What if I feel like God isn't speaking?

Children of Light

If night then midnight, if day then noon
Light showing our actions by sun or by moon

Day by dawn throws light on or world
One's duties and virtues before them unfurled

Night by dusk cloaking thoughts and acts
Conceived in the day while facing the facts

Yet moon does not rule even when full
It borrows its light for alone it is dull

The Sun has a witness even at night
Its light reflecting downward still lending some sight

Men walk about down here in lights of our own
Dark places like cages leave us alone

So dimly, so dimly we light up our haunts
Our roadways and allies illumined for jaunts

What plans have you made o pilgrim of night?
Your intentions aren't clear as these lights aren't bright

But I can tell you this as right here we stand
You had better consider the deeds you have planned

Look up and you'll see the moon glowing now
Though faintly-- still showing the mire and sow

Oh, why should I be anxious?

Oh, why should I be anxious

When my God says to me

His eyes are ever on us -

What, then, could He not see?

Oh, why should I be anxious

Jehovah says to me

He withholds no good from us -

What then, could be my need?

Oh, why should I be anxious?

My Savior says to me

His righteousness will clothe us

Brighter than the lily!

Oh, why should I be anxious?

My Father says to me

He never will forsake us;

His love is sure and free!

~HCK

Spider-Man and Man's Hunger for Glory

I just got done watching the new Spider-Man movie and it was great as far as movies go. But as the cold dark theater faded away and I was in the hot July heat I couldn't shake the feeling of discontentment that usually accompanies these really great superhero movies. It was as if spiritual things were hard to ponder on and my heart was stuck on thoughts of what Jase Parker would be like. While I may be the only guy or girl who feels like this when I leave a movie, I am willing to bet that some other people out there feel this same tug deep within them after they see these movies. So these are just some things that I thought about. What makes men and women discontent with the life they're living?

Glory: These superhero movies appeal to a deep sense within men to stand up for the right thing and defend the truth. The bravery and courage and leadership that these men show is something that God seems to have put within all men in some measure. But it is easy for the flesh to be tempted to covet these fake powers  men use and in essence fall for the lie of Satan in Genesis that we can become like God. Our flesh covets the ability to throw down opponents and solve problems that are normally out of our control. If only I could climb walls I could do so much good and I could solve so many problems out there. These imaginings can be sinful if left unchecked for too long as we become discontent and cold to the spiritual truth that only God can give and take life and that ultimately all of our feet are planted firmly in mortality and subjection to the true and only power that resides with our God. Beware of these things as you watch movies about men who seem to have it all go their way and solve every problem by their own strength.

Passion: I am not even going to try and pretend like I know what women think when they watch movies like the newest Spider-Man. But, I see a tremendous opportunity for women to feel discontent when the July heat comes back into view because they see the lead actress in these movies engaging in a love relationship with a glorious truth defending all around good guy who happens to be very handsome (Who doesn't want that in a man?). Then they look around and are reminded that men at their best are still men. Relationships are more than kisses at the right moment and corny one liners as your man jumps out the window. How easy it would be to love a man who looked like that and acted like that and stood up for me like that! Men can and should do those things for women but they might not be as smooth with the one liners because they don't have twelve people working 40 hours a week to perfect their script. And they might not be able to fight bad guys who rob old ladies but they can certainly hold the door open for you and stick by your side when you are having a horrible day. Beware of these things as you watch movies where the actors have a "perfect" passionate relationship that seems so easy.

Why did I write this? Not because I think watching movies is wrong (although some are) but because I needed to remind myself of what the real world is about and I needed to deal with the fleshly desires for glory and passion. All glory belongs to God and any passion we have that is not first rooted in Christ will fail as we find out that men and women are flawed.

Content

To be content is heaven sent.
I know not fully how
to explain the minutes before Him spent
with mind and heart bowed down.

Fixed on Truth we find our peace
though many thoughts compete
The soul is content with none of these
except its God to meet.

When our soul finds its shade
resigned to God and content.
We get a glimpse of why we're made
and that is heaven sent.

Sensitivity to the Voice of Christ

Tim Conway on grieving and quenching the Spirit and how we as Christians should always be sensitive to Christ's loving advances.

Bring Them In

Hark! ’tis the Shepherd’s voice I hear
Out in the desert dark and drear,
Calling the sheep who’ve gone astray
Far from the Shepherd’s fold away.

Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin;
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring the wand’ring ones to Jesus.

Who’ll go and help this Shepherd kind,
Help Him the wand’ring ones to find?
Who’ll bring the lost ones to the fold,
Where they’ll be sheltered from the cold?

Refrain

Out in the desert hear their cry,
Out on the mountains wild and high;
Hark! ’tis the Master speaks to thee,
“Go find My sheep where’er they be.”

