tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2844086988506381122024-03-04T21:19:13.103-08:00Victory In JesusTom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-72507129898832747312019-10-07T07:37:00.000-07:002019-10-07T07:37:04.951-07:00Worship A Holy God<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Worship
A Holy God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A
Sermon by Thomas G. Carter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Preached Oct. 6, 2019</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hudson Taylor was the most widely
used missionary in China's history. During his 51 years of service there, his
China Inland Mission established 20 mission stations, brought 849 missionaries
to the field (968 by 1911), trained some 700 Chinese workers, raised four
million dollars by faith (following Mueller's example), and developed a
witnessing Chinese church of 125,000. It has been said at least 35,000 were his
own converts and that he baptized some 50,000. His gift for inspiring people to
give themselves and their possessions to Christ was amazing.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taylor is thought of being on of the fathers
of the modern missionary movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet
he only wrote a small book on Song of Solomon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He didn’t write anything about missions or church or faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet those who knew him wrote that just before
the sun would come up every day, you would hear a match strike and a lamp would
light as Taylor would wake up and head out to worship The Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the most important part of the day for
Taylor, He would be worshiping God before the sun even came up.<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> A.
W. Tozer was a great pastor and teacher who was always instructing the church
on the need to worship God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called
worship the churches crown jewel.<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
King David, the man after God’s own heart, gave us a treasure trove of worship
in the book of Psalms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He worshiped God
with his whole life and said this in Psalm 27:4:</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“One thing I have asked from the
LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days
of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">David
worshipped a Holy God, and this is what we need to long for as well. What does
it mean to worship God and how do we do that, are important questions to
explore?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will seek to find that
answer in the month ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Worship starts with loving God as it
says in both testaments of scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your
strength.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can plainly see this in how the ten
commandments start: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I am the Lord your God, who
brought you out of the land of Egypt, out the house of slavery. You shall have
no other gods, before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any
likeness of what is in heaven about or on the earth beneath or in the water
under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I am the Lord
your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the
children, on the third and the fourth generations, of those who hate me,”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Clearly,
we are to worship a Holy God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole
life of the Jewish faith centered on the worship of the living God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had the tabernacle that traveled with
them and they moved from Egypt to the promise land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was always supposed to be in the center of
the camp of the Jewish people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
so it would be the center of all the activity in the camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later the place of worship was to be in
Jerusalem on the High point of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For Christians we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We are that temple which the Lords
spirit dwells in. Paul say to the church in Corinth: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you not know that your bodies
are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make
them members of a prostitute? May it never be!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one
body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” But the one who
joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits
is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do you not know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not
your own?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For you have been bought with
a price: therefore glorify God in your body.<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Because
we are the temple of the Holy Spirit our lives are to be a living example of
worship to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we sin we are
taking the Lord with us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t have
to know much about the scriptures to know that God hates the sexual sins the
most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice what God Says about that in
verse 15: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then
take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it
never be!”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should move many of us Christians to our
knees when we sin against God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
many examples in scripture about how important proper worship is to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One example is in 2 Samuel 6 where David is
trying to have the Ark of God brought to Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was never to be touched and was never to
be carried on a cart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They broke both
because it was on a cart and the cart stumble Uzzah reaches out and touches it
to steady it and he was killed by God. God means business. Proverbs tells us
that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We are to worship God more than just
what we do here on Sunday mornings or other worship type services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John MacArthur in his book “<i>The Ultimate
Priority</i>” has given us Four Kinds of Unacceptable Worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are very much something for us to
consider as we learn to worship our great and powerful God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, we need to know that we are not to
worship false Gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul talks about
this clearly in Romans chapter 1 verse 21-32: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“For even though they knew God,
they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their
speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they
became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in
the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling
creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to
impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this reason God gave them over to
degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that
which is unnatural,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and in the same way
also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their
desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving
in their own persons the due penalty of their error. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just as they did not see fit to
acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those
things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness,
greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil,
disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving,
unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who
practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also
give hearty approval to those who practice them.<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We
can see here the direct results of there improper worship of God in the God has
given them over to the sins they are doing and the consequences of sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sin has consequences and the more we sin the
more that sin can dominate or lives and in slave us to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ has set us free from sin, but many
Christians today return to that enslavement we have been freed from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can even worship the false God of
materialism with out being conscious of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bible say says in Job 31:24-28:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“If I have put my confidence in
gold, and called find gold my trust, if I have gloated because my wealth was
great, and because my had had secured so much; If I have looked at the sun when
it shone or the moon going in splendor, and my heart became secretly enticed,
and my hand<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>threw kiss from my mouth,
that too world have been an iniquity calling for judgment, for I would have
denied God above.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If
what we have, or possessions, become the center of or lives to the point we
need them, we will have denied God and begin to worship them as God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Habakkuk 1:16 says “Therefore they offer
sacrifice to their net and they burn incense to their fishing net; because
through these things their catch is large, and their food is plentiful.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Paul tells us that people who worship false Gods are worshipping demons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check this out: “No, but I say that the
things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God;
and I do not want you to become shares in demons.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul also says in Acts 17:29: “Being then the
children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or
silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all know that we are the image of God so
why do with think that our creator would have been made from these same
materials. [17]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Secondly, we can worship the true Go
in a wrong from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Exodus chapter 32
the children of Israel have not seen Moses for a long time so they god to the
priest Aaron to make them a god to worship. They believed it to be the God that
had brought them out of the land of Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Moses comes down the mount and finds what they are doing and breaks the
stone tables that the ten commandments were written on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He reflection on this in Deuteronomy 4:14-19:
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The Lord commanded me at that
time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might perform them in the
land where you are going over to possess it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So watch yourselves carefully, since you did
not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of
the fire, so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for
yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the
likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird
that flies in the sky, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the
likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth. And beware not to
lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the
host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which
the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">When
God revealed Himself to Israel, it was not in a visible form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not to reduce God down to any
image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What ever you think God looks
like it is not acceptable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is though
light. [17]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Third kind of deviant worship is the
worship of the true God in a self-style manner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is when we make worship about us and not about God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tradition is a big thing that we do to make
worship about us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t have to be
any in old church long before you might hear the phrase, “We don’t do that in
that way.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We like what we like but
think about the service what if we only sang one song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if we didn’t light the candles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if we sat while we sang the songs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that I am wanting us to do that but for
some just hearing those worlds make them uneasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus says this in Matthew 15:3 “And He
answered and said to them, “Why do yourselves transgress the commandment of God
for the sake of your tradition?”<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn15" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15;" title="">[15]</a> [17]</span></span></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally, there are people worshiping
the true God in the right way but with the wrong attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, is your whole heart in worship?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you give what is the best gladly to
God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malachi talks about our worship
attitude, he says;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You are presenting defiled food
upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The
table of the Lord is to be despised.’ But when you present the blind for
sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not
evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would
he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to
us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?”
