October 16,2011 Notes --> "The Good News Is For Everyone"
Proverbs 11:30 the wise wins souls
-God draws men to him by drawing them to us
--> Matthew 4:23, Matthew 24: 14
God will send you people if you are open and available.
--> Luke 9:1-6
--> Mark 1: 14-15
--> Luke 4:16
--> Luke 20:1-2
--> Isaiah 61:1-3
--> Mark 16:15
--> Genesis 3:15
-Gospel = good tithings or good news
Life today is not what God intended it to be
--> Romans 10:8
- There is a certain piece of the Gospel that meets the needs of everyone, but you must first find the needs of everyone but you must first find the need of that person
- "saved" (in Greek it's "Sozo") means to deliver, protect, heal, preserve; to be made whole or well.
--> Proverbs 18:13
--> James 1: 19
Monday, November 7, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Grateful
I want to be transparent with you all for a moment.. apologies if any family member is offended. Your struggles are tools for ministry, and i think someone out there can grow from this situation.
Anyway..
Two days ago, my mother's car was repossessed. I had no idea. That same morning, my dad told my siblings and I that in a few weeks we would be moving into a smaller home because at the moment my dad was the only paycheck we were living off of, so we needed to save money and cut expenses. Initially, I thought, "How did things get this bad? My parents make descent money, especially to only be on the lower end of their 30's. what's going on?"
But God spoke to me at that moment, and I couldn't do anything but give Him praise. We have to downsize from our condo to an apartment. True. However, we are all covered under my dad's health insurance; we have two other vehicles to use so the repossession didn't greatly effect our daily routine; we're not starving; and we still have somewhere to lay our heads. Some families weren't as lucky. Some kids are living in shelters right now. The only change in our lives is that I have to give up my own room and share with one of my sisters. Nothing else changed, or is changing. Praise God that this situation isn't as bad as it could be. In fact, since we have to downsize, we can't take everything with us. So i've decided that i'm most likely going to give my tv, radio, and some other valuables away to the city rescue mission. I'm not going to just give away the things I no longer use, but I want to actually sacrifice some of the material things in my life so that I'm not as distracted from God. I'm going to turn the situation the enemy want to use as a tragedy and turn it into a testimony for God. With Him, I can never be defeated!
However, as human beings, sometimes it takes a little bit of light for us to see the whole picture. We tend to focus on the little speck in the corner, when the entire picture is a million dollar portrait! Through good and bad, God remains worthy of every ounce of praise. Remember that everything you have or don't have, good or bad if for the glory of God alone. Always count your blessings and stay humble. Stay blessed, love you all. Have a great day :)
"Impact Through Relationships" ~Bishop George Davis
~October 09,2011
[Week 3 of 40 Days of Impact]
--> Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission)
- You have accepted the responsibility of fulfilling your part of the Great Commission the moment you became a born-again believer..
*impossible to have this type of impact on people (teaching/ discipling) without having relationships!
-->john 1:34-
"Leadership is influence" --> *in order to have influence on an individual's life, you must have relationship!
--> Luke 14:23-33 (The Cost of Discipleship)
Compel--> to necessitate; constrain; to bring by force or threat
-for last, longterm change in people's lives= relationship. Over time, God will use you to minister and reach people
*In order to be effective in Evangelizing, you must be effective in relationship! You can't evangelize if you don't know people. Meaning, you must be willing to open yourself up to meet and interact with people you don't know. We must be willing to expand our horizon of who we consider our friends
--> Matthew11:28
~ 2 methodologies Jesus uses in ministry~
1) he met "felt" (human) needs
- Matthew 11:28
-people are more willing to listen to you if you touch a place in their hearts that is hurting; relate to them.
* "You'll never know until you try, how accessible men are, but we must approach each man a different way" ~ William Beacher
Question: What are "felt" needs?
- answers to Q's about life problems. --> when people recognize the wisdom of God in you, they will come to you and ask you questions! [so don't be aggravated when people always want to talk to you about issues, etc] You can't be easily irritated by those people are who you are trying to reach!
-info about things that interest people -> *so many Christians only know how to talk about the bible! We have to be well-rounded (i.e. able to talk about common interest like volleyball, football, etc) so that you don't turn people away.. and eventually, once you build that relationship, you CAN talk to them about what you really want to talk to them about, which is the love of God.
