Gtcotr/ws052709
Tonight we are going to take an in depth and behind the scenes look at the story of creation. How God makes things, specifically how He puts people together into groups which, for lack of a better example, we will call families.
The revelation contained in this first story of the Bible unlocks truth which transcends both time and situations of life. As we peer beyond the veil into God’s greater wisdom, we will catch glimpses of many of the hidden principles of relationship, unity and the purpose of family.
Follow along with me beginning in Genesis 2 as I develop a solid scriptural platform upon which we can stand to see these amazing truths unfold. You will be challenged to embrace a new way of looking at the God ordained relationships in your life. I am not just talking about marriage relationships but also those necessary and God ordained relationships in business, community, work and church.
Along the way there will be several truths which I will not have time to develop tonight. Let me encourage you: when you hear a truth, which you recognize as a truth, and it sparks the capacity for revelation in your spirit, write it down, and don’t let it pass by without noting. Later, if I do not develop that thought or delve into that revelation as deeply as it speaks to you, study it out for yourself, meditate upon it, and let God guide you by His Holy Spirit into all truth.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The story of the creation of man first leads us to understand that each person is an individual, hand crafted by God, designed for His purpose. We all stand before God alone, and our primary relationship is with Him … He creates us and He sustains us.
Man was created on the sixth day so that man’s first day was the seventh day, God’s day of rest. God had everything in place to sustain man before God created him. God had a job for man to do but God also had things which only He could do. This tells us that there are some things God needs help with and there are some things that God does not need help with. God is the one Who determines which is which.
At any rate, with the creation of man from dust, God was on His way to building His dream, a family of man in the earth.
The period of time between Genesis 2:7 and Genesis 2:21 shows man working with and for God, developing a relationship with God and getting to know his place in God’s plan. God never intended for man to be alone, but gave this time to man so that we could understand that alone time with God is good and necessary to man’s natural and spiritual development.
However, after a season of time, man, as he usually does after being left alone for any length of time, got lonely and began to feel personally unfulfilled … unproductive … not reaching his potential, and perhaps discontent. This is both a natural and a spiritual phenomenon which can make us feel depressed, lonely and forgotten or motivate us to greater pursuits.
Let’s look at verse 18.
Genesis 2
18 ¶ And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Adam was looking for companionship. The desire for companionship is a Godly motivation and there is an appropriate time and season in life when companionship is a necessary step to take you to the next level … whether the life of an individual, a business, or a church.
Notice in verse 18, God decided it was time to make Adam a ‘help meet’ for him, and then in verse 20 we find Adam searching for a ‘help meet’ for him. This is a picture of the process of a Godly man’s development of desire. First God wants something for us and then we begin to want it and search for it ourselves … sometimes even before God has had the time He needs to make it happen for us.
Often this in-between time, the time between God working His desires in our heart and mind, and Him orchestrating everything necessary to bring those desires to pass, man gets ahead of God and attempts to make things happen for himself. In the story of Adam it would have been disastrous for him to have married a cow, or a pig, or wild cat … it can still be just as disastrous for us today if we get ahead of God’s plan for our lives … not just in marriage, but in filling any necessary relationship position.
If we were to look more closely to what Adam was searching for and indeed what God wanted for Adam, and eventually gave him, we might understand this thing called relationship, and why God puts people together a little more clearly.
The Hebrew word which was translated ‘help meet’ here is the word:
Hebrew: Ezer = One who helps
The same word pronounced the same way also means something of value, specifically translated, Ezer also means – treasure. This again paints a picture for us to realize that when God gives us someone to help us where we evidently need help, these people are to be treated as a valuable treasure from God.
God builds family around a person. God always starts with an individual and builds a family, a business, a church, or a nation. God begins with one and adds one to that one to begin the process. It is the same way every person starts out, one cell, then two, then ultimately trillions until the whole person is formed according to God’s plan, each part added in place to help complete that plan.
Genesis 2
21 ¶ And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Literally, God took a rib, a part of the structure of Adam’s makeup, which contained Adam’s DNA, and around the rib God fashioned a valuable helper for Adam. It takes someone with the same DNA to be of real, valuable help, likeminded, with capacity for unity & intimacy.
The deep sleep represents God taking complete control. God sets people in His family as it pleases Him and the relationships He ordains are most often beyond our control. We can mess it up but we cannot make it happen … only God can make it happen. The sleep here is a picture of man yielding to God choices for his life.
All of this is too much to dissect in one evening, however suffice it to say that God builds His family, His team, and His church by starting with one, then adding one to that one. Then those He joins begin to reproduce by the God given abilities each one of them bring to the relationship as they become one for the purposes of God. With this model the family structure is never compromised.
Genesis 2
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
The story of creation is a story of God not just building family but building oneness, demanding unity before an individual’s potential can experience productivity. This is God’s design.
Adam recognized and embraced God’s plan for his life in this person God brought to him. As we said earlier, God literally takes a rib from man and around this rib fashions valuable help for us … such as the valuable relationships in life, our God blessed business and job pursuits, our God given place in the community and our God ordained church and ministry relationships.
