Advent Sermon 3

Messiah Brings Peace - Advent Week 2

Our God Comes - Advent Week 1

Thanksgiving Message: "He Can Be Pleased"

Thanksgiving Message (Christ is Kings Sunday)

Title: He Can Be Pleased

Text: Various

In times when my heart is found to be unthankful and I pray from that perspective, I realize that I have reversed my understanding of serving God. I understand that my heart is focused on what may or may not make me happy. If it makes me happy, then I am thankful for it. However it the matter displeases me then I become unthankful. Because I tend to be this way, I have learned to ask the question, what is God thankful for, and then pray that He aligns my heart to that very thing.

When we have this issue of thanksgiving in reverse order, we begin to live and pray as if we were King and God the servant. Therefore, during this week that we call Thanksgiving may we celebrate it and in light of where we find ourselves on the Church Calendar. This is the last week of our church calendar, that being “Christ the King Sunday” (It’s ok to think this way on Saturday). From this perspective let us focus our time together understanding that we are called as Christians to…

MAIN POINT: Be thankful in what pleases God.

What pleases God?
1. Single minded service to Christ… Romans 14:18
MSG© 14:18 Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.

2. Right thinking… Psalm 104:34:
NLT© 104:34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.

3. Prayer for all, that leads to peace, quietness and salvation…1 Timothy 2:1-4
NET 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that requests, 1 prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people, 2 2:2 even for kings 3 and all who are in authority, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 2:3 Such prayer for all 4 is good and welcomed before God our Savior, 2:4 since he wants 5 all people 6 to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

4. Sacrificially doing good by sharing what you have… Hebrews 13:16
13:16 And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, 11 for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

WE: What is God thankful for in our local church?
1. Our efforts in reaching out to our community.
2. Our children’s ministry is bringing joy to children who may not have much of
it in their lives.
3. Mentoring our our youth.
4. We worship with purpose.
5. We are learning that when our worship is about exalting God, all else falls
in line.
6. Teens are becoming difference makers in our world.
7. Teens are changing the way they look at their world around them.
8. Teens that are hurting are being comfort.
9. Teens are beginning to make an impact on their families.
10. His Word is being delivered outside of the walls of this place of worship.
Over the last month: Australia (14); Russia (6); Germany (3);
1 each from Brazil, Columbia, Indonesia and Latvia.

Earning the right

Earning the Right

The following are my personal notes from the sermon, "Earning the Right: Speaking about he possibility of God without using the Bible. Paul the Apostle, as he was in Athens, models this for us. If you are reading this prior to viewing the video of the sermon you may wish to print these notes and watch the video with them in hand.

God bless you as we together engage our culture for the sake of our love for God and those around us.

Pastor Paul

Sermon Title: Earning the Right: Speaking about the possibility of God without using the Bible.

Text: Acts 17:22-34

Earn the right to bring an unbeliever to the Bible by engaging in the current culture. Acts 17:22-34

Engage in current culture.

We live in a postmodern, secular humanist culture.

Postmodern: Truth is relative.

Secular Humanist: All that exist is physical and can be
understood through science.


Do this by...

1. ...using laws logic.
Ex. #1 The law of non-contradiction: Two contradictory statements
cannot be true in the same sense at the same time.

Ex. #2 The Law of the Excluded middle: Just because two things
have one thing in common does not mean that they have
everything in common


2. ...not being afraid of science.

Ex. #1 - The universe could not have brought itself into existence.
A. If something does not exist, it has no ability to
perform an action by which it can bring itself into
existence.
B. If it exists so as to be able to perform an action, then it
already exists.
C. For anything to exist there must be an uncaused cause that
is supernatural.
Note: By supernatural we mean it is completely 'other' than
the universe and is not natural.

Ex. #2 – The law of irreducible complexity. (The human cell)

3. ...lovingly pointing out the hypocrisy of postmodern thought.

Ex. #1 Saying “there is no such thing as absolute truth” is an
absolute statement.

Ex. #2 Saying “you should not push your morality on others”, is in
itself pushing morality.

Ex. #3 Saying “we should be tolerant”by definition implies
disagreement. However the postmodern uses the term to mean
that we should accept every one as right, which is
logically impossible.

Ex. #4 Saying that “it is wrong to judge” is a judgment.


Conclusion

Obey 1 Peter 3:15

ESV© 3:15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;

NLT© 3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

MSG© 3:15 Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.

A Propelling Distraction1 Thess 5

Fellowship of the Unashamed

Fellowship of the Unashamed: This creative video offers a prayerful and radical commitment to serve God above all else in this world.

A Propelling Encouragement

Propelling Growth 1 Thess 4:1-12

Propelling Love - 1 Thess 3

What Mask Are You Wearing?

