Pastor G's Blog

What the Bible Teaches on Tithing - Part 1

2011-09-30T02:29:00.000-04:00

A discussion on tithing seems like it should begin with money. After all, that’s what critics think it’s about. Some see it the preachers’ clever way to enrich themselves while stealing ten percent of their unwary congregants’ hard-earned money.

But a discussion on tithing must begin with God, not money. The Bible begins with the phrase “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1a). So, as you take this journey with me to discover what the Bible teaches about tithing, let us begin with the One who is the Source of all life and all resources – God. Be prayerful. What I shall write in this series will be based on the Scriptures.

God is Our Creator

The Apostle Paul says in Colossians 1:16-17, “For by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

He is the source of EVERYTHING. Psalm 33:6 says, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” Verse 9 continues, “For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”

Paul points out in Colossians 1:17 that not only were all things created by God, and not only does God hold all things together, but Paul also points out that all things were created FOR Him.

In our parlance, He is saying that everything we have, God gave. If it came into your possession, God gets the credit. Furthermore, if we still have it, it's because God is keeping it. Therefore, we ought to know that we are stewards of stuff we didn't create and can't sustain and ought we ought to use whatever it is for Him.

We belong to God. This concept is almost lost, even in the Christian church. Psalm 100:3 says, “… we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” Our bodies belong to Him because we were bought with a price. (1 Cor. 6:19-20). What price? you ask. The precious blood of Jesus is the price! Our means and possessions belong to Him.

Humans are Stewards

We are simply stewards of God’s stuff. Yes, He entrusts it to us, but everything belongs to Him. Therefore, we ought to glory Him with our whole being – heart, mind, body and strength. “All things were created by Him and for Him.”

Psalms 8:6 says, “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet.” God put us in charge, but it’s still His stuff!

Lest you think this is Old Testament stuff I’m talking, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:1 that he and Apollos were mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. And in verse 2 he goes on to explain that a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.

Any good manager is aligned with the company's goals and objectives. The manager acts, but her or his actions must be in the interests of the company. (Some of us are engaged in a spiritual conflict-of-interest. We signed up to be stewards of God's stuff, but we're really working for another "employer.")

Our Boss, the true Owner, God, has something He is trying to accomplish in the earth in these last days. He wants the unsaved to get saved. He wants the backslider to return home. That’s what He wants. He wants sinners to turn from iniquity and to walk in victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

If that’s what God wants and we are stewards/managers put in charge of God’s stuff, what should be our priorities? Romans 12:1-2 tells us to present our bodies to God. And the succeeding verses speak in very practical terms of us engaging and using our spiritual gifts. God wants people to draw close to Him and He wants His stewards to do His bidding. That’s why you’re still alive – to honor Him and bless your fellow brother or sister. That’s why you’re in health (and why you ought to care for yourself and stay in shape), so you can go about doing good and rightly representing Him.

The same is true of our money. It’s ALL His!

Now the crazy thing is that folk who have been in churches a long time start to think that the money they put in the plate is theirs. Mistake! Mistake! Thou needest a radical paradigm shift! NONE of the money in “our” bank accounts, purses, wallets, billfolds (or wherever you keep your money) is yours. It ALL belongs to the Lord.

Later in this series I’ll get to dealing with the tithe (the tenth) and its biblical purpose, but before we go deep, we’ve got to get this preliminary point straight in our minds. The prerequisite to a meaningful discussion on tithe is an understanding that ALL of who we are and what we own is NOT ours. We belong to God. Our minds belong to God. Our families belong to God. That space you dwell in called a house or a hut, a condo or an apartment, a room OR A BED belongs to God. The car you drive, or the bus pass you use, or the sneakers you walk in, belongs to God. Our clothes ... you got it ... belong to God. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G was created by Him and FOR Him.

If we embraced this truth, it would radically change how we spend money, treat our brothers and sisters, care for our bodies and this planet. The truth is that I have been named a trustee of God’s stuff; nothing belongs to me.

We would not waste all of God’s money on things that make us temporarily happy and then have precious little (if anything at all) to give to the things God cares about (getting the unsaved saved and reclaiming the backslider) if we realized that NONE of it belongs to me. It all belongs to God. He made everything. He sustains everything. And everything, says Colossians 1:17, is FOR Him.

Chew on that, my steward friend. And I’ll be back with Part 2 soon. God bless. I pray that you will embrace your privileged position as a trustee of heaven’s treasure, as a steward over God’s stuff, as a manager of the matchless riches of the Master of the Universe.

Good Ground is Rare Ground

2011-08-22T10:28:00.001-04:00

based on Matthew 13:1-23

The Bible says that when Jesus went to the shore an immense crowd soon gathered.

It is only as you read the context that you realize that though great multitudes had gathered, Jesus was telling His disciples that the vast majority of them wouldn't "get" it. Though they were hearing Him speak, they would not really understand the Words He was sharing with them.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback wrote in his book The Purpose-Driven Church that there is the community, the crowd, the congregation, the committed and the core. When we look at a congregation, we can incorrectly assume that everybody in the sanctuary is equally sold-out to Christ. Jesus makes a powerful point to His disciples. Though the disciples saw the immense crowd, that crowd was in no way monolithic in their commitment to Him or His Word.

Jesus told a parable to about a farmer who was planting seed. He said the seed that the farmer went out to plant fell on four different kinds of ground. (Nothing was wrong with the seed. It was the same seed that fell on different kinds of ground. Jesus explains later that the seed is the Word of God, Matt. 13:20-21)

Here's where the seed fell: on the footpath, on stony (or shallow) ground, among thorns and on good ground.

The seed that fell on good ground was fruitful. It produced a harvest many times what had been planted. This is what we want. We want the Word of God to fall on the fallow ground of our hearts. We want to be fruitful. We want our friends, relatives, acquaintances and neighbors to enter into a saving relationship with Christ because of the Word's transforming power working in our lives.

But as I read this passage again today, I am afraid that good ground is rare ground.

THE FOOTPATH

Footpaths are hardened. In order for seed to grow, it has to go into the earth. The high traffic on the footpath makes it hard. Jesus explains the parable in verse 19 by saying that the footpath is those who hear the Good News and don't understand it.

That's the vast majority of people! When He spoke to the multitudes. In verse 14-15 Jesus quoted, "Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will not see, and not perceive; for the HEARTS of this people have grown dull. Their ears are HARD of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them" (Matthew 13:14-15).

Jesus' footpath description in the parable dovetails with the writer of Hebrews' admonition: "White it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, HARDEN not your HEARTS, as in the provocation" (Hebrews 3:15). If your heart is hardened, you can't even get on first base. It isn't that the Word doesn't come to you, it's that it makes absolutely no difference when it does. We can be indifferent to the Word (because our hearts are too hard). We hear it, but it goes in one ear and out the other. We hear the word about the last days where it is predicted that even in the church, people will be selfish (lovers of their own selves), ungrateful, unholy, but we refuse to assess our lives in light of the Word (because our hearts are too hard).

And I was arrested by the fact that while Jesus is speaking to the multitudes, He is telling His disciples that this is the vast majority of the people. Their bodies are there. They hear Him, but they don't "get" Him. They just don't understand. The Word of God has come, but as quickly as it has come, the birds pluck it away.

STONY (SHALLOW) GROUND

In the stony ground there is soil for the seed, but the stones haven't been cleared away. So, the seed actually does get a chance to get started. The problem with the stones beneath the surface is that they prevent the roots from going deep.

Now listen, that's not a problem … until persecution, trial and temptation comes. That's what Jesus interpreted as the sun. When the sun of persecution and tribulation comes BECAUSE OF THE WORD, the person with shallow roots stumbles. As long as things are going well, they'll sing, shout, may even work in the church.

This thing is tough. In the first instance we are told that some never make a real decision for Christ because their hearts are too hard. And now this point of the parable suggests that some do make a decision, but they stumble as soon as things begin to get a little tough. Why? Because their roots have no depth.

You know how when you listen to those Cymbalta commercials they take half of the commercial to tell you about the things that MAY happen as possible side effects or complications if you take it? Well, I'm going to tell you what WILL happen when you make a decision for Christ --

You WILL be challenged when you stand on God's Word. Tribulation and persecution WILL come. Jesus says plainly in this parable that tribulation will come "because of the Word" (Matthew 13:21). Make no mistake about it, the world that is opposed to Christ is not going to celebrate your decision. Living life in accordance with the Holy Scriptures is a rebuke to the world. If you stand on God's Word, EXPECT tribulation and persecution.

Christians want to be popular these days. We want everybody to like us. We have moved from the words of Jesus that tell us plainly that adherence to the Word brings persecution. And the stony ground point of the parable is to tell us that we need to get deep roots or we will wither away, not "if", but WHEN trials and tribulations come.

THORNY GROUND

In the thorny ground, we are not on hardened ground, nor are we barely planted in shallow ground. There's nothing wrong with the ground. The ground is good. The problem is that the seed has some stiff competition in the thorns that are alongside it.

Jesus says the the people represented by thorny ground actually hear the word. So, what's the problem? The problem is that thorns choked the tender blades produced by the good seed in good ground.

You can hear the Word. You can study God's Word and grow deep roots. And then you can mess around and allow the cares of this life and the lure of wealth and riches to choke your spiritual life to death. Wow! We are so busy, so busy! Kingdom business used to be a priority. But life happens and we only come to church when we have time. We are allowing the cares of life and the pursuit of wealth to choke out that which can make our lives pleasing to God and fruitful for the Kingdom.

In case you missed it, the vast majority (the immense crowd over Matthew 13:2) are represented by Christ's first point in the parable. It fell by the wayside. Jesus was sowing good seed. And He continues to sow good seed. But most folk's hearts are too hard to receive it. And what a shame that is! As you read the end of Matthew 13:15 Jesus says that He would heal them if they would hear Him. Healing is available. But we cannot harden our hearts. We have to receive the Word of the Lord.

I'm praying today that God will make my heart fallow. I don't want to be so caught up with the cares of this life that I don't have time to read and listen to His word. I want deep roots, so that when tribulations come, I'll be able to stand. Lord, let it be said of me: "…he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:23).

What DO You Have?

2011-07-15T15:39:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday evening, Elder Joe Hicks shared the devotional with the finance committee. He reminded us of the powerful story of the Widow’s Oil that Didn’t Run Out (2 Kings 4).

In Debt and Desperate
For those who don’t remember, it is the account of a woman whose husband was a faithful prophet that died. As a result of his untimely death, his family found itself in dire straits.

The creditors were coming. In those days debt collectors didn’t just ring your phone off the hook and garnish your wages; they were coming to take her sons as slaves!

If her sons were taken, her situation would only have worsened exponentially. Women did not own property, except through their husbands and sons. (Remember the significance of Naomi needing a kinsman redeemer after her husband and sons had died?) If this woman’s sons were taken, what would she do?

What Do You Have?
The prophet Elisha asks her a simple question: “What do you have in your house?” He does not ask her to tell him about everything she has lost? Elisha is not looking for the details of her sob story? He got that part. That’s how she came to him. She told him how her husband was a good man, a prophet like him. And she told him all the terrible stuff that was going to happen if something didn’t change quickly. Elisha is not even trying to understand the nitty gritty of how she got into the situation.

The truth is that since the past is the past and we don’t have the ability to change the past through time travel, the thing to focus on is the present. Her husband the prophet, faithful as he was, was dead. That wasn’t going to change, nor was their debt magically going awa

You know, you can’t go back, don’t you? As much as people would like to get a “do over,” things just don’t work that way in real life.

That’s the reason why we ought to do the best we can while we can. But even when we’ve done our best, things don’t always go as we would like. Sometimes we live with losses that we simply cannot change.

I do not know why or how this woman’s husband died. Even today, when people lose loved ones they spend so much time racking their brains trying to figure out what they could have done differently, blaming a caregiver or some doctor or nurse for what they should have done differently, but at the end of the day, no matter what conclusion you come to, the loved one is gone. You cannot change the past.

Elisha does not ask about the past. He asks her, What’s left? After the loss and the fallout that followed the loss, what’s left? What do you have in your house?

That’s a powerful question, Elisha! And it’s one we all ought to ask ourselves. We’ve wasted money in failed investments, squandered it on toys that are now broken, given it to undisciplined relatives who didn’t appreciate it. Yep. And it’s gone. Now that we’ve acknowledged that. The question is, what’s left?

The question shifts our focus from mourning and whining over that which we cannot change to an empowered focus on that which remains.

So, you are probably saying, but what I have left ain’t much! Join this widow. She didn’t have much either. In verse 2 she says, in essence, I ain’t got much, just a little oil.

Did you know that God doesn’t need much to work with? The Bible says in the Creation account that on Day 1, the earth was “without form and void.” But God made a world, didn’t He? Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 that if we have just a little faith, faith the size of a mustard seed, we can tell mountains to get out of our way!

So, the admonishment to us is to take inventory of what’s left and let God work with that. Do it with your finances. Do it with your gifts and talents. Do it with the years of life that remain. Let’s do it as a church. My mama used to say, “Ain’t no need of cryin’ over spilled milk.”

What do you have left? I love how the song writer said it, “Little becomes much when you place it in the Master’s hands.”

Day 25 The Path to Discovery

2011-03-11T00:00:00.002-05:00

The abiding-in-Christ teaching in the Bible is one of the most important truths that a Christian can understand. Everything hinges on experiencing the reality of abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in the believer.

[Listen to the podcast. Scroll down to "Day 25 The Path to Discovery." You can either listen through your flashplayer or download the podcast to your iPhone. Of course, you can order the book by contacting Taren at the church office 215-235-1001. A $10 donation will secure this life-changing resource for you.]