 Alexcenah Thomas, 1885

Polyester and Shellfish

I don't know how many times I've heard people try to use certain Old Covenant laws to try to “prove” the hypocrisy of Christians or the absurdity of the Word of God. Is God angry with me for wearing polyester blend clothing? (Leviticus 19:19) Does God forbid me to go to Red Lobster and eat shellfish? (Leviticus 11:10) Am I a hypocrite as a Christian if I do these things yet claim to take the Bible literally? Scoffers who call Christians hypocrites for failing to obey any Old Covenant law are overlooking fairly obvious truths found all over the New Testament about how Christians don't obtain righteousness through the law but through Christ alone. We also see this truth applied to the Old Testament Jews, who were the true intended recipients of the law. “By faith” is the only way any person has ever been made right with God. (Hebrews 11) In the name of atheism, many people make the same mistake in discerning the true nature of knowing God as the religious Pharisees – and both parties reveal their unbelief and self worship in the process. Just as the Pharisees did, they diminish worshiping God into self righteous rule keeping. Being a true believer in the one true God has never been merely superficial. The idea that God is not solely focused on or appeased by the external acts of righteousness is not exclusively a New Testament truth applied to Christians, or something Christians try to falsely apply to the Old Testament.

“For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;

you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

(Psalm 51:16-17 ESV, emphasis mine)

So... were these types of judgments of God arbitrary if Christians don't even have to keep the law and even the Jews were only ever accepted through faith? There are so many deep, excellent theological answers derived from Scripture that people much much wiser than I should give on the subject. So I am really not trying to give a comprehensive answer to these objections in any way shape or form... All I know is that it grieves my soul so deeply to hear people call God's good and perfect word absurd because of the presence of these laws. Let's talk about true absurdity. What would you think of a physically disabled young man, unable to work, who had a deeply devoted and loving dad who provided all he ever needed to survive, and yet this young man constantly disobeyed, mocked, ignored, and insulted this dad? Furthermore, let's say this young man managed to hobble into the middle of the road one day without paying attention to the oncoming traffic and his dad quickly dived in the middle of the road, pushing his son out of the way to safety, and was crushed in his place? And after this the young man refused to go to the funeral, continued to openly mock and insult his deceased dad, and then even eventually stopped thinking about him altogether – living the rest of his life off everything his dad left him in his will? Well you might think absurd was a light way of describing this young man's behavior. How much more absurd is it to question and mock the Creator and sustainer of all life – the One who didn't merely wipe men out of existence when they rebelled against Him but actually condescended to become one of His own creatures in order to redeem them because of His great, unfathomable love for them? For you, friend – and for me! And because of this wonderful, undeserved love that God has for me, if God asked me to hop up and down on one leg for ten minutes every day until I die I'd strive to do it because He is worthy of my obedience – even when I don't understand His motives! The Jews that are rejoicing in Heaven now obeyed these laws because they truly loved and trusted the One who commanded them. God has a purpose for everything He says and does and my inability to comprehend it reflects only on the limits of my finite mind and puts no dents in His infinite wisdom or worthiness! People who mock God's Word are not prevented from believing in Christ because they're “too logical” to believe something “irrational,” but because they are blinded by their own pride in thinking that they know better than God; and even if such laws did not exist our deceived hearts would still find fault with God and refuse to submit. Our natural hardened hearts are the real issue. And that's just why we all need a Savior.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

(Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)

Christian Strength

"Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! Then we shall not turn back from  you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!"
Psalm 80:17-18

How we all long to be strong Christians. We long to live like our brothers and sisters before us, and see sin and worldliness laying slain around us like Samson's Philistines. What  is Christian strength and where does it come from and where does it lead us? The answer is shown here in this psalm and other places in the Bible.

• Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.-1 Peter4:11

•  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.-Ephesians 6:10

• And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength.-Isaiah 49:5   

The strength that God gives the Christian is not Shamgar's oxgoad to be picked up and swung in our own might and skill. The strength that God promises the Christian and which all the godly men and women in the Bible long for is a strength in resolve. Resolve to run after God harder and to stop seeking out worldly comforts and instead look to our God who is the only One capable of granting us the victory whatever the battle circumstances may be. God promised to drive out the Canaanites before the Israelite people and bring them into the promised land. The strength that they lacked and which lead to wandering in the wilderness was the strength to trust God with the battle. It takes strength to trust God and not to turn your back to Him and this is the strength that the Bible tells us to crave. God supplies the "strength" and the "strength" is to trust Him more. God help us.

Jonah: More Than a Big Fish

"And Jonah stalked
to his shaded seat
and waited for God
to come around
to his way of thinking
and God is still waiting for a host of Jonahs
in their comfortable houses
to come around
to His way of loving"

Thomas Carlisle-You Jonah

Conversions in the Bible Part 3

 "He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus..."
(Luke 19:1-2 ESV)

Conversions in the Bible Part 3 ~ Nathan Rages

Conversions in the Bible Part 2

I'm trying something new with the Bible Study notes from last week: Given that they were exceptionally long (and exceptionally encouraging, I might add :D ) I decided to copy and paste them on a google document so I can just post the link here and not take up as much space on the blog. So clicking the link should simply direct you to google docs and to spiritual edification from The Word! ...Why didn't I think of this earlier?