What Mask Are You Wearing?: We all wear masks, even in church.

I thought this video (click on the yellow font above) speaks loudly to a very common issue with Christian folks. I don't think this is a problem because we want to be fake, but because we are afraid to let the real us out. We are afraid of rejection or a bad reputation. So into church, work and school we march not so proudly presenting our masks. If you agree that this is an issue that needs your attention, then take a risk by taking off your mask. Be real and you may discover that others will join you in removing their masks as well. May the Lord bless you with the ability to be real in a fake world.

Peace for the journey,

Pastor Paul

Propelling People - 1 Thess Wk2

Propelled by the Past Week 1 - "Propelling Circumstances" 1Thessalonians 1

I tend to lose sight of how God has been at work in my life. It is then that I need others to help broaden my perspective of what God has been doing. One thing that helps do this, is a reminder of the circumstances in which the Gospel was received. As people help me in this manner, God teaches me that the circumstances in which we receive the Gospel propel us into a future of hope. With this mind I would like to point out four things that Paul the Apostle finds in the Thessalonian church that causes him to be thankful.

In chapter one of 1 Thessalonians, Paul is giving reason for his prayers of thanksgiving. By looking at the reason for his thanksgiving we discover how God works in order to propel us into our future.

1. He propels us through faith, hope and love (v.2-3).

"2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

2. He propels us by displaying proofs of our calling. (v. 4-5).

"4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake."

3. He propels us by making us examples of the faithful and Christ Himself.
(v.6-7).
"6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." (Refer Acts 17:1-10 for the context of this statement.)


4. He propels us into our future by using us to spread Gospel without preaching. (8-10).

"8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

Based upon what Paul the Apostle is thankful for, and what it teaches us, we would be blessed to keep seeking when it appears God is unwilling to answer. Look at what Jesus says immediately follow His instruction on how to pray in Luke 11:5-10.
"5 And he said to them, 'Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

A second and final thought is that we must help each other embrace the confusion that leads to revelation. Oswald Chambers says, "There are times in spiritual life when there is confusion, and it is no way out to say that there ought not to be confusion. It is not a question of right or wrong, but a question of God taking you by a way which in the meantime you do not understand, and it is only my going through the confusion that you will get at what God wants.”

God bless you as He propels you into your future,

Pastor Paul

(The video for this message may be seen in the next post)

Propelled by the Past Week 1 - 1Thessalonians 1

Is God good? Little Video Answers BIG Question.

Is God good? Little Video Answers BIG Question.: If God is all-good and all-powerful, why is there evil in the world?

Naza-Huh Final, Church History.wmv

What Does It Mean to Be Missional?

What Does It Mean to Be Missional?: This creative two-minute video explores what it means to live "on mission" for the kingdom.

Nazahuh??? "We Are Holiness People"

At times when I have instructed my kids to do their chores, their reaction would lead me to think that they thought that I was just kidding. I have had to say things like, “yeah I am serious we have to do it now”. At other times they would get started right away but only to accomplish very little. It was then that I would have to say, “hold on a second we are not done yet there is still more to do."

Sometimes we are like this when it comes to God speaking to us about His call to holiness. We read the passages and understand them well, but our reaction to them leads me to believe that some think that God is just kidding. Still others of us may get off to a quick start only to be in need of God to tell us that we are not finished yet. As we continue with our series Naza-huh???, we turn our attention to the second core value of the church of the Nazarene, “We are holiness people.” The major point that i would like to make here is that God is serious about holiness.

Because this is a series in the core values of the Church of the Nazarene, here is a key statement from the Nazarene manual:

"God, who is holy, calls us to a life of holiness. We believe that the Holy Spirit seeks to do in us a second work of grace, called by various terms including 'entire sanctification' and 'baptism with the Holy Spirit'-cleansing us from all sin, renewing us in the image of God, empowering us to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves, and producing in us the character of Christ. Holiness in the life of believers is most clearly understood as Christlikeness."

With this thought in mind take a look at the following key points of this message.

1. The foundational statement for holiness is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5


2. The basis for God’s command for holiness is that He is Holy. Lev. 11:44


3. Jesus Summarizes Holiness in Mark 12:28-31.

4. Passages that explain what the Holy Spirit is working in us are Ephesians
4:21-24/2 Corinthians 3:17-18

With an understanding of the above, I would challenge you to live out holiness in the ways that Jesus taught in Matthew 5-7. Take some time now and prayerfully read these words of Jesus. Perhaps He will speak to your heart and call you to deeper holiness or remind you of some things that have slipped your mind.

To finish this up I would like to suggest that we stop giving up, watering down, or placing emphasis on the wrong things. These three issues have caused much misunderstanding and bad examples of what God is really calling us to. Believe that through God's Spirit He can will bring freedom to your life.