says the Lord of hosts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh that there
were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly
kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts,
“nor will I accept an offering from you.”<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn16" name="_ftnref16" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Does
this sound familiar to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often
worship God with our lift overs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we
have extra money, we tithe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go to
church if there is nothing else going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We avoid getting involved with the church so we can do other
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bibles we own just get dusty
because we never use them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world
looks at many people who come to church every single Sunday as hypocrites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can others say that about you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What matters the most?<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftn17" name="_ftnref17" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[17]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The great hymn Holy, Holy, Holy,
gives us the right view of the Holy God that we worship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">“The Life and Ministry of
James Hudson Taylor,” Ed Reese, https://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/biotaylor2.html<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">Joseph S. Carroll, How to
Worship Jesus Christ (Chicago: Moody,1984,) 15-16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Ibid.,16<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn4" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> New American Standard Bible:
1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 27:4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn5" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark
12:29-30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn6" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk21115133"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">New American Standard Bible:
1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995),</span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Ex. 20:2-5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn7" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Ibid., 1 Cor. 6:15-20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn8" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">Ibid., 1 Cor. 6:15</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn9" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">Ibid., Rom.1:19-32<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn10" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">Ibid., Job 31:24-28<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn11" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">Ibid., Hab. 1:16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn12" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;">Ibid., 1 Cor. 10:20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn13" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Ibid., Acts 17:29<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn14" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Ibid., Deut. 4:14-19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn15" style="mso-element: footnote;">
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<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref15" name="_ftn15" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Ibid., Mat. 15:3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref16" name="_ftn16" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> Ibid., Mal. 1:7-10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/643b3142dfd344c6/Worship%20Sermons/Worship%20A%20Holy%20God2.docx#_ftnref17" name="_ftn17" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[17]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"> John Macarthur, The Ultimate
Priority (Chicago: Moody, 1983), 7-12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-45533033294573962212018-06-20T08:08:00.003-07:002018-06-20T08:08:58.023-07:00Forgiving Others.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKSUFlnZJ027yy6ppaKM_hmLdt-jle1X8VxpdSRWiD4Y9dRfzXgLzh-ckyCfrz9jELUfgTRT_mp8NMJbmb6D_bj3yXZPHC6M0I2P3rBb30B7qYjNrQtAXDPTuHrNY0FNIP00nRRd-hs8/s1600/lina-trochez-377674-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKSUFlnZJ027yy6ppaKM_hmLdt-jle1X8VxpdSRWiD4Y9dRfzXgLzh-ckyCfrz9jELUfgTRT_mp8NMJbmb6D_bj3yXZPHC6M0I2P3rBb30B7qYjNrQtAXDPTuHrNY0FNIP00nRRd-hs8/s320/lina-trochez-377674-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">Forgiving Others</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">Today’s blog will be a group of scriptures to think and meditate on about this hard subject of forgiveness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We must forgive our debtors. “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Forgiving others is an absolute necessity. “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:15-15</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Jesus says we must forgive often. “Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22. “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Read the parable of the unmerciful servant showing how sinful it is not to forgive; God sends judgment on sin. Matthew 18-23-25</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Put away bitterness and anger; forgive as God forgives. “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Eph.4:31-32</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Be imitators of God. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Eph. 5:1-2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The father of the prodigal son forgave him and accepted him as completely as if he had not sinned. Luke 15:20-24</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Jesus commands us to forgive others. “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.” Mark 11:25</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">9.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Love keeps no record of wrongs. “[love] keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Cor. 13:5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">10.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Love covers (overlooks) a multitude of sins. “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">11.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Restore with gentleness one who has fallen into sin. “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">12.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Paul tells us we must forgive and restore one who has sinned against us. 2Cor. 2:5-11</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">13.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Forgive a repentant sinner and affirm your love. “so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.” 2 Cor. 2:7-8</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">14.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> When we forgive others, we outwit Satan. “But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” 2 Cor. 2:10-11</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">15.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Joseph forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery and treated them kindly. Gen 45-50</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">This comes from the book “Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Kruis. I highly recommend everyone get a copy. God bless!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">Source:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">“Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling”, John G. Kruis, copywrite 1994 published by Baker Books, Grand Rapids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Schoolbook, serif;">Scripture from “The New American Standard Bible” copywrite 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, La Habra </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ktPKyUs3Qjs?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Lina Trochez</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/forgive?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
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Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-63548664950182514552018-05-08T09:31:00.004-07:002022-03-08T07:58:59.783-08:00Daily Bread<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-uXpQtKx835yip-oiY6YyOAakIfocP294PaXfONbA85cBDvOCL4e-wx7GsOCYvjPGdC_SBy_POtLclhkh6XiAXJTMd5VvJDzcVz2pk6uPTFODubx62X073F2oEbpd6Z2RQIPUF-0ZFs/s1600/brooke-cagle-32426-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-uXpQtKx835yip-oiY6YyOAakIfocP294PaXfONbA85cBDvOCL4e-wx7GsOCYvjPGdC_SBy_POtLclhkh6XiAXJTMd5VvJDzcVz2pk6uPTFODubx62X073F2oEbpd6Z2RQIPUF-0ZFs/s320/brooke-cagle-32426-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Daily
Bread<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“Give
us this day our daily bread.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mat. 6:11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“Every
good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James 1:17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many
people take time to pray over their meals to say thank you for the meal that
the Lord has provided them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some at the
end to the day will say a prayer of thanks for some blessing that they feel
came from the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A child might say
thanks for parents or grandparents and maybe for some toy that they have
gotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we say thanks to God we are
acknowledging where these things come from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God gives us our daily bread and so we need to look at praying for what
we need.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Life Application Bible says, “When you pray “Give us this day our daily bread,”
we are acknowledging that God is our sustainer and provider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a misconception to think that we
provide for our needs ourselves. We must trust God daily to provide what He
knows we need.” Acknowledging God as our provider is seen later in chapter six
when Jesus talks about worrying about food and clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus says: “But seek first His kingdom and
His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33).