We are designed to desire and search for God ordained relationships and are challenged to cleave to them as they help us fulfill our greatest purpose. God designed us to be connected to others in life … divinely connected and divinely productive.
Genesis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Unity demands an intimacy and openness. It is a two way street. Both the man and his wife were naked and unashamed. Not every person you meet has the potential or the God given place to be brought to a level of spiritual intimacy which oneness demands. However, productivity will not be experienced by those who hold out or refuse to be open and accessible to the ones who carry the seeds of God’s will for their life. This is creation’s story.
You may note in chapter 3 that the devil never showed up until the potential for productivity was present. God demands unity, the devil hates it. We must always be on guard that the devil does not destroy our potential to be productive and reproduce God’s will.
So, in conclusion … look well to the relationships which carry the spark of life, those God ordained relationships. Whose rib were you formed around? Whose DNA do you carry? Is there a mutual openness and intimacy between you? Are you holding out? Who are you valuable to? Who are you designed by God to help? Where is your greatest potential? Become a member of God’s family.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Making The Difference
Gtcotr/ss052409
People will seldom die for something which they are unwilling to live for.
Key Scripture: John 15 NKJV
12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, the time we set aside in our great nation, the United States of America:
* this one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all;
* this land of the free, home of the brave;
* this nation that was built on the ideal embraced and taken from a poem by Emma Lazarus written in 1883 which welcomed more than 12 million immigrants to Ellis Island from 1892 to 1954:
“… Give me your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
* this nation who defends the weak, feeds the hungry, gives to the poor and protects the rights of each individual regardless of race, color, gender, national origin or religious affiliation;
* this nation of the people, by the people, and for the people, who has always given its very best and brightest sons and daughters in defense of these ideals … the United States of America …
We should yield solemn respect to those who gave their time, talent and treasure, pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to serve our country in times of war and peace, and remember those who sacrificed their lives in that noble cause. These men and women made a difference.
We owe our nation, our homes and our cars, our jobs and our hobbies, our past, our families and our future to those brave Americans who unselfishly gave us their lives.
There are so many heroes in our past who served in one way or another to make America great. Men and women alike … those who sailed with and supported Columbus, families on the Mayflower, the colonialists who braved the elements of a new harsh world, those early pioneers and settlers of the west, men and women of science and medicine, those who brought the railways to connect the Atlantic with the Pacific, people like Lewis and Clarke, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers and the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr., … so many educators and philanthropists, inventors and astronauts, homemakers and shipbuilders, slaves and freemen, factory workers and farmers … America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, a land filled with heroes to whom we owe our good lives.
Every day of the year could be a special day commemorating a different segment of our society for their unselfish and sacrificial contribution in making America great and leaving a legacy behind.
However, one class of citizen stands out on the front lines of our nation when we think of the heroes of our past, it’s the American Soldier. Memorial Day is about those who died defending us in war.
So, in honor of those who gave their lives in sacrifice for our freedom we have set aside a national day of remembrance, we call it Memorial Day and we celebrate that day tomorrow. Everyone is encouraged to take a moment at 3 p.m. tomorrow and remember those brave souls who chose their course and served the cause, giving their lives in defense of our Nation’s decided best interest.
In fact let’s take a moment together right now and thank God as we prayerfully honor these remembered lives and the sacrifice they made.
Although we may not all have served in the military or have family members who died in the cause of freedom, nonetheless we are all soldiers … soldiers of the cross, born again into the army of God.
How can we as soldiers of the cross make a difference for the Kingdom we serve and the cause of our Commander in Chief, Jesus?
Turn with me in the word to
Mark 8
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Whosoever will, can make a difference.
How can you, a soldier of the cross, make a difference for your King and His decided best interests? Glad you asked … it’s fairly simple … you see, you make a difference by what you choose to believe, by what you say in support of what you believe, and by what you decide to do about what you believe.
1. What you believe makes a difference
* Mark 9:23 All things are possible to him who believes …
* Matthew 13:58 & Mark 6:5 Unbelief stopped the work of Jesus
> You think what you think, you feel what you feel, and you want what you want because you believe what you believe.
> Impossibilities become possible when you believe God!
2. What you say makes a difference
* Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue
* Numbers 14:28 As you have spoken in My ear so will I do unto you
* Luke 6:45 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
* Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart … with all diligence because out if it flows the issues of life … words!
3. What you do makes a difference
*Matthew 25 NKJV
35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
* 1 John 3 NKJV
17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
* Living the life of a Born Again Believer demands that you do something about what you believe.
* We don’t do good works to get saved or to go to heaven … rather we work because we are saved and on our way to heaven!
Believe me, What you believe, what you say, and what you do has always made a difference. That’s why there is a Memorial Day!
What do you believe? What do you say? What do you do? You will be remembered for the difference you make. What will that difference be?