Conversions in the Bible Part 2 ~ Nathan Rages

Abiding in Christ's Teaching

2 John 9 " Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

Last night John Dees (missionary to India and Bangladesh) shared at a bible study I was attending. In passing he mentioned that it is always good to have scripture to back up your thoughts. I think he was getting at the point that the apostle John was speaking of here in his second epistle. When a seemingly true thought about Christ or Christian life comes into your head. The very first thing you should do is see if it is a biblical thought. Even if it sounds flowery and great and seems like a great facebook status. Check it with the Bible lest you go on ahead of Christ's teaching and stray into strange doctrine. Hebrews 13:9.

4/17/12 Bible Study ~ Kevin Williams

We had the pleasure of having Pastor Kevin Williams and his family from Manchester, England with us for a few days to help out with our outreach on MU campus and to teach at our Tuesday night Bible Study this week! :) It was an encouragement and a refreshment to my soul and I am sure for many others to have them with us. I regret to mention that I did not take any notes, but I thought I would post his sermon from the 2011 Fellowship Conference because he preached on Song of Solomon then as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UwuorFefGAc

Some Thoughts on Revelation 9

One of the most common reactions I get on campus when I'm sharing the gospel usually goes something like this:

"I just don't see that there is enough evidence for me to believe that that is true!"
OR
"Why can't God prove Himself to me if He's all powerful?"

The Maccabean revolt began with a wrong, carnal view of the messiah - a false god was being worshiped. A false Christ exalted. Their end was horrible. Much like the theft of Laban's gods from his household in Genesis thirty-one, the false Christ that is exalted vanishes before them and is found to be subject to the same flaws and mortality as any man. Of what power is a god that can be so easily snatched away? Such is this required "evidence."

Romans chapter one has enough to say about this to explain the problem to a believer:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds an animals and creeping things. (v. 18-24)"

Look at Luke chapter sixteen, verses nineteen to thirty-one - the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. In burning torment, this rich man was begging his "father Abraham" to send someone to his family to convince them of the judgement to come. This is a man belonging to the former covenant, whose ancestors were taken out of Egypt by His mighty hand, and all of the Old Testament Scripture is his history: "…but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. (v. 30)"

Abraham's response here is staggering:
"If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. (v. 31)"

Look over at the book of Revelation, the thirteenth verse of chapter eight down through all of chapter nine. This is one of the most horrifying passages in Scripture in my opinion: stars are falling from the sky, the ocean is being turned into blood and millions are dying as grotesque locusts and frightful angels are assailing the population. In all of this, chapter nine ends in verses twenty and twenty-one this way: "The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts."

Christ's explanation of this is very clear:
"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and the people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (John 3:19,20)"

There is a real sense of hopelessness that comes from this picture. It really seems impossible for anyone in this situation to be saved! How can one who has the Scriptures, all the evidence in creation, even seeing the destruction wrought in apocalypse say there isn't enough evidence? Think of trying to describe what it's like being wet to someone who's never seen water. Or what the color red is like to someone who can't see anything but gray-scale. It really is impossible for us. "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.' (Luke 10:27)"

Dwell for a moment on the first chapters of Genesis. The creation of the universe from nothing. The continued existence of reality itself! "He upholds the universe by the word of His power. (Hebrews 1:3)"

If all these things are true, Christ's words in the tenth chapter of the gospel of Luke in verse two are also true: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." What should we as believers come away with from all this?

First of all, reverence of Christ, humility in spirit, and thankfulness to God for His mercy. No doctrinal statement seems right to my ears if this isn't the immediate corollary thereof. Grand images of God's power and majesty leading to songs of praise and worship flow naturally to the minds, hearts and lips of the believer! Having been shown the true horror of our mutual enmity with God only to then be shown the divine pity and love for us so effulgent in Christ… it's beyond our ability to communicate fully.

As our thoughts are lifted up on the wings of eagles, soaring in the heavens with clear vistas of the Saviors compassion and sympathy - even those so hindered by our inability to take in the scene - our thoughts return to our loved ones who are outside of this love eternal, and intercessory prayer seems so natural. There is a clear imperative here! There is no way any one of us can argue someone into the kingdom, but we are commanded to work the fields. We can plant, water, till the soil… but the Lord gives the growth. (cr. 1 Corinthians 3:6) Bring your loved ones to the Lord as the persistent widow in Luke 18! Get them to Him as their only hope by tearing a hole in the roof and lowering them down to His presence like in Mark 2! The Creator God of the universe "is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)"

Christ's description of the church in Laodicea in the third chapter of Revelation seems to apply quite aptly: "…wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." Consider seeing this type of person on the street, literally blind, naked, poor and wretched - this truly is one to be pitied. But also think of our Lord's work in the Gerasene Demoniac in chapter eight of both Matthew and Luke's gospel: this man was all of these traits and more, so illustratively under the influence of the god of this world as are all that are outside of the Lordship of Christ. This impossible case was not only sought out by our Lord, but he was then sent out to preach the good news!

Also consider me. An atheist only a year and a half ago, scoffing at the idea of Truth, mocking the preaching of the Gospel, demanding my need for evidence be met. "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:16)" Take heart, brethren - truly, all things are possible with God!