By seeking Christ, we will by default acknowledge that it is God who is our
provider.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Praying
for what we need is to be for this day. We are given today and today should be
the focus, or most of our prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
would say in verse 34 of chapter 6 that, “Each day has enough trouble of its
own.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, we need food to eat we need
to be sustained today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Lord wills
us to have tomorrow, we will need to pray for what we need when we get
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This being said, we don’t take
steps to prepare for tomorrow, but our main focus should be on today. Tomorrow will
have its own worry and so to focus more attention on that we forget to live
today, and we can miss out on the needs we have today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now
when asking God to give us our daily bread, does not mean that we don’t
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has given us abilities that
are also gifts from above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gives
and abilities are to be used, to the glory of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you think about this, it is to God’s
glory that our work provides the things we need to sustain us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book of Proverbs talks about the lazy man
going hungry (Proverbs 19:15).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work has
always been part of Gods plan, just read Genesis Chapter 2 where man was to
attend to the garden that God had planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are to work, and our work provides us food, but all that does come
from God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lastly,
we need to pray for what sustains us, not to spend time praying like God is a
genie that grants us wishes. Now, God gives us beyond what we ask or even
imagine, but we aren’t to be greedy people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our focus is always to be on God and His righteousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are to seek His kingdom as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we grow we need to pray and seek the will
of God for our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That in turn
should be reflected in our prayers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Prayer
is a reflection of us knowing and loving God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we grow in our walk with God it will be reflected in how we pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Our prayer should be to
have God teach us His will, so that our prayers will be a better reflection of
our walk with God and what we need from God.</span><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook", serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It should be a prayer of our hearts that God would teach us to pray.</span></div>
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All Scripture is from <i>New American Standard Bible</i>. Copyright 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA<br />
<br />
<i>Life Application Study Bible</i>. Copyright 2000 by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI<br />
<br />
<span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/z65RVuno1v4?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Brooke Cagle</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/bread?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a><br />
<br />Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-88249877075977730642018-04-19T06:52:00.001-07:002018-04-19T06:52:51.566-07:00Prayer and the Will of God<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Prayer
and the Will of God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Your
kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is heaven.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew 6:10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Father,
if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be
done.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke 22:42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
have been looking at the subject of prayer in the last few blogs, and that
continues in today’s as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
people say they do not know how to pray, and so it’s important to look at what
the Bible says about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus taught
his Apostles to pray, in Matthew 6:9-13, with an example of prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week let’s look at the meaning of, “your
kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Selfishness
and our own desire for control, dominates a lot of our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world tells us to look out for number one
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have big sections in books stores on
self-help and self-esteem, and most teach that you are number one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some good things in those books too,
but we need look to the scripture for direction on how to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s will might not line up with our will,
and that can make our walk with God difficult. Following our will can cause us
to sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will battle self and flesh
our whole life (Romans 7:21-25) and that should be present in your prayers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
scripture is deeper than praying for the future kingdom of Christ to come here
on earth, though we should pray for that too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We need to ready our lives for the kingdom of Christ by seeking the will
of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It starts by us aligning our
lives to that of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we must
seek the will of Christ to be done in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus gave us an example of aligning to the
will of God, even when it was hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Luke 22:42, Jesus was facing the cross and a horrible death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was also facing, for the first time, a
separation from The Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flesh
was weak, but Jesus still submitted to the will of God and used prayer to seek
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prayer is where we can find help to
seek and align our self with God’s will.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Obedience
is the outcome of us seeking the will of God for our life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are to be obedient to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He desires it more than sacrifice (1 Sam.
15:22).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you know that it is even a
sin to not do the good you know you should do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That means that if it’s the right thing to do and don’t do it, you sin
(James 4:17).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes doing God’s will
does not come easy, and it does come in conflict with what we want to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means we need to go to God in prayer
about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Remember
that Gods will is, “good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The devil will want you to hate God’s
will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will want you to think there are
problems with it, and it is intrusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet, we know that it’s anything but that, once we are aligned with
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Romans 12:1, tells us to go as far
as offering our lives as living sacrifices to God, and not to conform to the
patterns of this world. In doing so, we can be transformed to the will of God,
as our minds are renewed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to
have our minds renewed, and that will begin by seeking it through prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus,
in the prayer, says the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to pray that what is done here on
earth to be like that in heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heaven
on earth will truly happen when Christ comes back to earth, but we can always
seek revival to take place in our lives, and in Christ’s Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could see a glimpse of heaven on earth
through a church that is walking in the will of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hard, even for a church like it is for
people at times, to align with God’s will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Church is made up of people and so, if the people aren’t aligned to
God’s will, then the church will not be too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
prayer may be simply written, but it has powerful and deep meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have only covered the surface of what it
says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are books written on this
subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that we all truly take
time daily to seek God’s will for our lives, our church, our families, our
nation and we start that in prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Holy Spirit will guide us, help us pray and help us to find the answers in
God’s word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seek God’s will today!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All scripture is from <i>The New American Standard Bible</i>, copyright 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Photo by Thomas G Carter</span></div>
<br />Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-55899262569636524272018-04-11T06:43:00.001-07:002018-04-11T06:43:16.630-07:00Kingdom Prayers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLO0hQ7hesSX6NrlglZuZyWIxWcZ2FKeb5RJNPqX4Zsdbv7tiDvJyahBk1YGyz5_ClVCSZtvO7cgPxPSMYjyb1SbrBFfb76R0Cgj9iaKmktAlk11tshoITQa15iVUj_DQPcxqXfUsrQQ/s1600/DSCN0284+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLO0hQ7hesSX6NrlglZuZyWIxWcZ2FKeb5RJNPqX4Zsdbv7tiDvJyahBk1YGyz5_ClVCSZtvO7cgPxPSMYjyb1SbrBFfb76R0Cgj9iaKmktAlk11tshoITQa15iVUj_DQPcxqXfUsrQQ/s320/DSCN0284+%25282%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kingdom
Prayers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Your
kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“He
who testifies to these things say, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord
Jesus.” Revelation 22:20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem…” Psalm 122:6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> We
are looking at the example of prayer the Lord Jesus gave us as He taught us to
pray. The next part is to pray for the
Kingdom to come. This phrase I think is
skipped by many, I would guess, because we don’t fully understand what Jesus is
teaching us here. When we come to
something we don’t understand we should dig in and find out what it means,
because it could be important, and we might miss something that could change
our lives. “Your Kingdom come” is one of
those things that is important, and we need to examine what Jesus means by
this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Jesus’
message was, “the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mat. 3:2; 4:7) Jesus is the
rightful king of the nation of Israel!
He is the only one to sit on the throne of David. Anytime Christ is walking on the earth, then
the Kingdom of God is at hand. With that
knowledge, when Jesus is teaching the apostles and those around Him to pray, it
would make sense that He would say pray that the Kingdom would come! We celebrated Palm Sunday or the “Triumphal
Entry”, that is when Jesus entered Jerusalem as the King (Mat. 21:1-11). We do know though, He was rejected by the
people as the king.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Even
though Jesus was rejected by the people and crucified, we know that He rose
again, and so the King lives (Mat. 28:1-7; John 20:11-18). Although Jesus went to be with the father and
to prepare a place for us, He will be back for us (John 14:2-3). Jesus will someday not just come back for us,
but will also rule over His kingdom here on earth (Rev. 20:4-6). This will be exciting times for all the earth
and is yet to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This
as we know is not our home and is full of pain, suffering and evil. As a believer we know that Jesus is coming
back, so we can pray that He would come back and come back soon. There are more than 63 scriptures about the
kingdom of God coming, and so it is an important part of our prayer life. It should affect even how we pray for others
as well. We don’t want our friends to
miss the kingdom, so we need to pray that they come to know Jesus. For those suffering we need to pray for them
in light of the kingdom to come as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
last scripture I have listed above says to pray for Jerusalem. Israel will be the center and place of Christ
earthly kingdom (Rev. 20). Even though
we know that the Jewish people are back in their land we know that peace has
not yet happened there. Where the great
temple of the LORD was in the city, there is a Muslim mosque. The only part left of the great temple is a
wall called the Wailing Wall. The Jewish
people want their temple back and they will in the end, when Christ comes back
to rule. For this to take place there
will need to be peace in that city. When
praying for the kingdom to come, we need to pray for peace in the city of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This
is only skimming the surface of this subject on the Kingdom of God, but I hope
it causes you to dig deeper into this subject.