Commit your thoughts, your words and your actions to Christ, let His Word be your guide and your judge. Begin making a greater difference today. It’s just one decision away … you can decide now!
People will seldom die for something which they are unwilling to live for.
Key Scripture: John 15 NKJV
12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, the time we set aside in our great nation, the United States of America:
* this one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all;
* this land of the free, home of the brave;
* this nation that was built on the ideal embraced and taken from a poem by Emma Lazarus written in 1883 which welcomed more than 12 million immigrants to Ellis Island from 1892 to 1954:
“… Give me your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
* this nation who defends the weak, feeds the hungry, gives to the poor and protects the rights of each individual regardless of race, color, gender, national origin or religious affiliation;
* this nation of the people, by the people, and for the people, who has always given its very best and brightest sons and daughters in defense of these ideals … the United States of America …
We should yield solemn respect to those who gave their time, talent and treasure, pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to serve our country in times of war and peace, and remember those who sacrificed their lives in that noble cause. These men and women made a difference.
We owe our nation, our homes and our cars, our jobs and our hobbies, our past, our families and our future to those brave Americans who unselfishly gave us their lives.
There are so many heroes in our past who served in one way or another to make America great. Men and women alike … those who sailed with and supported Columbus, families on the Mayflower, the colonialists who braved the elements of a new harsh world, those early pioneers and settlers of the west, men and women of science and medicine, those who brought the railways to connect the Atlantic with the Pacific, people like Lewis and Clarke, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers and the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr., … so many educators and philanthropists, inventors and astronauts, homemakers and shipbuilders, slaves and freemen, factory workers and farmers … America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, a land filled with heroes to whom we owe our good lives.
Every day of the year could be a special day commemorating a different segment of our society for their unselfish and sacrificial contribution in making America great and leaving a legacy behind.
However, one class of citizen stands out on the front lines of our nation when we think of the heroes of our past, it’s the American Soldier. Memorial Day is about those who died defending us in war.
So, in honor of those who gave their lives in sacrifice for our freedom we have set aside a national day of remembrance, we call it Memorial Day and we celebrate that day tomorrow. Everyone is encouraged to take a moment at 3 p.m. tomorrow and remember those brave souls who chose their course and served the cause, giving their lives in defense of our Nation’s decided best interest.
In fact let’s take a moment together right now and thank God as we prayerfully honor these remembered lives and the sacrifice they made.
Although we may not all have served in the military or have family members who died in the cause of freedom, nonetheless we are all soldiers … soldiers of the cross, born again into the army of God.
How can we as soldiers of the cross make a difference for the Kingdom we serve and the cause of our Commander in Chief, Jesus?
Turn with me in the word to
Mark 8
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Whosoever will, can make a difference.
How can you, a soldier of the cross, make a difference for your King and His decided best interests? Glad you asked … it’s fairly simple … you see, you make a difference by what you choose to believe, by what you say in support of what you believe, and by what you decide to do about what you believe.
1. What you believe makes a difference
* Mark 9:23 All things are possible to him who believes …
* Matthew 13:58 & Mark 6:5 Unbelief stopped the work of Jesus
> You think what you think, you feel what you feel, and you want what you want because you believe what you believe.
> Impossibilities become possible when you believe God!
2. What you say makes a difference
* Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue
* Numbers 14:28 As you have spoken in My ear so will I do unto you
* Luke 6:45 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
* Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart … with all diligence because out if it flows the issues of life … words!
3. What you do makes a difference
*Matthew 25 NKJV
35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
* 1 John 3 NKJV
17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
* Living the life of a Born Again Believer demands that you do something about what you believe.
* We don’t do good works to get saved or to go to heaven … rather we work because we are saved and on our way to heaven!
Believe me, What you believe, what you say, and what you do has always made a difference. That’s why there is a Memorial Day!
What do you believe? What do you say? What do you do? You will be remembered for the difference you make. What will that difference be?
Commit your thoughts, your words and your actions to Christ, let His Word be your guide and your judge. Begin making a greater difference today. It’s just one decision away … you can decide now!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
God’s Design
Gtcotr/ss051009
It has often been said that when God wants a job done, a child is born. This is true! However, before God puts His plan into action, first He chooses a mother!
You see, when God created Adam in the Garden of Eden and set him there among the animals, God noticed that Adam was lonely and alone. Seeing this God said in:
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."
So God took a rib from man, something close to his heart, and around that rib God fashioned a woman. Woman was first taken out of man and then united in covenant to man, placed back in his life, to complete him once again.
When God first presented Eve to Adam, Adam said:
Genesis 2
23 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Adam fell in love and in this covenant of joining, Adam and his wife, Eve, shared a level of intimacy and comfortableness with one another that brought them no shame … they were one.
It is through our God ordained relationships with other humans that we are completed in this world. God never intended for His relationship with man to take the place of man’s relationship with man.
God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that relationship between God and man could not meet every need of man and that He could not do for man what other human contact could. He said that it was not good that humans be without other humans in which to relate and depend upon.