-->Luke 4:18-
* Question: how will we ever be like Christ and use the anointing we have to heal the hurts of people, if we never know the people around us are hurting?
*you don't have to be rich, but it's selfish to only want enough for you and your family because then you can't be used by God to bless others! He has raised you up to get a word so that you can give a word!
-->john 1:35
"come and see"
-come= He had enough time, they're worthy of his time. (we have to slow down enough to spend time with them)
-see= he was being transparent with them!
--> Matthew 5:13-
"we are salt.." --> *The only reason total hell and condemnation hasn't completely take =n over this world is because the body of Christ is here
-salt = a preservative. (used in mid. eastern countries without refrigerators to preserve food)
*we have to take the salt and light out of the church and into the community where the people are.
-we need to get to a place where we don't condemn the sinners, but at the same time we can still reach out to them.
**their temptations are not beneath us! It's just that we've come to a place where we're not tempted to/by it
--> Luke 19:
-you don't have to shove that person's past sins in their face, or quote 100 scriptures for why what they're doing is wrong!
*acceptance builds trust--> trust builds relationships--> relationships lead to people being comfortable enough with you through relationship that they are willing, maybe even eager to hear what you have to say
[Week 3 of 40 Days of Impact]
--> Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission)
- You have accepted the responsibility of fulfilling your part of the Great Commission the moment you became a born-again believer..
*impossible to have this type of impact on people (teaching/ discipling) without having relationships!
-->john 1:34-
"Leadership is influence" --> *in order to have influence on an individual's life, you must have relationship!
--> Luke 14:23-33 (The Cost of Discipleship)
Compel--> to necessitate; constrain; to bring by force or threat
-for last, longterm change in people's lives= relationship. Over time, God will use you to minister and reach people
*In order to be effective in Evangelizing, you must be effective in relationship! You can't evangelize if you don't know people. Meaning, you must be willing to open yourself up to meet and interact with people you don't know. We must be willing to expand our horizon of who we consider our friends
--> Matthew11:28
~ 2 methodologies Jesus uses in ministry~
1) he met "felt" (human) needs
- Matthew 11:28
-people are more willing to listen to you if you touch a place in their hearts that is hurting; relate to them.
* "You'll never know until you try, how accessible men are, but we must approach each man a different way" ~ William Beacher
Question: What are "felt" needs?
- answers to Q's about life problems. --> when people recognize the wisdom of God in you, they will come to you and ask you questions! [so don't be aggravated when people always want to talk to you about issues, etc] You can't be easily irritated by those people are who you are trying to reach!
-info about things that interest people -> *so many Christians only know how to talk about the bible! We have to be well-rounded (i.e. able to talk about common interest like volleyball, football, etc) so that you don't turn people away.. and eventually, once you build that relationship, you CAN talk to them about what you really want to talk to them about, which is the love of God.
-->Luke 4:18-
* Question: how will we ever be like Christ and use the anointing we have to heal the hurts of people, if we never know the people around us are hurting?
*you don't have to be rich, but it's selfish to only want enough for you and your family because then you can't be used by God to bless others! He has raised you up to get a word so that you can give a word!
-->john 1:35
"come and see"
-come= He had enough time, they're worthy of his time. (we have to slow down enough to spend time with them)
-see= he was being transparent with them!
--> Matthew 5:13-
"we are salt.." --> *The only reason total hell and condemnation hasn't completely take =n over this world is because the body of Christ is here
-salt = a preservative. (used in mid. eastern countries without refrigerators to preserve food)
*we have to take the salt and light out of the church and into the community where the people are.
-we need to get to a place where we don't condemn the sinners, but at the same time we can still reach out to them.
**their temptations are not beneath us! It's just that we've come to a place where we're not tempted to/by it
--> Luke 19:
-you don't have to shove that person's past sins in their face, or quote 100 scriptures for why what they're doing is wrong!