Adrian Rodgers gives us a few things to think about on this subject of
praying thy kingdom come. He says we are to learn of His coming, long for that
day to come, pray that it would come, and pray that there would be peace in
Jerusalem that there might be peace on earth.<w:sdt citation="t" id="-565179003"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> CITATION Adr18 \l 1033 <span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (Rodgers)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> Do you look forward to that day? I hope so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Come, Lord Jesus!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h1>
<span style="color: windowtext;">References<o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></h1>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>BIBLIOGRAPHY <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->Rodgers, Adrian. <i>https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/love-worth-finding/read/articles/can-we-hasten-the-second-coming-of-christ-15204.html</i>.
2018. 10 April 2018.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
All Scripture from <i>The New American Standard Bible</i>, copyright 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA</div>
<w:sdt docparttype="Bibliographies" docpartunique="t" id="1640377939" sdtdocpart="t">
<w:sdt bibliography="t" id="-573587230">
</w:sdt></w:sdt><br />
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<o:p>Photo by Thomas Carter</o:p></div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-87655066502609650992018-04-04T06:49:00.000-07:002018-04-04T06:49:02.506-07:00Prayer Begins With Adoration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMXvVpQX0mVQ_AbvcKmvvfrlm5CSHJVGjfo9dzdJdTMmFtUVmC5tQKB6EZtam7I8kl1KlPt-ohSc0EWNTGfq0Y5XQc69ScxGZf-AIH8uHWa6UQVLzhZm0viAGblRKP6oz2Ss-oRBtT44/s1600/DSC02235+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMXvVpQX0mVQ_AbvcKmvvfrlm5CSHJVGjfo9dzdJdTMmFtUVmC5tQKB6EZtam7I8kl1KlPt-ohSc0EWNTGfq0Y5XQc69ScxGZf-AIH8uHWa6UQVLzhZm0viAGblRKP6oz2Ss-oRBtT44/s320/DSC02235+%25282%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Prayer
Begins With Adoration<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Pray,
then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is heaven, Hallowed be Your name.’” Matthew 6:9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Many
people today ask the question: “How do I pray?”
There are also people that pray, but they pray in the wrong way. Some even view prayer as a selfish way to get
what they want. They view prayer as
though God is some cosmic Santa Clause and He will give them everything they
want. When people view God as someone
who gives only what we want, they often walk away from God when they don’t get
what they want. The person who doesn’t
pray because they don’t know how to pray, so they don’t, miss out on all that
God has for them (John 16:24). These
next few blogs I want to spend some time talking about prayer, so that you can
be confident in your prayer life and will revolutionize your walk with the
Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> When
Jesus was on the earth He set an awesome example of prayer. He would pray often and at times all night
long (Lk.6:12). Jesus also taught how to
pray. The Sermon on the Mount was one of
the most important teachings of Christ on prayer (Mat. 6:5-15). The Bible is full of prayers, but Jesus spent
some time teaching us how to pray and so it’s important to pay attention to
what he tells us about prayer and how to do it.
When you see this model, you can see it play out in effective prayer
throughout scripture. What is called the
Lord’s Prayer is a model prayer, it is not necessarily a prayer we need to pray,
but it is an example we need to follow when we pray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Jesus
starts this example of prayer by acknowledging who you are talking to. We must call on the name of the Lord. Address the Lord and address Him with praise. The name of the Lord is holy. God is Holy, and His name is to be held in
the highest regard. Sometimes I think we
overdo the word holy and so it loses some of its meaning. How do we hold the Name of the Lord? In the Ten Commandments we are told not to
take the Lord’s name in vain (Ex.20:7).
We are told that we are to keep the name of the Lord sacred and hold it
in highest esteem, yet when I walk around I hear it used all the time. When we say things like “Oh my god” are we
not taking down the name of God. If we
say “Good God” when we are not talking about something good that God has done,
are we not losing the meaning of God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> If
you read your Bible much you have heard about scribes. Scribes were the people who copied the
scriptures by hand so that we would have them today. They worked so carefully that we find no real
error in their works. They took the most
holy name for God very seriously. We see
it in our Bibles in all caps as “LORD”.
They held the name in such high honor that they would do things like
wash their hands before writing it. They
would write it and break the pencil so that it could not be used again. To make sure their thoughts were pure they
would write it without the vowels to help ensure they didn’t take the name in
vain. Yet today Lord and God are used as
though they are nothing and meaningless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Proverbs
tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Pr.1:7). This fear is more than just an awe fear, but
also the fear that the LORD could do great and powerful judgements to me and
others. Take time and look at the Old Testament
and even at the transfiguration of Christ and see how people reacted in the
presence of the LORD. When we add this
all together with what the Lord Jesus taught when He said pray, “Our Father who
are in heaven, Hollowed be YOUR NAME” it will change everything we know about
prayer. It puts the focus on the Lord
and not on us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> This week take time to think about the LORD and who He is
and value His name when you pray. Maybe
take time to pray a prayer that asks for nothing. Just take time to acknowledge the LORD and
who he is. I have done this, and it is
powerfully humbling to see who God is and who we are in comparison. Prayer starts with the Name of the LORD and
is about Him!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">If you enjoy the blog feel free to click "follow" to stay up to date on the latest posts. Thanks!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">All scripture is from <i>The New American Standard Bible</i>, copyright 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Photo by Thomas G Carter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-54291682706843220232018-03-21T06:25:00.001-07:002018-03-21T06:25:20.730-07:00Jesus Is Anointed By Mary<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus
Is Anointed By Mary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Therefore
Jesus said, ‘Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.’”