Go to the next post to view the video of this message.

Blessings be yours,

Pastor Paul

Nazahuh??? wk 2 "We Are Holiness People"

Naza-huh??? Church of the Nazarene Core Value #1 "We Are Christian People"

I have had some wonderful opportunities to work alongside Christians of various backgrounds and persuasions. I worked for Focus on the Family for five years where I had numerous discussions with people from many different churches and denominations. I teach at a school that is sponsored by an Assemblies of God congregation. I have spent time at a public college. I have a degree from a Nazarene college as well as a degree from a Baptist university. I have been a pastor of a Nazarene church as well as a non-denominational church. Through all of this I have come to appreciate and understand that what brings us together is far greater than those things that have a tendency to divide.
You, no doubt have had experiences that are diverse and most likely know people that believe things differently than you do. We also live in a time when many do not even know or care very much about the denomination of which they happen to be a part. In fact we live in a church culture that seems to frown upon denominationalism as a whole. Most today do not consider the theological distinctions of the church of their choosing, but pay much more to style then substance.
However when it comes down to the core values of any church, one thing seems to stand out. And that is the truth that Jesus is Lord. Without this belief the institution ceases to be Christian. Being Christian is living out the belief that Jesus is Lord. A key phrase from the Church of the Nazarene Manuel states, “As members of the Church Universal, we join with all true believers in proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ and in affirming the historic Trinitarian creeds and beliefs of the Christian faith.”

The creeds mentioned here are:
o The Apostle’s Creed - 215 A.D. – 542 A.D.
o The Nicene Creed – org. 325 A.D


To summarize, the key ways of understanding the Lordship of Jesus Christ is...
• Jesus Christ is the holy Lord.
• Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Church
• Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Scriptures

The biblical support for the unity of the Christian Church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and how is applies to our daily life can be seen in and through the following biblical text (Ephesians 4:1-6 and 1 Cor 1:10-13). In order to apply this to our lives within the context of a local church and the church universal is believe that we are to appreciate our place and the place of others. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and ask God to speak to your heart.

To hear the message that was based on these notes just scroll down to the next post.

Blessings,

Pastor Paul

Nazahuh??? wk 1 - "We Are Christian People"

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Arroyo Seco Trip

Every time a group takes at trip, it seems as though some thing happens that we wished would not. However when that thing happens, it seems to make the trip unique and in some strange way better. This trip was like that. Malissa Gunter tells our story through this video. Yeh, there is more to tell, but it was not safe for the camera to make the journey. If you want to know the rest of the story you will just have to come along next year and see for yourself. But before you choose to do so, know that leeches and cliffs await. Enjoy the video!

Paul

Goo Goo Eyes #2

Why do some see Christians as weird? The answer is in the fact that we are living a mystery. The Christian life is a mystery that we ourselves need to pay more attention to knowing and sharing. In a church culture that tends to stay in the shallow end of the Biblical pool we who are “servants" and “stewards” of the mysteries of God need to give the world more answers than just Jesus can fix your problems and give you a good life. To be Christian means to be united with God though Jesus and filled with His Spirit. Living this way is a mystery to those who don’t know God.

The goal of this series is to at least clear up some of the mystery so that we may live more clearly in a culture that does not believe in God. Here are the notes for this week's sermon. You may also view the videos below.

Goo Goo Eyes Sermon #2 "The Mystery of Christ in You"

Has a lack of clear understanding caused you to stay away from using phrases such as “Christ lives in me”? Should we, or should we not learn to say it in a way that draws others in? Do we talk in such a way as Christian people,that causes even more confusion. We may need to learn more about what this phrase means and how to communicate its truth. The following are some of the things we should understand in order to help people understand what we mean when we say that Jesus lives in us.

As you look at the following notes from the sermon keep this one thought in mind. God is calling us to live clearly by the mystery of the indwelling Christ even though non-believers look at you with h GOO GOO EYES. Colossians 1:24-27 states, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."(ESV)

I. Two thoughts from Hebrew culture that are needed to interpret this passage.

A. In Hebrew thought it was believed that the identity of God oscillated
between the individual and the corporate.
Ex.#1 Paul’s words in v.24-25 (Christ/His body)
Ex.#2 God’s Servant in Isaiah 49 (starts with Israel is fulfilled in Jesus)

B. The mystery/interpretation pattern in the Old Testament.

II. Understanding the mystery of Christ in us.

A. He is among us. (the you in v.27 is plural)

B. He fills us with His Spirit. 2 Timothy 1:13-14

13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. (ESV)

C. He provides hope from within. V.27

D. His life flows within all of His people. Romans 8:10-11

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (ESV)

Viewing the sermon below will bring a full understanding to these notes. Enjoy!

