Good Performances require Godly Preparation

Many of the Spiritual Battles we lose in life are often caused by a lack of Spiritual Preparation. In any battle fight or competition preparation is critical. Most of us love to perform but we hate to prepare. I can still hear the words of NBA superstar Allen Iverson, "PRACTICE." Paul warns the church of its need to be prepared for Spiritual Warfare. Paul gives the church at Ephesus and believers of all ages to be spiritually prepared to fight in the war against the enemies of our faith and practice. In Ephesians 6:10-13, He starts with A Command - Be Strong in the Lord. Which is a command to have our dependency properly aligned. A good army must know where their strength resides. Our strength is not in ourselves nor our efforts for we are no match for the devil and his demons. After telling us what to do Paul then tells us how to do it An Explanation, "Put on God's Armor." Our Strength for battle is found in our obedience to Paul's word. This command is in the middle voice, meaning the subject is to do the action and actually benefits from the action he does. David knew he could not beat Goliath with Saul's armor. So he refused it for he had never used it and it was never designed for Him it was designed for Saul. God has armor that is tailor made for His people to do battle with our enemies. Paul gives us the Command the Explanation and then the Reason - In order that you might be able to STAND against the schemes of the devil. We must understand that the devil doesn't have any new material. He uses the same schemes and strategy to try to defeat us. He knows he can't destroy us externally so he tries to corrupt us internally. Paul Conclusion - Put on God's Full Armor in Order to Stand. Paul restates a previous command, we are to be fully prepared for the attacks of the devil. The goal is for us to Perform by STANDING and we can only Stand by PREPARING. May God give us the grace to see the necessity of our need of HIM in the Spiritual Battles we will face. (Phil. 4:13)

His Glory or Our Glory

Ed Stetzer, in Comeback Churches, states "Many spiritual problems and barriers exist, hindering a church's growth through evangelism. Then, Stetzer cites thirty growth barriers that he believes cannot be overcome by "accepting statistics or adhering to strategies."

We will do better with the Master's Purpose than with Our Plans.

The first barrier that Stetzer states is "Churches aren't concerned about God's glory, believing the church is just for them."

Much of what we call worship is Self-Centered. Listen to much of what we call Gospel music. I never would have made it without you. The song is never clear and definitive about who the help came from. There is no mentioning of Jesus Christ. He Saw the best in Me. This denies the clear teaching of Scripture on the doctrine of the depravity of man. Our purpose is to Glorify Him and find satisfaction in so doing.

When a church's major focus is within the confines of a building, the congregation can morph into a religious country club. While on earth, Jesus was focused on those individuals that the "Religious Elite" considered to be unclean, unholy, profane. However, in truth, the attitude and hearts of the religious leaders were unclean, unholy, profane.

When a church is focused on God's Glory, they will do that which brings Him Glory. Example reaching the lost, by making disciples for Jesus Christ. We demonstrate our concern for His Glory by obeying His commands.

A story that illustrates the importance of staying focused on reaching people for Christ is below. This modern parable was written originally in 1953 by an Episcopal priest named Theodore Wedel. It shows how our own glory can take priorty over His Glory.

"A Crude Lifesaving Station"
by Theodore Wedel

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a crude lifesaving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves went out day and night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous.

Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and their money and their effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little lifesaving station grew.

Now some of the members of the lifesaving station became unhappy, in time, however, because the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable, suitable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. And so they replaced the emergency cots with beds, and they put better furniture in the now enlarged building, so that now the lifesaving station actually became a popular gathering place for its members. They took great care in decorating it beautifully and furnishing it exquisitely, for they found new uses for it in the context of a sort of club. But fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, and so they hired lifesaving crews to do this work on their behalf, and in their stead.

Now, don’t misunderstand, the lifesaving motif still prevailed in the club’s decoration and symbols — there was a liturgical lifeboat (symbolic rather than fully functional) in the room where the club initiations were held, for example — so the changes did not necessarily mean that the original purposes were totally lost.

About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold and wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty people and they were sick people, some of them with black skin, some with yellow skin. The beautiful new club, as you might imagine, was thrown into chaos, so that the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where these recent victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming
inside the main clubhouse.

At the very next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities for being so unpleasant, as well as for being a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose, pointing out that, indeed, they were still called a lifesaving station. But these few were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. And so, they did just that.

Now as the years passed, the new station down the coast came to experience the very same changes that had occurred in the older, initial station. It evolved into a club, and yet another lifesaving station had to be founded to restore the original purpose.

Well, history continued to repeat itself, so that if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a great number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown!”

Please don't miss the point. I am not saying the church has some saving power in and of itself. God alone saves all of His Elect people. However I don't think this negates our responsibility in relationship to Him and others. I think the story shows how ones practices can shift when their purpose is misaligned. All that we do should be for His Glory and not ours.