John 12:7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
are coming up on what is known as Holy Week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Holy Week is the week-long celebration of the work Christ did for us on
the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will end on Easter Sunday
the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a lot written about this week in the four gospels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many churches will have things going on to
remember the works and teaching of Christ each of the days of Holy Week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day before the week began Jesus is in
Bethany at Lazarus’ house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
same Lazarus that Jesus raised from the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Martha is there serving the people and Mary will take some perfume and
anoint Jesus’ feet with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
we examine the story we see that the perfume is pure nard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scripture in verse 3 tells us that it was a pound,
or about 12 ounces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pure nard is an
extract from India and at the time was very costly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary is taking this perfume and putting it on
Jesus’ feet while he is reclining at the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What an act of humility on her part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The smell would have filled the whole house, and everyone would be aware
of what Mary was doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Judas
knows that it was worth lots of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was the keeper of the money for the Apostles and was also a
thief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The love of money, as everyone
knows, can be the root of evil and for Judas he loves money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judas will stir up the apostles about the value
of this perfume and how it is being wasted when there are poor people who need
food and things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judas doesn’t care
about the poor people only the money, but he does get the people around Jesus
to talking about what was going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
will correct those in the crowd around Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What she is doing is preparing Him for what is going to come by the end
of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are always going to
be poor people, but Jesus would not always be on the earth and she is preparing
him for His burial. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Money is temporary,
but what Jesus was about to do was going to be everlasting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Apostles don’t now understand what is
going to come, even though Jesus did teach that He was going to die and be
raised to life again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sometimes
when people are put into their place it can lead to bitterness and even
anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can lead us to do things
that are not good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone needs to
learn to deal with correction and rejection, because if we don’t we can end up
doing damage that goes beyond ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Judas does not handle this correction well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted Jesus to make Him rich and because
Jesus does not elevate making money from this perfume, Judas will go for money
another way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judas will sell Jesus to
the Chief Priests for 30 pieces of silver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Chief Priests are looking to put Lazarus or Jesus to death because they are
losing the people to Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They, like
Judas, want a Jesus to elevate and give them glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Jesus instead has been driving a change
that does not drive people to them and elevate the good works that they
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus even teaches them to love the
people that they do not love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all
need to have ourselves checked in how we view Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Selfishness is something we all can struggle
with, as well as the desire to be the one in control instead of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should always be about Jesus, not about
ourselves and we should all be about Jesus’ will, not our own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
we come to Easter let us examine our lives as to how we serve Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Jesus’ plan to come and die for us,
yet His Apostles and those around Him had other plans for Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to live our lives by the word of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we want to be what Christ wants
us to be, that means following His word through the power of the Holy
Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love for how Christ loves needs
to dominate our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too many times we
make God and Jesus as a Santa Claus that we can somehow control to get our way
and then we leave the faith when it doesn’t go our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we want to be blessed, we should always
seek Christ’s will for our lives through the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easter is all about Jesus and the work of the
cross not about ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All Scripture is from the <i>New American Standard Bible</i>, copyright 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Ca.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/anHYi88o4s8?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Brina Blum</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/feet?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
<br />Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-50774640728545087652018-03-13T17:45:00.001-07:002018-03-13T17:45:14.033-07:00Make Decisions In Prayer<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUAczqdKfKNZMzxYY4mAaCMYmwIyfiB1HQDD6pGi1-sOI7-eFp_RLN74c-2eq-DjaY5x1u50Lf_0Jkw3OqCFufLhrvlbSj9yIodPSvEvKFffCl6BsEzjmyUZpZVCm22KZ-CQ2GOsLWAM/s1600/ben-white-128608-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUAczqdKfKNZMzxYY4mAaCMYmwIyfiB1HQDD6pGi1-sOI7-eFp_RLN74c-2eq-DjaY5x1u50Lf_0Jkw3OqCFufLhrvlbSj9yIodPSvEvKFffCl6BsEzjmyUZpZVCm22KZ-CQ2GOsLWAM/s320/ben-white-128608-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Make
Decisions In Prayer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It
was at this time He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole
night in prayer to God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke 6:12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“But
if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and
without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
life we have many forks in the road and big choices that we will have to
make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes those choices can be
hard and have far reaching consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many a time, though we have all probably made these decisions without
prayer or only a short prayer, to seek guidance of the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, Jesus set an example for us in how he
made decisions. We should seek to follow that in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though Jesus was fully God, He was also
fully man and being in that form spent many a time in prayer before making any
big decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s examine one case of
this from Luke chapter 6.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus
has come to the point in His ministry that He needs to appoint apostles to train,
to later build His Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point
opposition has been growing to His ministry that will climax with Jesus being
crucified and so this was not a decision to be taken lightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt it was time to get the guidance of
the Father in the selection of the 12 Apostles and the future of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you coming up on some big decisions in
your life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you plan to seek wisdom
from God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Prayer,
as it has been pointed out, was a big part in the decisions of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not just here, but has been seen
elsewhere in the life of Jesus. (Lk. 3;21; 5:16; 9:18, 28, 29; 11:1; 22:32,
40-46).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Jesus’ example here, we can
see some important things to add to our prayer time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus withdrew to a desolate, lonely place to
pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a place that He could
have uninterrupted communication with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Matthew 6:6, Jesus teaches us to pray in secret and here we see that
is what Jesus did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need a place of
prayer where we can go, that it is just us and the Father, where we are free
from distraction and we can just focus on the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all need to find that place we can pray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Prayer
time is as long as it needs to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
Jesus this decision was not something to be made by a short prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here he prayed all night long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a young Christian I was amazed at people
who could pray that long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was puzzled
about the scriptures that said to pray without ceasing (1Thes. 5:17).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you grow in Christ you will see, as I
have, more what this passage means. In relation to Christ’s example here, we
need to pray about our decisions as long as it takes to get the peace and
wisdom about the choices we need to make.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wisdom
in making hard decisions will come when we ask for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James the brother of Jesus taught, through
the Holy Spirit, that when we lack wisdom we need to ask God for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God will give wisdom generously without holding
it back when we ask it in faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
told us that with faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains (Lk
17:6).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why then don’t we seek that
wisdom when we make difficult decisions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even more important what about all decisions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that God’s wisdom is greater than
ours and yet often we don’t seek that great wisdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus was fully God and He still went to the
Father for wisdom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
is okay to admit to God if we don’t know how to pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we do ask Him to teach us how to pray
and look to scripture for the answers on how to pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so important to pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God wants us to talk to Him!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is our Father and He loves to hear from
His Children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like if we have good
earthly parents we seek advice from them, we need to seek it from our Heavenly
father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t forget just how much He
loves you and will answer your prayers and sometimes we need to seek out that
wisdom and not do just do it in passing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like with any person we might need to go through the whole decision
process with Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That does take time,
but doing so will strengthen your walk with God and your wisdom from the Father
will grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus Loves to hear from His
people!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All Scriptures are from <i>The New American Standard Bible</i>, copyright 1996 by the Lockman Foundation; La Habra, CA</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/9O1oQ9SzQZQ?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Ben White</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/prayer?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
<br />Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-21659369892057475272018-03-06T09:05:00.002-08:002018-03-06T09:05:49.900-08:00Who Needs A Doctor<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha047Wx4mOPBf-GAHrkXIjHo5dp-l5pCUe27J0QkGhSU7xsRzvRE97OXpOS9TNlCaPoKiHECgBgllVSFrIzr91YLlv96NPl53_djHLEKwfublm4A3MBZBaKH7cuHbXkgHz1Fa8U-p2vn4/s1600/piron-guillaume-492650-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha047Wx4mOPBf-GAHrkXIjHo5dp-l5pCUe27J0QkGhSU7xsRzvRE97OXpOS9TNlCaPoKiHECgBgllVSFrIzr91YLlv96NPl53_djHLEKwfublm4A3MBZBaKH7cuHbXkgHz1Fa8U-p2vn4/s320/piron-guillaume-492650-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Who
Needs A Doctor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“And
Jesus answered and said to them, ‘It is not those who are well who need a
physician, but those who are sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance,’” Luke 5:31-32<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