Conversions in the Bible Pt. 1

Nathan Rages 4/3/12

Becoming a Christian is the most important thing that happens to anyone. I thought it might be edifying to go and examine some of the most clear cases of conversion that the Lord gives us in the Bible. I think we can fall into thinking about it in some kind of paradigm and start to think about salvation in a way that isn't biblical, but God has given us some very clear examples. These stories do vary quite a bit – there is not one formula or a four step process that everyone goes through. There are no magic words. The people involved are quite different – we have stories about jews, gentiles, men, women, evil immoral people, and nice religious people. Some stories are given a lot of detail, others we wish we had more! These stories should encourage us because they should show us that God can save anyone, and He changes people drastically! It is a wicked thought to think that someone is hopeless and beyond Jesus' help.

Let's think together – what are some of the notable conversion stories in the Bible?

• The Apostle Paul

• The Gerasene Demoniac

• The woman at the well

• Lydia (Acts)

• Nicodemus?

• The thief of the cross

• The Philippian jailer

• Ethiopian eunuch

• Those saved at Pentecost

• The whole Corinthian church

We are going to begin with the Gerasene Demoniac

• Mark 5:1-20

• Luke 8:26-39

• So Jesus gets out of the boat and here is the welcoming committee. What a sad, sad case this man presents to us.

• What are some things we are told about his condition?

  • Strong – he could not be bound with chains

  • He was naked, and had not worn clothes for a long time

  • He was homeless and living in the tombs

    • As a result he was probably dirty

  • He was possessed by thousands of demons

  • He was insane

  • He was tormented

  • One account says he was inflicting pain upon himself

  • There is also a sense that his condition is worsening – Mark's account says the chains could not bind him “anymore”

  • He was isolated

• So can you picture a more seemingly hopeless case than this guy? And yet, this is the man that ends up saved and the rest of the town ends up lost! They run Jesus off!

This is maybe one of the most detailed descriptions in the bible of demon possession. Not just that they can influence people's hearts and souls, but in this case they totally took this man over and did these horrible, destructive, cruel things to him. There is a lot of mystery to these things, but we want to be clear on what the Bible does teach.

• Demons are fallen angels, with distinct personalities. Apparently there are many of them.

• One practical thing to keep in mind about this is that there is a Spiritual realm going on all around us. These things are apart of reality.

• But we should also remember that these demons are under the complete power of Jesus. He doesn't negotiate with them, he is commanding them. Jesus is Lord over the demonic realm – as Christians, we do not need to fear the Devil if we stay close to Jesus. The Bible gives us great encouragement that if we are with the Lord, He will take care of us. Jesus healed many who were oppressed by the Devil.

• Here are some verses that encourage me about this topic:

  • 1 John 4:4 “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

  • Psalm 23

  • James 4:7 “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

    • All of the demons are more powerful than us. Why would the Devil flee from us? It is because of the power of God!

  • Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

What are we told about the Demoniac's new condition?

• Sitting at the feet of Jesus

  • Here was this guy being tormented and driven around – he couldn't settle down, there was no peace. But here he is finally able to sit down – and at the Lord's feet! A picture of submission and learning.

• Clothed

  • A picture of the shame of sin being covered by Christ

• In his right mind

  • He is thinking rationally again. That is really true of every Christian. We weren't necessarily insane or demon possessed, but a new Christian is seeing reality in a way they didn't before. Things make sense, they fit together. The world is a new world! Before you were saved you wrong about the most fundamental things in the universe. So you are in your right mind for the first time when you become a Christian

• He has a desire to follow Jesus

  • It is a good thing that he had this zeal and wanted to follow – but Jesus said no. Why might that be?

    • Even though Jesus was being run off, he left a witness.

    • You don't have to be a Christian for 20 years to be a good witness. This man had been a Christian for five minutes and Jesus was telling him to go back and tell others about what Jesus had done!

    • It also shows us the value of telling other people about what God has done for us!

    • Also, the principle that evangelism begins at home. It is often easier to talk to strangers. We tend to always want to go out to other places, but we need to tell our friends and family first. They saw what we were like before. It is also a humbling act.

• He goes out and tells the whole city about what Jesus did!

• There is obvious encouraging fruit from this man's life

  • People can be healed of demon possession and still be lost just like they can be healed of a broken leg and still be lost... But the changes in this guys' life went way beyond that.

Was your conversion less of a miracle than this one?

• We have to say EVERY conversion is a miracle! It always takes a special intervention from God whether you are insane and demon possessed or a mild, sane, lost religious person.

Sunday Meeting/Bible Study Updates

SUNDAY MEETINGS:

Nathan Rages and his family have moved to Columbia to be apart of our church! We are now meeting in their home Sundays at 10:00am. If you would like to join us please contact one of us for the address and any more info and we would love to see you there! :) Praise God for His faithfulness to this little group of believers in Columbia, MO!

BIBLE STUDY:

Due to the Rages moving here to be apart of our church, a lot is changing - including our Bible Study. We have a lot to pray about... where to meet, who will share, how to format it all, and more. We'd appreciate prayers and will try to be diligent to update this blog with any changes. Right now assume we are not meeting for Bible Study unless we make a post saying otherwise.