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Secrets: Testimony

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LIFE - Living Life as Jesus taught allows us to engage our world with the Gospel. Sermon #2 - Life Given Away: Matthew 16:24-26

When we sum up what the Bible teaches about life, we see that it teaches us that life is our physical existence along with relations, activities and experiences. The focus however is the eternal nature of life, not the temporal. Because I tend to get bent out of shape about thinks in life, I have on many occasions been forced to ask myself, “what in this situation has to do with what is really important?” This helps me to regain my focus on eternity that is affected by the now. Because we all can be short sighted, that is we tend to make decisions on the immediate without thought of the future, we all must ask the question “Am I living only for the now or am I living for the now that affects the later?

In this message God would have us to know that being a disciple calls for giving your life to what will last forever. Look at how Jesus points this out in Matthew 16:24-26
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?
(ESV)

When we are reading this text we notice verse 24 begins with "then". The use of the word “then” or “and” lets us know that the context of Jesus words is the incident with Peter in the previous verses. Reading the text in Mark's gospel also ads an interesting twist. Mark's account begins in 8:34 where he writes, “And He called to Him the crowd with His disciples…” by this Mark is suggesting that it has universal application. In other words, though He was dealing with Peter and his attempted rebuke of Jesus, this principle applies to all of us.



Understanding the previous two points we must now ask the question, how do we live our lives for what will last forever. In verse 24 Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Here there are three basic characteristics of a disciple that answers our question.

- Self-denial “Let him deny himself”
- A Willingness to be shamed – “take up his cross” (Luke adds “daily” Lk 9:23)
- A life of following – “and follow me…” (Jesus is going through death to life)


A second question that we may ask at this point is why must life be lived for what will last forever and not just for the hear and now? First we must look to Jesus words recored in verse 25. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.Here He makes the point that we can’t save both our spiritual and physical lives at the same time. Here again we must note the meaning of the word “life”. It has as the dual meaning of life in the body and life in the eternal sense. In other words Jesus is saying here that you can’t try to save both in regards to saving your life when persecuted. To provide motivation for giving our lives away we can look to the word “find”. This word is interesting because it expresses the notion of
something great and unexpected.

A second way to answer our current question is, that there is no profit in living only for the now. V.26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?


Based upon these thought we can follow the example of Paul the Apostle and live our lives as drink offerings to God. This sounds weird, and you may even pass over the words that begin the following text. In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 we find, "6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."(ESV)Genesis 35:14-15 is the first place a drink offering is mentioned. Here Jacob pours out a drink offering of wine and oil. To make a long explanation short, wine symbolizes the blood of Christ and oil is the biblical symbol for the Holy Spirit. Use these meanings to understand his words to Timothy and you will be able to live you life for what will last forever. Living this way enables us to engage our world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for reading, and the sermon video is below!

Paul

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Life

This video introduces our new series "LIFE" the life Jesus intends for us to live. The Gospel makes it possible for us to truly engage in our world.

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The Covenant Series Sermon #4 - "All In"

Happy Resurrection Day! God has fulfilled His promise in giving Jesus Christ to us as a sacrifice for sin and a purchase of eternal life. If this by chance is your first look at this series then I would encourage you to go and read the previous three post to gain an understanding of this important foundational series. The following is a description of the final three steps of the ancient covenant making ceremony.

Step 8 “Covenant Meal”

In ancient culture they would begin this step by feeding each other and saying “As you are ingesting this food you are ingesting me; you are taking me into your life.”
This step is seen in many places in the Scriptures but as you read the following passages together you will see them come together in a very clear way. Be encouraged that Jesus is of bread of the life.

O.T. – Ex. 16:4-5 “Manna From Heaven”
N.T. John 6:31-59 “True bread of life”

Step 9 “The Exchange of Names”

This step in the ancient culture is when the last part of each of their names would be placed in the middle of the other. One way to understand this is if we took our last names and made them each others middle names. This is what God was doing when He changed Abram to Abraham. God's name is understood as YHWH. This in the Hebrew is really unpronounceable and is more like the breath sound or the sound of wind. Say the names Abram and Abraham out load and you will hear what God did. This exchange is also seen in the fact that YHWH became known as the God of Abraham. It is also what happens when we take on the name Christian and Jesus was known as the Son of Man. You will see this as you read the following passages.

O.T. Genesis 17:1-5 (Abram to Abraham and YHWH the God of Abraham)

N.T. – Acts 11:26 / 1 Peter 4:16

Step 10 “The Exchange of the Oldest Male Child”

This final step in ancient culture is the most intense and difficult part of the covenant making process. The covenant partners would literally take and raise the others oldest male child. This would seal the deal. Read the following passages to see how this plays out.