*acceptance builds trust--> trust builds relationships--> relationships lead to people being comfortable enough with you through relationship that they are willing, maybe even eager to hear what you have to say
Another Friday Lifted Service
October 07, 2011
scriptures:
Luke 1: 26-35; Matthew 1:18-25; Jeremiah 1:5; Romans 11:29; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 28; Mark 13:11; Romans 10:14
-You've been chosen. Therefore you have been equipped with everything you need (through the Holy Spirit) to minister to the multitudes
*Think of 2Timothy 1:7 before you get ready to minister to people [if fear is something that stops you from sharing the Gospel] and read Mark13:11 [if you deal with insecurities like what to say when you minister, etc]
*Romans 10:14 = your motivating force in discipling
--> Romans 8:35
*We have to be crazy in love with God in order to follow christ. I want to make my life look so much like Christ's life so that I can live forever with him.
- The only way you know Christ is through the word.
**Question: What are some things that tend to separate us from Him?
our own physical plans - music - friends - guilt - unforgiving heart - insecurities - etc
-Paul is talking to us; he is asking us what shall separate us from the love of God?! It's really just a rhetorical question b/c NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ!
Tribulation= distress, turmoil, dire or extreme tragedy and sadness.
*even though i'm feeling this way[insert emotion here], God is still in love with me!
(I no longer live but Christ lives in me)
--> God is still amazing; He is still good despite your circumstances!! For God's sake, we are being persecuted all day long! We may not be killed physically, but we are persecuted by words, etc. We can't do all the things of the world b/c we know that it doesn't please him.
- I'd rather be treated like a sheep, than BE a sheep without Christ. (*Without a good shepherd, we're treading on very dangerous territory)
-suicide= allowing affliction to separate us from God
*Paul doesn't say what turns GOD away from us, but what WE do to separate ourselves from HIM! God is ALWAYS there!! He'll never leave you nor forsake you. He won't give up on you, even when everyone else around you does.
---> It's not enough for God to be crazy in love with us! We have to reciprocate that same love back to him!
**Question: Are you in love with him back?
-it takes a leap of faith. Are you crazy enough to not only believe in Him, but be radical enough to love him back by sacrificing your life to Him?
scriptures:
Luke 1: 26-35; Matthew 1:18-25; Jeremiah 1:5; Romans 11:29; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 28; Mark 13:11; Romans 10:14
-You've been chosen. Therefore you have been equipped with everything you need (through the Holy Spirit) to minister to the multitudes
*Think of 2Timothy 1:7 before you get ready to minister to people [if fear is something that stops you from sharing the Gospel] and read Mark13:11 [if you deal with insecurities like what to say when you minister, etc]
*Romans 10:14 = your motivating force in discipling
--> Romans 8:35
*We have to be crazy in love with God in order to follow christ. I want to make my life look so much like Christ's life so that I can live forever with him.
- The only way you know Christ is through the word.
**Question: What are some things that tend to separate us from Him?
our own physical plans - music - friends - guilt - unforgiving heart - insecurities - etc
-Paul is talking to us; he is asking us what shall separate us from the love of God?! It's really just a rhetorical question b/c NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ!
Tribulation= distress, turmoil, dire or extreme tragedy and sadness.
*even though i'm feeling this way[insert emotion here], God is still in love with me!
(I no longer live but Christ lives in me)
--> God is still amazing; He is still good despite your circumstances!! For God's sake, we are being persecuted all day long! We may not be killed physically, but we are persecuted by words, etc. We can't do all the things of the world b/c we know that it doesn't please him.
- I'd rather be treated like a sheep, than BE a sheep without Christ. (*Without a good shepherd, we're treading on very dangerous territory)
-suicide= allowing affliction to separate us from God
*Paul doesn't say what turns GOD away from us, but what WE do to separate ourselves from HIM! God is ALWAYS there!! He'll never leave you nor forsake you. He won't give up on you, even when everyone else around you does.
---> It's not enough for God to be crazy in love with us! We have to reciprocate that same love back to him!
**Question: Are you in love with him back?
-it takes a leap of faith. Are you crazy enough to not only believe in Him, but be radical enough to love him back by sacrificing your life to Him?
Crazy Love ~ Pastor Brandon Davis
Friday night Lifted Service [September 30,2011]
* a huge misconception about God is that he doesn't love individuals who don't follow him.
-God loves us, in spite of us!