EDIT: Sorry if the last sentence of that was confusing to anyone. I was NOT saying that we are planning on ending the Bible Studies for now - I was trying to say that a lot is uncertain right now and we don't have them scheduled as far in advance as we used to and that we will only make a post if we have one scheduled. I meant to assume that we are not having one if we do not post anything. Hope that makes sense :)

Resolution

Resolved that, should I ever have a daughter, I would never let some teenage punk convince her that he loves her more than I do.

The Trap of Faith

Recently I've been increasingly convinced that a great scheme of the Devil is to direct our gaze away from Christ and towards our own faith.  It is a very subtle scheme and has trapped me at many different times in my small, three year walk with God.  I know in my own life there are a couple of ways this comes up.   I thought I might share these things that God's shown me, so that we could serve Him more.  

One way is that I begin to think of verses that talk about how great of faith certain men had like the Roman centurion.  I also think about great men of God like George Muller, Hudson Taylor, Charles Spurgeon, etc, who trusted in God in many more ways than I do.  After thinking of how "great" their faith is, I begin to think about how "great" my faith isn't!  Given that I think that my faith is small, I then begin to wonder if my faith is worth anything.  What if my faith isn't up to God's standards for salvation?  What if it doesn't live up to "saving faith"?  Compared to George Muller's faith, my faith can't be worth anything.  I have trouble reading and praying every morning, I have trouble talking to other Christians about Christ at times, I struggle with fear when it comes to evangelism, so how could my faith be real?  And so, I ultimately begin to doubt whether I'm a Christian at all!  That's the progression (some of you might relate).  

Another way is specific to prayer.  We know from the book of James that when we pray we ought not to doubt.  This is a great verse, and praise God for it!  My struggle comes when I'm trying to work this out practically though.  I pray for a family member to be saved, or for myself to walk in love for the day, and I think about that verse and so the thought comes, "well, God must answer because of my faith".  I've prayed, I trust that my faith is without doubting, and so I must receive it.

In both of these examples there is the theme of looking away from God, looking away from Christ, and looking towards my faith.  This is always dangerous, and in my opinion is a big reason why many true Christians doubt their salvation.  They stop trusting in God and start trusting in their faith.  Faith apart from God fails and doesn't make sense.  Faith always has to have an object related to it, you can't just have "faith", you have to have faith in something, or someone.  The point in which we take our eyes off of Christ and on to our faith is when we turn our faith into a work.  We say, "Yes! We're not under the old Mosaic Law, we're under grace, we're under this new covenant of Christ.", but then we turn our faith into another law, another work that will please God.  

The thing I've learned is to never stop looking at Christ! The moment you do is when you begin to look at other things that are worthless.  Don't rely on your faith by itself to save you, don't rely on faith by itself to have your prayers answered.  God saves a person because of Christ, and He answers because He says He will.  

Flee Youthful Passions

Click the link below for great some thoughts about how arguing can be a youthful passion. We are to heed Paul's instructions to Timothy and flee from it.

Click here:

Flee Youthful Passions - Like Arguing Too Much

Communion With Christ

"For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."
-1 Timothy 1:12

If you're not careful you can miss a gem of truth that Paul reveals here in this verse. Paul is confident that Christ can guard what has been entrusted to Him by the believer and this is a great verse about the God's faithfulness, but did you catch why Paul is convinced? It is because he knows whom he has believed! He knows Christ and has a personal trust and knowledge of God. No religion can give you knowledge and communion with God like true Christianity can. Do not get caught up in knowledge of facts and creeds. Resolve to KNOW GOD like Paul did and keep your personal relationship and trust in Him warm and loving.

Bible Study Not Cancelled This Week!

I thought it'd be an idea to clarify here - Helena's post was for last week's bible study, March the 6th, that was cancelled. This week, March the 13th, Nathan Rages will be here to share from the Word, Lord willing. All are invited! :D

Bible Study Cancelled

Sorry folks, but the Columbia Tuesday Night Bible Study is cancelled this week due to lots of sickness! :(

Affliction

"For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Neither has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried for help He heard." Psalm 22:24

Christ is pointing us to this psalm and its fulfillment when he quotes this psalm on the cross. Christ doesn't despise your affliction; he has gone through the worst affliction imaginable and He has the ability to enter into your pain and affliction rather than despise it and you when you are in the midst of a trial. Such grace and understanding from our God is beautiful! Not only can He sympathize, but He has the power to answer your call for help as the ascended crucified Savior.

God help us to live in this truth.

No Bible Study Tuesday the 28th!