O.T. Genesis 22:1-19 / Hebrews 11:17-19 “Abraham giving Isaac”

N.T. John 3:16

May you come to know that He has given you His all,

Paul

The Covenant Sermon #3 "Difficulty in the Deal"

I realized looking into steps 1-3 that this Covenant is pretty one sided. What I mean here is that I have nothing to give but have received everything from God. The beauty in this is that all God wants from me, is me. He does not want my stuff or what I can do. And all God wants from you is you. However as we look into steps 4-7 of the ancient covenant ceremony we come to discover that there is a fare amount of difficulty involved in this covenant. The point that can be made here is that the blessings are not without difficulty. If fact none of what makes life beautiful is easy. The following are steps four through seven in which we come to see the intensity of the ceremony increase.

Step 4: The Sacrifice

During this step in the ancient ceremony a sacrifice was made. This would define the covenant as a blood covenant which would be binding forever. The animals used would be dependent upon the wealth of those making covenant and because God's covenant is for all, each level of society was represented when God told Abram to get the needed animal for the sacrifice. Open your Bibles and read the following passages, They portray this step in both the Old and New Testaments.

Genesis 15:1-11

Hebrews 10:1, 19-23

Step 5: The Walk of Death

This fifth step is when things really begin to grow intense. The two who were coming together to make covenant would walk through the pieces of sacrifices animal. They would walk through in a figure eight patter repeating the statement, "if I should break my covenant with your may it be done to me as it has been done to this animal. You will notice as you read the following passage in Genesis that God caused Abram to fall asleep. Though this seems strange God did this because He knew that Abram nor those that would follow him could keep the covenant. In fact most believe that the two object described in the Genesis passage are symbols of the God and Jesus taking the death walk which would result in Jesus going to the cross for this sin of man. This step also brings clarity to Jesus statement in Matthew 16 to "take up your cross". I also think this step brings clarity to Paul's teaching on Baptism in Romans chapter 16.

Genesis 15:12-21

Matthew 16:21-25

Romans 6:1-8 “Baptism”


Step 6: The Mark on the Body

In the ancient culture this was called “the striking of hands” perhaps the meaning behind Is. 49:16. each covenant partner would cut a mark into the palm of their hand and then shake each others hand. From then on this mark on the body would tell others who they were in covenant with. As they approach some one on the road they would wave their hand displaying the covenant mark. The mark on the body is the reason for God demanding the Jews to be circumcised. The reason for circumcision and not a mark on the hands was do to the reality that God was creating a nation that would bless all others. This should bring a fair amount of clarity to the following passages.

Circumcision – Genesis 17: 10-11

Circumcision of the heart – Romans 2:28-29


Step 7: The Pronouncement of curses and blessings

This step was also completed as they walked through the pieces of the sacrificed animal. They would pass each other and repeat blessings for holding the covenant agreement and curses that would result if one should break covenant. The wording of this exchange is very similar to what we find in Deuteronomy chapter 28. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this is the thought that the curses are not found in the New Testament. This is still a work in progress for me personally, those who know more about this than I do say that they are not there. Search for yourself by beginning with the following passages. We can be sure this that Jesus has become a curse for us by hanging on the cross.

Deut. 28 (Bless. V.1-14 / Curses 15-68)

Galatians 3 (all kv -13) (The curses have been lifted)

To rap this up I would challenge you to embrace the difficult for the sake of the blessing. We have been called by God to join Him in covenant and that calls for joining Him in His work of redeeming this dark world with the light of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

May you be blessed,

Paul

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Covenant Series wk 2, 3 of 4

Covenant series wk 2, 4 of 4

"The Covenant" message #2: Resources of the Relationship

As I stated last week, when first became a Christian I set out to obey all of God’s commands. That was good, but I soon learned of the difficulty of the task and of the impossibility of doing so with my own strength and will power. I also had no idea that God would expect me to fight His enemies. However if our relationship is truly a covenant then in fact we would fight each others fight. In fact with all of our efforts to please God we often think that we need to do so on our own or just fall for the lie that we will never be able to please Him. The truth is that God has granted us all that we will ever need not only to please Him, but also to live in the victory over our enemies that so often cause us to believe that we are not pleasing our Heavenly Father.

Through the study of our relationship as a covenant we come to see that God has given us all we need for the fight that we call life. If you need a refresher on the definition of covenant see the last week's post. For this post we will be looking at the first three of ten steps in the ancient covenant ceremony. These three steps will help us understand that part of our relationship with God that resources us to successfully live in victory over our own enemies and the enemy of God.