40 Days of Prayer - Day 24

2011-03-09T15:53:00.002-05:00

Christ's Method of Evangelism. Ellen White gave us a very clear description of Christ's witnessing method: "The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good, He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, won their confidence, and then He bade them, 'Follow Me.'" (Ministry of Healing, page 143).

[Listen to the podcast. Scroll down to "Day 24 Christ's Method of Evangelism." You can either listen through your flashplayer or download the podcast to your iPhone. Of course, you can order the book by contacting Taren at the church office 215-235-1001. A $10 donation will secure this life-changing resource for you.]

40 Days of Prayer - Day 23

2011-03-08T12:44:00.004-05:00

Day 23 - Prayer and Evangelism

God's word teaches that prayer is necessary for an individual and a church to experience revival. [Listen to the podcast Scroll down to "Day 23 Prayer and Evangelism." You can either listen through your flashplayer or download the podcast to your iPhone. Of course, you can order the book by contacting Taren at the church office 215-235-1001. A $10 donation will secure this life-changing resource.]

40 Days of Prayer - Day 12

2011-02-25T21:50:00.002-05:00

40 Days of Prayer - Day 11

2011-02-24T06:27:00.000-05:00

Even though most Christians believe prayer is important, many don’t understand why prayer is really necessary. Many question, If God is sovereign and able to carry out His will, why do we need to pray for Him to do what He already wants and plans to do anyway? Some reason that prayer is primarily for our benefit, but God is still going to do what He wants, whether we pray or not. The idea is popular that it’s a “privilege” to pray but not really necessity for God to carry out His will on earth. The truth of the matter is that it is necessary for God’s children to pray. Why else would Jesus tell us to pray that God’s will be done?

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name: Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9,10).

If believers do not pray, God’s desires will not be carried out in this earth.

Genesis records the Creation of this world and humankind:

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26,27).

The Hebrew words translated likeness and image indicate that God created humans in many ways like Himself.

God did something else when He created man. We are told in the above verse that God gave “dominion” over this world. The Hebrew word translated dominion means “to rule,” or “reign,” over. As Go’s representative, Adam was to be the ruler of this world:

“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it, and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15).

Adam’s responsibility to “keep” the earth meant he was to protect it from anything that would do harm. Adam was to be God’s authoritative representative on earth. He was to be the earth’s watchman, or guardian.

The psalmist further describes the position God gave man at Creation:

“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Psalm 8:5).

Looking again at the original Hebrews words translated glory and honor, we find that man was given authority similar to that of a king’s reigning authority. Hence, we see that at Creation the earth was put under Adam’s authority. What happened on earth depended on Adam.

Prayer is necessary, because from the beginning God intended to work through humans, not independent of them, in carryout out His will on earth. God works through the prayers of His people. When God wills to do something on this earth, it is necessary for humankind to pray that God will do it. Many examples of this are found in both the Old and New Testaments. We are to ask that God’s “will be done in earth” (Matt. 6:10). We are to ask God to “give us this day our daily bread” (verse 11).

As Jesus saw the great need of the multitudes, He asked His disciples to make the following request to the Father:

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:36-38).

God wants to send forth labourers into the harvest fields of this earth. However, it is necessary for the Christian to ask Him to do this.

Paul asked believers to pray for the advancement of the gospel:

“Finally brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you” (2 Thess. 3:1).

All of the things listed above are God’s will; but it’s necessary for man to pray for them because prayer releases God’s power to carry out His will on this earth. Remember, it is God’s plan to through humankind, not work independent of us. Your prayers are essential for God’s will to be done in your life and in the lives of those for whom you pray.

PERSONAL REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION
Since God is “God,” and has the power to do whatever He wants, isn’t He going to carry out His will, whether we pray or not? Why, or why not?
What responsibility did Adam have when it came to God’s will being done on earth?
What God wants to do something on earth, what is it necessary for the Christian to do?
Is prayer a necessity, or is it just a privilege?
How do you think Satan feels about your prayer time with God?

PRAYER ACTIVITY
Call you prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit
• for God to give you a clear understanding of the necessity of prayer
• for the individuals on your prayer list

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
“Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law” (Psalm 119:29, NIV).
Turn me from my sinful ways. Show favor on me that your name may be glorified.

40 Days of Prayer - Day 10

2011-02-23T02:48:00.001-05:00

[Please contact Taren at the church office 215-235-1001 for your book if you ordered one. If you have not yet ordered a book, please do so now. We are only posting these until our members get their copy of the book. A $10 donation will secure this life-changing resource.]

Jesus’ and the Disciples’ Example of Prayer

Time and again, we see Christ in prayer during His ministry on earth. After teaching great multitudes and healing them of their infirmities, we are told:

“And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

Luke reports that before calling the 12 disciples:

“It came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples: and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles” (Luke 6:12,13).

On the mount of transfiguration, Jesus prayed (Luke 9:29). He was drawn by the Spirit to be much with His heavenly Father in prayer. He responded to the deep, inner need for prayer that He felt. He knew it was only through such times of prayer that He would be one with the Father and be empowered to do the work He came to do.

Jesus gained His victories over Satan’s works through times in prayer with the Father. When we read of Christ confronting Satan in the lives of men and women and nature in the forms of devil possession, disease, death, storm, etc., we do not see Christ at that moment in deep prayer with His Father, praying for the power to deliver. He had already received that power from the Father during the times of intimate prayer seasons. When confronted with Satan and his works, Jesus simply spoke the Word in the power and authority of the Father, and Satan’s power was broken. Christ’s word cast out devils, healed the sick, raised the dead, and quelled the storm.

The lesson is clear. Christ maintained His oneness with the Father and received His power over the enemy during His seasons with the Father. He then came away from these prayer times taking the Father with Him. He was conscious of the Father’s presence moment by moment and day by day. Christ maintained this conscious and very real oneness with the Father throughout His life. Whenever He was confronted with Satan, He was prepared to meet the challenge and gain the victory because of His prayer life.

The example of Christ’s prayer life was not lost on the disciples. Prayer was a central part of their ministry. When the growth of the church began to demand more and more of the disciples’ time, deacons were established to “wait on tables.” The disciples said of their priorities:

“But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).

The early church members were men and women of prayer. It is recorded of them:

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

These early believers prayed in the Temple, in their homes, and outside in nature.
“And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made” (Acts 16:13).

All the apostles were men of prayer. Paul said he prayed all day and night for the believers:

“Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?” (1 Thessalonians 3:10).

Because the apostles were men of prayer, they were men of power in the Lord. The early Christians also were men and women of prayer, and God was able to do mighty wonders and miracles through them. Because of prayer the gospel went to the world.

“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I, Paul am made a minister” (Col. 1:23).

God calls every Christian to become a mighty prayer warrior.

PERSONAL REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION
Why did Jesus spend so much time in prayer?
How did Jesus’ example in prayer affect the disciples?
What kind of prayer life did the early church members have?
How do you want your prayer life to change?

PRAYER ACTIVITY
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit
• for God to lead you to become a prayer warrior as were Jesus and the disciples
• for the individuals on your prayer list

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
“Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders” (Psalm 119:27, NIV).
Open my understanding to Your teachings.
Cause me to meditate contantly on You.

2011-02-22T05:05:00.000-05:00

[Please contact Taren at the church office 215-235-1001 for your book if you ordered one. If you have not yet ordered a book, please do so now. We are only posting these until our members get their copy of the book. A $10 donation will secure this life-changing resource.]

Spirit Baptism and Prayer

When we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit a deep, inner desire will begin to develop within us to be more in prayer to our heavenly Father:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications” (Zech. 12:10).

We can either yield to this God-given desire, or ignore it and continue being more of an active Christian than a praying Christian. However, if we want to experience the deep things of God and the fullness of Christ in our lives, we must yield to this desire to pray. If we want to see His delivering power manifested in our lives over everything Satan tries to bring on us and to see the power of God manifested through us in blessing others with His deliverance, we must spend much time with God in prayer.

Christians have known the importance of prayer for years. Many times we have made efforts to take time in prayer, but those special seasons of prayer were motivated by some crisis and didn’t continue for very long. Our problem is that we’ve become very self-sufficient in meeting our own needs and the needs of the church. We have learned to rely on our own efforts to do the work of God. We have been involved in much planning and many programs. We have learned to depend on the “flesh” to do God’s work. In mercy, He has blessed our feeble efforts. However, a blessing beyond our greatest expectations awaits us when we receive the baptism of the Holy Sprit and enter into the prayer relationship He desires for us. Only then will our plans be God’s plans and our activities be God’s activities.

Jesus had this kind of meaningful, deep, and powerful relationship with His Father. In fact, this relationship was so close and intimate that Jesus said:

“I and my Father are one” (John 10:30).

Everything Jesus did was under the direction of His Father. His words, His actions were all done under the direction and power of the Father. Jesus emphasized this when He said:

“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works” (John 14:10).

How did Jesus obtain such a close oneness with His Father? It was through the baptism of the Holy Spirit and through prayer. When Jesus was baptized with water, He prayer:

“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21,22).

In answer to Christ’s prayer the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and He received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Immediately after this event, He was led by the Spirit to spend 40 days and nights, fasting and praying in the wilderness.

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered” (Luke 4:1,2).

From this special communion with His Father, Christ came forth prepared to do the work He came to earth to do. He was empowered to be victorious over Satan and to defeat him:

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about” (verse 14).

The 40 days of prayer you have chosen to participate in is designed to do the same for you. During the 40 days you will experience empowerment to be victorious over Satan and to be a channel for Christ to minister through you to others.

PERSONAL REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION
How will the Holy Spirit affect our prayer life?
In general, what do Christians tend to depend on more than prayer?
What kind of prayer life did Jesus have?
Because of Jesus’ Spirit-baptism experience and prayer life, how did Jesus describe His relationship with the Father?
What did Jesus’ Spirit-baptism experience and prayer life enable Him to do?
What kind of prayer life do you think Jesus wants you to have?

PRAYER ACTIVITY
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
For God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit
For God to give you a greater desire to prayer
For the individuals on your prayer list

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).
Lead us into humility.
Put in our hearts a desire to be a praying people
And to turn from our wicked ways.
Hear our prayer, forgive us and heal us of our backsliding.

40 Days of Prayer - Day 8

2011-02-21T08:14:00.001-05:00

Spirit Baptism and Christ's Return
The good news for today is that Jesus is coming soon! I don't say this only because of terrorist attacks, world conflicts, epidemic outbreaks, or natural disasters – all these certainly indicate Christ's return is soon. However, there is something else that convicts me even more that Christ's coming is imminent. It is His moving among us to understand and to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The last verses of Revelation 6 describe Jesus' coming and ask the question Who shall be able to stand? meaning, who will be able to survive the event? The answer is found in Revelation 7: 1-3.

"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four comers of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."

Only those who have the seal of God will be able to survive the second coming of Christ. In fact, God is holding back many destructive forces in this earth until God's people are sealed. An important question, then, is how are we sealed? The Bible says we are sealed by the Holy Spirit:

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30). That is what the baptism of the Holy Sprit is all about. It is as we daily receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we are sealed and prepared for Christ's second coming.

God is not waiting for more terrorist attacks, disease outbreaks, or natural disasters. Ellen White tells us what Christ is waiting for:

"Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own" (Christ's Object Lessons, p. 69).

Only by the baptism of the Holy Spirit can this happen in our lives. And only by the baptism of the Holy Spirit can we be ready when the angels let go the winds of destruction. Ellen White writes:

"Nothing but the baptism of the Holy Spirit can bring up the church to its right position, and prepare the people of God for the fast approaching conflict" (2 Manuscript Releases, p. 30).

We have a danger, as Seventh-day Adventists. We think we are secure and will be ready for Christ's return because we know about the Sabbath, the state of the dead, the mark of the beast, and the manner of Christ's second coming. This is a deadly error. These teachings are important; however, this knowledge alone will not save us. Remember, it was tithe-paying, Sabbath-keeping, health reformers who crucified

Jesus. No; it is not what we know; it is who we know that will enable us to be saved (John 17:3). We must have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ if we are to be ready for His return.

Today God is calling a people to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit in preparation for becoming just like Jesus, in order to receive the latter rain of the Spirit, and to be ready for Christ's return:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).

However, the church has a problem today. God tells us that we are in a Laodicean condition and, if we don't change, we will not be ready for Christ's return. God also gives us the solution: let Jesus into our lives more fully:

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20).

How do we let Jesus in and have the intimate relationship with Him that we must have? Ellen White tells us:

"We must have a living connection with God. We must be clothed with power from on high by the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we may reach a higher standard; for there is help for us in no other way" (Review and Herald, April 5, 1892).

Personal Reflection and Discussion

Why are the angels holding back the winds of destruction on this earth?
Is knowing the doctrines of the Bible all we need in order to be saved? Why, or why not?
According to the Bible, how are we sealed?
What does the baptism of the Holy Spirit do for our relationship with Christ?
What only will prepare us for the final crisis?

Prayer Activity
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit.
• for God to prepare you for earth's final crisis and Christ's return.
• for the individuals on your prayer list.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit" (Psalm 34:18).
Cause us to be broken of our pride and put a contrite spirit in us. Save us from our sinful ways and heal our spiritual backsliding.