-we could go day after day doing the same sins we swore we'd stop doing, constantly breaking promises to Him and he STILL loves us!
-God is omniscient [all knowing] He knows your good, bad, and ugly (all the little things you put away in a closet for no one else to see)
*God's love is different than the "love" of this world!!
-->Romans 5:6-8 Jesus died for you IN your sin! *If you never realize how jacked up you are, you'll never truly appreciate the death of Christ
- the death of Christ signifies that you have the power to defeat sin, we're born again, etc. and we mock his death when you keep playing with those sins.
-He must be crazy to send his son to die for us, knowing that we were going to sin against him over and over...
-John 3:16-18 "....he gave"
--> Love leads to giving
*Jesus didn't come to the world to judge or condemn us! --> His love came in and rescued us from what we were about to do to ourselves.
Q: how many times have we put our feelings, sin, etc. ahead of God?
ex:"i don't feel like reading my word tonight, i'm too tired.." I know i shouldn't be doing this [insert sin here], but i want to do it.." When you do that, you're putting your feelings, sins, etc. before God! He's a jealous God! you can't play around with sin throughout the week, then try to clean yourself up on sundays and think God is pleased with you.
-->Ephesians 3:17
*Jesus wants to dwell on the inside of your heart forever [only possible if you have faith! trust in him and know him!]
-understand the extent of God's love. It surrounds us; we can't ever escape it! Despite what you've done, what people say about you, etc God has not given up on you!
*There is never a day when you were so good that you're beyond the need of God's grace, and there's never a day where you were so bad that you're beyond the reach of God's grace! (Jerry Bridges 1994) --> "The Discipline of Grace" chapter 3...
-come to know how much God loves you and how much he loves others
*our ability to love can either hurt our ministry or help it
Ghandi- "I would've became a Christian if I never met one." --> Show the true love of Christ and break this stereotype!!
-->Matthew 25:31-34
Did you even know...
-That someone is in need?
- That Jesus is sick when people are sick, hungry when people are hungry, etc.
* a huge misconception about God is that he doesn't love individuals who don't follow him.
-God loves us, in spite of us!
-we could go day after day doing the same sins we swore we'd stop doing, constantly breaking promises to Him and he STILL loves us!
-God is omniscient [all knowing] He knows your good, bad, and ugly (all the little things you put away in a closet for no one else to see)
*God's love is different than the "love" of this world!!
-->Romans 5:6-8 Jesus died for you IN your sin! *If you never realize how jacked up you are, you'll never truly appreciate the death of Christ
- the death of Christ signifies that you have the power to defeat sin, we're born again, etc. and we mock his death when you keep playing with those sins.
-He must be crazy to send his son to die for us, knowing that we were going to sin against him over and over...
-John 3:16-18 "....he gave"
--> Love leads to giving
*Jesus didn't come to the world to judge or condemn us! --> His love came in and rescued us from what we were about to do to ourselves.
Q: how many times have we put our feelings, sin, etc. ahead of God?
ex:"i don't feel like reading my word tonight, i'm too tired.." I know i shouldn't be doing this [insert sin here], but i want to do it.." When you do that, you're putting your feelings, sins, etc. before God! He's a jealous God! you can't play around with sin throughout the week, then try to clean yourself up on sundays and think God is pleased with you.
-->Ephesians 3:17
*Jesus wants to dwell on the inside of your heart forever [only possible if you have faith! trust in him and know him!]
-understand the extent of God's love. It surrounds us; we can't ever escape it! Despite what you've done, what people say about you, etc God has not given up on you!
*There is never a day when you were so good that you're beyond the need of God's grace, and there's never a day where you were so bad that you're beyond the reach of God's grace! (Jerry Bridges 1994) --> "The Discipline of Grace" chapter 3...
-come to know how much God loves you and how much he loves others
*our ability to love can either hurt our ministry or help it
Ghandi- "I would've became a Christian if I never met one." --> Show the true love of Christ and break this stereotype!!
-->Matthew 25:31-34
Did you even know...
-That someone is in need?
- That Jesus is sick when people are sick, hungry when people are hungry, etc.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Loving the Seemingly "Unlovable" ~ Bishop George Davis
*First sermon in Faith Christian Center's 40 Days of Impact campaign!!