Perhaps, just perhaps, one of the reasons for Adam and Eve’s downfall was because they had no other person to teach them and guide them and watch over them. Adam and Eve, the father and mother of all mankind, had no mother to nurture, care and correct them.
After His experience with Adam, God decided that no person would ever be born without a mother. Every person who has ever lived since Adam and Eve has been born of a woman. Granted, not every mother is the picture perfect mother God intended, but nonetheless, no person comes into this world without one.
I suppose therefore that mothers are quite essential to God’s continuing plan.
Let’s look at some of the women God chose to be mothers.
Moses’ Mother
* Moses’ mother protected her child for as long as she could and when she could no longer protect him …
* She had the strength and faith to trust her child to God’s care
Imagine how difficult it must have been that day and the strength it must have taken for here to place her child in a basket and push him out beyond her reach, into the currents of the Nile River. As she released her child, she was releasing him to God’s care and God’s will. God knew what kind of woman it would take to be the right mother for this man called Moses … a woman of faith.
Only when we have faith in God can we truly release others to His superintending care.
A second mother we are going to talk about today is:
Esther’s Mother
You may remember the story of this young lady who rose to become Queen of the Persian Empire and was used by God to deliver the Children of Israel from genocide. The book of Esther is an amazing historical account which I believe everyone should read. However:
Esther 2: 7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
* We know so little about Esther’s mother since she died when Esther was evidently very young. The Bible mentions virtually nothing about her.
* We know so little about Esther’s mother and yet we know so much about her because, we know Esther.
It is the unwritten destiny of every child to take upon themselves the very best traits of their mother.
So, in looking at Esther’s life, let me tell you some wonderful things about her mother.
* Esther’s mother was kind, beautiful, gracious, and intelligent.
* Esther’s mother was a patient and very strategic woman who saw the bigger picture and understood that life was not all about her and her personal comfort.
* Above all, Esther’s mother trusted God when facing life and when facing death.
These were the qualities essential to Esther’s calling and no doubt God considered these things when He chose who should be the mother of this courageous Queen.
Why did God choose your mother? What are the very best traits she possessed that give you your greatest potential? Honor her for these.
Let’s look at one more mother …
Jesus’ Mother
* Mary was a woman full of faith and unafraid of opposition
* She was direct, opinionated, and not intimidated by her Son
* No doubt she was hurt by the accusations she faced, however she did not allow that hurt to dominate her life.
* Mary rose above what others said and thought about her and her child and did not infect Him with her pain. (No place in the Inn)
* She was a considerate woman often hiding things in her heart to ponder before she spoke.
* Mary was an exceptionally strong woman tested by great heartache … she watched her firstborn Child be wrongfully accused, severely beaten, unjustly condemned and cruelly crucified, and yet she still went to church, prayed and worshipped God anyway.
* No wonder why God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus … these were the attributes God wanted passed on to His only Son.
In each of these three women we find one common element essential to every mother, it’s the element of trust.
A mother, more than any other person or position on planet Earth, is exposed to tests, challenges, disappointments, heartaches, overwhelming joy, hope, emotional highs and emotional lows. The one thing mothers need more than anything else is an abiding trust in God.
I do not know how a mother can survive without trusting God. Trust that God will watch over, care for, speak to, protect, guard, guide, and defend their child and never let them feel lonely or alone.
Mothers, the good news is that you can trust God. The children you have whether living at home, grown and gone, or already in heaven, are always safest when placed in the arms of God. Trust God!
It has often been said that when God wants a job done, a child is born. This is true! However, before God puts His plan into action, first He chooses a mother!
You see, when God created Adam in the Garden of Eden and set him there among the animals, God noticed that Adam was lonely and alone. Seeing this God said in:
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."
So God took a rib from man, something close to his heart, and around that rib God fashioned a woman. Woman was first taken out of man and then united in covenant to man, placed back in his life, to complete him once again.
When God first presented Eve to Adam, Adam said:
Genesis 2
23 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Adam fell in love and in this covenant of joining, Adam and his wife, Eve, shared a level of intimacy and comfortableness with one another that brought them no shame … they were one.
It is through our God ordained relationships with other humans that we are completed in this world. God never intended for His relationship with man to take the place of man’s relationship with man.
God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that relationship between God and man could not meet every need of man and that He could not do for man what other human contact could. He said that it was not good that humans be without other humans in which to relate and depend upon.
Perhaps, just perhaps, one of the reasons for Adam and Eve’s downfall was because they had no other person to teach them and guide them and watch over them. Adam and Eve, the father and mother of all mankind, had no mother to nurture, care and correct them.
After His experience with Adam, God decided that no person would ever be born without a mother. Every person who has ever lived since Adam and Eve has been born of a woman. Granted, not every mother is the picture perfect mother God intended, but nonetheless, no person comes into this world without one.
I suppose therefore that mothers are quite essential to God’s continuing plan.
Let’s look at some of the women God chose to be mothers.