Step #1: The exchange of Robes - As two kings would begin the ceremony they would there ribes. This would signify an exchange identity. Understood in our relationship with God, we come to find out that God has indeed exchanged identity with us.

Phil 2:5-8
5 For, let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God, 7 but did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made, 8 and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death--death even of a cross,(YLT)

Luke 24:49
49 `And, lo, I do send the promise of my Father upon you, but ye -- abide ye in the city of Jerusalem till ye be clothed with power from on high.'

Romans 13: 13-14
13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Step #2: The exchange of belts - This exchange would symbolize the exchange of strengths. As kings came together they would now posses the strengths of each others kingdom. This usually amounted to an stoppable tandem. The following passages show how this has taken place in our relationship with God.

Deuteronomy 8:17-19
17 Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.

2Corinthians 12:7-9
7 So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)


Step #3: The exchange of weapons – This exchange meant that each king would be taking on the enemies of his covenant partner. Have you ever wondered how young David could have been so bold in his encounter with Goliath? In the following passage he calls Goliath "uncircumcised". Without understanding the covenant relationship one may ask "what in the wide world would that have to do with a fight?" The answer in light of the covenant is very powerful. It means that Goliath and the Philistines are not in covenant with God therefore can be defeated by those who are in covenant with God. To understand how this exchange is described in Scripture read the following passages.

1 Samuel 17:23-26
23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel." 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (ESV)


1 Corinthians 15:21-26
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.


Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

May you know that He will defeat your enemies and may we use what He has given us in the fight.

Hope to worship our covenant God with you soon,

Pastor Paul

"Knowing What They Knew": The Covenant Series

When I first started my relationship with God, I understood that my sin was forgiven through the death of Jesus, and that I was given eternal life in heaven because Jesus had risen from the dead. With this information I began to do my best to please Him by following His word and plan for my life. I could have lived the rest of my life with that knowledge and made it safely to heaven. What I did not know was that God had bound Himself to me and that everything that He is and does is being poured into my life and available to me.

We can live our lives without ever knowing all we have in our relationship with God and go to heaven. I believe that is why, for some, the Christian life gets extremely boring and just looks like a bunch of rules. I think that is why, when life get rough, people think that God has left them or somehow has failed to love them.
Perhaps this is because that we do not understand that all of God is ours. God makes it clear that all of His activity throughout history has been with one goal in mind. That goal is to lovingly bind all that He is with us.

Through this series my prayer is that God will radically broaden our understanding of the type of relationship that He has committed to us and that our understanding of who we are in Him will explode with passion. I pray that we will know what those thriving at the time of Christ knew. The following are the notes for the first sermon in our series, "The Covenant".

I. Zechariah worshiped and lived based on His understanding of God’s Covenant.

Luke 1:67-80 (ESV)
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,saying,
68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.


I. Mary worshiped and lived based upon her understanding of God’s covenant.

Luke 1:46-55 (ESV)

46 And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

III. Paul the Apostle taught others to understand who they were based on God’s covenant.

Gal 3:8-9 (ESV)

8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Gal 4:21-31 (ESV)

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
"Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband." 28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman." 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Heb 6:13-20 (ESV) (Author Unknown)

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.


The above passages may have left you a bit confused at first reading, but by the end of this series they will become more clear. For know, if you want to worship and live like Zechariah and Mary; if you want to encourage others like Paul the Apostle; you need to know what they knew. They knew that God had made a covenant with His people and that it was impossible for Him to break it. May you worship and live knowing that God has bound Himself to you and all He is and has is yours. Stay tuned!


Pastor Paul

Believing is Seeing

We often pray for second best when we pray for signs and fail to live by the inward guidance of His Spirit. I think we somehow ignore the fact that God leads from within and may or may not grant to us the signs which we speak. Matthew and Luke record some strong words from the lips of Savior that address this issue, but are in many ways misunderstood and wrongly applied to our prayer life.

Matt 12:38-41 (ESV)
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." 39 But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Luke 11:14-16, 29 (ESV)
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons," 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.

29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

Before diving into the text, we must be reminded that a request for a sign is not necessarily wrong in itself. God gave Abraham a sign to confirm his faith in Genesis 15. God also gave Gideon a sign to confirm his call to deliver Israel in Judges 6:36-40. So if asking for a sign is not a sin, why did Jesus speak as He did as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew an Luke? I think that if we read His statements within the context of the entire chapters in which they are foun we will come to understand that Jesus was unwilling to give a sign to those who would not believe even if He did. The phrase “An evil and adulterous generation…” is to applied to the Jews who in this very chapter accredited Jesus’ miracle of casting out demons to the work of Satan. God often referred to the Jews as adulterous for not being obedient to His laws and forsaking their relationship. We also may understand His words within the truth that a miracle may not convince the one who rejects the Word of God. Pause for a moment and read the story Jesus tells about a certain rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. Pay close attention to verse 31.

