widely he missed that standard. He writes, “Not that I have already attained this or that I am already perfect but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Philippians 3:13) Since Paul understood how far short of perfection dare we hope to be any closer in our own strength? Certainly not!<br />
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Jude describes the work of God the Father in our sanctification. He writes, “To those he called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1) Matthew Henry writes, “Our corruption and pollution are from ourselves, but our sanctification and renovation are from God and his grace.” In addressing the church in Corinth Paul says he is writing “to those sanctified in Christ Jesus.” (I Corinthians 1:2) There is no sanctification apart from Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. We also rely on the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Peter describes his readers (“elect exiles of the Dispersion”) as being “in the sanctification of the spirit.” (I Peter l:2) Matthew Henry writes, ‘The purpose of calling or converting men is to bring them to glory and virtue.” When our Lord brings people to glory and virtue He brings glory to God the Father. He and the Holy Spirit are also glorified because they, too, are involved in our salvation and our sanctification.<br />
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Praise God the Father that in His love He sent Jesus to die on the cross to become our Savior. Praise Jesus that He was obedient to the Father, even to death on the cross. Praise the Holy Spirit for showing us our need of Jesus Christ. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for their further works of grace to accomplish our sanctification.<br />
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David OldfatherUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-407507420025438912017-12-20T13:56:00.000-06:002017-12-20T13:57:14.107-06:00Inseparably Linked<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
As we celebrate our Lord and Savior’s birth this month we must keep in mind that He ultimately came to be our Savior. Matthew writes, of Mary, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)<br />
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When the angel appeared to the shepherds he told them that a very special birth was going to occur in Bethlehem. If, in fact, any birth can be called “ordinary”, Jesus’ birth certainly was not that. Each birth is a miracle, but when Jesus was born He came for a very specific purpose. When the angel spoke to the shepherds he told them, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:1)<br />
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Jesus came not only to live a sinless life and point people toward faith in God, but He came to die to be the Savior, mankind’s only hope of reconciliation with God. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, (see Acts 4:8) testifies why Jesus came in response to religious leaders’ questions. They asked him by what power or in whose name did he heal the crippled man. He responded, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12) This verse makes us recognize that Jesus did not come to be a Savior, He came to be our only Savior! Jesus alone can save people from their sins.<br />
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Christmas is inseparably linked to Calvary. Calvary would hold no meaning for us had not the only sinless one been born according to God’s will and plan, destined to die on the cross for everyone who will ever believe in Jesus. Christmas would be meaningless were Jesus an ordinary baby who lived an ordinary life and died without being the only one who could ever be the Savior.<br />
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As we celebrate Christmas, let us also celebrate what Jesus Christ accomplished on Calvary—not only for us, but for everyone will be ever believe in him.<br />
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David Oldfather <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-6222582425453439572017-11-02T15:29:00.000-05:002017-11-02T15:29:00.866-05:00Wisdom vs. Child-like Faith (Matthew 11:25)We read the words, “Jesus wept” twice in Scripture. John records one of those times, after the death of Lazarus. Jesus asked, “Where have you laid him?” (John 11:34) When they replied, “Come and see, Lord” (v. 34) Jesus wept. (v. 35) Matthew Henry wrote, “Jesus Christ was really and truly man, susceptible of the impressions of joy and grief. Christ gave this proof of his humanity in both senses of the word; that, as a man he could weep, and that as a merciful man before he gave proof of his divinity.” On the other occasion, our Lord wept for Jerusalem. Many people did not know the things that make for peace (Luke 19:41).<br />
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In Matthew11:25 Jesus describes people who reject Him and miss the true peace only He can provide. They were (and still are) “the wise and understanding”. Some of those “wise and understanding” people were religious leaders when He was on Earth. They knew about God, but hated that He challenged their authority and schemed to arrange His crucifixion. They had no idea that the crucifixion has always been central to God’s plan to provide salvation. Today, people in their “wisdom” express doubt that God even exists. If He does, they think they can do quite well without Him. Their “wisdom” blinds them to the Gospel and the life that matters most—eternal life.<br />
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Jesus declares that God has revealed “these things” (the message and activities of the kingdom of heaven) to “little children.” The chief priests and scribes confronted Jesus because children were crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” (Matthew 21:15) They asked, “Do you hear what these are saying?” (v. 16) He replied, “Yes, have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise.” (v. 16) Matthew recorded a conversation between our Lord and His disciples in which they asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18: 1) Jesus called a child to stand among them (v. 2) and replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (v. 3)<br />