40 Days of Prayer - Day 7

2011-02-20T06:09:00.002-05:00

DEVOTIONAL
It is vital that we daily experience the early rain baptism of the Holy Spirit in order to spiritually grow to the point that we will benefit from the latter rain of the Spirit, which prepares the Christian for the final crisis
and Christ's return. However, many don't realize
this and feel that they must wait for the latter rain of
the Spirit if they are finally to have the victory over
their besetting sins and spiritual immaturity. Such a
view will end in disaster for the one who holds it. Ellen
White warns:

"I saw that many were neglecting the preparation
so needful, and were looking to the time of 'refreshing'
and the 'latter rain' to fit them to stand in the day of the
Lord, and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in
the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected
the needful preparation, therefore they could not
receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to
live in the sight of a holy God".

We must have victory over all temptation and sin in
our life if we are to benefit from the latter rain outpouring
of the Spirit. It is a deception of Satan if we
believe we do not have to take seriously the sin problem
in our lives:

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3: 19).
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin. . . . Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye
should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your
members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:
but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive
from the , and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God; For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:6,11-14).

Ellen White confirmed this with these words:
"I saw that none could share the 'refreshing' [latter
rain], unless they obtained the victory over every besetment,
over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and
over every wrong word and action" (Ibid., p. 113).

This may sound impossible to you right now. However,
the key to victory over temptation is in learning
how to let Jesus live out His life of victory in, and
through, us. That wonderful biblical truth will be presented
later in this devotional series.

The early, or former rain of the Spirit, which is the
baptism of the Holy Spirit, began on the day of Pentecost.
Peter pointed this out when he said to the crowd
on that day:

"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet
Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith
God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your
young men shall see visions, and your old men shall
dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens
I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and
they shall prophesy" (Acts 2: 16-18).

Spirit baptism, or the early rain of the Spirit, brings
us to the spiritual maturity required so that we can benefit
from the latter rain:

"The latter rain, ripening earth's harvest, represents
the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man. But unless the former rain has
fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not
spring up. Unless the early showers have done their
work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection"
(The Faith I Live By, p. 333).

Full spiritual growth under the early rain baptism of
the Spirit is necessary for us to be able even to recognize
the latter rain ofthe Spirit when it is falling. Ellen
White pointed this out when she wrote:

"Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification
of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize
the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter
rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we
shall not discern or receive it" (Testimony to Ministers
and Gospel Workers, p. 507).

If you have not received the baptism of the Holy
Spirit don't delay another day. His reception should be
first and foremost in our lives, for this Gift will bring
all other gifts to us. The Spirit's infilling will enable
Christ to live in us and to change our lethargy to excitement,
our weakness to strength, and our witness will
be with a power not seen since the day of Pentecost:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto.
me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

40 Days of Prayer - Day 6

2011-02-19T05:24:00.001-05:00

DEVOTIONAL
There are things that we can do that will grieve the Spirit:

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).

If we do not daily seek Him and cooperate in following where He leads us, His power will wane and our Christian experience will weaken.

God doesn’t force. When we receive the baptism of the Spirit, He will have a greater impact in our life. We will feel His prompting more strongly. He will be daily putting the desire in our heart to obey God. He will call us to study God’s Word and to pray more. The Spirit will cause us to begin loving righteousness and hating sin. However, we are always free to disregard His prompting. When we do this we begin the process of “grieving,” or “quenching,” the Spirit. Paul gives practical advice in many portions of Scripture on how to avoid doing this. These practical counsels to the believer on living the Christian life are intended to help us maintain the fullness of the Spirit in our lives. Two examples of such counsel are found in the following Bible verses:

“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:24-32).

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil to any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:14-19).

Paul knew that the Spirit of God dwelling in the believer would be prompting him to do the things listed in these verses. If we refuse to yield to His prompting, though, we will be in danger of grieving and quenching the Spirit.

If you find that you have grieved the Spirit, don’t become discouraged! Ask God to forgive you, and He will:

“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).

Then ask God in faith to fill you anew with His Spirit, and He will do that too:

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).
David knew God’s mercy. He had committed the sins of adultery and murder. He had walked away from the prompting of God’s Spirit in his life when he committed these terrible acts. Yet when he was convicted of his sin by the Spirit, he turned to God in prayer. Note especially these words:

“Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:9-12).

When we find that we’ve been slipping away from God we must not let another moment go by without confessing our sin, accepting God’s forgiveness, and claiming the promise of the renewing of the Spirit in our lives just as David did. Then we will be strengthened once again in the “inner” man to be victorious over Satan:

“That he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with mighty by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).

We serve a wonderful God. When we have failed Him, let us remember:

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth His children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Psalm 103:8-14).

PERSONAL REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

List some behaviors and attitudes the Holy Spirit will seek to bring into the Christian’s life.
How does a Christian grieve the Holy Spirit?
If we have grieved the Holy Spirit, what should we do?
What is God’s attitude toward His children?

PRAYER ACTIVITY
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• For God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit
• For God to forgive you if you have grieved the Holy Spirit in any way
• For God to give you the desire to yield to the Spirit’s promptings in your life.
• For the individuals on your prayer list.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect [fully committed (NIV)]” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Make our hearts fully committed to You. Show Yourself strong in our behalf to bring about the needed changes in us that we will experience the revival and reformation we need.

40 Days of Prayer - Day 5

2011-02-18T05:05:00.000-05:00

Devotional
There are two purposes for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One is to reflect Jesus fully in our life:

"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:3).

God's goal is that Christ be seen in us; that we be a living letter revealing the character of Christ.

The second purpose of the Spirit's infilling is to receive a power for witnessing:

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

In today's devotional we will focus on the first purpose – reflecting Jesus' character.

The Holy Spirit was very much involved when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. In fact, it was the Spirit who wrote the commandments on the tables of stone. This becomes clear when we compare Jesus' statements in which He equates the "finger of God" with the "Spirit of God":

"But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you" (Matt. 12:28).

"But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you" (Luke 11:20).

Hence, the same Holy Spirit who wrote the Ten Commandments on tables of stone will today write God's law on the heart of God's Spirit-filled children:

"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:3).

The professed Christian can participate in two kinds of obedience. First is what I call external obedience. This obedience occurs when the believer obeys the law of God simply because God says to obey it. This type of obedience is actually legalism, not being from the heart. The second form of obedience is internal obedience, and occurs because of a deep, inner desire within the believer to obey God. External obedience without heart obedience is unacceptable to God:

"For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, a God, thou wilt not despise" (Ps. 51: 16, 17).

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me" (Matt. 15:8).

I came across an illustration many years ago that clarifies the difference between external and internal obedience. Let's say my father died, and I'm not sure if I should mourn his death, or not, so I go to a friend and ask his advice. We discuss whether or not I should mourn. My friend finally says, "After all, he was your father, and you are his son. So I think you should mourn his death." On his advice I begin mourning his death. I think it becomes obvious that my mourning in this case would not be genuine mourning from the heart. Rather, it would be external mourning because it was my obligation, as my father's son, to mourn his death. True mourning would come spontaneously from the heart. I couldn't help but mourn if it was genuine mourning. The same is true of obedience to God. When one is in right relationship with God through the infilling of the Spirit, obedience springs naturally and spontaneously from the heart without even thinking about it. Temptations to disobey will come; however, they will be much weakened in influence by the strong desire God has placed in the heart to obey.

Through the baptism, or infilling of the Holy Spirit, God's law is written in our hearts, and we obey from the heart. This does not fully happen when we accept Christ and are baptized by water. Paul states that we must continually be "filled with the Spirit," which is necessary for God's law to continue to be written on our heart:

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5: 18).

Ellen White described this "internal" obedience, which springs from daily experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, when she wrote:

"All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God, as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us" (The Desire of Ages, p. 668).

Personal Reflection and Discussion
What are the two purposes of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Which member of the Godhead wrote the Ten Commandments on the tables of stone?
What are the two types of obedience that professed Christians can participate in?
What is the only kind of obedience God accepts?
How does Ellen White describe obedience from the heart?

Prayer Activity
Continue your efforts to contact all on you prayer list this week to tell them you are praying for
them, and ask them what they want you to pray for on their behalf.
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotionatwith him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit.
• for God to write His law on you heart.
• for the individuals on your prayer list.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit) Psalm 51:10-12
presence; and take not thy holy spirit from

40 Days of Prayer - Day 4

2011-02-17T03:10:00.001-05:00

When the believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he is actually receiving Christ more fully into his life. Jesus foretold this when He promised His disciples another Comforter that the Father would send to dwell with them and "be in" them:

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16, 17.)

This Comforter is the Holy Spirit. Then Jesus said:

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (verse 18).

Hence, through the Holy Spirit Jesus comes to "dwell with" and "be in" His people. It is through the Spirit's infilling that Jesus most fully lives within His disciples:

"And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us" (1 John 3:24).

John tells us that the Christians who are living when Jesus comes will be "like" Jesus:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (verse 2).

How much like Jesus are we to become? The Greek word translated "like" means "just like" Him. How can this happen? Through the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will live out His life in us. Paul described this when he wrote:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

Through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, Christ will come and live in each of us. Because of Christ's indwelling presence the Spirit-filled believer will have the mind of Christ:

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16).

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

Believers will have the likes and dislikes of Christ – the love of righteousness and sanctification, and hatred of sin. They will have the same desire to obey the Father that Christ has:

"Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart" (Ps. 40:7, 8).

The same passion for souls that Christ has will be in them: "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Paul tells us the wisdom (righteousness) and holiness of Christ is theirs:

"That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:29-31).

Every virtue and quality of Christ dwells in the Spirit-filled believer because Christ dwells in them. Paul indicated this when he wrote, ‘Christ is being formed in you.’ Gal. 4:19. They will become more and more like Christ every day as they are changed into His image “from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

Christ living in the believer through the infilling of the Spirit causes the character of Christ to be fully developed in them. The Holy Spirit brings the "fruit of the Spirit" with Him:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Gal. 5:22,23).

These wonderful fruits of character will be manifested in the life more and more abundantly as the Spirit takes a fuller possession of the life. The Spirit will take such control of the believer that they will become like Jesus in every way (1 John 3:2).

The baptism ofthe Holy Spirit will also bring about the fulfillment of Christ's promise that the believers would do the "works" He did, and greater works:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).

This happens when the believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit and continues to walk in the Spirit. In a very real sense every believer becomes as Christ to the world. We become Christ's mouth, hands, and feet, doing the very works He did – preaching, teaching, healing, casting out devils – every work Jesus did.

It is this full "manifestation of the sons of God" that the whole of creation is waiting for:

"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God" (Rom. 8:19).

When this occurs in its fullness, the earth will then be lighted with God's character of glory and the end will come:

"And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory" (Rev. 18: 1).

Christ's presence dwelling in the believer through the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the Christian's only hope of His glory being revealed in, and through, them:

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).

Personal Reflection and Discussion
When the believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, who else does he receive?
What benefits does the Christian receive when Christ dwells in him/her through the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
What is the whole of creation waiting for?

Prayer Activity
Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:
• for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit .
• for Christ to live in you fully, and manifest His character and works in you.
• for the individuals on your prayer list.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
"The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles" (Ps. 34: 17).

40 Days of Prayer - Day 3

2011-02-16T04:49:00.003-05:00

What happens when we ask God for the baptism of the Holy Spirit? A few examples of the changes the infilling of the Spirit will bring to the life of the receiver are: (1) a stronger desire to study God's Word, (2) a more earnest prayer life, (3) a deeper repentance for our sins, and (4) changes in lifestyles and activities.

The infilling of the Spirit is necessary for the believer to walk victoriously in Christ. According to the Bible, one does not "know" Christ in the fullest, biblical sense without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is illustrated in the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25: 1-13), in which Christ told the foolish virgins, who were without the oil of the Holy Spirit, “I know you not" (verse 12).

Here, as well as in other Scriptures, Christ speaks of not "knowing" someone. For example, Jesus said:

"Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt. 7:21-23).

Simply knowing the teachings of the Bible, or engaging in active ministry for Jesus, is not a substitute for knowing Him intimately through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Water baptism is similar to the wedding service, while Spirit baptism is symbolized by the consummation of the marriage when the bride "knows" her bridegroom. Satan will resist this work fiercely; for he is aware that the Spirit's infilling will break his power in the believer's life.

Understanding and experiencing the infilling of the Holy Spirit is second in importance only to understanding and accepting Christ as our Savior. Nor is there any more important work for the believer than to seek the Spirit's infilling and to learn to walk victoriously in the Spirit.

Another very important point is that we must renew this infilling every day. It is not a "once and forever" experience. Paul tells us that "the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4: 16). We need the renewing of the Spirit every day of our lives. Paul's command to "be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5: 18) is a continuous action verb in the Greek meaning; we are to keep on being filled with the Spirit daily.

Christ is our example in all things. Of Christ's Spirit-baptized experience Ellen White writes:

"Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early hours of the new day the Lord awakened Him from His slumbers, and His soul and His lips were anointed with grace, that He might impart to others" (Christ's Object Lessons, p. 139).

If Christ needed to receive the baptism of the Spirit every day, the Christian surely needs to pray for this daily experience in the Spirit.

Our growth into the fullness of Christ by the Spirit is a process:

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18).

Spiritual growth is a process into which we must enter anew every day. Ellen White described the development of character the recipient of the Spirit's infilling receives when she wrote:

"When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven" (The Desire of Ages, p. 173).

What a wonderful blessing our Lord has provided for each of us through the baptism of the Holy Spirit!