Due to the Special Meetings at Lake Road Chapel this Tuesday, we will not be having our Tuesday Night Bible Study! A group of us will be heading to Kirksville to hear Ryan Fullerton preach on "The Grace Based Marriage" that night. He will be there from today until Wednesday, February 29th! For anyone interested here is the teaching schedule: 

Feb 25th PM - Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Overview
Feb 26th AM - Manhood.  "What does Biblical Manhood Look Like?"
Feb 26th PM - Womanhood "More than just submission!"
Feb 27th PM - Singleness
Feb 28th PM - The Grace Based Marriage
Feb 29th PM - Training Kids to Walk Like Jesus 

Renew Your Commitment to the Word of God - Tim Conway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10nq8z1fyg4

Nathan Rages 2/14/12 The Fear of Man

Proverbs 29:25

(ESV) “The fear of man lays a snare, he who trusts in the Lord is safe.”

(NASB) “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted”

Fear can cause people to do really stupid things, and it can also cause people to do really heroic things at times. I think for myself, fear is probably one of the strongest emotions in motivating me. I think it is a very strong emotion for motivating most people. Everybody is afraid of certain things, but we are all afraid of different things. If you know what someone is afraid of, you know a lot about that person. What we are afraid of shows a lot about who we are and what matters to us.

Fear of man:

• Being afraid of what people think.

• Being afraid of what people can do.

• Being afraid of peoples' opinions.

What is the result of having a fear of people?

• A snare, or a trap

  • You can use snares for hunting and trapping animals.

  • It catches you, it binds you up, and it causes you to lose your freedom and maybe kill you.

  • It is usually hidden, unexpected.

• You can't do what you know you should do and what to do for God when you are afraid of men, you are bound up by the fear of man.

• You start to try to do what is safe instead of what is right, you avoid ruining your image.

  
  

The fear of man never operates alone

• There are often other sins in the picture:

  • Pride – if you are proud of yourself you are afraid of what other people might think of you.

  • Unbelief

  • Selfishness – worried about self, and therefore not worried about God and the right things.

    
    

Biblical examples of the fear of man

• Saul, 1 Samuel 15 (Did not destroy all the Amalekites)

• Aaron, Exodus 32 (Creating the golden calf to appease the people)

• Peter, Matthew 26 (Denying Christ)

  • It isn't even as if Peter is being interrogated, but it's just people around the courtyard questioning him – but he has such fear of being taken up with Jesus. He is totally consumed with fear.

• Peter, Galatians 2:11 (Siding with the circumcision)

  • Paul had to rebuke Peter over this thing, and it says his motivation was that Peter feared the party of the circumcision. So here is another example of Peter falling into this later. This is not just something that is a problem for new Christians, but even mature Christians have to deal with this at times.

• Abraham, (Saying Sarah was his sister) Genesis 12:11-13

  • He is noted in the Bible for his faith! And yet the Bible is very honest in showing the sins and flaws of heroes like Abraham – he was not always a man of faith. He had this problem twice – again in chapter 20. Yet we do the same thing with other sins. We fall into them, repent, and then commit them later on! These things are written for our instruction and we can see how people like Abraham and Peter fell. This is a warning to us to learn from our mistakes when we make them!

  • He is putting his wife in a position of great vulnerability to save his own skin. This is the fear of man in a big way.

• Elijah, (Running from Jezebel) 1 Kings 19

• Pharisees, (Afraid of angering the people by answering Jesus' questions)

• Israelites, (Fear of the Canaanites)

• Jonah, (Ran from God to avoid Nineveh)

  • Fearing man with regard to witness, or our ministry

  • Fearing man instead of trusting God to play it safe actually puts us in more danger and does not give us what we desire. When Jonah ran from God he was swallowed by a big fish, and we are always caught in our sins of fearing man and are worse off than when we just trust in God.

• Israelites, (Fearing Goliath) 1 Samuel 17:11

• Pilate, (Listening to the people and crucifying Christ) John 19

Many of the proverbs are written in couplets: “Don't do this, but do this.” This Proverb is written that way. How does not fearing man fit with trusting God?

• If you are afraid of men and act based off of that instead of what God says, you are no longer fearing God.

• Even if you are afraid of what happens, and you still trust God out of faith, you will be kept safe.

• Isaiah 51:12 “I, I am He who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass...”

  • There is the contrast: Are we going to trust God to take care of us or fear men? Even the scariest people are going to die, are like grass, and need the same things we need. There is no reason to fear man.

• Luke 12:4-5 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell.”

  • The worst man can do to us is take our lives, and for the Christian that is nothing to fear! The real concern is God, who can kill your body and send you to Hell!

• When you are fearing man rather than trusting God, you are saying the favor, approval, or protection of people is better than what God can give us!

  • This amounts to idolatry – replacing God with something else makes that thing an idol.

  • It is wicked and dishonoring to God.

• Sharing the gospel at school or at work.

  • We know the gospel is not going to be well received by most folks, the Bible itself says that it is unpopular! Yet Jesus tells us to go out and be lights in the world.

  • It's really unlikely that someone will beat you or yell at you when you share the gospel with them. Probably the worst our persecution will be is a smirk or a comment, yet that will often keep us from sharing.

• Not laughing at inappropriate jokes or speaking up against sin/sinful comments to avoid confrontation.

• Doing a good deed or giving people things in front of others (helping someone if they drop their things in public)

• Not confessing sin to others or seeking out help.