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Little children love to sing praises to God and are open to the Gospel. They lack the “wisdom” that produces and arrogant resistance to the Gospel. They learn to love many Bible personalities and narratives and are drawing toward faith in Jesus Christ.<br />
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Please pray that people who are deceived by worldly wisdom will come to see the truth of the Gospel and embrace it in child-like faith. Remember that our Lord wept over those who lacked the peace He wanted them to have. We should weep over those who lack the faith God has granted us in His grace and mercy and make the most of every opportunity we have to share the Gospel with them.<br />
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David Oldfather<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-21396869712835524262017-10-02T22:53:00.001-05:002017-10-02T22:53:30.154-05:00The New Covenant - Hebrews 8:1-10<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HshRef6gp3I" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-81137580748696945882017-10-02T22:52:00.001-05:002017-10-02T22:52:32.509-05:00Fit - Hebrews 7:25-28<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OYYDiFlaZYQ" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-43096198421799876002017-09-20T19:46:00.001-05:002017-09-20T19:46:26.879-05:00Melchizadeck? - Hebrews 7:1-28<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EunZTnjzT-U" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-3969221458277042802017-09-15T11:23:00.000-05:002017-09-15T11:23:11.037-05:00Quick….Slow…Slow (James 1:19)One of my YMCA trainers sometimes encourages her class to do some arm and leg movements quick, quick slow. Doing the exercise at different speeds allows us to use our muscles in different ways and increase agility. The variety of movements and speeds benefits our bodies in different ways.<br />
James’ words of instruction do not advise us to do certain things quick, quick, quick slow, but to do them quick, slow, slow. Following his God-given instructions will enhance our spiritual lives.<br />
James encourages us to be quick to hear. Having two ears is much more valuable than the better<br />
aesthetic look we would have with only one ear. Having two ears means we wisely spend much more time listening than speaking. It means we should be much more ready to listen than to speak. Each time we pray we should ask ourselves how much time we are spending listening for what our Lord has to say rather than hurrying through requests and rushing off to do other things we “must” do. We should also ask how quick we are to hear what others want to tell us whether that be information, encouragement or constructive criticism.<br />
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James also advises us to be slow to speak. Some people will become impatient when we respond slowly and might even take that slowness as a sign of intellectual weakness. But taking time to think about how we will respond helps us avoid hastily spoken words we may immediately regret. We can never take them back, as much as we would like to do so. Taking time to respond may give our Lord time to bring to mind words that will edify, bless or encourage the other person.<br />
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James also advises us to be slow to anger. Being slow to anger makes it less likely that we will do or say something angrily that we will immediately regret. Notice that James does not say, “Never be angry.” Think about the day our Lord drove the money changers out of the temple in righteous indignation. Paul writes, “Be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Ephesians 4:26) From these verses of Scripture, we see there is a time to be angry but it should be brief and for good cause. Some things aren’t worth getting angry about and we may stumble into sin when we do. Other times confrontation in righteous indignation is demanded. Wisdom comes in knowing the difference. Examining being quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger will bless others and work to our benefit.<br />
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David OldfatherAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-69304071424467081542017-09-13T13:00:00.001-05:002017-09-13T13:00:49.480-05:00An Anchored Hope - Hebrews 6:13-20<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-k8MKLlcgVs" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-68342963648900043682017-09-05T15:06:00.000-05:002017-09-05T15:06:01.018-05:00The Idolatry of WorryDividing a number by a letter to get a color...<br />
Biblical thoughts on worry and how to overcome it<br />
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Reasons to avoid worry? I thought of at least 5. <br />
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1.) Worrying forgets the Gospel<br />
It denies God’s sovereignty and power. Christ has said in John 14 that we are not to let our hearts “be troubled.” Why? Because He was going to be and has now died and been raised, thereby making the way for man to get to God. Worry denies the peace promised by the Holy Spirit and makes God out to be a liar. It forgets the Gospel’s power to bring peace as it fails to trust that Christ is a refuge for all our strife. Worry elevates some stresses as being beyond the perfect plan and power of God.<br />
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2.) Worrying is meditation<br />