Personal Reflection and Discussion
List four benefits of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Is the baptism of the Spirit to be a one-time event in the Christian's life?
How often is the Christian to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
How often did Christ receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
What does receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit do for our relationship with Christ?
Why is Satan fearful of your receiving the Spirit's infilling?
What does Ellen White say will happen in our life when we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Prayer Activity
Call your prayer partner to discuss this devotional with him/her.
Pray with your prayer partner:

• for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit.
• for Christ to manifest the changes in your life necessary for you to reflect Him fully.
• for the individuals on your prayer list.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
"Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the''Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, 0 Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee" (Ps. 33:18-22).

40 Days of Prayer - Day 2

2011-02-15T05:49:00.001-05:00

Jesus promised to baptize His followers with the Holy Spirit so that they would be empowered to take the gospel to the world:

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence .... But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:4-8).

This promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost:

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was not only for the disciples at Pentecost; this experience was, and is, for all Christians since that time.

Not every believer was present at Pentecost. A practical question might be, How did Christians receive the baptism of the Spirit after Pentecost? The answer is found in the book of Acts. On at least two occasions the Spirit fell on a group while Peter spoke to them:

"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (Acts 10:44-47).

"And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? (Acts 11:15-17).

It appears that God also led the church to receive the baptism of the Spirit in a more orderly way by the laying on of hands. Concerning Samaritan believers receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we read:

"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:12-17).

Note that in Acts 8 the individuals of Samaria were led by the Spirit to accept Christ and be baptized in water. Yet they had not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit when they were baptized in water. Peter and John came to them from Jerusalem for the specific purpose of laying hands on them and praying for the baptism of the Spirit to come upon them. This is a clear indication that water baptism and Spirit baptism are two separate experiences. The Spirit leads an individual to accept Christ and be baptized in water. This is a different work of the Spirit, which must be wrought separately when one becomes aware of this wonderful experience.

We see in Acts that Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, also received the baptism of the Spirit by prayer and the laying on of hands:

"And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightiest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized" (Acts 9:17-18).

In Saul's case the baptism of the Holy Spirit came soon after his conversion on the road to Damascus but before his water baptism.

We find a similar example of prayer with laying on of hands when Paul met with disciples in Ephesus:

"And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, he said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied (Acts 19:1-6).

The one performing this prayer with laying on of hands should be a believer who has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit themselves. It should also be pointed out that the laying on of hands is not necessary to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a wonderful experience to seek the Spirit's infilling in this manner; however, it is not necessary. Receiving the baptism of the Spirit is simply a matter of claiming by faith God's promise of the Spirit:

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:14).

Ellen White understood that Christians do not automatically receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit at conversion or when baptized in water. Of our great need for the Spirit's infilling in order to witness to others effectively, she wrote:

"What we need is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Without this, we are no more fitted to go forth to the world than were the disciples after the crucifixion of their Lord" (Review and Herald, Feb. 18, 1890).

Concerning our personal spiritual growth and the Spirit's infilling, she wrote:

"Impress upon all the necessity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the sanctification of the members of the church, so that they will be living, growing, fruit-bearing trees of the Lord's planting" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 86).

If Christians automatically had the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Mrs. White would not admonish us to receive it. When one reads her statements it is clear that she saw its importance and urged every believer to seek the fulness of the Spirit in his/her life.

PERSONAL REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

Why did Jesus tell the disciples to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

When did the disciples receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Did every Christian when they received Christ or were baptized in water, automatically receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit after the day of Pentecost?

How did the Samaritan believers receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

When and how did Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

What did Ellen White say about the importance of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Is prayer with laying on of hands necessary to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

PRAYER ACTIVITY

Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.

Pray with your prayer partner:
for God to continue to baptize each of you with His Holy Spirit
for God to minister through you in the power of the Spirit
for individuals on your prayer list.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BIBLE VERSE IN YOUR PRAYER:
"Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindness; for they have been ever of old" (Psalm 25:6).
_________________________
Be merciful to us and forgive us our sins.
Restore us to Your favor and glorify Your name through us.

40 Days of Prayer - Day 1

2011-02-14T06:22:00.003-05:00

The concept of the baptism, of the Holy Spirit is that there are two works of the Spirit: one is to lead us to accept Christ and be baptized in water. This work of the Spirit is for everyone.

The second work of the Spirit is to fill the Christian with His presence so he or she can truly live the Christian life and do the works of God. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and this work of the Spirit is not for the unbeliever—only the believer in Jesus Christ. For Jesus said the world cannot receive Him in this manner:

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16,17).

Jesus indicated that on, and after, the Day of Pentecost the baptism of the Holy Spirit became available to every believer when He said that He "shall be in you." This wonderful infilling-of-the-Spirit experience is available to you today.

Jesus is our example in all things. He was "born" of the Spirit, led by the Spirit from childhood into manhood, and baptized in water. Soon after His water baptism, He was baptized with the Holy Spirit, which He had prayed for at the time of His water baptism:

"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3:21, 22).

After the Spirit's infilling He was prepared to go forth in the power of the Spirit to do battle with Satan as never before:

"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season" (Luke 4:1-13).

He was empowered to preach and teach the kingdom of God, carry on a ministry of healing, and cast out devils:

"And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. . . . The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year1 of the Lord" (verses 14-19).

Jesus said all who believe on Him would do even greater works than He did:
"Verily, verily, I say Unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" (John 14:12). :

When believers receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they are empowered to do the same works as Christ because the same Spirit that filled Christ has filled them:

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)" (John 7:38,39).

Before experiencing this Spirit infilling, God is with the believer because He Called and led him to accept Christ and be baptized in water. However, he will not have the fullness of the Spirit’s power within him until he receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus told the disciples td wait for the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost before they went forth to preach the gospel:

''And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.... But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the Uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:4-8).

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to every Christian today. God has promised to give the Spirit in fullness to us if we ask in faith:

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13).

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Gal. 3:14).

Concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Ellen White wrote: "I would that we had the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and this we must have before we can reveal perfection of life and character. I would that each member of the church would open the heart to Jesus, saying, 'Come, heavenly Guest, abide with me'" (2 Manuscript Release 26).

Some may question: Do I qualify to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit? There are two requirements. The first is to have received Christ as your Savior. The second is a decision to commit your life fully to Him. If you have accepted Christ and desire to follow Him in every aspect of your life, you qualify. If this is your desire and you want to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I invite you to pray the following prayer:

Father, I thank You for leading me to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior, and I ask You to forgive me for all my sins. I desire to commit my life 100 percent to Jesus. I thank You for the promise to fill me with Your Spirit and claim the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in my life right now. Father, fill me with Your Spirit and manifest in me every fruit of the Spirit. I pray that You will so infill me with the presence of Jesus that His character will be fully manifested through me. I claim Your promise to empower me by Your Spirit to serve You as You lead me into ministry for Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For the Personal Reflection and Discussion questions, see this post on the church website http://bit.ly/fAD0YM

Fit For Duty: Getting In S.H.A.P.E. in 2011

2011-01-03T11:35:00.002-05:00

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors ... For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12).

In 2011 we are working under the theme: “Fit for Duty: Getting in S.H.A.P.E.” In a devotional book entitled In Heavenly Places are penned the words: “With such an army of workers as our youth rightly trained might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come—the end of suffering and sorrow and sin! How soon, in place of a possession here, with its blight of sin and pain, our children might receive their inheritance where “the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever” (Psalm 37:29).

Under the simple church model we believe in clarity, movement, alignment and focus. The concept of alignment says that what is needed for one population of the congregation is needed for the entire congregation. Our youth need to be “rightly trained.” But they aren’t the only ones! The entire church needs to be “rightly trained.”

With this concept in mind, we need to get in S.H.A.P.E. as a congregation. No, this is not about vanity. Rather, think in military terms. Navy SEALs need to be in physical shape to properly fight battles. That’s why we need to be in spiritual S.H.A.P.E. We are at war!

Whenever you hear me talking about S.H.A.P.E. you can know that I am talking about your Spiritual Gifts, your Heart (or passion areas), your Abilities, your Personality and your Experiences, both painful and positive. God uses all of that as He uses you to help build up the Body of Christ.

Spiritual Gifts Emphasis - Sabbath, Jan 8

In light of this theme for 2011, I want to tell you about a few things that are coming down the pike during the month of January. On the second Sabbath, January 8, 2011, we will be having our Spiritual Gifts Emphasis Day. The entire day will be centered around helping the church members discover their spiritual gifts. The sermon will be entitled Gifted, But Can You Handle It? The service format will be slightly different. So we want to urge you to get to church on time. Please plan to spend a good portion of the day with us, at least until 3:00 or 3:30 p.m. We hope it will be educational, eye-opening and exciting. There will be a fellowship meal.

The spiritual gifts task force has set as its goal to help at least 70% of the members of the congregation to know what their spiritual gifts are. Why do we do this? The late Ellen G. White wrote insightfully the following words in a book entitled Fundamentals of Christian Education: “Those who would be overcomers must be drawn out of themselves; and the only thing which will accomplish this great work, is to become intensely interested in the salvation of others” (FE 207-208).

It is our goal to equip you for the work of ministry. That is what God has called me as pastor to do. So it is necessary for me to come to an understanding of how God has uniquely made you. We ought not be putting square pegs in round holes. No, I need to understand how God has made you. The spiritual gifts test is really only the first step in understanding your spiritual S.H.A.P.E. Again, when I speak of your spiritual S.H.A.P.E., I am speaking of understanding how God has uniquely designed you to accomplish your kingdom purpose.

We recognize that Sabbath, January 8, is only a first step. Our aim is to have a spiritual profile on every one of our members so that when the Lord sends us opportunities we can know which troops can be sent into particular battles. We don’t want to send sailors in when a fighter pilot is needed. Or the Coast Guard when ground troops are needed. If my job is the equipping ministry of Ephesians 4:11-13, then I need to know the giftedness of the members of my team.

Communion - Sabbath, Jan 15

The third Sabbath of January, the 15th, we will celebrate Holy Communion. We ask that you would prepare your hearts for that service. We still take to heart the cautionary words of the apostle Paul found in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28: “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lord’s body.” So please prepare your hearts for that special service.

We also ask that you come early so that you can engage in the ordinance of humility. The ordinance of humility is the foot-washing service that begins at 10:30 a.m. We meet in the lower auditorium and in the classrooms to wash each others’ feet after the example of our Lord in John 13. If there is unresolved conflict between you and your brother or sister, go to them in the spirit of Matthew 18. Seek to be reconciled to your brother or sister. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:18 that God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Jesus Himself said in John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” In other words, the world shall know that we belong to Him, by our love one for another.

Tribal Fellowships Emphasis - Sabbath, Jan 22

Finally on the fourth Sabbath we will have our Tribal Fellowships Emphasis Day. Our elders will be taking the lead. It promises to be a fun day. Some of you already know who your tribal elder is already. On this day we are encouraging members to sit with their tribes. It will be very organized. At the last elders’ meeting, they talked out the logistics for that particular Sabbath. We are looking forward to the bonding, connection and genuine fellowship that shall result from the Tribes becoming fully activated.

Why we do this? Over and over again in the New Testament we see “one another” texts. “Salute one another,” “tarry one for another,” “Greet one another,” “serve one another,” “Bear ye one another’s burdens,” “forbearing one another in love,” “lie not one to another,” forgive one another,” “admonish one another,” “comfort one another,” “exhort one another,” “consider one another,” and the list goes on. In short, we’re trying to encourage each other. Hebrews 10:25 says “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as he see the day approaching.” Jesus could come any day now. We need one another to encourage each other to stay on the path of righteousness.

So, we have organized the tribes geographically. The Lord showed us that the reality of our lives is hindering our coming together as the Bible commands. Commutes due to heavy traffic, relocation patterns, and other responsibilities have made it difficult for us to come to the church as often as we would like.

We want to take advantage of the fact that some of us live in close proximity to each other. As an organizing principle, we want to create structures that help us provide better support for “one another.” If we know who lives closest to us, we can get together periodically for the study of the Word of God. Not only that, we can get together just for mutual support of one another, praying for one another as we know different ones move through some of the more challenging issues of life.

We have been talking about these tribal fellowships for quite some time. Implementation does take time. We have not given up. What happens on the 2nd and 3rd Sabbaths is connected to what will happen on the 4th Sabbath.

So, on January 22 we are going to have a Tribal Fellowships Emphasis Day. We will be preaching the sermon entitled The Entrepreneurial Shepherd.

To Whom Are You Listening?

2010-12-24T10:51:00.001-05:00

"But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers" (1 Kings 12:8, NLT).

The Bible teaches that getting counsel is a good thing. We don’t know everything. When you don’t know something, don’t wallow in ignorance. Get some advice!

In that passage often read at Christmas from Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor ...” we see that the Lord is our Counselor. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

You and I don’t know everything. We ought to seek counsel from the Lord first.

After seeking the Lord, there is still room for godly counsel from other human beings. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established” (Proverbs 15:22). “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 24:6).

Don’t try to live this life with the limited stuff inside your head. Seek the Lord first (Matthew 6:33). After you have laid your plans before the Lord, then seek the advice of others.

But who should you seek counsel from? 1 Kings 12 reports two stories of leaders who listened to bad advice.

The first is Solomon’s son Rehoboam who succeeded his father to the throne. A delegation came to him shortly after his administration was in place asking that he reconsider some of the policies of his father’s administration with respect to labor demands and taxes.

Rehoboam didn’t answer them right away. He asked them for three days. In those three days he got counsel. He first sought it from the older men who had counseled his father. They advised Rehoboam to be a servant to his people and give this delegation from the Northern part of the kingdom a favorable answer.

Rehoboam didn’t like their advice. So he called for his peers. And, of course, they advised him to talk tough and promise that if this delegation thought his father was tough, they hadn’t seen anything because he was going to be many times tougher than his dad.