(8:30 am service, September 25, 2011)
Luke 6:27-
- It's no big deal to love someone who loves you back; help those who help you; give to those in which you expect to receive something in return, etc.
Question: Is there a group of people that you've self-consciously labeled "unlovable" or placed on a "hard-to-love" list? [of course, no one says this verbally, but in the back of your mind you've placed these individuals in a pile of "unlovables" because of your personal feelings about them, etc.]
*In order for us to be effective in ministry, we have to love people. -->John 3:16 "For God so loved the WORLD..." it doesn't say "For God so loved the Christian.." Yes, God is pleased with the walk or life the Christian lives, but his love for them is not greater than his love for the sinner. Therefore as followers of Christ, OUR love for people shouldn't be greater towards someone who loves us back or makes us feel good. That drug dealer or prostitute you pass by on the side of the road is loved just as much as the elderly woman you see praising God in her Sunday's best every week. You don't know how good your "love walk" is until you encounter someone who is different from you.
4 Roots to Why We're Unable to Really Love People:
#1: Prejudice- an unfavorable feeling or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought or reason; without personal knowledge of a person yet generalizing based on a collective group of individuals.
*Prejudice goes far beyond a racial barrier.
When you prejudge, you get to a place where you're unwilling to ask God to help you go that extra mile to minister to that person because you feel like you already have them figured out based on what you see. [It's okay to totally loathe and detest the actions of a person, but NEVER to actually hate the person!]
--> Luke 5:12
#2: A Selfish Focus
- Evangelism is not just going out cold turkey and asking people if they want to be born again.
-We live in such a humanistic world...a selfish focus will keep us TALKING about the needs of those around us, but too prideful or self-consumed to act on those needs. A selfish focus will keep you focused only on how YOU are blessed, etc.
--> ex: after 6 months, that fancy car or new house you bought will be just another house.
*Most of the emotional stress people deal with have to do with the result of living a selfish life. We have the most stuff out of any generation, yet we are also the most depressed generation. Why? Because stuff can't satisfy you.
--> Matthew 6:36 [ref scripture]
--> Matthew 9: 36-39
--> Matthew 14: 10-16
*compassion came over Jesus and he heard those sick people in the crowds EVEN while he tried to grieve over the murder of John the Baptist
--> Matthew 15:32 - when you have compassion for people and allow your desires to match God's, He will make sure you have all the resources available to you that you need to be effective in ministry.
--> Matthew 20:30
Compassion: a genuine love for those in need, combined with a Godly desire to end their suffering.
*it might be someone's LAST day on Earth, and they ran into you! They interacted with you! You must have compassion to love them enough to get them to Jesus!
*We're not blessed so that we can sit and live a life of luxury but that when God gives us an opportunity to minister to His people, you can do it and do it well.
#3: personal insecurity
-requires looking past a person's actions to see their needs.
--> Matthew 9:10
*you cant reach a sinner if you're unwilling to engage with them!
-> Luke 7:36-
#4: Pride and Arrogance
- if it wasn't for the grace of God, you could be that homeless guy or that girl with the baby at 14. Don't think for a second that you didn't make enough mistakes in your life to end up where they are or worse! Your life is by the grace of God alone. It's not because you made all the right choices and that's why you're successful. No.
--> Romans 5:8 [ref scripture]
(8:30 am service, September 25, 2011)
Luke 6:27-
- It's no big deal to love someone who loves you back; help those who help you; give to those in which you expect to receive something in return, etc.
Question: Is there a group of people that you've self-consciously labeled "unlovable" or placed on a "hard-to-love" list? [of course, no one says this verbally, but in the back of your mind you've placed these individuals in a pile of "unlovables" because of your personal feelings about them, etc.]
*In order for us to be effective in ministry, we have to love people. -->John 3:16 "For God so loved the WORLD..." it doesn't say "For God so loved the Christian.." Yes, God is pleased with the walk or life the Christian lives, but his love for them is not greater than his love for the sinner. Therefore as followers of Christ, OUR love for people shouldn't be greater towards someone who loves us back or makes us feel good. That drug dealer or prostitute you pass by on the side of the road is loved just as much as the elderly woman you see praising God in her Sunday's best every week. You don't know how good your "love walk" is until you encounter someone who is different from you.