few weeks ago, I received a piece of mail from my health insurance provider
about when to go to the emergency room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For many people they go there, when they aren’t that sick, to see a
doctor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that when we are sick,
we need to see them to get better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
doctors, we see, are there for us when we are sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I don’t think about going when I am
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Christ’s mission to go to
those in need of spiritual healing, people who need Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the above scripture, Jesus is answering a complaint that religious leaders were
giving about Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus had just called
a tax collector, named Matthew, to follow Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Matthew then invited him over to eat along with fellow tax
collectors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today we might not think
this was a big deal, but back then, it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jewish people, at that time, had a deep hate for Romans and
gentiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rome was the ruler of the
nation and tax collectors were hired from the people to collect the taxes. The
Jews however, labeled them sinners by the religious people and would not
associate with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
know that the religious leaders didn’t come directly to Christ with their
complaining, but to Jesus’s disciples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think that is often what we do as people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have a compliant about something, so we talk to others about it
instead of going to the source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often,
we do this when we know that we might be wrong in our complaints. Jesus, being
God, knows their thoughts and he answers them. The answer may not be what they
wanted to hear though, but it shows He truly is from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, God knows what we are thinking and
saying to others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
you look at the Old Testament, which is all they had then, nowhere does it say
the Jewish people were the only people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It says they are to be a blessing to the world and show God to the
nations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this point they were a
closed off nation and not willing to let anyone in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evangelism was not part of what they did and
even worse, they felt that they were saved by just being a Jew. They had gotten
very religious, but for the most part it was meaningless practice and was doing
no one any good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a danger that
happens all the time in churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
churches are dying because they refuse to change from practices and traditions
not found in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They push others
away who find no meaning behind what they do and even call them unbelievers and
sinners for not wanting their traditions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus,
was very gracious in His response to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He points out that His mission is to call sinners to repentance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Righteous people have already repented of
their sins and don’t need the message He has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was not a time for Him to address the kind of people the Scribes
and Pharisees were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was pointing out
indirectly that they should be caring for the souls that aren’t righteous in
His response. It’s easy to judge others instead of loving them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all can become so caught up in ourselves,
that we forget the message of the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Who is it that we should be having a dinner with, but don’t because we
don’t like them or what they are doing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They need Jesus too and we are called to spread the message of Jesus to
the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
know that Jesus came to seek and save the lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Remember, that we too were once lost, and Jesus saved us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we can let our “righteousness” keep
us from reaching out to those who need Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Remember, those without Jesus are facing death!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will we let our traditions, though we might
love them, become a stumbling block and keep others from Jesus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about our personal feelings for certain
people keeping us from wanting them in church to hear the gospel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who does Jesus save, needs to be the question
we ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, we need to ask, is
Jesus welcome in our church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most would
say yes, but really think about what you know about Jesus from the Bible, when
answering that question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God Bless!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All Scripture is from the <i>New American Standard Bible,</i> Copyright 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/kJwZxH6jins?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Piron Guillaume</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/doctor?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
<br />Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-21331896140417819452018-02-14T16:43:00.000-08:002018-02-14T16:43:04.027-08:00Love<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-PhfrVurfYiIa3LxFiCX536URvTUs1RbJhg6nPMOCkyZYaCoYH6qS1NMxPUiAAcSyfW7FAzKEck9f6_IiktthUivBDxLx93bqQYCJKfI28cTpReSKCwg6WP1Nmb4x35xFDK8f4I4LNI/s1600/jeremy-bishop-206785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-PhfrVurfYiIa3LxFiCX536URvTUs1RbJhg6nPMOCkyZYaCoYH6qS1NMxPUiAAcSyfW7FAzKEck9f6_IiktthUivBDxLx93bqQYCJKfI28cTpReSKCwg6WP1Nmb4x35xFDK8f4I4LNI/s320/jeremy-bishop-206785.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. </div>
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4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. </div>
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8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1Cor. 13:1-13</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>February
is often thought of as the month of love since Valentines Day is during the
month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could also, as Christians, because
we start to celebrate the great love of Christ for us with the beginning of
Lent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many will even sacrifice something,
so they can focus on the love of Christ when they fast from what they love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The above scripture contains what many feel
as the greatest definition of what love is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It takes up the whole chapter and though, in a short blog I can’t pull
out all the awesome things from these verses, I want to point out a few things
to think about this week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Scripture
always builds off scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
previous chapters Paul was dealing with spiritual gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some gifts are more noticeable by men than
other gifts and can lead to pride in the person who has it and jealousy in the
ones who don’t have it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul, in the
first 3 verses, is pointing out that gifts don’t have value if they don’t have
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pride, selfishness and jealousy do
not show love, so when these are present in the ministry of the gifts they make
the gift or ministry useless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think
about how we feel when someone does a good work only for show, not out of
genuine love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Love
is one of the hardest things to define.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet, Paul does a very good job of defining it as what it is and is
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you look at verses 4-7, which
is Paul’s definition of love, it is all actions not feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, we hear people say all the time that they
don’t feel loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People break up or
even get divorced because they don’t feel the love as they put it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We show love by our actions, not by how we
feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes feelings come out of our
selfishness and not from our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This week take a few moments to go through this definition of love and
ask, does my love for others demonstrate this kind of love?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Love never fails,” is how
verse 8 starts out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul takes time to
say the spiritual gifts will someday come to an end as all things do but love
does not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love is what will bring us to
eternity with Jesus!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to all
become grown up in the faith to know that love is more important and should be
demonstrated by our actions, because that is what truly matters in the
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world is a hard, dark, and
selfish place, but the church and its people should be different and truly be
all about true love!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus set the
example and his love still endures and so too can yours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you focused on your actions or are your
actions coming out of your love for others?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
it comes to all of Christianity, the most important things are faith, hope, and
love and the greatest of them is love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Loving God with our everything is the greatest commandment, followed
closely by loving others as ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
ten commandments are all about loving God and loving others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus gave us the greatest example of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we following it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set a goal this week and keep it up all year,
to love God more today than you did yesterday, and it will cause you to love others
more than yesterday too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><br />
Scripture is from <i>The New American Standard Bible</i>, copyright 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/MArKk9f4s6g?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Jeremy Bishop</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/love?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a>Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-64918767171618063072018-02-11T13:14:00.002-08:002022-06-13T09:01:23.406-07:00Making Jesus Known<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYh4dzeqeO_uweH_VOSlG_XMlSGzaZ0abBJZugg7doeV_cWemXseGc8ZBpOBc_lSpXymgMzqOJw8IUJXsiMvH_KixzvCHLt038i3DZrt-vljOs1sPtZ9UEEFL-eTlnOuiNUp_KI5NDiw/s1600/rawpixel-com-415593.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYh4dzeqeO_uweH_VOSlG_XMlSGzaZ0abBJZugg7doeV_cWemXseGc8ZBpOBc_lSpXymgMzqOJw8IUJXsiMvH_KixzvCHLt038i3DZrt-vljOs1sPtZ9UEEFL-eTlnOuiNUp_KI5NDiw/s320/rawpixel-com-415593.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Making
Jesus Known<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“’Let
us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus, of Nazareth? Have
you come to destroy us? I know who You
are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked him saying, ‘Be quiet and come out
of him!’” Luke 4:34-35A<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
have command you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19,20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> People
today love sports and are quick to talk about their favorite teams. Super Bowl Sunday had 111.3 million people
watching according to CBS New. Even
though that wasn’t a record, there were still a lot of people watching and
talking about a sport. 75 percent of
Americans claim to be Christian<w:sdt citation="t" id="1534224673"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> CITATION Fra15 \l 1033 <span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (Newport 2015)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt>. Yet, Christianity
Today reports one in five non-Christians claim to not even know a Christian.<w:sdt citation="t" id="-170724314"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span> CITATION Abb13 \l 1033 <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (Stocker 2013)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> When I hear stats like that, it reminds me
how important it is to get excited about Jesus and live for Him. It’s so important that we tell people about
Jesus by our words and actions. When I
look at the above scriptures there are a few important things to notice that
should help motivate us to share our faith with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
Devil and his Demons know who Jesus is.