The result is that the entire Northern kingdom of Israel seceded. Rehoboam lost over 80% of his kingdom listening to bad advice!

It always amazes me how we are inclined to seek the advice of people who (1) will either tell us what we want to hear or (2) know nothing about the area where we need counsel. (Advice: if your marriage is in shambles, don’t talk to all your single and divorced friends. Talk to the ones who have a proven track record -- the ones who stayed married through the ups and downs.)

Later in the chapter Jeroboam, leader of the northern kingdom leads his people into idolatry “on the advice of his counselors” (1 Kings 12:28, NLT).

On this Christmas, give yourself a gift. Learn to seek the Lord first. Before picking up the telephone to talk to someone who will likely give you advice before they ask the Lord to give them wisdom as they talk to you, go on and fall on your knees and ask Him yourself. He has promised to give you his Holy Spirit to “lead” and “guide” you (John 16:13).

And then give yourself an equally big gift and stop listening to the advice of folk who (like Jeroboam’s counselors) are encouraging you to do the things that you know displease the Lord or (like Solomon’s son Rehoboam’s counselors) are telling you how to get somewhere they have yet to successfully go themselves.

If things aren’t working, at least ask yourself the question, “To whom am I listening?” Are you seeking the Lord? Are your counselors godly and experienced? Think about it.

Should Christians Vote or Not?

2010-10-29T18:19:00.003-04:00

"And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace" (Jer. 29:7).

Politics is a Dirty Business
Every election cycle this question comes up -- should Christians participate in the political process? It is well-known that politics is a “dirty business,” so should we touch it at all?

Politics, by its very nature, is about compromise. Democracy is about compromise. Take the United States Senate, for instance. 100 Senators come to the Capitol on behalf of 50 different states. Those senators have to hold in tension doing what is right for this country and at one and the same represent the people of their states back home.

This becomes even more complex when we look at the 435 members of the House of Representatives. They represent particular districts within their states. The people in Western Pennsylvania many times seem philosophically at odds with many of the people in Southeastern Pennsylvania. If a few congressmen and women from the same state don’t vote in lockstep, how much more of a challenge is it to get 435 people from 50 different states to agree on bills without compromise?! It is a wonder anything gets passed!

Politicians who represent states with large rural populations and agricultural economies are concerned about different issues than those who come from coastal states with large metropolitan areas and knowledge economies. When these politicians come together, it is nearly impossible to make everyone happy. How do you make both the constituent who believes in big entitlement programs and the fiscal conservative who says “no new taxes whatsoever” happy?

Despite the challenge, the politician’s job is to represent all the people in her or his district. Yes, even those who openly campaigned against them in their election. It is an imperfect process.

The politician should search for common ground and legislate for the common good. Having laid that groundwork, let me conclude that I believe we should indeed vote.

Freedom of Religion
We are in this world. We are in this world as individuals. We are in this world as a church. As a denomination, we support religious liberty. We believe that the Muslim, the Jew, the Hindu, the Baptist Christian, the Adventist Christian, and the Catholic Christian ought to be free to worship according to his or her conscience.

Let me advise you to candidates and their positions on issues that directly affect us. We should vote for candidates who support things like “freedom of religion.” There are forces at play in this election that are narrow and intolerant. There are groups of people who could easily support the legislation of morality. Many are professed Christians. But the God I serve never forces the will. Christians are not intolerant.

Forget about finding the perfect candidate. Notwithstanding, you should still be engaged with the issues and choose the candidate that best represents your interests and will seek to enact laws that provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people.

God Needs People in the Halls of Congress Too
We are neighbors. We should be concerned about the good of our communities. God told Jeremiah to tell the people to pray for the peace of the city to which He was sending His people to live as exiles for 70 years.

As we participate in the things that make for the good of the city, we are being witnesses for Christ.

The Lord is trying to save everybody, even politicians. We are told to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Jesus told His disciples, “Pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:38). And then He sent them! I believe we ought to pray for our politicians. And I believe the Lord is sending some of us to the halls of Congress to influence “all that are in authority” by our principled participation in the political process, e.g. Wintley Phipps and Barry Black.

Finally, as African-Americans, we should vote! Our right to vote was borne out of prayers offered in churches and the blood and tears of Christians who fought racial structures that allowed others to dehumanize the image of God in us.

Please get informed. You have between now and Tuesday. Go online. Just about every politician has a website. Read their platforms. Be engaged. And go vote on Tuesday, November 2. (Vote early. And tweet that you voted to encourage others.)

North Church Becoming a Simple Church

2010-10-15T23:21:00.000-04:00

The research is compelling -- simple churches are growing churches.

We have been dealing with the concept of the Simple Church in our afternoon sessions of "Extreme Makeover: North Church Edition." Some have missed the first two sessions. I am not sure why. We have been talking about this important discussion for the last two months. These afternoon sessions are priority appointments on the church calendar. I would strongly encourage any leader or anyone interested in leading to be present and participate in these critical discussions regarding the future direction of our congregation. We will be meeting this afternoon and for the next two Sabbaths.

So what is a Simple Church Process? The four elements of a simple church are 1. clarity, 2. movement, 3. alignment, and 4. focus. Because a Simple Church is "a congregation designed around a straightforward and strategic process that moves people through stages of spiritual growth," there must be clarity.

Clarity

When we speak of clarity we are talking about the ability of the process to be communicated and understood by everyone. Clarity involves certainty, and it eliminates confusion. Our process must be clearly defined. So for the last couple of months I have been trying to communicate a clear process to the church. The North Philadelphia church seeks to be a warm fellowship where individuals and families are invited to meet Jesus, taught how to walk with Jesus, and empowered to work for Jesus. I hope by now you are also coming to understand that this process is sequential.

The first step is to meet Jesus in worship. The second step is to walk with Jesus – to learn who Jesus is and learn from Jesus. That is discipleship. The third step is to engage in service to humanity out of a heart and mind being made like unto Christ's (Philippians 2:5). That is to say, we must have a passion for the lost, a burden for souls. The third step is to work for Jesus. He said that when we have done it unto the least of these we have done it on to Him; therefore, when we work through our spiritual gifts in the areas of our passion in unity with our brothers and sisters serving the lost, the needy, the confused, and the imprisoned, we are indeed working for Jesus.

This sequential process is not only what we want to happen for us corporately, that is, as an entire church body. It is also the vision we have for every individual member. We want every member of the North Philadelphia Church to meet Jesus on a daily basis. We want every member of the North Philadelphia Church to have a time of personal worship and devotion. In other words, we want every member of North Church to walk with Jesus on a daily basis. We want every member of the North Philadelphia church to work for Jesus on a daily basis if in no other way than through random acts of kindness prompted by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

We want our weekly programming to reflect this Simple Church Process. The process of meeting Jesus, walking with Jesus, working for Jesus should happen for our congregation as a whole weekly. We want people to meet Jesus in worship every week. We want our members to walk with Jesus by learning about him and participating in a small group/Sabbath school class every week. It is our desire that those who call the North Philadelphia Church their home would be engaged in active ministry through their spiritual gift every week.

Movement

When we speak of movement we are talking about the sequential steps in the process that cause people to move to greater levels of commitment. Movement is about the flow. It is about assimilation.

The element of movement is the most difficult simple church element to understand. Thing about it, too many of us are stuck in step 1 (meeting Jesus). We have to give serious energy to helping move people along so that they are going deeper. Movement is what happens between the programs. Movement is about how an individual is handed off from one level of commitment to a greater level of commitment to Christ and his church. How a church is designed to move a person from being an observer to being a full disciple of Jesus Christ is movement.

According to Rainer and Geiger, Simple Churches pay attention to how they hand people off from level to level. Simple churches know that as the flow of the process increases, so does the potential that people will progress through the process. So we must design a ministry process where programs are placed as tools along the process. That means we cannot afford to have isolated programs just to have them; rather, programs are tools that help our people mature into disciples of Jesus Christ.

To implement the movement elements, we must take a fresh look at the weekly church calendar and the regularly scheduled programs. All programs must be placed in sequential order along with menstrual process. This is what creates movement in a ministry process.

Alignment

We speak of alignment were talking about the arrangement of all ministries and staff around the Simple Ministry Process. Alignment to the process means that all ministry departments submit and attach themselves to the same overarching process. Alignment ensures the entire church body is moving in the same direction, and in the same manner. When a church is fully aligned, all ministries are operating from the same ministry blueprint. Each ministry department mirrors the process in that particular area. Without alignment, the church can be a multitude of sub ministries, in which each ministry has its own leaders who are only passionate about bear specific ministry. They rarely identify with the entire church but are deeply committed to their own philosophy of ministry. A church that lacks alignment does not feel like one body. It feels more like a building that houses a wide variety of ministries.

All churches naturally drift away from alignment. Most of the time it does not get addressed. There are many reasons why it doesn't get addressed. For one, it is painful to do so because committed people who have been around for a long time are passionate about their particular way of doing ministry. Sadly, they are more passionate for their area then for the church as a whole. Addressing misalignment also takes time and energy. It costs something to address it. Unfortunately, it costs more not to address misalignment.

Focus

And finally there is focus. When we speak of focus we are talking about the commitment to abandon everything that falls outside of the simple ministry process. Focus requires saying yes to the best and no to the rest.

While movement is the most difficult simple church to understand, focus is the most difficult element to implement. It takes deep conviction and guts, say Rainer and Geiger. Focus does not make church leaders popular. But Jesus did not call us to be popular, He asked us to be faithful to His call to make disciples. No one promised that doing God's will would make one celebrated. But we will be able to stand before the righteous judge on the apron of eternity knowing that we did what we could.

Focus is the element that gives power and energy to clarity, movement, and alignment. Without focus, the church becomes cluttered despite its process. Without focus, the process is unrecognizable because so many other programs and events surround it. Without focus, the process is buried somewhere underneath a myriad of special events and activities.

Simple Churches abandon all that is outside of the Simple Church Process because it threatens to steal attention and energy from the mission, from that which has been determined as necessary.

Simple Church leaders ask the difficult questions. They want to be sure that every proposed program or ministry will fit neatly into the ministry process before it is implemented. They view everything through the lens of the simple process.

This afternoon we will be answering a few questions: 1. Which of the four elements of a simple church do we think will be the most challenging for North church? Then we're going to make a list of all of our churches programs and activities. And we will answer the question: 2. What do these have in common? Is it clear how they contribute to our overall vision? And finally we will discuss 3. What programs and activities we feel must be maintained indefinitely and which could or should be eliminated?

It promises to be a lively and productive discussion. We used to say in grade school – be there or be square!

The Question is Not 'What?' but 'How?'

2010-10-08T06:54:00.006-04:00

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, NIV)

The text above is our marching orders from our Commander-in-Chief, Jesus Christ. We don’t need to spend a lot of time debating what we’re about as a church. Jesus already told us. Our job is to make disciples.

What we do need to prayerfully wrestle with is how we shall approach our responsibility based upon where we are, who we are and who is within our sphere of influence. Pastor Furman “Puck” Fordham who led us through our first afternoon session of “Extreme Makeover: North Church Edition” gave us some good advice on how to get started with this dialogue.

Sabbath afternoon, October 9 at 3:00 p.m. in the North Philadelphia sanctuary we want to encourage you to come and participate in this discussion. Print out this Pastor's Page as it summarizes the seven steps that Pastor Fordham shared with us.

1 Define Mission
As we already said, Christ gave us the mission, which is to “go and make disciples.” You have heard me repeatedly suggest that we have a three step process we are seeking to implement in making disciples: We want people (1.) To meet Jesus, (2.) To walk with Jesus and (3.) To work for Jesus.

The sermon from this morning’s message is the third installment on the sermon series on “What It Means to be a Disciple.” The first sermon on “Meeting Jesus” was based on the woman at the well. When we meet Jesus, or truly have an encounter with Jesus, we leave different than we came to Him -- changed!

But I went on to preach about “Walking with Jesus” and used Jesus’ call of the disciples to demonstrate that there is learning that should follow meeting Him. We may come to worship, but we don’t know how to walk. And by walking with Him (Bible study and prayer, both private and corporate), we learn to imitate and emulate Him. In that sermon we noticed that (1.) Christ calls all kinds, (2.) when He calls us, there are some things we must leave behind, but (3.) when we follow Him (Christ) we will find that we will become like Him. After worship we need to learn how to walk like Him.

And in the message from Sabbath morning, October 9, the focus is to show how that third step of “Working for Jesus” in cooperation with other believers is the completion of the cycle. Our work for the Lord is not to earn salvation. We work for Him because of what He’s done. And when we unite our gifts as believers, we rightly represent Him to a lost world. When we work together, we fulfill the Great Commission to “go and make disciples.” Jesus did not speak to only one of His disciples; He spoke to all of them for He knew that it would take all of them working together to accomplish that mission.

2 Discard Everything Else
Once we have defined the mission, Pastor Fordham suggested that we then discard everything else. This corresponds with the book Simple Church when it talks about the need to Focus. Like a sculptor, we must chisel away the unnecessary so that the important can be seen.
This takes guts. We have to have the courage to put everything on the table. If we truly want to be a church that hears the Lord say, “Well done,” we have to ask ourselves whether or not what we are doing is helping make disciples.

3 Determine Our Strategy
The strategy is an outgrowth of the mission and it should be sequential. In other words, we want people to meet Jesus before they start working for Jesus. At the end of time Jesus will tell some folk who worked for Him, “I never knew you.” So, a sequential strategy is important.