4 Roots to Why We're Unable to Really Love People:
#1: Prejudice- an unfavorable feeling or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought or reason; without personal knowledge of a person yet generalizing based on a collective group of individuals.
*Prejudice goes far beyond a racial barrier.
When you prejudge, you get to a place where you're unwilling to ask God to help you go that extra mile to minister to that person because you feel like you already have them figured out based on what you see. [It's okay to totally loathe and detest the actions of a person, but NEVER to actually hate the person!]
--> Luke 5:12
#2: A Selfish Focus
- Evangelism is not just going out cold turkey and asking people if they want to be born again.
-We live in such a humanistic world...a selfish focus will keep us TALKING about the needs of those around us, but too prideful or self-consumed to act on those needs. A selfish focus will keep you focused only on how YOU are blessed, etc.
--> ex: after 6 months, that fancy car or new house you bought will be just another house.
*Most of the emotional stress people deal with have to do with the result of living a selfish life. We have the most stuff out of any generation, yet we are also the most depressed generation. Why? Because stuff can't satisfy you.
--> Matthew 6:36 [ref scripture]
--> Matthew 9: 36-39
--> Matthew 14: 10-16
*compassion came over Jesus and he heard those sick people in the crowds EVEN while he tried to grieve over the murder of John the Baptist
--> Matthew 15:32 - when you have compassion for people and allow your desires to match God's, He will make sure you have all the resources available to you that you need to be effective in ministry.
--> Matthew 20:30
Compassion: a genuine love for those in need, combined with a Godly desire to end their suffering.
*it might be someone's LAST day on Earth, and they ran into you! They interacted with you! You must have compassion to love them enough to get them to Jesus!
*We're not blessed so that we can sit and live a life of luxury but that when God gives us an opportunity to minister to His people, you can do it and do it well.
#3: personal insecurity
-requires looking past a person's actions to see their needs.
--> Matthew 9:10
*you cant reach a sinner if you're unwilling to engage with them!
-> Luke 7:36-
#4: Pride and Arrogance
- if it wasn't for the grace of God, you could be that homeless guy or that girl with the baby at 14. Don't think for a second that you didn't make enough mistakes in your life to end up where they are or worse! Your life is by the grace of God alone. It's not because you made all the right choices and that's why you're successful. No.
--> Romans 5:8 [ref scripture]
Monday, September 19, 2011
Lifted Youth Group
-September 15, 2011 Thursday night service by Pastor Brandon Davis
* your protection is where God tells you to be, and in his presence.
-Living in perfect peace has nothing to do with your situation, but everything to do with fearing God
-it's impossible to be joyous, peaceful, etc while simultaneously NOT fearing God
*joy has absolutely nothing to do with happiness! --> happiness = a temporary feeling.
-->Proverbs 8:13-
*whatever God says goes. Period. The minute this isn't our mindset, we're in sin.
God says to hate evil, therefore we should hate evil. Evil isn't just all the obvious sins. It's all sin. That includes gossiping --> The only opinion that matters is God's and he said he created all people to be beautiful. Who are you to talk about someone else?
*Fear the Lord or you will not be with him.
- He will not be mocked!! Do you really think God is going to sit up in heaven and be mocked by someone who wants to receive His grace and gift of salvation but didn't do anything on Earth to deserve it? Salvation is a free gift; we can't do anything to earn it. However, as a born-again believer, you are still held liable to the law if God which he gives to those who believe in him.
*fearing God leads to knowing God; He's the beginning of knowledge. Therefore, you won't know him until you fear him. God doesn't operate like the other things in this world. You don't see him first. God says, "you fear me, THEN you will see me." The problem with this is that we don't allow ourselves to look past our circumstances.
*It's hard to talk about someone you don't know!
*If you don't know the bible you'll never know/ understand how to defend it!
--> rap: the majority, if not all of rap/hip hop music today talks about pride, arrogance, money, success, revenge, murder, drugs, etc. The very things God despises. All the rappers, singers, actors, entertainers, etc. are speaking into existence the very things God says he HATES and He tells us to hate it as well. [Goes back to the fearing God thing] One component of fearing God is being obedient to his will. If he HATES these things, yet they are still a part of your life [and you're making no effort to remove them from your life], God might not think too fondly of you right now.