Defined, to meditate is to “think deeply or focus one's mind for a period of time.” It is to have your mind captive to something. Scripture tells us that we are to let our minds dwell (meditate) on Christ and His Word. The truths of God are to be our meditation. In Psalm 19:14 the Psalmist pleads with God to let his every word, every thought and every devotion be pleasing to God. Verse 13, however, sheds some additional light to his plea. He petitions the Lord to keep him away from presumptuous sins. The “presumptuous sin” in worrying is presuming that meditating on what you can do about a worry will produce a more favorable result. It sets the meditation of your heart on that issue and resolving it as opposed to trusting the Lord to do what is right and in keeping with His perfect will.<br />
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3.) Worrying is idolatry<br />
If worry is your meditation and meditation is that which you think and dwell on... then doesn’t it stand to reason that what you dwell on is your idol? That stings a bit. We know we aren’t to have any idols (Exodus 20:4-6). Instead we are to dwell on Christ alone, but how easily idols sneak in and construct themselves in plain sight, and before we know it we have allowed them choice real estate in our heart. Idols form when our hearts are drawn away from Christ by other things (Deuteronomy 30:17). They are demonic in origin and dressed as something seemingly harmless but massively destructive to us. Be on guard for them in your heart.<br />
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4.) Worrying is disobedient<br />
It seems that this one should be most obvious, yet it bears stating even still. Matthew 6:25-27, Jesus declares that we aren’t to worry. Our Father, He says, knows our needs and will provide. So to engage in constant worry is to disobey the Word of the Lord. Before you think me legalistic, please remember that God’s Law is a law of liberty! Though often stated in the negative (“Thou shall not...”) they are always intended for our good. They are intended to preserve our joy by focusing us on Him and our need for Him in all things.<br />
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5.) Worrying is vanity<br />
What good does worrying incessantly do? “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27). What more needs to be said about the sheer wastefulness and vanity of worrying?<br />
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So what should we do?<br />
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I write to you, the one tempted to incessant worrying, from the trenches with you. My mother says that I get that nature from her. Maybe I am predisposed genetically to struggle with worry to some extent, but the truth is that I wrestle with it because sin dwells in my flesh. I don’t set out trying to worry, but it creeps in at times just the same. At its worst in me I literally lie in bed, my mind racing so fast over the many daily things I’ve decided to worry about, that I can hardly lie still. There are few things more frustrating than a restless mind fixated on worry. For someone whose sin struggles doesn’t include worrying this is hard to understand. I explained that those times when the worrying is at its worst, in my mind, it feels as though I am trying to divide a number by a color to derive a letter. I mean that quite literally! I have seen that frustrating formula over and over in my mind at times. It is the sign of just sheer mental exhaustion that has come on over time as I have failed to pray and rest in Christ as I ought. As the Lord works in and grows me I am learning how to more quickly rest in Him and for that I am grateful. <br />
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Can you relate to this struggle? If so, here are some Scriptural helps.<br />
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1.) Pray – (Philippians 4:6) – Seems simple, but for those who struggle with worry we also struggle to keep our mind focused during times of prayer. If you find it difficult to pray at all times and stay focused, wrestle and pray all the more! Strive in prayer until you feel the Spirit of God bring you rest.<br />
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2.) Seek God’s Glory, not Your Solutions. – (Matthew 6:33) – Certainly we are to engage our minds in problem solving but there is a difference between evaluation and problem solving vs worry. Ask God to help you seek His will above all things. Seek His wisdom and trust His sovereign plan. Striving with worry will only weigh you down (Proverbs 12:25).<br />
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3.) Humble Yourself. – (1 Peter 5:6-11) – Worry is arrogant because it sets our “wisdom” over God’s. Scripture says to humble ourselves “under the Mighty Hand of God.” We are to cast all our cares upon Him “because He cares for” us and is abundantly mighty to take all the cares we can think of and infinitely more. We are promised rest if we will seek it from the Lord (Matthew 11:28-30).<br />
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4.) Remember the Gospel. – (Romans 8:28-39) – Are you born again? Redeemed by Christ? Think on that! What greater promise is there? I know of none, than to be certain that I have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember the Gospel and apply it! What worry is greater than the problem you once had of being condemned and under the wrath of God for your sin? None. Yet Christ was mighty enough to rescue you from your condemnation. Will He now not be able to strengthen you, guide you, and give you joy and rest? Of course! Nothing, not even that which you worry over, can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. Nothing. So, my fellow worriers, let’s press on in the love of Christ together and trust Him to care for us as He has promised to do.<br />