Moses’ Mother
* Moses’ mother protected her child for as long as she could and when she could no longer protect him …
* She had the strength and faith to trust her child to God’s care
Imagine how difficult it must have been that day and the strength it must have taken for here to place her child in a basket and push him out beyond her reach, into the currents of the Nile River. As she released her child, she was releasing him to God’s care and God’s will. God knew what kind of woman it would take to be the right mother for this man called Moses … a woman of faith.
Only when we have faith in God can we truly release others to His superintending care.
A second mother we are going to talk about today is:
Esther’s Mother
You may remember the story of this young lady who rose to become Queen of the Persian Empire and was used by God to deliver the Children of Israel from genocide. The book of Esther is an amazing historical account which I believe everyone should read. However:
Esther 2: 7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
* We know so little about Esther’s mother since she died when Esther was evidently very young. The Bible mentions virtually nothing about her.
* We know so little about Esther’s mother and yet we know so much about her because, we know Esther.
It is the unwritten destiny of every child to take upon themselves the very best traits of their mother.
So, in looking at Esther’s life, let me tell you some wonderful things about her mother.
* Esther’s mother was kind, beautiful, gracious, and intelligent.
* Esther’s mother was a patient and very strategic woman who saw the bigger picture and understood that life was not all about her and her personal comfort.
* Above all, Esther’s mother trusted God when facing life and when facing death.
These were the qualities essential to Esther’s calling and no doubt God considered these things when He chose who should be the mother of this courageous Queen.
Why did God choose your mother? What are the very best traits she possessed that give you your greatest potential? Honor her for these.
Let’s look at one more mother …
Jesus’ Mother
* Mary was a woman full of faith and unafraid of opposition
* She was direct, opinionated, and not intimidated by her Son
* No doubt she was hurt by the accusations she faced, however she did not allow that hurt to dominate her life.
* Mary rose above what others said and thought about her and her child and did not infect Him with her pain. (No place in the Inn)
* She was a considerate woman often hiding things in her heart to ponder before she spoke.
* Mary was an exceptionally strong woman tested by great heartache … she watched her firstborn Child be wrongfully accused, severely beaten, unjustly condemned and cruelly crucified, and yet she still went to church, prayed and worshipped God anyway.
* No wonder why God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus … these were the attributes God wanted passed on to His only Son.
In each of these three women we find one common element essential to every mother, it’s the element of trust.
A mother, more than any other person or position on planet Earth, is exposed to tests, challenges, disappointments, heartaches, overwhelming joy, hope, emotional highs and emotional lows. The one thing mothers need more than anything else is an abiding trust in God.
I do not know how a mother can survive without trusting God. Trust that God will watch over, care for, speak to, protect, guard, guide, and defend their child and never let them feel lonely or alone.
Mothers, the good news is that you can trust God. The children you have whether living at home, grown and gone, or already in heaven, are always safest when placed in the arms of God. Trust God!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
God is Able
Gtcotr/ws050609
Key Scripture: Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
All things are possible to him who believes. Believes what? Believes in God’s ability to do all things! Basically …
When you put God in the driver’s seat, all things are possible.
Give God His chance. Most likely you have already had your chance. See what you did with it … now see what He can do!
In my life I have tried a whole lot of things that just did not work. The reason why most of those things failed is because I was trying to do them my way or working for my results. However, when I stopped trying to figure out my best advantage and turned things over to God … inevitably, problems get solved and things begin to work.
Just be careful when God starts making things work in your life, marriage, business, or ministry and don’t get scared, stop trusting God that He can handle it, and start taking things back into your own hands. If you do, you will come up short of what God could have done in you, through you, and for you.
The story of my pursuits:
* What happened when I tried to handle things myself
* What happened when I turned things over to God
* What happened when I took things back into my own hands
* What happened when I gave them back to God
Our Key Scripture said: Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
Three more times we find almost this same phrase used in other scripture verses in the Gospels. However, with the others, there are often some other elements added. Let me show you what I mean.
The first time we see the phrase, “all things are possible”, is in Matthew’s account of Jesus and the young rich ruler in chapter 19.
Jesus had just told this young rich ruler that in order to inherit eternal life and enter into the Kingdom of God, that he must put God first place in his life. The young man was a prominent figure in society most likely due in part to his wealth. He had been trying to earn the peace which comes from knowing you are right with God.
He had done many works, good works, and kept the law since childhood. He was a good man, just empty, and could not seem to achieve the inner peace and abiding relationship with God which he desired. No matter what he did, it came up short. Sound familiar? – he was trying to do it on his own when all he needed was simply to turn his life over to God and trust Him, instead of trusting his riches.
When the disciples heard Jesus say how hard it is for people who trust in riches, or in their own wisdom or abilities for that matter, to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, they were amazed. The question they had: “Who then can be saved?”
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
You see, all things are possible … with God!
So many things are not possible with man’s intervention, wisdom, intellect, strategy, work, or resources alone. Only when we trust God enough to turn our lives over to Him and believe He is able, do all things become possible.