I Peter 4:11

11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Forgive

To forgive is not an occassional act but a permanent attitude. It is not optional for the child of God it is mandatory. To forgive is to cancel the debt another owes you. It is to not let the act come between you and the guilty party. Forgive is to go 100% to bring a guilty person back into relationship with you. It is to take one back into your heart when you know you can't trust them. This is what God has done for His people in Christ Jesus.(Matthew 6:14-15)

CONFUSED

Rima Fakih, 24, of Dearborn, Michigan, was crowned Miss USA on Saturday night....According to Ms. Fakih her family celebrates both the Christian and Muslim faiths...Which I just don't believe is possible! Matter of fact I know is impossible. Now she did say CELEBRATES both the Christian and Muslim faiths. Now I don't know what she means by celebrtes them both. I just want to be clear that you can't be a Christian and a Muslim. Nor can you be a Christian-Muslim nor a Muslim-Christian, there is no such thing. If this is what she thinks she is Neither. She is CONFUSED! You can be a Christian and respect one having different beliefs that you don't embrace. However your beliefs as a Christian is a statement that their beliefs are wrong. The theological terms of the two faith are contradictory. You can only be a Christian by repenting of your sins and turning to Jesus Christ as the Only means and hope of Salvation. Trusting Him Alone, that is His PERSON and ATONING WORK CALVARY for full payment of your sin. Jesus says in John 14:6, I am THE WAY THE TRUTH and THE LIFE. NO ONE comes to God EXCEPT through ME. These are exclusives claims not inclusive. Many people think they can have Jesus and something else. To be a Christian according to the bible, it is Christ Alone. He is sufficient for His peoples every need. If you think you can have Jesus and Muhammad you are CONFUSED! If I think both are right I don't believe either are right. This is Post-Modernism at its core. The denial of Absolute Truth. The denial of absolute truth is the denial of God. In reality the is only one ABSOLUTE. Either you believe the Bible or you believe the Koran or you don't believe either. And if you claim to embrace both you are CONFUSED! A man can't serve two masters he will either love one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24). Sadly there are people who claim to be Christians and say they don't oppose the beliefs of other religions (Oprah). When you say I believe Jseus Christ you automatically saying I don't believe Buddah, Muhammad or any other self proclaimed Messiah. This is why we need Sound Biblical expositional preaching and teaching in our Christian Churches, because we have so many people who are CONFUSED! Just because my cat has kittens in an oven it don't make them biscuits and just because you go to a church or a Masque in don't make you Christian or Muslim. You must submit yourself to the teachings and beliefs of that faith. It's one or the other you can't be both. And if you wnat to get it right it is Jesus Christ Alone. Anything else is a waste of valable time and will cost you eternity. The bible is God's self-revelation of Himself, it is Inerrant Infalliable and Sufficient. Read it, obey it submit yourself to it soley and you want be CONFUSED! Ms. Fakih may have a crown on her head but she has no KING in her life if it is not JESUS CHRIST ALONE.

May God Give us the Grace needed that we be found in the TRUTH (Christ). I do not write judging Ms. Fakih or any other for a determined condemnation, God forbid, there go I except the Grace of God, but I write judging with hopes of reconciliation to God which is only found in Jesus Christ. So I simply speak the truth in love.

Going Home

Sitting in airport in Jacksonville Fl. waitng and reflecting on the grace and goodness of God to His people. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to preach at Shiloh Metropolitian Baptist Church where my friend and brother, pastor HB Charles Jr. serves as the humble shepherd. I had a wonderful time with them to God be the Glory!

EMPTY PRINCIPLES

Jesus says in John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

All of The Scriptures point to the Person of Jesus Christ. The Goal is not to know about Him but to know Him. Paul said he wanted to know Christ Intimately, Relaional and Experientially (Phil. 3:10) The aim and importance of the written word is to point and bring us to the Living Word. I am a strong believer in knowing the word intellectually. However If that intellectual knowledge doesn't lead me into a practical relationship with Christ. I am on a boat with directions to a destination that refuses to leave the dock. Religious knowledge can be dangerous. Life is not found my knowledge it is only found in Christ. When you reject Christ you reject the princples you claim to know. Any Scripture Cross Church or any such thing that doesn't bring you to a relationship that submits to practical obedience to Christ is empty.

God's Electing Grace

Have you ever wonder why the doors of the church are still open? Some say because of the faithful few in the giving of their time efforts and resources. Some say it's the prayers of the church. I stand firm without the fear of successful contradiction. The doors of the church remain open because of Election. God's Electing Grace!!! Halleluah for the LAMB!!!


Think about it. Where it not that God chose some heaven would have none. The functions and orders of life is because of God's choice.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [2] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [3] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [4] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

God has selected the rejected to shame the respected that the chosen's boasting would be in the LORD.

Joyfol Worship

I had a glorious time in corporate worship on yesterday. The choir's singing was up lifting and the saints were in praise mode. I believe praise is a Free-Soul Experience. Only the soul that is free can praise God. I preached Ephesians 6:1-4, Spirit-Filled Children. I tried to encourage our children and parents with the text. I shared that God has a Word For the Growing Ones and a Word for the Guiding Ones. Children Obey and Honor parents in the Lord. Parent Nurture and Instruct children in the Lord.

May God give the grace needed, so that the requirements be met for His Glory and our Good.

His Grace Is Sufficient II Cor. 12:9