Peace can only be obtained through fearing God
--> Deuteronomy 30:19
obedience is better than sacrifice!
Q: How can I be expected to fear the Lord with everything going on in my life?
A: that's why God sent the holy spirit!
- some people look at fearing God like children look at their parents forcing them to eat vegetables! [maybe not through their mouth, but through their actions]
--> But Jesus sent us a comforter! (vs 16)
"comforter" - counselor; helper, intercessor; etc.
*Holy Spirit is living on the inside of you [if you're born again]. You're not happy, or you're depressed because you have God living on the inside of you, restraining your joy because you refuse to serve, love or fear Him. You're trying to do the things of this world, and you can't seem to get happy because the Holy Spirit is also an intercessor-> He is praying to God AGAINST the very things you're trying to do!
Also, so many people say they're confused, or insecure,etc. You have every answer you ever needed because you have the Holy Spirit on the inside of you while simultaneously dwelling in the mind of God [and God is all knowing] --> With someone like that on the inside of you, you can't (or shouldn't) ever feel insecure, depressed, inferior, stupid, etc.
* your protection is where God tells you to be, and in his presence.
-Living in perfect peace has nothing to do with your situation, but everything to do with fearing God
-it's impossible to be joyous, peaceful, etc while simultaneously NOT fearing God
*joy has absolutely nothing to do with happiness! --> happiness = a temporary feeling.
-->Proverbs 8:13-
*whatever God says goes. Period. The minute this isn't our mindset, we're in sin.
God says to hate evil, therefore we should hate evil. Evil isn't just all the obvious sins. It's all sin. That includes gossiping --> The only opinion that matters is God's and he said he created all people to be beautiful. Who are you to talk about someone else?
*Fear the Lord or you will not be with him.
- He will not be mocked!! Do you really think God is going to sit up in heaven and be mocked by someone who wants to receive His grace and gift of salvation but didn't do anything on Earth to deserve it? Salvation is a free gift; we can't do anything to earn it. However, as a born-again believer, you are still held liable to the law if God which he gives to those who believe in him.
*fearing God leads to knowing God; He's the beginning of knowledge. Therefore, you won't know him until you fear him. God doesn't operate like the other things in this world. You don't see him first. God says, "you fear me, THEN you will see me." The problem with this is that we don't allow ourselves to look past our circumstances.
*It's hard to talk about someone you don't know!
*If you don't know the bible you'll never know/ understand how to defend it!
--> rap: the majority, if not all of rap/hip hop music today talks about pride, arrogance, money, success, revenge, murder, drugs, etc. The very things God despises. All the rappers, singers, actors, entertainers, etc. are speaking into existence the very things God says he HATES and He tells us to hate it as well. [Goes back to the fearing God thing] One component of fearing God is being obedient to his will. If he HATES these things, yet they are still a part of your life [and you're making no effort to remove them from your life], God might not think too fondly of you right now.
Peace can only be obtained through fearing God
--> Deuteronomy 30:19
obedience is better than sacrifice!
Q: How can I be expected to fear the Lord with everything going on in my life?
A: that's why God sent the holy spirit!
- some people look at fearing God like children look at their parents forcing them to eat vegetables! [maybe not through their mouth, but through their actions]
--> But Jesus sent us a comforter! (vs 16)
"comforter" - counselor; helper, intercessor; etc.
*Holy Spirit is living on the inside of you [if you're born again]. You're not happy, or you're depressed because you have God living on the inside of you, restraining your joy because you refuse to serve, love or fear Him. You're trying to do the things of this world, and you can't seem to get happy because the Holy Spirit is also an intercessor-> He is praying to God AGAINST the very things you're trying to do!
Also, so many people say they're confused, or insecure,etc. You have every answer you ever needed because you have the Holy Spirit on the inside of you while simultaneously dwelling in the mind of God [and God is all knowing] --> With someone like that on the inside of you, you can't (or shouldn't) ever feel insecure, depressed, inferior, stupid, etc.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)