Take a moment and let that sink in.
They also know that Jesus could destroy them and what will happen to
them in the end. Jesus came to save
people, the demons don’t want people to know Jesus and be saved. Because they know the truth about Christ,
they can also distort the truth about Him.
That is why it’s important for us to proclaim that truth, so those
around us know it. Media, the internet,
and even education can and are, influenced by the Devil. Truth is hard to come by, but the truth does
set people free.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> Many
think that it’s only a job for pastors or missionaries to proclaim Jesus to
others, but that is simply not true. The
scripture is clear we are all to be out there proclaiming the gospel to
others. We may not all be called to be
pastors or missionaries, but we can all talk about our love for Jesus like we
do our favorite sports team or even our favorite hobby. If we all got excited about Jesus, like fans
of the super bowl, think of the impact it would have on the world. Remember that often times it’s our friends
that have the biggest impact in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> Jesus
is always with us and the Holy Spirt is in our lives. It can be scary at times
to tell people about the Lord. Many will
say, “I don’t know what to say”, but because we have Jesus in our lives, he
will direct our path and words if we let Him.
When I was younger, I remember telling people about the Lord in ways
that, some might say, were not theologically correct. I still lead people to Christ, because God
used me and guided me. Even if your
words are not perfect, Jesus, through the Spirit, can use those words to make an
impact in the lives of those around you.
Jesus is with you, take strength in that.
The Devil wants you to be scared, so that you will be silent and think
you can’t do it, that way the Devil will keep your friends out of heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> Many
of us worry that we don’t have answers to questions that will come up. As you grow in Christ you will discover that
you never will have all the answers.
That will keep you in the word of God seeking more growth. When people ask you a question you can’t
answer, that is an opportunity for you to learn more and will strengthen your
relationship with them and God. Tell
that person you will seek the answer and do just that. For many people salvation process that can take time.
It is also why we must teach others to observe all that Christ has
command us. The mission field is right
outside the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h1>
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif;">References<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></h1>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>BIBLIOGRAPHY <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif;">Newport, Frank. 2015. <i>http://news.gallup.com/poll/187955/percentage-christians-drifting-down-high.aspx.</i>
December 24. Accessed February 6, 2018.</span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; mso-no-proof: yes;">Stocker,
Abby. 2013. <i>Christianity Today.</i> August 19. Accessed February 6, 2018.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/august-web-only/non-christians-who-dont-know-christians.html.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<w:sdt docparttype="Bibliographies" docpartunique="t" id="1631598571" sdtdocpart="t">
<w:sdt bibliography="t" id="-573587230">
<!--[if supportFields]><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:107%;
font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
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mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;mso-no-proof:yes'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span></b><![endif]--></w:sdt></w:sdt><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
All Scripture is from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New American Standard Bible</i> copy write 1995, The Lockman Foundation,
La Habra, CA<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-49170109128876752042018-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:002018-02-01T07:38:43.871-08:00Being Golden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSA3qUOiitafjRtjgZPlC5UjMjcPKxjiqiB7ZGnmBDCiymf6cAybS40rg6wrZ3YLyoP30X0xKWenrFEEb4XoeXopRKJSAuMcO3sbqQdU56-jRrAfSfqOh-lkr4lB-hcivKRkO_ULvzNYA/s1600/super+mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSA3qUOiitafjRtjgZPlC5UjMjcPKxjiqiB7ZGnmBDCiymf6cAybS40rg6wrZ3YLyoP30X0xKWenrFEEb4XoeXopRKJSAuMcO3sbqQdU56-jRrAfSfqOh-lkr4lB-hcivKRkO_ULvzNYA/s320/super+mountain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Being
Golden<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Do
nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard
others as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own
interests, but the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:2,4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“In
everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you,
for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> In
Arizona’s Superstition Mountains, is a gold mine that no one has yet
found. It’s the Lost Dutchman’s Mine.
The Dutchman, when he died, left some clues and riddles as to where the mine is
located. As far as anyone knows, no one
has found the mine. Many have even lost their lives in search for this valuable
gold mine. Gold is something that has value, but we too can have value to
others. The Bible has many great pieces of advice that, if followed, will make
us golden to others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> First,
we need to become selfless people. Have
you ever been around someone who only cares to do what they want? People who are focused only on themselves
push away others because we too have things we like to do. When we focus on others we show that we care
about them. It doesn’t mean we have to
only do what our friends want, but we need to care about what others care
about. Make sure though, that you are
genuine about it because we can pick out the fake person too. Attitude about it is important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Second,
humility is important. Humility is to know
that we have faults and we need to have an attitude that shows that others are
better than we are. What are your faults?
Do you know them? We know that
imperfection runs deep in everyone and so we have no right to judge others
about their faults when we ourselves have faults. Until we judge ourselves and become perfect,
we should just be thankful for the love of Christ and love others the same as
Christ loved us. He loved us even though
we were sinners and even died for us.
What greater love is that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Finally,
we are to look out for our interests too, but we need to do it in a way that
also considers others. In business and
in life we may try to run over others in our race to the top or to get what we
want, hurting those around us along the way.
Getting ahead in business and life is not a problem, but how we get
there can be. Showing leadership is not
getting what we want by force and taking out others (not clear to me) it’s the
ability to gain followers. When we make
friends, and help others along life’s pathway we gain friends, followers, and
helpers when life can be hard on us.
Sometimes even the long way to get what we want, can be the right way. The world says get what you want by any means
possible and don’t care about others along the way. Yet when you hurt people
and tear them apart, you not only lose their respect, you lose the respect of
those who are watching you too. Most
importantly, you damage your Christian testimony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
golden rule found in Matthew 7:12 is still being taught to children today: “Do
unto others as you would have done unto you.”
This rule should still apply to everyone young and old today. Shouldn’t how you want to be treated be
reflected in how you treat others? If
you want to be a person of great value, treat others as if they have great
value. When I go shopping I love to go
to places that show great customer service.