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by Pastor Jason<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-73314930792451122662017-08-31T09:06:00.001-05:002017-08-31T09:06:40.526-05:00No Perseverance for Apostates - Hebrews 6:1-8<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p0IydhcZbrU" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-20569337994548203902017-08-29T15:05:00.000-05:002017-08-29T15:05:00.806-05:00Why I love Expository Preaching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A story is told of a church who bought an old jewelry store building to be their church building. The story goes that as they went in to the newly acquired building and began to clean it up someone noticed a gold shimmer in the floor sweepings pile. They wisely collected the pile and had it appraised and sure enough it was gold dust left over from the jeweler’s work. They took the dust to a refinery and were able to have the dust and debris burned away so that the gold could then be sold. Upon returning to the church building with the great discovery the members had the idea to take up the carpets and clean out the air ducts and take what was collected to the refiner as well. They did so and the refiner found even more gold dust that was contained within. It was enough money to fully pay for the building they had just purchased and then some! They thought they had a great find in just the building alone, but diligent work yielded even more than they could have hoped for!<br />
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I see expository preaching that way! That’s why it is no secret that I love it so much. As I prepare for each sermon expositorally it is the process of mining the text. Not just taking an over-view of what it says and gleaning maybe a beautiful picture of Christ salted with pragmatic suggestions for your life improvement, but looking in every crevice, nook, and cranny to find the truth there! Doing this not only shows me A beautiful picture of Christ; it shows me multiple breath-taking, awe-inspiring, joy filling views of my Lord and Savior! I see Him and know more about who He is and I see God’s plan to redeem me unfolding across the canvas of time. Expository preaching yields for me the same result as that church, I go to the text knowing that in it there is a value, but find even more worth and value and treasures than I could have ever thought possible. The Apostle Paul said that “all Scripture is God breathed”, all of it is “profitable” so that every Christian may be “complete” being “fully equipped” for every good work that our Lord calls us to! I find that studying and preaching in expository fashion best yields this fruit. It is simply the process of opening up the Scriptures and trusting the Word of God to do its work trusting that His Word will never return void, it will always accomplish that which He sends it forth to do (Isaiah 55:11). I love seeing the Word of God doing its work in your life and I rejoice seeing your passion for Christ increased as you come to know Him more. I pray that we always maintain that view on our first love, Christ, and that we never tire of capturing views of Him from Scripture! I love being on this journey alongside each of you and am honored to be your Pastor.<br />
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Four quick reasons I preach expositorally:<br />
1.) It gives the best view of Christ and explanation of His Word (John 5:39; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)<br />
2.) It helps keep my focus on Christ and His exaltation and off of me. (1 Corinthians 2:2)<br />
3.) It provides a plan for delivering the whole counsel of God to the church. (Acts 20:27)<br />
4.) It best leads God’s people to hearts that burn with passion for Jesus Christ! (Luke 24:32)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-66482857521906389192017-08-22T15:02:00.000-05:002017-08-22T15:02:00.892-05:00The Local Church and Your Sanctification<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We should all be aware that the Christian life is to be one of continual sanctification (Matthew 3:8). Christ has, by His sovereign grace, purchased us to be a people for His own possession. The beauty of grace is seen, in part, in the fact that Christ pulls us out of the mire and death of our sin and makes us a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13). Being that “new creation” implies change in our life. To be clear, the Gospel is not about life-change as so many like to portray it these days. The Gospel is about our desperate need for forgiveness of our numerous transgressions against a Holy God and the incredible sacrifice that has been made on our behalf by Jesus Christ so that that sin debt can be settled once and for all(Romans 3:21-26). Even so, the pardoning of our sin sets us free from more than just God’s wrath for those sins, it also frees us to serve the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:1-8). The product of our salvation is change. When Christ saves us we receive a new heart and new desires (Ezekiel 36:26). The Holy Spirit works in us to change the old man into the one that God has created us to be (Ephesians 4:22-24).<br />
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While it is true that we are all individually responsible for our own sanctification, meaning that if I fail to pursue holiness as I’ve been called to do it is on me for that failure and no one else, but God has not left us alone in this quest. Let me elaborate, God sanctifies us by His power working in us through His Holy Spirit that we receive solely because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Just as we are saved by grace, we are sanctified by grace as well. But God has not called us to merely sit stagnant in our sanctification. As He works in us, grows us and conforms us more to Christ we are called to respond. Even our desire to respond and obey and all our striving is given by the Spirit working in us. To unfold this part of His plan God has placed the local church in our life as a means of our sanctification. I would like us to consider 3 ways that the local church plays a vital role in our sanctification.<br />