Other factors that may be applied to the words of Jesus are, the reality of false miracles and the truth that those who sought a sign were most likely seeking another means by which to accuse Jesus. This was the common practice of the Pharisees and Saducees of Jesus day.

So if the request for a sign is not sinful nor adulterous why would I suggest we go about this another way? I have discovered that a better way of having Christ convince the non-believer and lead the Christian, is from within his spirit. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus said, “Behold I stand at the door and knock”. Many use this saying of Jesus in a wonderful but misinformed manner. They do so by not recognizing that Jesus was not speaking to non-believers, trying to call them to salvation. However the context of the statement is Jesus speaking to believers in the church of Laodicea who have become blind to their spiritual poverty due to their material prosperity. Context is Rev. 3:14-22 andd through the context we learn that Jesus speaks to His people from within. It has been my experience that this is a more sure way to follow our Lord. Speaking of the Holy Spirit guiding us from within, Thomas Kelly writes, “Protestants emphasis, beginning so nobly in the early Luther, has grown externally rationalistic, humanistic, and service-minded.” (A Testament of Devotion 1941)p33.

Therefore based upon the above understanding of Scripture, may the secret places of your heart cease to be our noisy workshop, and may you continuously renew your intimacy with God so that you walk by His inward guidance without the need for outward signs.

Believing is seeing,

Paul

I Don't Get It

I do not always understand the outcome of completing the work to which God has called me. This can, if I allow it, cause a hesitancy to obey His leading and sending. I tend to be a person who likes to have all the answers before making a commitment. However when dealing with God, you could call this a lack of faith. There is a big push for mission statements these days but are they really an attempt to erase faith by needing to know how our obedience will workout? I am for mission statements, but caution should be taken.

Some of us struggle to obey God because we are not sure how it will turn out. Because of this we say “I will not”; based on a misunderstanding of how God completes His work. Go does not always tell us all what He has planned within the scope of the work to which we are called. We often find ourselves in places we never would have dreamed, doing things that we never thought were possible. The point is this; as you participate in the work of God, He will determine the outcome as you walk in faithful obedience. The following is what we can learn from Jonah chapter four. I suggest that before you continue reading this, you open up your Bible and read this chapter.

At times we may struggle to connect who God is and what He is asking us to do.
Jonah’s knowledge of God’s merciful character caused him to say “I will not” to God at the outset of his call to announce judgement upon the city of Nineveh. Can you imagine Jonah pondering his call to announce judgment while believing God to be merciful. This is one reason why Jonah tried to escape following what God had called him to do.

A second point of concern is when God’s actions do not flow according to our thoughts and we become angry. Jonah was angry at the fact that His knowledge of God being merciful was fulfilled. To us this may not seem like some thing over which to become angry. However if you or I were an Old Testament prophet we would probably understand. There are several possible reasons for Jonah’s anger perhaps Jonah thought that others would think he was a false prophet. Or maybe he believed that the lack of judgment would give Gentiles a reason to mock God for the unfulfilled words of His prophet. One other possible reason for his anger could have been his patriotism that would have caused him to desire the destruction Nineveh as a means of alarming his own people who were in rebellion and bring them to repentance.

All this being considered God calls us to participate in His work and we have no right to be angry at what He chooses as the outcome. This is the point of the object lesson provided for Jonah in verses 5-11. This point is made many times throughout the Scriptures. One such occasion is Psalm 11. Here we come to understand that we are to engage in His work through study and remembrance while performing the work in the wisdom that comes from fearing Him. The challenge now becomes to follow God's call even if we just don't understand how it will all turn out.

May God bless you with a call to do His work, and may you never say no.

Its not that Important

I am glad that God did not listen to my statements of “I will not” and “I will never”. I am glad that God works hard to convince me of the importance of things that I once thought were insignificant. My life has been blessed because God did not take no for an answer.
We all, by our actions and attitudes display what is important to us. However God often works hard to change that. The story of Jonah reminds us of the extent to which God goes to change our "no" into a "yes”. Most of us praise God for this fact and are glad that we were allowed to hear His call more than once. With this being true, I want to answer the question, why does God work so hard to get us to follow His call into service?
God will go to great lengths to position us for His service because of what is at stake. The following is what we learn from Jonah chapter three. Crab your Bible and and take a look.