4 Develop Ministries to Fulfill the Strategy
This is where some ministries we have “discarded” may come back. Those ministries will be more productive because they will be focused. This is where we plug things in with purpose.

5 Document Ministry Descriptions
The tenure of the Seventh-day Adventist pastor is generally shorter than that of his or her ministerial colleagues of other denominations, documentation is helpful to the congregation.

6 Deploy Members According to Spiritual Gifts

7 Do Ministry Evaluation

Watch North Church on Saturdays at 11 a.m. on Praizevision

Speaking in Tongues

2010-08-27T12:49:00.002-04:00

“...Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:26b,27-28).

Do I Have to Speak in Tongues?
The Apostle Paul spoke in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:18). Some teach that speaking in tongues is a sign, or evidence, of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of the believer. What does the Bible have to say about all of this?

1 Corinthians 12-14 are three chapters in Paul’s letters that deal with spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:7 tells us that a spiritual gift (a manifestation of the Spirit, KJV) is given to each member of the Body of Christ so we can help each other. The next verses begin to name the various gifts that believers receive: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, the gifts of healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues.

Paul’s list is by no means comprehensive, for he lists more gifts of the Spirit in other places of the New Testament like Ephesians 4.

What is important to note here is that Paul ends this list by saying in verse 11 that all of the gifts are distributed only by the Holy Spirit and that He (the Holy Spirit) alone decides which gift each person should have. (The KJV says, “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.”)

This verse is critical. In the context of three sequential chapters (1 Corinthians 12-14) where Paul is addressing spiritual gifts to the Church at Corinth, he makes it clear that there are many gifts. Who receives what gift is up to the Holy Spirit alone.

Don’t check out on me because of your tradition. The Bible says, “Come let us reason together.” And Jesus says we ought to worship God with all our heart, our mind, our soul, our strength. Keep your thinking cap on. If there are more gifts than the gift of tongues and it is the Holy Spirit’s decision regarding who receives that gift, we must conclude that while some will receive the gift, some will not. The distribution of the gifts is at the Holy Spirit’s prerogative, not ours.

This alone should relieve someone who has doubted the authenticity of their Christian experience because you haven’t yet spoken in tongues. You may never ever speak in tongues and be just as filled with the Holy Ghost as the next believer. Tongues is only one of the gifts.

Tongues Defined
So, what is the gift of tongues? Let me remind you of why the gifts are given. 1 Cor. 12:7 says the gifts are given so we can help each other. We want to know the Lord. We want to grow, or mature, in Him. The gifts are to help us spiritually. The word tongues in Greek is glossa. Glossa is the feminine noun that refers to the literal tongue, that is, the organ of speech in your mouth. Or it refers to what happens with your tongue -- you speak. So, glossa refers to the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations.

In Acts 2 we see the gift of tongues at work. (Remember that 1 Corinthians 12:7 says that the gifts are given so we can help each other.)

In Acts 2:4 we see that the Holy Spirit filled those present on the Day of Pentecost and they began speaking in other tongues, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

They had not taken a Rosetta Stone language course. No! They were really speaking in tongues! (A tongue is the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations.)

The next verse, Acts 2:5, tells us that at the time the Holy Spirit gave these believers the ability to speak in tongues, there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. Please note that they were Jews, not Christians.

When those Jews heard the noise, everyone came running, and were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

I think it’s important that we review what we know so far. (1.) Spiritual gifts are given to believers. (2.) Spiritual gifts are given to help us know and grow in Christ.

At this point in the story of Acts 2, the people are amazed. What they were witnessing was not humanly possible. The speakers were all from Galilee (not exactly a region known for churning out erudite scholars). Yet the devout Jews from every nation heard these Galileans speaking in their native languages! Speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift. It is not a natural talent. God is manifesting Himself through the gift.

The message spoken by the believers was about the wonderful things God had done (v. 11). If you continue reading the chapter it becomes evident how this manifestation of the Spirit helped the church. Peter interpreted what was taking place for those devout Jews who had come to find out what was going on. Peter preached Jesus to those devout Jews. He told them of Jesus Christ crucified, buried, resurrected and interceding and the Bible says that those devout Jews were repentant (v. 37) and were baptized. The church was helped by the gift! 3,000 joined “that day” (Acts 2:41).

Did the gift of tongues help? It certainly did! Those devout Jews from every nation who were living in Jerusalem were able to hear the good things God had done in their own language. Because it was clearly a miracle that they could hear those good things in their own language coming from the mouths of Galileans, they were primed and ready to receive the message about Christ. Yes indeed! It helped.

This is so important. For it is the same principle that Paul articulated when he addressed the use (and improper use) of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. We should desire gifts that strengthen, encourage and comfort others (1 Cor. 14:3). He says that speaking in tongues only benefits the church if someone interprets (1 Cor. 14:5). Well that makes sense, doesn’t it?! Paul had already told them two chapters before, that the purpose of the gifts is for us to help each other. If speaking in tongues (languages) will help, the Spirit will give it to who He chooses, to help! We saw in Acts 2 that people hearing the good things God has done in their native languages helped because 3,000 devout Jews became Christians.

It is important to note that Paul generally argues against speaking in tongues in the context of corporate worship. He says, “Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you?” (1 Cor. 14:6a). “If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space” (1 Cor. 14:9, NLT). “...in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language” (1 Cor. 14:18, NLT).

If unbelievers come into a church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy” (1 Cor. 14:23, NLT).

It is clear that Paul prefers that tongues not be a part of corporate worship, but in his summation he makes an allowance. He says in verses 27 and 28 that (1.) no more than two or three should speak in tongues. (2.) They must speak one at a time and (3.) someone must interpret what they say. Paul says that if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in the church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.

The impression is often given in our times that people just cannot help themselves when they begin speaking in tongues. They just start shouting and speaking. The Bible does not teach this. In fact, let me tell you what the Bible does say, “The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). In other words, you are in control of yourself. Paul teaches in Galatians 5:23 that one fruit of the spirit is self-control.

Paul says that God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33a).

Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bible does teach that there is a spiritual gift of tongues. The gift is given at the discretion of the Holy Spirit. Paul had the gift of tongues. But the Corinthians had to be told by Paul that he even had it. Why? Because he used it to speak to God privately.

The Apostle Paul was very clear on this. Gifts are to help the church. If you do speak in tongues, it must be orderly. If tongues happen in the context of corporate worship, no more than two or three can speak in tongues. Only one can speak at a time. And someone must be present to interpret because, again, the gifts are to help us know and grow. If these characteristics are not present, “they must be silent” and speak in tongues to God privately.

You are in control of yourself (1 Cor. 14:32). The Bible does not teach that is the will of God for everyone to speak in tongues nor for a sanctuary full of ecstatic believers to be simultaneously speaking in tongues.

I know this may cut across some of your cultural sensibilities about having “a Holy Ghost filled time.” We are living in a time where charismatic utterances are accepted as genuine manifestations almost everywhere. There are charismatic Catholics, Paul Morton heads up the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, I even know a tongues-speaking United Methodist preacher!

The Bible teaches that the gifts should edify. If the gift of tongues ever manifests itself in corporate worship, the Bible is specific about how it should happen: two, no more than three with an interpreter. And one speaking at a time.

May God bless you as you take time to prayerfully read on your own through the entire 2nd chapter of Acts and 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned and I know that the Holy Ghost will lead and guide you into all truth (1 Cor. 2:14, John 16:13).

4:24

2010-07-25T05:04:00.001-04:00

Timing is Everything

2010-05-28T11:27:00.003-04:00

by Gordon Botting, DrPH

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

A few years ago, a friend of mine retired after his retirement plan was fully vested. He and his wife had carefully planned their retirement so they could purchase a comfortable home in their chosen retirement location. Upon arriving, they rented a home and began to look for the retirement home of their dreams.

They had the option of purchasing land and having a builder construct their dream home. This plan would require them to do a lot of work themselves, such as landscaping and painting. Or they could purchase an older home and modernize the areas of the home that needed improvement.

One day they noticed in the local paper that a residential builder had gone bankrupt and the local bank was offering a cul-de-sac of homes for sale. More out of curiosity than the possibility of actually purchasing one of these homes, he decided to attend the auction.

To his surprise there were only four people at the auction; the banker, the auctioneeer, one other customer and himself. The banker asked my friend if he was interested. He replied that if the price fell within his price range he would consider buying. When the banker heard my friend’s offer he replied, “That amount would barely cover the cost of materials for one of these homes, let alone the construction expenditure.”

As my friend turned to leave, the banker called him back and said, “If you can return with a cashier’s check for that amount of money, we will accept your bid and you may have first choice of any of these cul-de-sac homes.”

Because they had spent the last twenty years faithfully saving their money for their retirement home, when the door of opportunity opened, they were able to purchase a better home than they could ever have imagined.

My friend’s experience demonstrates not only how important it is to save, but how timing can be more significant. The wise man from the Old Testament, King Solomon, said it well in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the heaven.” Many times we fail to seize the right opportunity or take advantage of an important moment in time. Not because we do not have a great plan or lack determination, but because we move too early or too late.

The model of the four seasons yearly rotation may assist us in becoming effective in our timing, whether it is for an individual project or a lifetime goal. In addition, the wonderful biblical story of the courageous Jewish orphan girl, Esther, will clearly illustrate the benefits of seasonal timing.

Winter Planning
If you choose to be successful in life or a specific project, winter is the best time to plan and strategize for the spring planting. This is the time when you begin to reflect on your dreams, set your goals, determine your purpose, and make plans to fulfill your objective. Esther spent many long winter seasons for years in exile with her people before she was elevated to be the Persian Queen. And yet, during that extended period of her life, she had ample time to associate and understand the needs of her Israelite community. Consequently, when she became queen, she knew the heart and soul of her nation’s people, what they desired and what she was required to do in order to save them.

Spring Planting
The successful individual knows that when spring arrives, it is time to put the plans in motion. This is not the time to sit back and continue daydreaming. This is the time to sow the seeds for the upcoming harvest. The book of Esther explains that before a Persian Queen could be crowned, Persian law required that she spend twelve months in preparation prior to her appearance before the monarch. It was during this twelve-month period that Esther found favor with the king’s eunuch, who guided and instructed her how to conduct herself throughout this appearance so as to win the king’s favor.

Summer Producing
When the summer season arrives, it is time to take action and coordinate the inner workings of your project to see if your plan is on track. In Esther’s case, this was the time for her to go before her husband, the king, and request his presence at a special banquet prepared for him and Haman. Summer is also the time to take calculated risks and venture into uncharted waters. Mordecai reminded Esther that if she did not take this chance and present a case for the salvation of the children of Israel, her future would be the same as her own people.

Fall Prospering
For those who have planned, worked hard, taken risks and cultivated their dreams and aspirations, the fall is always the best season. This is when you see the results of your four seasons of work. On the other hand, the outcome can be disenchantment, disillusionment and regret because of missed opportunities and meager preparation. In the story of Esther, the fall season was a time for rejoicing when the King of Persia ended Haman’s evil conniving for power and hung him on his own gallows. Also, the winter plans to save the Jewish people by Mordecai was rewarded when he was promoted to second in command.

Ultimately, for each of us, the key to making correct decisions, developing purposeful goals and seeing a project through to a successful conclusion, is to understand, discern and utilize each of the four seasons. Remember, timing is everything.

Gordon Botting is the financial education and stewardship director of the Pacific Union Conference

Lame Excuses

2010-05-04T22:41:00.005-04:00

In Luke 14 beginning at verse 15 Jesus is at a feast and He begins to share a parable about a man who prepared a great feast.

Jesus said in verse 16 that the man throwing the feast sent out invitations. The folk knew that He was planning this feast. This is an important point. It's not like He planned this thing off in some corner and then surprised His guests. No, that was not the case at all. Since they had received an invitation, they should have been eagerly expecting notification that the feast was ready.

I have no idea what happened in the hearts of these privileged to have gotten an invitation. All I know is that when it came to them, one by one, all the persons invited to the feast had nothing but lame excuses.

Look at the excuses. One says he bought a field and needed to check it out. But really!? Who would have bought a field without first checking it out? Another says that he bought a pair of oxen. And again, who would purchase animals without first being sure they were healthy? Some have suggested that the third excuse is reasonable. In the ancient Hebrew culture men who got married were excused from going to war for the first year after their marriage. But again, this is a lame excuse because this feast was a local community celebration. No one was being sent off to war.

What was the problem? The problem is that they were too full! They weren't hungry. They were full of themselves, full of their own selfish priorities -- too full to come eat at the feast.

The same remains true of many today. We are privileged to have received a personal invitation to dine at the Master's table, but we're too full to come. I don't even need to try to tell the reasons. You know what they are. And we offer them. And others offering lame excuses nod their heads in agreement that our excuses are legitimate excuses.

The Master is not happy. He is not happy at all. In fact, the text (not me) says that He's downright angry. He commands that the poor, the blind, the lame be brought in to take the places of those who had first received the invitations.

Not sure if you're seeing this or not. Just because those on the original guest list don't show doesn't mean that the Master was going to let the feast go to waste. The poor, the blind, the lame have a seat at the table.

It's instructive, isn't it? It's humbling, isn't it? Those who have "too much," who get "too full" are the ones who end up missing out on the great celebration. They get replaced by the poor. Nobody forced them out. They chose to decline the greatest invitation anyone could have ever received. I am reminded of the words of Jesus who said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 5:3).

Being poor doesn't seem so bad anymore.

Was It Really a "Good" Friday?!