  • It is important to be humble and vulnerable and not to pretend like we are perfect – do new Christians come in and get the feeling like you don't struggle at all?

  • God has put the church together with people full of different gifts. The body can't function and help each other if there is no communication of needs!

• Trying to encourage other believers.

  • Especially if they have been a Christian for longer – the thought tends to be that there is nothing you can say that they don't know!

  • But every Christian is encouraged by the same truth.

• Getting to know people and letting people know you.

  • Genuine relationships – being what we are instead of what we think a good impression would look like.

• Dealing with the sin of others.

  • Jesus tells us to bring up sins we see in others' lives. It is more loving to confront someone than to let them continue on hurting themselves by sinning.

• The area of parenting – being afraid your kids won't like you if you correct them too much

• Being afraid to make decisions in your family because you want to make everyone happy

• Pastors being afraid of their congregations opinions, or of people who want their ears tickled

  • People not wanting to preach the truth or leaving out certain truths

• The fear of man keeps people from becoming Christians in the first place

  • It keeps religious people from admitting they are lost

  • It keeps people who are afraid of their friends opinions from seeking help

Clint Leiter 2/7/12 Good Deeds

What can we say about good deeds? A boy scout helps an old lady across a street, someone gives up their seat on the bus to a pregnant lady... Are these good deeds? Well, we'd recognize good in these things. There sadly isn't a lot of this in this world today. But anything done in the name in Christ carries more weight than that which is not done in His name. We are talking about good deeds tonight particularly as they pertain to Christians.

Titus 3:14 “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works...”

• “Our people” surely makes this universal to all Christians.

• We must learn to engage in good deeds. It does not often come naturally. We have to be taught, to be proactive and search for ways to do this.

Some thoughts on good deeds/works:

We were created for good works

• Do you realize if you're a believer you've been created for good deeds?

  • Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

• This may be on a broad scale, as in a good work that is something related to our calling, or it could be on a small scale, like a tiny cup of water given in the Lord's name.

We are commanded to perform good deeds

• Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.”

  • This is a command from Christ

  • Let your light shine. How does it shine? Good works! Others see them and glorify God.

• Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

  • We also have a command from the Apostles

  • That has to be the highest quality deed there, isn't it? Anything done in the name of Christ.

• 1 Timothy 6:18 “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share...”

  • Not just a little work here or there, but to be rich in them! There is quite a difference between being rich and poor in good works.

Good works are inevitable when you are a Christian

• Matthew 7:17 “So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.”

  • It's an evidence that there has been a work of grace in our hearts

• Matthew 13:8 “Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

• James 2:17 -18 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

  • Apart from works, faith is an unseen quantity. Faith is evidenced by works. No one is saying you are saved BY your works, but you are not saved apart from them. Every tree bears good fruit.

• James 3:13 “...by his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

• 1 Timothy 5:25 “So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.”

• Revelation 14:13 “'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Blessed indeed,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!'”

What about a lack of deeds? Can you say definitively “I don't think that person's a Christian. Where are their good deeds?”

• Titus 1:16 “They profess to know God, but deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”

• 1 John 2:3-4 “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says 'I know Him' but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

• Acts 26:20 “...they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.”

  • There are good deeds that you ought to be able to expect to come from someone who is a new convert

What should our attitudes towards good works?

• Titus 2:14 “...who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness to purify for himself a people for His own possession, who are zealous for good works.”

  • Zealous

• Titus 3:1 “remind them... to be ready for every good work.”

  • Ready, or willing

• Titus 3:8 “...so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.”

  • Careful, or deliberate

• Luke 17:10 “We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty.”

  • Humility and considering it a duty

• Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works...”

  • Encouraging one another to do good works

• 1 Timothy 2:9-10 “women should adorn themselves... with good works.”

  • Clothed in good deeds

• 1 Timothy 5:10 “has devoted herself to good works...”

  • Devoted

• 2 Corinthians 9:7 “God loves a cheerful giver...”

  • Cheerful

• Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven.”

  • Sometimes secretly

• John 3:21 “But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God.”

  • Sometimes openly to be a good example and to give glory to God

• Galatians 6:9 “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

  • Not getting tired of doing good

In the performance of good deeds...

We are equipped to do good deeds

• Hebrews 13:21 “...equip you with everything good that you may do His will...”

• 2 Timothy 3:7 “equipped for every good work...”

We are strengthened for good deeds

• 2 Thessalonians 2:17 (NASB) “strengthen your hearts in every good work and word...”

We are gifted to do good deeds

• 1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another...”

We are supplied for good works

• 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

We are prepared for good works

• 2 Timothy 2:21 “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”

Byproducts of good deeds

• It glorified God

• It humbles our pride

• It causes others to thank and praise God

• The saints are supplied

Good deeds exemplified

• Jesus is the prime example: “He went about doing good” (Acts 10:28)

• Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41)

• Cornelius (Acts 10)

Hebrews 6:10

• God does not forget our works

Doing good deeds is illustrated in the parables

• Parable of Minas (Luke 19)

  • The servant was supplied to do business with it until the master came back. We are supplied for ours.