Let’s look at:
Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
This is Mark’s account of Jesus and this same young rich ruler. Mark too records that only with God are all things possible. Look a couple of verses earlier in this account and see what Mark chose to record from Jesus’ explanation that day:
Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Interesting to note that Mark, inspired by the Holy Spirit when most likely receiving this account directly from Peter’s recollection, includes this analogy used by Jesus. What does it mean to say it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle …?
Matthew Henry’s Commentary of the Bible suggests two possible explanations:
* Perhaps this eye of the needle refers to a ‘wicket-gate’ which, due to its size and straightness, no camel could pass through unless unburdened and on its knees. This would signify the need for all men to come to the Kingdom having emptied themselves and with true reverence and worship.
* Alternatively, the same word translated camel herein is also often used to mean ‘cable or rope’ which cannot be passed through the eye of a needle except it be untwisted from all those things which seemingly make it strong. Once alone as a single strand, one might then pass through. This explanation points to the fact that no one comes to Christ along with or because of those things which make them strong and of use to this world. We must come alone, without our collected strength to depend on, only depending on Christ.
Either way the truth stands. All things are possible to those who believe in, trust, and rely upon God.
The final time we see this phrase used is in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus was praying before His arrest and subsequent death on the cross. Let’s read this scripture and see what we can learn from this pivotal moment in the agony of Christ.
Mark 14:36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
Sometimes God is able to do what you ask of Him but it is simply not His will to do it. There may be bigger things at stake. This is where we not only believe that He is able to do what we ask but now we face the challenge to trust Him further … to believe He will make choices and direct our lives for our good even beyond our desires.
We must trust God for His will to be done, and for the grace in our lives to accept that will and keep on believing in a good and gracious God who has a master plan which includes a good will and future for us.
So, what have we learned from this message?
1. All things are possible with God.
2. All things are possible for the person who puts their trust in God.
3. Just because God is able, does not always mean He will.
4. When the answer is no, it is because God has a better plan.
Before I close, let me take you back to our Key Scripture for just a moment. The passage this scripture is taken from reveals the story of a man coming to Jesus to get help for his son.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
The man wanted to trust Jesus, after all that’s what he came to Jesus for. But, sometimes it is hard to trust God with your life or your family’s future. What do you do in those cases? How do you turn your cares over to Him? Do what this man did:
Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
If you are having trouble trusting God or accepting His decision … pray for Him to help you trust Him more and for God to give you the grace to accept the moment and keep trusting Him while He works on the big picture. He will … He is able and always willing to answer that prayer.
Key Scripture: Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
All things are possible to him who believes. Believes what? Believes in God’s ability to do all things! Basically …
When you put God in the driver’s seat, all things are possible.
Give God His chance. Most likely you have already had your chance. See what you did with it … now see what He can do!
In my life I have tried a whole lot of things that just did not work. The reason why most of those things failed is because I was trying to do them my way or working for my results. However, when I stopped trying to figure out my best advantage and turned things over to God … inevitably, problems get solved and things begin to work.
Just be careful when God starts making things work in your life, marriage, business, or ministry and don’t get scared, stop trusting God that He can handle it, and start taking things back into your own hands. If you do, you will come up short of what God could have done in you, through you, and for you.
The story of my pursuits:
* What happened when I tried to handle things myself
* What happened when I turned things over to God
* What happened when I took things back into my own hands
* What happened when I gave them back to God
Our Key Scripture said: Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
Three more times we find almost this same phrase used in other scripture verses in the Gospels. However, with the others, there are often some other elements added. Let me show you what I mean.
The first time we see the phrase, “all things are possible”, is in Matthew’s account of Jesus and the young rich ruler in chapter 19.
Jesus had just told this young rich ruler that in order to inherit eternal life and enter into the Kingdom of God, that he must put God first place in his life. The young man was a prominent figure in society most likely due in part to his wealth. He had been trying to earn the peace which comes from knowing you are right with God.
He had done many works, good works, and kept the law since childhood. He was a good man, just empty, and could not seem to achieve the inner peace and abiding relationship with God which he desired. No matter what he did, it came up short. Sound familiar? – he was trying to do it on his own when all he needed was simply to turn his life over to God and trust Him, instead of trusting his riches.
When the disciples heard Jesus say how hard it is for people who trust in riches, or in their own wisdom or abilities for that matter, to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, they were amazed. The question they had: “Who then can be saved?”
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
You see, all things are possible … with God!
So many things are not possible with man’s intervention, wisdom, intellect, strategy, work, or resources alone. Only when we trust God enough to turn our lives over to Him and believe He is able, do all things become possible.
Let’s look at:
Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
This is Mark’s account of Jesus and this same young rich ruler. Mark too records that only with God are all things possible. Look a couple of verses earlier in this account and see what Mark chose to record from Jesus’ explanation that day:
Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Interesting to note that Mark, inspired by the Holy Spirit when most likely receiving this account directly from Peter’s recollection, includes this analogy used by Jesus. What does it mean to say it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle …?