2010-04-03T06:18:00.001-04:00

As the sun took its bow over the western horizon on that Friday two thousand years ago I don’t believe that the disciples or Mary, the mother of Jesus, would have chosen the term “good” to describe the events that had transpired that day.

The Son she carried for nine months, bore in the feed trough of an animal stall had just been crucified. Was that a “Good” Friday?! The Boy she had nursed at her breast and for whom she had endured raised eyebrows and defended against accusations and suspicions concerning the timing of His birth and her marriage to Joseph was dead at only 33 years of age. Was that a “Good” Friday?!

The disciples had forsaken so many and had left so much to follow Jesus. They had put all their “eggs” into the one “basket” of Jesus and now He’s dead. I do not believe for a minute that they could have scrolled the lexicon of their memories and stumbled upon the word “good” to describe that Friday.

This week has been a trying week for a lot of people. A young lady about to graduate from high school came home to find her mother dead. The sister of my Pine Forge classmate was discovered dead in her home. An accomplished and educated young Black man who only reached 25 years of age was buried yesterday after a fatal hit-and-run accident. Yet another friend lost her father this week to death after she had lost him years ago to Alzheimer’s disease.

From our vantage point, these events are many things: tragic, shocking, disappointing. They are anything, in our hearts and minds, but good!

Or so we think.

The Resurrection teaches those who love the Lord that behind every dark cloud there’s a silver lining. The Resurrection teaches us that glory follows shame and that hope endures even beyond the apparent defeat of the grave.

As disappointing as that Friday and Saturday were, Sunday came! And with the dawning of that Sunday in contradistinction to the disappointing sunset of the previous Friday came hope and promise with the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ resurrection was not a singular event. No! No! The Apostle Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 15:20 “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” To borrow a phrase from Dr. George E. Thornton, Sr. (who himself has experienced a resurrection of sorts), you should have shouted right there!

When one has been tilling, seeding, cultivating, weeding, and fertilizing all season long and that first red tomato is plucked from the vine, that’s the first fruit. It is a beacon of hope to the gardener. It tells the gardener that there are more to come just like the first fruit.

Jesus’ resurrection has changed everything. Yes, even our perspective on death. Since He got up from His grave, we no longer sorrow as those who have no hope. We serve a Risen Savior.

And as difficult as things may be, you and I have hope!

Bill Gaither said it best.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow / Because He lives all fear is gone / Because I know He holds the future / And life is worth the living just because He lives!

I Remember When Life Was So Simple!

2010-03-26T17:21:00.001-04:00

Times sure have changed! The Winans brothers recorded a song in the 80s entitled “Yea and Nay.” Here are some of the lyrics: “Bring back the days of yea and nay / when we could plainly see the way ... caught in the midst of complexity / we search for yea and nay.” The Winans brothers were yearning for the simplicity of days gone by.

I don’t know if Marvin Winans was inspired to write the song because he saw a sister in church wearing a skirt that was too tight or a young brother who wasn’t wearing a necktie. I don’t know. But I do know that the Winans captured the sentiments of a whole lot of Christians who grew up in the church and see how things have changed.

I grew up in a small conservative church where things were simple. The people were simple. The town was simple. And the rules were simple. Our faith was defined by what we didn’t do. (We didn’t eat certain foods. We didn’t go to the movies. We didn’t dance. We didn’t wear colorful cosmetics and jewelry. If it wasn’t on the “don’t do” list you could do it as long as you didn’t get caught! You know I’m being facetious, don’t you?) My point is that things were simple!

Most of the young people in my church came from two-parent homes. The few single mothers that were in our church had unofficially signed onto being single and celibate. And if they weren’t, they sure didn’t advertise that they weren’t! These single mothers looked like mothers, not like cover models for Vogue Magazine. I remember when life was so simple! If you had a child, that child was your priority. Your goals and aspirations took a backseat to making sure that your child succeeded.

Things were simple. Men were in charge of everything. There were no women elders. There were no women pastors. There was never a discussion or consideration given to women’s sexuality.

No one dared wear jewelry to church. (I grew up in an African-American Seventh-day Adventist Church, so it wasn’t until some of our sisters from the islands transferred to our church that we even saw anybody claiming SDA wearing a wedding band!) Things were simple!

Maybe too simple. Maybe even shallow.

A lot of the young people are now gone from the church of my childhood. As I look back, well-meaning church leaders may have focused too much on keeping the simple façade even when the more complex realities of life lurked beneath the surface. Folk eventually figure, “If I’m never gonna get this religion thing right, I may as well quit playing the game.”

Last year two of my childhood contemporaries died. One was violently murdered. He lived “out there” and died “out there.” Another sista had lived the hard life of prostitution, which descended further into a life of homelessness, begging, sickness and death.

I am bothered that our response to their deaths is to only use them as case studies for why there’s nothing “out there” for young people. We never stop to examine ourselves and see whether or not we (as the supposedly mature Christians) are loving enough to keep weaker believers who stumble on the journey to spiritual maturity “in here” so they don’t go “out there.”

We value comfort and the façade of simplicity over actually being Christlike. When I say “we” I mean “we church folk” everywhere. We want everybody to look the same, eat the same. While we say we love Jesus we want everybody to hate the same people (gays, lesbians and Catholics).

Some of us need things neat and simple to the extent that we can’t even handle the truth about how our Lord sacrificed His life on Golgotha’s hill! Think about it. He is most often presented wearing a nice loincloth and some kind of glowing light is near his head.

What we really value is not Christianity; rather we value our construct, our idea, our impression of Christianity. Many of us took a Polaroid snapshot of what we thought was “The Truth” somewhere along our journey and we want THAT. Just like we don’t want to see images of a naked and bloodied Christ shouting in darkness to the Father as if forsaken, we don’t want a church where everybody ain’t behavin’ (at least in public) the way we think they should.

I realized a while back that because society changed, the church has two choices. One: sit around and cry about how the church has changed and long for the days when things were simpler (... and do nothing). Or two: realize that the unchanging hand of our immutable God can help us meet the challenges of presenting Him in these changing times to those who do not know Him.

The scale you see with this note was developed by James F. Engel. It shows the journey from no knowledge of God through to spiritual maturity as a Christian believer.

If you look at the scale and think back thirty or forty years, you will remember a time in the Black community when if you yourself didn’t go to church, you still sent your children to Sunday School with their grandmother or somebody! What did that mean? It meant that almost everybody at least knew the Lord’s Prayer, the 23rd Psalm and “Jesus Loves Me.” It meant that Christianity and the Bible were generally accepted as authoritative standards for right and wrong.

Hence, a Judeo-Christian ethic was very strong in our communities. People agreed that “shackin’ up” was “living in sin.” Dancing, gambling, smoking and drinking were considered “vices.” Because of that, people who didn’t go to church in their adult lives still had a grasp of the implications of the gospel (-5 on the Engel Scale).

But today things are different. Christianity and the Bible are no longer accepted as authoritative everywhere ... or haven’t you seen our sisters with their heads covered and our long-bearded high-water-pants wearing brothas who quote Muhammad before they quote Jesus Christ?

Many of the people we desire to reach for Christ are further down the Engel scale. They are at -7 and -8 instead of -4. We used to start our evangelistic efforts making the assumption that everybody agreed the Bible was right and that Jesus was the way to eternal life. Times have radically changed!

And now, Seventh-day Adventist Christian, look at the scale again and realize that much of the uniqueness of the tenets of your faith don’t even begin to register on the Engel scale until +3, +4, +5! Folk who come to us have a LONG way to go before they look and act like you want them to look and act!

Church, we have to be patient! Those God is sending to us are not starting where many of you got started on this journey. Notwithstanding, the Lord is sending them to us! There is a faint flicker of faith burning in their hearts. Will you fan that flame of faith into a mighty burning fire? Or will you blow it out? If you dare fan that flame, it will require something of you. You’ll have to make room in your heart for people who are growing in grace to make mistakes. That’s what babies, toddlers, children, adolescents, young adults and even older adults do! Our language is not always right. The culture of church is something that’s learned. If you would fan the flame of faith, it will require you to sometimes be uncomfortable so that you can make room for Christ’s maturing children.

Of course, the alternative is to go ahead and blow that weak flame out. Just go on and blow it out!We’ll watch the whisps of smoke ascend for a few seconds and then we’ll forget that the weak flame ever burned and get back to life like we like it. You know -- comfortable, clean and simple.

How to Be an Overcomer

2010-02-03T11:20:00.006-05:00

"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:7).

The book of Revelation makes it clear that there are some wonderful things in store for those who are "overcomers." Those who overcome will:

have the right to eat from the tree of life (Rev. 2 7)
not be hurt by the second death (Rev. 2:11)
be given some of the hidden manna (Rev. 2:17)
be given a white stone with a new name written on it (Rev. 2:17)
be given authority over the nations (Rev. 2:26)
be dressed in white (Rev 3:5)
not have their names blotted from the book of life (Rev. 3:5)
have their names acknowledged before God the Father and the angels (Rev. 3:5)
be made a pillar in the temple of God (Rev. 3:12)
be given the right to sit with Christ on His throne (Rev. 3:21)
will inherit the things things spoken of in Rev. 21:1-6, which include
a new heaven and a new earth
dwell in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem
experience eternal dwelling in the presence of God
have every tear wiped from their eyes
enjoy eternal freedom from death, mourning, crying and pain

Do you want to be an overcomer? Judging from the aforementioned list of benefits and the reasonable assumption that a rational Christian is reading my words, I think you do!
The late 19th century author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ellen White, penned some words in a book entitled Fundamentals of Christian Education that I believe are helpful for those who want to enjoy eternal freedom from death, mourning, crying and pain.

Here is what she wrote on pages 207-208:
"Those who would be overcomers must be drawn out of themselves; and the only thing which will accomplish this great work, is to become intensely interested in the salvation of others."
John writes in 1 John 5:4-5 that everyone born of God overcomes the world. The victory that overcomes the world is our faith. Those of us who overcome are those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Put on your thinking cap for a minute. This makes sense. What did Jesus come to do? It was declared to Joseph by an angel in Matthew 1:21 "He shall save His people from their sins." Jesus came to save us!

Being a part of Christ's church is not simply about exercising faith in Christ that He will bless you to get a new car, new clothes, a new home, a better job, a terminal degree or what have you. These are indeed blessings that come from God. But our focus as members of His church should be the same focus He had when He came to this earth. He came to save us! When He left the earth, He challenged His followers to be about that same business. Is our faith that He can save us? Do we have faith to believe that He wants to save others? Do we believe that He will give us power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) taking His message to the lost? Do we believe that others will be saved through the exercise of our spiritual gifts?

Ellen White went on to say in Fundamentals of Christian Education:
"As you identify your interest with that of Christ, you will sanctify to God your talent of ability, influence, and means. Some of you will consider it your privilege to leave your homes that you may labor in the islands of the sea, and rescue souls from the bondage of sin and error. As you gain a new and deeper experience, you will learn what it is to pray in the Holy Spirit; and those who are backslidden from God will be reclaimed, and there will be more anxiety manifested to learn of Jesus to be meek and lowly of heart, than to point out the mistakes and errors of your brethren; for by faith you accept Christ as your personal Saviour. You will not then come to meeting to tell your doubts and fears. You will have something better to talk about; for your hearts will be enlarged, having the peace of Christ, which passeth understanding."

The weekend's focus of January 23rd focused on spiritual gifts and spiritual growth. Our reason for existence as a church is to do our part in helping to populate the Kingdom of God. Every ministry is to contribute to that noble and eternal purpose.

If Ellen White was right -- and I believe she was -- then every member of the church needs to be actively engaged in ministry. I know that you want to be an overcomer. You may never have considered this before. You may have thought that prayer and Bible study alone would help you overcome. Prayer and Bible study are like food. We must eat in order to live. But we also need to exercise. Becoming intensely interested in the salvation of others by utilizing your God-given gifts is spiritual exercise necessary for eternal life.

Do You Have Jesus?

2009-10-12T10:25:00.001-04:00

It was three o'clock in the afternoon. Acts 3:1 records it as "the hour of prayer." Peter and John were going together but their plan to pray was interrupted by a man in need of ministry. It was a divine appointment. God had it on His calendar in glory, but he hadn't told them about it as they planned their day that morning.

This "certain lame man" wanted money. Peter and John, poor preachers, if you please, didn't have money. But they had want the man needed -- Jesus!

Now here's the critical point of the passage for me. They had what the man really needed, which was Jesus. Simple right? Yes, but look again at the fact that they weren't expecting to run into this man! Like you're not expecting your car to break down on the highway, but when you do break down, you have your AAA card and your dues are paid. Like you're not expecting to get into an accident, but when you do hit somebody, you have State Farm and your premium is up to date. Like you're not expecting the cop to pull you over for doing 45 MPH in a 35 MPH zone, but when you do you have your license and current registration in the glove compartment. So it was when they ran into this "certain lame man," they had Jesus at that moment.

At that moment.

They didn't need to go back and get Jesus. They had Jesus (in their hearts). They didn't need to go "consecrate themselves" before they interacted with the man. I'm telling you, this passage has me wondering about how we sometimes need to "consecrate ourselves" before we have to give a speech, teach a Sabbath School lesson or preach a sermon. We know we need to "give Jesus" at a certain point. He's on the schedule. You know, on a Wednesday night or a Sabbath morning. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking baits one into believing he or she can live like the devil the other days of the week but "get it together" before it's time for that Bible study, Sabbath School class or church service.

Nope. Look at Acts 3 again. Peter and John didn't even know they were going to be called on to "give Jesus." The powerful lesson? We need Jesus ALL THE TIME!