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1.) The church is God's method for the formative and corrective discipline of the body.<br />
The failure of the individual affects the whole body. 1 Corinthians 12:1-30 teaches us that the church functions best when it functions as a single unit. Each person exercising their spiritual gifts for the benefit for the other person and through that God is glorified in the unity of the Body. Just as no part of the human body is without purpose, so it is with each part of the Body of Christ. Each person in the local church plays a significant role in the sanctification of the other members. One person’s sanctification is helped as other members exercise their gifts in service towards that person to help them grow in vast areas of their walk with Christ. Conversely, that person’s gifts being exercised help them to sharpen themselves and they grow through their useful service to their brethren. As we serve others in the Body of Christ and are served by them as well, we grow spiritually to look more like Christ.<br />
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2.) The church is God's method for the watch care for the soul – Hebrews 13:17<br />
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God has ordained Elders and Deacons to watch over their flocks not for the purpose of commanding them or ruling with an iron fist as though a regime. Rather, they are there for your benefit. They are there to unfold God’s Word for you and lead you towards conformity to Christ. Paul said in Romans 12 that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds; our minds are renewed by the Holy Spirit through engaging them with God’s Word, and faithful Pastors are one of the means God uses of applying the Word to your mind. So we are to be plugged in to a local church and we are to be submissive to our leaders, as they submit to the Lord, for they are caring for us and watching over us. Rightly engaged this relationship will bring joy to both parties. As the Pastor leads a believer away from sin’s dangerous snares that person is more sanctified and as the person submits to their Pastor’s leadership that Pastor’s joy is refreshed. A Pastor with joy for his ministry will be a Pastor who lovingly guides his flock towards Christ.<br />
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3.) The church is God's method for the practical sanctification of His children. - Hebrews 10:24-25<br />
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The church is God's method for the practical sanctification of His children. The way believers grow in the practical ins and outs of Christianity is through the local church. One purpose of our gathering for corporate worship and Biblical fellowship is so that we can “consider how to stir one another up to love and good works”. Are not those two things directly connected to Christ conformity? We learn to fulfill the greatest commandments by knowing how to both love and serve the Lord our God and our neighbor in a Biblical and Christ-like manner (Psalm 27:8,11) As we grow as a body and an individual and are thereby further sanctified, we display Christ to the world. They see us reacting to success with humility, worship with reverence, temptations with resolves for righteousness over fleshly indulgence, persecution with an increased zeal for Gospel proclamation, and trials with unshakable trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the heart of what is meant by shining our light in such a way that men see our good works and glorify our Lord (Matthew 5:16).<br />
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by Pastor Jason</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-21983154526991186362017-08-21T15:19:00.001-05:002017-08-21T15:22:19.343-05:00Milk to Meat: The Path of a Disciple - Hebrews 5:11-6:3<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vduKad8YD3k" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-15390099185405526652017-08-14T09:52:00.001-05:002017-08-14T09:52:39.342-05:00Appointed Priest - Hebrews 5:1-10<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B3GW96ta80A" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-47545791273037357082017-08-14T02:07:00.001-05:002017-08-14T02:07:14.987-05:00Responding to "Racism"<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rBDK9aNvYDo" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002387728782041733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45464507763244050.post-83837950125927760152017-08-08T14:59:00.000-05:002017-08-08T14:59:06.758-05:00Do we become Angels when we die?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Probably the most universally recognized "religious" symbol in the world is that of an Angel. They are drawn as fat little cherub-like babies, brilliantly illumined figures with long flowing hair, holding trumpets, holding harps... All sorts of images exist of them. Equally as known as their visage are the common misconceptions and cliché phrases about what they are. <br />
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Probably the most common statements heard are that:<br />
1.) People who go to Heaven become Angels when they die.<br />
2.) The people who have become Angels are watching down over us from Heaven.<br />
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Let's address those two statements, although I'm sure there are PLENTY more, by looking first at what Angels are according to Scripture.<br />
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Angels are Created Beings (Colossians 1:16). God created them. We know this because God created ALL things. It also seems that Angels are male. They are never referred to with a feminine gender anywhere in Scripture.<br />