Our good works are evidence of our salvation, but they are not our salvation

• Christianity differs from all other world religions in that right there. They work for their salvation, but Christianity is just the opposite.

• Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy...”

• Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

• Matthew 7:22-23 “On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'”

  • No salvation is based off even the grandest of works.

Date/Time Typo!

It has been brought to our attention that our blog said that Nathan Rages would be sharing this Sunday at 7:00pm under the Bible Study sidebar - that was a mistake and we are sorry for any confusion! Our blog should be updated with the correct information now! He is coming Sunday morning at 10:00am (for anyone who wants to come :) ) but it is actually Clint Leiter that is sharing at our Bible Study next Tuesday the 7th at 7:00pm!

Ryan Skinner 1/31/12 Acceptable Sacrifices

Q&A

Q: What does this verse mean when it says “baptism saves you”? (1 Peter 3:21)

A: The wording is tricky, making it difficult to understand, and this is a particularly mysterious part of scripture. I know of at least 3 or 4 different interpretations. I think the key word here is that baptism “corresponds” to what happened with Noah – Noah was brought safely through the judgment waters on his ark (symbolizing Christ). Baptism symbolizes passing through death, through judgment, into life, dying with Christ and being raised. He is saying this is the illustration, not the means of salvation. I think that’s why he makes it a point to mention that it is “not a removal of dirt” to clarify.

Q: What do you think of the quote “God always answers prayers, but sometimes the answer is no?”

A: Let me ask you this: Is it possible to be outside of the will of God in prayer? Paul prayed three times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed, but God told him His grace is sufficient. I don’t like the way this quote sounds, but I think it is possible to pray outside of God's will. I guess you could word it like this: If you are truly praying in faith, God will do it.

Some thoughts on Acceptable Sacrifices in the gospels:

I’ve been really blown away with Christ and the way he interacts with various individuals lately; the way he viewed things compared with the way the disciples and others viewed things. Tonight I want to talk a little bit about the sacrifices that are acceptable to Christ.

Luke 7:36-50 (The Woman with the Alabaster Flask Anointing Jesus)

• If you can imagine this scene, Jesus is at this man’s house with these Pharisees. You could compare it to a group of super conservative people all dressed up in fancy clothes, and this woman comes in probably dressed like a prostitute using the perfume on Jesus that she probably used to entice men. A very scandalous scene.

• This is a pretty amazing account. The first sacrifice Jesus accepts is the sacrifice of brokenness.

• “For you will not delight in sacrifice…you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:16-17)

  • You could keep all the religious requirements of the law perfectly, but that wouldn’t cut it. The sacrifice of God is a humble, repentant heart.

• Though in reality they are all equally guilty before God, her sin was more evident for everyone to see. But she was humble and broken, which is more pleasing to God than self-righteousness in law keeping.

Mark 14:3-9 (Woman at Bethany with an Alabaster Flask Anointing Jesus)

• The disciples had no idea that thousands of years later people would still be talking about this.

• They are scolding her and mocking her, but Jesus is saying that this is really important and they are missing the whole point!

• Vs. 8 “She has done what she could...”

  • Jesus won’t despise the sacrifice of giving him whatever it is that we have to offer.

    
    

Mark 12:41-44 (The Widow's Offering)

• No one would probably have noticed this little widow, but Jesus points her out to his disciples.

• Jesus values true sacrificial giving.

• This story means that all national attention and media can be on someone like Bill Gates giving thousands of dollars to charities, but it doesn’t mean anything to God. If it is not a true sacrifice, just for show, not costing you anything, then it does not compare to the poorest believer in Bangladesh giving all he has.

Mark 3:1-6 (The Man with a Withered Hand)

• They hate Jesus so much and are so bent on the Sabbath that they can’t have mercy on this poor man who probably was poor and couldn’t work because of his hand.

• “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23)

• The last thing I want to point out is the sacrifice of compassion.

• The Bible says to obey is better than sacrifice. Obeying God is better than doing some religious duty.

  • If you are very diligent with your time you may guard your reading time or prayer time very strictly. But what if you are on your way to spend that time with God and you see your roommate crying? Do you just pass by? What about loving your neighbor?

The Prayer of a Righteous Man Availeth Much

" None of us can remember that any day ever passed unhallowed thus; no hurry for market, no rush to business, no arrival of friends or guests, no trouble, no sorrow, no joy or excitement, ever prevented at least our kneeling around the family altar, while the High Priest led our prayers to God and offered himself and his children there.... I have heard that,in long after-years, the worst woman in the village of Tothorwold, then leading an immoral life, but since changed by the grace of God, was known to declare, that the only thing that kept her from despair and the Hell of suicide, was when in the dark winter nights she crept up close underneath my father's window, and heard him pleading in family worship that God would 'convert the sinner from the error or wicked ways and polish him as a jewel for the redeemer's crown'.
'I felt,' said she 'that I was a burden on that good man's heart, and I knew that God would not disappoint Him. That thought kept me out of hell and at last led me to the only Saviour.' "

-J.G. Paton speaking of his father on page 14 of his autobiography.