1. There is a message” v.1-23
2. There are things of which people must be warned. V.4
3. People can change. V. 5-9
4. Because God can, and desires to turn His wrath away. V. 10 (see also 1 John 1:1-3)

So the challenge is for each of us to make the decision that what is important to God is important to us. Look at verse three as translate in the Young's Literal Translation, "and Jonah riseth, and he goeth unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. And Nineveh hath been a great city before God, a journey of three days."(YLT)To live up to this challenge we may have to face some issues that we once sought to escape. When Jonah did this he became an example of what Jesus teaches in Matthew 21:28-31. Here Jesus states, "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first."
Matt 21:28-31"(ESV)

Is what He asking you to do important enough?

Misplaced Hope

At CONNECT we are in the second week of our series, "I Will Not" in which we are discussing why it is difficult at times to follow God. This study in based in the book of Jonah and this week's message is entitled "Misplaced Hope". The focus here is that it becomes difficult to follow God when we place our hope in things that cannot satisfy or bring completion to our lives. Being that our lives then lack hope, we say "I will not" when God calls for faith. The following is a summary of "I Will Not" part two...

I have at times placed my hope in the wrong places, people,things and occurrences. This has led to frustration and a lack of effectiveness, even to the point where saying no to God is a temptation. When we do this, we lose the hope that trouble will turn to good. We also lose our hope in God and say, “I WILL NOT”. Though Jonah may not be the perfect example of faith and courage, in him we can see a man that placed the hope of his survival in the mercy of God. This is revealed in his prayer recorded in Jonah chapter two.

We observe here that Jonah still had hope because he has not given himself to the worship of idols.

o He acknowledged that his distress was from God. V.1-3
o He had hope that he again would be in the presence of God. V.4
o He had hope of his life being spared. V.5-7

We also see in a key statement from Jonah that when you trust in that which cannot help, you are forfeiting the hope that comes from a loving relationship with God. In Jonah’s day his issue may have been worshiping other gods, but it can also apply to us today when we trust in anything other than God. Instead of this we must, when in the middle of a difficulty, go to the middle of God’s Word. Psalm 118:8 states, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man"(ESV).

We must also remember to put our trust in the Holiness of Christ. As Peter reminds us in his epistle. He writes in 1 Peter 3:13-17, "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil"(ESV).

Hoping you will say "I Will" to God,

Pastor Paul

Jonah Video

"I Will Run"

There have been times in my life that I have had a hard time following God. In fact, there have been times when I did not like what He was asking of me and I simply wanted to quit.There have also been seasons of discontent that only ended when I realized that my true source of joy and satisfaction comes from being in the presence of God and enjoying who He is, not only what He does.

We all are challenged in many different ways and these challenges make it difficult to follow God. These challenges come from who we are as humans and the fact that we live in a culture that, for the most part, has rejected God.I think that it is also hard to obey God because we believe the lie that moving away from God will produce satisfaction. I know that this sounds weird to the ears of a Christian. It sounds like something a Christian would never think or dare to attempt. However if we are honest with ourselves this silly idea is very much what many choose to believe.

This weird little lie states that I can disobey God and He will find someone else to do His work. The dangerous part of this is that it is somewhat true, yet there are somethings that God will only use you to do. For example, only you can be the father or mother to your child. This lie also tempts us to believe that we can escape His inspiring influence. The truth here is that when God calls you He will not give up so easily. Finally and perhaps the most stunning, this lie tells us that
we can flee the “face” of God without considering the real result. Consider the meaning of “the face of”. It means the following, with the corresponding Scripture passages:

- Acceptance - Gen. 32:20
- Devotion - Psalm 27:8
- It is symbolic of the exposure of one’s nature and character.
(Jewish Literature)

So the challenge for us becomes to believe the truth about being away from the face of God. Being away from the face of God means...

- Being away from His communication. Deut. 31:16-18
- That God will ignore your request for help. Psalm 13:1-2
- It is compared to a death…..Psalm 143:7

With all this in mind my prayer for all of us is that the presence of God becomes the most precious part of our lives. Psalm 17:15 states, "As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness"(ESV).


May you be blessed,

Pastor Paul

The Story of Jonah as Told by The Cutest Little Girl

Another Year

Ever wonder why we celebrate a new year and gladly say good-bye to the previous? My wife asked me that question recently and I did not have a answer. Was last year really that bad that we are glad to see it go? Was it really that good that we would want to hold on to it? Is a year an "it"? Does it really matter? Did the world somehow change and the stroke of midnight on December 31st? No the world is still the same. The world has the same beauty and the same things that make it not so beautiful. That is the case no matter what year it is.

What about you? How have you changed over the last year? Closer to God? Are you more like the person you want to be. Perhaps you are less. So here is a question, what does God think about your 2010 and the person you have become through its events? Take a few moments to think and pray this over and you may be amazed with what you discover. My prayer for you is that you would know the mind of God for your 2011 and that you will be a part of what makes our world beautiful.

Stopping to reflect,

Paul