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Angels have a certain degree of moral choice available to them because 1/3 of them were able to sin and join Lucifer in his rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-18). But there is no redemption is available for them. Those that joined Satan in his rebellion remain to this day condemned and damned for all eternity. (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)<br />
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An Angel’s purpose is to glorify God and do His will. (Psalm 103:20). They eagerly wait to God’s will. One way in which Angels do this is that they watch over Believers and war against demonic powers. <br />
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Those Angels are NOT our loved ones who have passed away. Angels are not omniscient nor are they omnipresent, but they do watch over us. Whether or not each person has a specific "guardian" angel assigned to them is unclear, the idea in general that angels are watching over us the same result is clear. God has provided for our care.<br />
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There are only two Angels given specific names in Scripture. Gabriel (Luke 1:19) and Michael (Jude 9). Other than that, Angels are referenced by three different terms. <br />
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a. The “Cherubim” The cherubim were given the task of guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24), and God himself is frequently said to be enthroned on the cherubim or to travel with the cherubim as his chariot (Ps. 18:10; Ezek. 10:1–22).<br />
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b. The “Seraphim” Another group of heavenly beings, the seraphim, are mentioned only in Isaiah 6:2–7, where they continually worship the Lord and call to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:3).<br />
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c. The Living Creatures: Both Ezekiel and Revelation tell us of yet other kinds of heavenly beings known as “living creatures” around God’s throne (Ezek. 1:5–14; Rev. 4:6–8). With their appearances like a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, they are the mightiest representatives of various parts of God’s entire creation, and they worship God continually (Rev. 4:8).<br />
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The biblical teaching on the existence of angels is a constant reminder that there is an unseen world that is very real. It was only when the Lord opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant to the reality of this that the servant saw that “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17; Ps. 148:2; Heb. 12:22).<br />
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The world may dismiss talk of angels as mere superstition, but Scripture offers it as insight into the state of affairs as they really are. Even Satan himself disguises himself as an "Angel of Light" (2 Corinthians 11:4). In Galatians 1, Paul warned that fallen Angels may even appear and try to distort the truths of the Gospel and deceive people. He said that we are to consider such a one accursed. <br />
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1 Timothy 2:5 says that there is but one God and one mediator between God and men and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are not to pray to or seek out contact with Angels. If God needs to contact us utilizing Angels He will do so and make it clear that is what happened because they will speak His truth and nothing contradictory. I'm not certain whether I feel they do or do not appear in visible form today but they are present nonetheless.<br />
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When we are protected from some danger, our slipping foot gains footing somehow... or a car swerves and misses us somehow when a crash should have been inevitable. Anytime we are spared from some apparent danger we can attribute it, I think, to God commanding His Angels concerning us. (Psalm 91:11-12)<br />
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Now, how about our loved ones that pass? Well the Bible says that their bodies go into the ground and there they wait for the return of the Lord Jesus. We know that the moment a believer dies their soul goes immediately to Heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8) So if your loved one has passed on and they had been born again through Jesus Christ, take heart, they are not an Angel but they are in Heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ, ever before His throne, praising Him, and they suffer no more, neither will they ever taste deaths bitterness ever again. When Christ comes again they’ll receive their physical bodies back only now they will be glorified and perfected, unstained by the sin curse of this world.<br />
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I understand that a clichés like "God got a good angel", "They are an Angel now and watching over me.", etc.. I get that it is intended to bring comfort to the grieving. And I'm not trying to be callous and certainly not trying to hurt feelings or offend but rather trying to point you to a living hope in Jesus Christ! I would simply suggest that rather than dwelling on your loved one being an Angel and speaking of them as such, seek your comfort from the Lord Jesus Christ. Cast your burdens upon the Lord and He will sustain you. (Psalm 55:22; Hebrews 4:16)<br />
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Trust in the Lord. He is your refuge. You need not believe that your deceased loved ones are Angels in order to find peace... there is a greater peace available and His Name is Jesus! He is greater than the Angels (Hebrews 1). He is the King of Kings and the Savior of sinners. He has come and died so that you might have life! Hope this helps you glorify God for His provision of Angels and cleared any misconceptions you may have had.<br />
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by Pastor Jason</div>
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