Matthew Henry’s Commentary of the Bible suggests two possible explanations:
* Perhaps this eye of the needle refers to a ‘wicket-gate’ which, due to its size and straightness, no camel could pass through unless unburdened and on its knees. This would signify the need for all men to come to the Kingdom having emptied themselves and with true reverence and worship.
* Alternatively, the same word translated camel herein is also often used to mean ‘cable or rope’ which cannot be passed through the eye of a needle except it be untwisted from all those things which seemingly make it strong. Once alone as a single strand, one might then pass through. This explanation points to the fact that no one comes to Christ along with or because of those things which make them strong and of use to this world. We must come alone, without our collected strength to depend on, only depending on Christ.
Either way the truth stands. All things are possible to those who believe in, trust, and rely upon God.
The final time we see this phrase used is in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus was praying before His arrest and subsequent death on the cross. Let’s read this scripture and see what we can learn from this pivotal moment in the agony of Christ.
Mark 14:36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
Sometimes God is able to do what you ask of Him but it is simply not His will to do it. There may be bigger things at stake. This is where we not only believe that He is able to do what we ask but now we face the challenge to trust Him further … to believe He will make choices and direct our lives for our good even beyond our desires.
We must trust God for His will to be done, and for the grace in our lives to accept that will and keep on believing in a good and gracious God who has a master plan which includes a good will and future for us.
So, what have we learned from this message?
1. All things are possible with God.
2. All things are possible for the person who puts their trust in God.
3. Just because God is able, does not always mean He will.
4. When the answer is no, it is because God has a better plan.
Before I close, let me take you back to our Key Scripture for just a moment. The passage this scripture is taken from reveals the story of a man coming to Jesus to get help for his son.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
The man wanted to trust Jesus, after all that’s what he came to Jesus for. But, sometimes it is hard to trust God with your life or your family’s future. What do you do in those cases? How do you turn your cares over to Him? Do what this man did:
Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
If you are having trouble trusting God or accepting His decision … pray for Him to help you trust Him more and for God to give you the grace to accept the moment and keep trusting Him while He works on the big picture. He will … He is able and always willing to answer that prayer.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Faith Fear or Foolishness
Gtcotr/ss05030309
Key Scripture: John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The New Living Translation of the Bible says it like this:
Hebrews 11:1 ¶ What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.
One day, just after His disciples had failed in their attempt to cast an evil spirit out of a young man who was possessed of the devil, Jesus rebuked the devil which immediately departed from the boy leaving him cured from that very hour. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him why they were so ineffective in their attempts, He replied:
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Jesus did not say that it is because only I, the Messiah, can do these things! Jesus did not say that it was because God was not finished teaching the young lad a lesson of life or that his infirmity was somehow given him to as a blessing in disguise. Rather, Jesus said that it was because of a lack of faith on their part.
Hard words for them, but true nonetheless. Four times the Bible declares that the just shall live by faith. Faith is the substance of life.
Faith is the substance of life; Fear is the substance of death; and Foolishness just keeps a person going in circles, smiling and waving while their ship goes down.
It is foolish to think everything is ok when we don’t have a sure and current, right relationship with God.
Let’s look at these three this morning: Faith, Fear, & Foolishness.
Faith
Mark 5
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
God is the source of all faith and faith motivates us to act.
Fear
Let’s turn to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Verse 14 begins with Jesus explaining how the Kingdom of Heaven operates. In His story, one servant received 5 talents from his master, one servant 2, and another 1, each man according to his ability.
When the master returned to reckon with the servants, the servant with 5 talents had worked and doubled his talents; the servant with the 2 talents had also worked and doubled his talents; however, the servant who had received one talent had done nothing to produce increase. Why, the master asked.
Matthew 25
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
“I was afraid” … what a sad account … how sad it would be to have such a poor image of our Heavenly Father … To have no confidence in His love, His grace, His mercy or His forgiveness … how sad.
However, even if the servant had attempted to increase his talent it would not have pleased the Master if it was only done out of fear. What we do in fear cannot please God. Praying or acting in fear does not constitute faith, and fear will not produce life. However,
* Isaac sowed in the land of famine, not out of fear but out of faith.
* The woman with the issue of blood came and touched Jesus out of faith, not out of fear.
* It can be a struggle sometimes to hold on to faith. This is why we need the Word, Church, and Christian friends.
* We must fight the good fight of faith … & it can be a fight.
Foolishness
If we act presumptively, when God has not spoken, God has not chosen us, or God has not agreed with our conclusion, it’s foolish.
It is foolish to think or live our lives like the universe revolves around us, or that we are infallible, or that we can do something just because someone else has done it. When I was a much younger man I watched other men tie themselves onto 2000 pound bulls, pull their hat down on their head, dig in their spurs and give a nod to the gate man who would open the chute and let them out.
It wasn’t long before I was confident that I could ride one of those spinning, twisting, kicking, snorting locomotives. Well, for me at least, that was a foolish move and looking back on it, it got more and more stupid each time I strapped myself down onto one of those bulls.