In Psalm 5 the poet is beseeching the Lord to hear his prayer and recognizes that God only hears the prayers of those who turn away from sin. In fact, in Psalm 5:4 we read, "You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You."

When I pull these two texts together it behooves us to examine ourselves and be sure we're not holding onto some sin that would separate us from God (Isaiah 59:2). We need Jesus morning, noon and night. We need Jesus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We need Him for ourselves. We may need Jesus so that we can share Him with someone else. I am not sure who will cross my path today. Neither do you.

After Peter and John gave Jesus and Jesus raised the lame man, people were amazed. The miracle then focused the people so they were ready to hear the Gospel. I like how the New Living Translation says in verse 12 that Peter "saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd." If we keep Jesus with us, He will give us opportunities to testify of His goodness and turn people to Him.

Examine yourself today. I know I am. See whether or not there is some cherished sin that may be clogging your connection to Heaven. Again, Isaiah 59:2 says, "Your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear." You can't have Jesus and your cherished sin. You've got to choose. If you make the right choice, not only will you be blessed. But there's a certain lame or woman, crippled by sin or some circumstance who needs the Jesus you have. God didn't let you pencil them into your datebook or type it into your Blackberry. You won't know about the divine appointment until you almost trip over them. But if you have Jesus, you'll be ready.

A Waste of Time

2009-09-22T12:16:00.003-04:00

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? Psalm 2:1.

I love Revelation 20. It is my assurance that righteousness wins out over evil, not just in Hollywood movies, but in the grand scheme of things seen and unseen.

The wicked will arise from their dusty graves a thousand years too late. The righteous will have been reigning with Christ for a thousand years. By contrast, the wicked will arise as they went to sleep -- wicked. When the wicked are resurrected their minds will still be fixed on evil. Unlike the righteous who during their lifetimes meditated on God's law day and night (Psalm 1:2), they spent their days planning evil and doing evil. (The wicked spent their days breaking God's law. According to 1 John 3:4: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.")

In life the righteous honored their fathers and mothers while the wicked disrespected them. In life the righteous respected human life while the wicked murdered people who they feel disrespected them or who they didn't like. In life the righteous respected the marital vow while the wicked justified sleeping with whomever they choose to sleep with (Heb. 13:4). The righteous respected other people's property while the wicked stole. The wicked stole from God (Malachi 3:8), they stole from their government (taxes), they stole from each other. The righteous spoke the truth (Ephesians 4:15) while the wicked lied whenever the truth got inconvenient. The righteous were content with the blessings that God bestowed upon them (1 Timothy 6:6) while the wicked coveted his neighbor's house, his neighbor's wife, his neighbor's servants/employees/business. The wicked man couldn't thank God for what he had because he was too busy wanting what his neighbor had.

The wicked (the rest of the dead) lived not again until the thousand years had ended (Rev. 20:5). Verse 7 of Revelation 20 says that Satan will be let out of his prison and verse 8 says that he will go out to deceive "the nations" and that Satan will gather them together for battle. It's going to be a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. (Jesus did say, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.") Verse 9 prophesies that they will go up on the plain of the earth and surround God's people and the beloved city. But fire will come down from heaven and consume them.

Psalm 2:1-2 is right! The Psalmist asks why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed.

I've been thinking about the practical aspect of serving the Lord. We ought to serve Him because we love Him and He first loved us. That ought to be the basis of our relationship of love, trust and obedience with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:14: "Christ's love constraineth [or controls] us.") But from a practical standpoint, fighting Him is futile. He is all powerful. And He is right! There is nothing wrong with God or His law (Romans 7:12). The problem is with us. So a refusal to serve and obey God is, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 2:1, a WASTE of time.

Nothing the wicked do will ultimately succeed. This is in contrast to the righteous. The leaves of the righteous never wither (Psalm 1:3). The wicked, on the other hand, may enjoy a level of success for a time, but eventually (if not in this life, at the judgment) the wicked will lose because Satan is the captain of a doomed team! The last verse (v. 12) of Psalm 2 says, "Submit to God's royal Son, or ... you will be destroyed." I'm not being negative. I'm just telling the plain truth.

Some want to have their own way, but that way ends in death (Proverbs 14:12). I admit, it may not be an immediate death. But death is coming. And the death that is spoken of in Rev. 20:6 is the second death. All of us have to die once and then stand in judgment (Hebrews 9:27). That's no big deal if you're on the Lord's side. You'll get up in the first resurrection. It's that second death that ought to be kept in mind!

It's September 22, 2009. Today, you and I are alive. Today, we have the power to choose right from wrong (which is known by the law of God). Don't believe the enemy of our souls who lulls people into complacency with evil by thinking that they don't need to make a choice for Christ today. Let's practice righteousness TODAY. Abandon those evil plans (sin is the transgression of the law) and meditate on that law day and night. (It is by keeping God's law in our minds that we know right from wrong.) Meditating on that law should be coupled with talking to God in prayer. For when I see the law, I am made aware of my sin and of my need for a Savior. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength to do God's will TODAY (Luke 11:10-13).

Know that carousing on the devil's playground is a waste of time. That ain't goin' nowhere. God is going to win this thing. You have seen how this story ends. The righteous are victorious! Who is on the Lord's side today?

A Shift in Christianity's Message

2009-08-19T11:59:00.001-04:00

I sense that the Christian faith as I accepted it and am committed to preach it is becoming less and less popular among certain groups of people.

I finished the book Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Nonprofits Impact Culture and Others Don't by Phil Cooke the other day. The following quote on page 193 grabbed me:

The Christian life is hard, there's no doubt about it. People who gave up everything to follow Christ have been burned at the stake, crucified upside down, boiled alive, dismembered, imprisoned and disgraced. Today, we live in the most democratic and free society in the history of the Church, but that freedom has lulled us into cultural accommodation. As a result, we've lost our focus on the hard sayings of Jesus and tried to refocus on what God supposedly says about buying a Mercedes, owning a private jet or having a coffee bar at church.

Don't get me wrong. None of these things are inherently evil or immoral ... But I worry that we've so strongly bought into the American way of life that we've become more identified with capitalism and democracy than with faith.

Phil Cooke couldn't be more right. Just type the name the name Christina Glenn into YouTube. If you do, you'll watch a "prophet" who will tell sanctuary after sanctuary of shouting people that God is going to bless them, that they're about to get new and better-paying jobs. It's interesting because not once did I hear a prophecy that somebody in the room was going to get breast cancer and die leaving behind a husband and three little girls like one of my former members did. Not once did she prophesy that a mother is going to bury a son due to a sudden fatal asthma attack like one of my current members did. Not once did I hear her tell somebody that they would lose their job or miss out on a promotion as a consequence of standing by their principles.

But the truth is that all of that happens ... even to obedient children of God!

I think I am most concerned about these lying preachers because we're raising a generation of Christians who are nothing more than a bunch of spiritually immature selfish brats who "worship" an on-demand God who is more like a sugar daddy than our heavenly Father who commands us and sometimes disciplines us (Hebrews 12:11: "Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it").

Help us, Lord!

While I am sorry that the truth seems to turn some people off, I am encouraged that it's just what the Doctor ordered for others. While it's sad that some folk are right in line with prophecy having "itching ears" (2 Tim. 4:3), there are others who are hungry for the truth of God's word.

God's word gives hope. God's word gives real hope, lasting hope, hope that maketh not ashamed. No, not hope to drive some fine luxury vehicle and live in an exclusive gated community. Rather, hope that there really is a purpose behind the pain, hope that in the end there will be just resolution to the current confusion of our lives, and best of all, hope that THIS LIFE is not all there is because there is ETERNAL LIFE.

PS - Listen to some of these "prophets" and "prophetesses" and tell me the next time one of them actually talks about heaven or the earth made new. When you hear one, be sure to drop me a line.

Do You Want God's Power?

2009-08-18T09:36:00.005-04:00

Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love (2 John 3, King James Version)

Grace, mercy and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ -- the Son of the Father -- will continue to be with us who live in truth and love (2 John 3, New Living Translation).

Christianity is big business. Let's face it. One of the most powerful lobbies in the United States is the Christian Right. TV time is expensive. And the fact that so many ministries are on cable and regular television networks alone tells you that quite a few dollars flow through American churches. One of the phrases one hears a lot is, "I want more power!" Christians want their "territory enlarged."

God promises power to His children. We just need to be sure that we're asking for power for the right reasons. Our text promises power (grace) to God's children.

By definition, grace is God giving you what you don't deserve. Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve. And peace is the ability to keep it together regardless of what confusion is going on all around you.

The aged apostle writes that God's children will have all the power they need to live holy lives. He promises that God will continue to cover them by His blood (not giving them what they deserve because He already took the penalty for our sins). And he promises that God will keep their hearts and minds in peace IF they continue in two things.

What are those two things? He says Christians have to continue in TRUTH and LOVE. In John 8:44 Jesus says that the Devil is liar. The Devil is the father of lies. By way of contrast, Jesus declares that He Himself is the Truth (John 14:6) and that the truth makes us free (John 8:32).

It is important to know that the Enemy's M.O. is to deceive us (Rev. 12:7-9). He would have us believe that we can still lay claim to God's power (grace), mercy and peace while living a lie.

To break it down a bit, despite the fact that God does not always let me feel the immediate consequences of my actions, it is presumptuous to assume that I can ignore His Word and still expect Him to give me grace, mercy and peace.

What is His word? His word says, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44), "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21), "Honor thy father and thy mother" (Exodus 20:12), "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13), "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14), "Thou shalt not steal" (Exodus 20:15), "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" (Exodus 20:16), "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's" (Exodus 20:17).

Something has happened as Christianity has gotten to be big business. We have begun to lose a sense of mission and focus. We see large crowds and equate those who are able to command arena sized audiences with being powerful. I think not. Just because you can fill a stadium with people who want to hear you speak does not necessarily mean that you are powerful from the Bible's perspective. God's power is about what takes place inside the child of God.

Grace is God's power to live right! When I'm understanding this right, I'm not asking for power to be perceived by other human beings as powerful. No, when God's grace is present in my life my desire is to be in right relationship to Him! I'm asking for power to live in a way that pleases God, not the masses!

John also promises mercy. Mercy is God not giving me what I deserve in terms of the consequences for my sinful actions. If I have no intention of turning away with sorrow (repentance) from the things that He has already told me offend Him, I ought not expect His mercy. We want mercy when we're sorry for what we've done. Most would agree that something is wrong with a justice system that grants mercy to murderers and thieves who show no remorse for their offenses.

And finally, peace will be far from the person who ignores the clear instructions of the Lord. Why is that? Well, because God has laws and principles that He has established. He's certainly not out to get us. But when we ignore those laws and principles, we're putting ourselves in a place to reap what we sew. And deep down inside, we know it. It's just a matter of time before we reap the bitter harvest for reckless seed sewn. One cannot have peace living like that.

So wise old John tells us in 2 John 3 that grace, mercy and peace will continue to be with us who live in TRUTH and LOVE. Love for whom? Love for God (obviously) and in the context of John's three epistles, love for man (because the evidence of our love for God is seen in our love for our fellow brother and sister).

I don't know about you, but I need God's grace, mercy and peace! I need 'em! So, I'm praying that He will help me to continue to live in truth and love.

Tragic Accident Averted

2009-08-13T14:22:00.001-04:00

The North Philadelphia Challengers left for Osh Kosh on Sunday, August 9. They met Brinklow's club and together they made the trip out to the midwest.

I received a message from one of the parents of the Pathfinders that the supplies truck and one other vehicle had been in an accident. When I called to speak with Tony Campbell, the club director, he said that the Lord truly intervened. Both vehicles somehow or another veered into oncoming traffic . . . but no one was killed or seriously injured. Later on one of the deputy directors, Dave Guischard, indicated the driver of the Neon flipped her car. (One testimony is that it flipped three times.)

The devil had a different outcome intended for them. But we serve a mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty good God!

To show how awesome God is, not only were those in the accidents okay. The truck that was in the accident was a Penske truck. The scene of the accident was five minutes from a Penske truck rental place. They were able to transfer the supplies from the wrecked truck to a replacement and keep on "truckin'."

Let's continue to keep them in our prayers. They are moving into the weekend and a time of corporate worship. No doubt young people from all over will be recommitting themselves to Christ. There are also young people who are members of our clubs who have yet to make that decision to make Jesus Christ Lord of their lives. They will be in a "valley of decision" out there on that plain. May God use this experience to secure them for time and eternity.

North Philadelphia Pathfinders Win: A Continuing Legacy

2009-07-19T15:59:00.000-04:00

The North Philadelphia Challengers Pathfinder Club won the Pathfinder competition at the 2009 Allegheny East Conference campmeeting.

This is exciting. North Church has had a strong Pathfinder club for years. Todd Childs was to the North Philadelphia Challengers what Pat Riley was to the L.A. Lakers. But Todd stepped away a couple of years ago.

His associate for years was Brother Tony Campbell. Brother Tony Campbell is the Pathfinder leader this year.

I was thinking about how God called Joshua to lead His chosen people (Joshua 1:2). Joshua had been with Moses. Joshua had seen Moses lead the people of God through one challenging situation after another.

God reassured Joshua in verse 5 that as He was with Moses, so He would be with him.

The North Philadelphia has a continuing legacy of excellence, not because of Todd, nor because of Tony, but because of the continual presence of Almighty God. He was with Todd. He is with Tony. And I pray that whoever will succeed Tony in years to come will be as dependent upon the Lord as his or her predecessors. If that is the case, the North Philadelphia Challengers will continue to have a proud legacy of success.