Confidence does little when you meet a reality you were not chosen, designed, or equipped to handle. That’s arrogance, not confidence.
Any person other than David would have been foolish to have gone up against Goliath that day in the Valley of Elah. But David was chosen … simply a man who had a relationship with God, answering a call. It was not arrogance, it was not foolishness, it was not fear, it was faith. Faith, which comes from God, always wins the battle.
Faith comes from God and where faith goes, God goes.
Acts 19
13 ¶ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."
14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Foolish, wouldn’t you say. What was so foolish about this? To think that we can live life only knowing about Jesus without having a true relationship with Him is foolish. These well meaning men weren’t called, equipped, or chosen. They were just foolish …
The Bible boldly declares that signs shall follow Believers. In Jesus’ Name they shall speak with new tongues, cast out devils and heal the sick. Not by praying in fear; Not from foolish or presumptive acts; but because of faith … the faith which only comes from a fruitful and abiding relationship with the Master. Have faith in God! Abide in Him, keep His Word living in you … don’t fear, don’t be foolish, have faith!
Key Scripture: John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The New Living Translation of the Bible says it like this:
Hebrews 11:1 ¶ What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.
One day, just after His disciples had failed in their attempt to cast an evil spirit out of a young man who was possessed of the devil, Jesus rebuked the devil which immediately departed from the boy leaving him cured from that very hour. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him why they were so ineffective in their attempts, He replied:
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Jesus did not say that it is because only I, the Messiah, can do these things! Jesus did not say that it was because God was not finished teaching the young lad a lesson of life or that his infirmity was somehow given him to as a blessing in disguise. Rather, Jesus said that it was because of a lack of faith on their part.
Hard words for them, but true nonetheless. Four times the Bible declares that the just shall live by faith. Faith is the substance of life.
Faith is the substance of life; Fear is the substance of death; and Foolishness just keeps a person going in circles, smiling and waving while their ship goes down.
It is foolish to think everything is ok when we don’t have a sure and current, right relationship with God.
Let’s look at these three this morning: Faith, Fear, & Foolishness.
Faith
Mark 5
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
God is the source of all faith and faith motivates us to act.
Fear
Let’s turn to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Verse 14 begins with Jesus explaining how the Kingdom of Heaven operates. In His story, one servant received 5 talents from his master, one servant 2, and another 1, each man according to his ability.
When the master returned to reckon with the servants, the servant with 5 talents had worked and doubled his talents; the servant with the 2 talents had also worked and doubled his talents; however, the servant who had received one talent had done nothing to produce increase. Why, the master asked.
Matthew 25
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
“I was afraid” … what a sad account … how sad it would be to have such a poor image of our Heavenly Father … To have no confidence in His love, His grace, His mercy or His forgiveness … how sad.
However, even if the servant had attempted to increase his talent it would not have pleased the Master if it was only done out of fear. What we do in fear cannot please God. Praying or acting in fear does not constitute faith, and fear will not produce life. However,
* Isaac sowed in the land of famine, not out of fear but out of faith.
* The woman with the issue of blood came and touched Jesus out of faith, not out of fear.
* It can be a struggle sometimes to hold on to faith. This is why we need the Word, Church, and Christian friends.
* We must fight the good fight of faith … & it can be a fight.
Foolishness
If we act presumptively, when God has not spoken, God has not chosen us, or God has not agreed with our conclusion, it’s foolish.
It is foolish to think or live our lives like the universe revolves around us, or that we are infallible, or that we can do something just because someone else has done it. When I was a much younger man I watched other men tie themselves onto 2000 pound bulls, pull their hat down on their head, dig in their spurs and give a nod to the gate man who would open the chute and let them out.
It wasn’t long before I was confident that I could ride one of those spinning, twisting, kicking, snorting locomotives. Well, for me at least, that was a foolish move and looking back on it, it got more and more stupid each time I strapped myself down onto one of those bulls.
Confidence does little when you meet a reality you were not chosen, designed, or equipped to handle. That’s arrogance, not confidence.
Any person other than David would have been foolish to have gone up against Goliath that day in the Valley of Elah. But David was chosen … simply a man who had a relationship with God, answering a call. It was not arrogance, it was not foolishness, it was not fear, it was faith. Faith, which comes from God, always wins the battle.
Faith comes from God and where faith goes, God goes.
Acts 19
13 ¶ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."
14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Foolish, wouldn’t you say. What was so foolish about this? To think that we can live life only knowing about Jesus without having a true relationship with Him is foolish. These well meaning men weren’t called, equipped, or chosen. They were just foolish …
The Bible boldly declares that signs shall follow Believers. In Jesus’ Name they shall speak with new tongues, cast out devils and heal the sick. Not by praying in fear; Not from foolish or presumptive acts; but because of faith … the faith which only comes from a fruitful and abiding relationship with the Master. Have faith in God! Abide in Him, keep His Word living in you … don’t fear, don’t be foolish, have faith!
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