I want the places I spend my money to value me and even if don’t get it,
I try to show care and respect to the workers there anyway. We may never find the Lost Dutchman’s mine,
but we can be people worth more than his gold mine, or any gold mine is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All Scripture is from <i>The New American Standard Bible</i> copy write 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA</span></div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-61009520361998889952018-01-22T08:47:00.001-08:002018-01-22T08:47:11.776-08:00Conduct<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0BmCeZSGWNdcBNRG_V4fSypI8zpBdNsJNO4rsUiZFSwkcJH8W0JQArQTR8_MZUmSTEdypgBgZJ5omrRd7yz_ZTR8e3Dyru3joScym3CwKKNmC5Qd9aiYIb5KAX0fxWLcBBqe1aBHR7I/s1600/tegan-mierle-259584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0BmCeZSGWNdcBNRG_V4fSypI8zpBdNsJNO4rsUiZFSwkcJH8W0JQArQTR8_MZUmSTEdypgBgZJ5omrRd7yz_ZTR8e3Dyru3joScym3CwKKNmC5Qd9aiYIb5KAX0fxWLcBBqe1aBHR7I/s320/tegan-mierle-259584.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Conduct<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Only
conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ…” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Philippians
1:27<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Or
do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you
were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” 1 Cor. 6:9-11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “I’m
not perfect,” should be the new Christian moto.
Many Christians today use that excuse so that they can keep doing the sins
they know they should not be doing.
There are many preachers out there teaching a type of faith that allows
you to keep doing the things the scriptures teach that God hates. Yet, the Bible makes it clear that we are to
“Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.” Phil. 1:27. When we
don’t conduct ourselves in a worthy manner we do damage to our testimony. Many have turned away from the faith because
of the actions of other Christians who don’t even try to live a worthy
life. We need to look at walking in a
worthy manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> In
Corinthians we have a list of things that God hates. The list has what we call
the “big sins” in it like the sexual sins, yet it has some of what we call
“normal sins” like coveting, and drunkenness.
Sin is something we are all guilty of, as Romans chapter 3 tells us but some
claim these sins as believers are ok because the blood of Christ has forgiven
us. Some are so bold as to say all I must do is ask for forgiveness and I am
ok. Let me boldly ask you if you love
Christ does doing what He hates show how much we love Christ? To be called a Christian is to be like Christ
are we like Him? We have a battle that
we all must face and that is a battle of the flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> People
today live in a more connected world, and when they see us doing things that
they know aren’t right and we say its ok I’m saved because I’m a Christian,
then why would they want to come to faith?
If faith isn’t any different than the world then what good is faith? Some sins are hard to get out of ones’ life
and when we make no effort to depend on Christ and fight the battle, then the
message we send says I am no different than you. We say Christians are to be in the world but
not of the world, then show that by your actions and the choices you make.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
last part of 1Cor. 6:9-11 says “Such were some of you...” It’s important for us to remember that we
were all sinners and were at one-time part of the world. But Jesus washed us sanctified us, justified us,
and so does our conduct demonstrate that?
We need to stop making the excuse of not being prefect and start
striving to live our lives for Jesus. He
knows we aren’t perfect, but He has given us all that we need through His word
and His Spirit to live a worthy life.
When we spread the gospel, people will judge how we live our lives as
well as what we say when making a choice as to whether to trust in Christ or
not. Take time to examine your own life
and ask what sin are you holding on too that you need to confess and repent
of. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All Scripture is from <i>The New American Standard Bible,</i> copy write 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ioyEITUD2G8?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Tegan Mierle</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/walk?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
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Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-87856521949393834172018-01-10T07:53:00.003-08:002018-01-10T07:53:39.223-08:00Mary Treasured<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQynZ_1ACkxJNtDIWlRAhves9XCOjdpD8He65YbNXS1dBhtdn_dvptmr89AmgTCrJp4Q5_VOaP1bQ0-fVxj9ksGvpBRnWcO18r5zXQH51a4UNAQSL7FMbwl5WPLH6e7wnUb_z9m7AMum0/s1600/n-120570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQynZ_1ACkxJNtDIWlRAhves9XCOjdpD8He65YbNXS1dBhtdn_dvptmr89AmgTCrJp4Q5_VOaP1bQ0-fVxj9ksGvpBRnWcO18r5zXQH51a4UNAQSL7FMbwl5WPLH6e7wnUb_z9m7AMum0/s320/n-120570.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mary
Treasured<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“But
Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“And
His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about
Him.” Luke 2:33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“And
He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to
them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> One
of the cable TV networks had a show on in recent years searching for a treasure
that was believed to be buried somewhere on Oak Island. Many have spent their life and what money
they had, searching for this treasure, yet all have come up empty handed. Matthew in his gospel tells us “…where your
treasure is there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21. There are even
parables that relate the kingdom of God as a costly treasure that someone would
do everything they could to attain that treasure. Mary, she had something that she treasured as
seen in the scripture above that was life changing for her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mary and Joseph were
amazed at what all was being said about their child, Jesus. The Life Application Study Bible note on Luke
2:33 says it best: “Joseph and Mary ‘marveled’ (were amazed) for three reasons;
Simeon said that Jesus was a gift from God; Simeon recognized Jesus as the
Messiah; and Simeon said Jesus would be a light to the entire world. This was at least the second time that Mary
had been greeted with a prophecy about her son.” They were amazed at what was being said about
Jesus and I can imagen that it would not get old to them. Treasuring what others say about your child
is important but treasuring what is said about Jesus is even bigger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> After
the visit from the shepherds the night that Jesus was born was the beginning of
Mary treasuring and pondering what was happening around her Child. Mary was a thinker and she knew from Gabriel
that her child was going to be the savior and, yet I am sure her mind struggled
to wrap around what this meant. What was
going on in Mary’s mind we aren’t told but that she was pondering all these
things and that they were important to her.
When Jesus came back with Mary and Joseph when he was 12, after staying
behind in temple, Mary treasured the events from that trip in heart even though
they didn’t understand what Jesus said to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> What
is our most important treasure? We can’t
take our wealth, our stuff, or anything physical with us to heaven. Treasure the word of God and our relationship
we have with Jesus. How important is the
Bible to you? It was said one time to me,
a Bible that is falling apart is a sign of a Christian who is not. In some countries in the world a copy of the
Bible is so important that to them it’s the most important treasure. In those countries it is illegal to have a
copy of it. They know like we should
know that it is the word of God! Do we
seek to know it? Do we love it? Do we try to hide in our hearts by memorizing
and applying it to our lives? Make your
Bible an important treasure in your life and ponder its meanings as you obey and
live by it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Life Application Study Bible</span></i><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">, 1992, Tyndale House
Publisher, Inc. Wheaton, IL 60189.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All Scripture is from, <i>The New American Standard Bible</i>, 1995, The Lockman Foundation, La
Habra, CA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/RFId0_7kep4?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">N.</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-29578743235902367172018-01-06T13:36:00.001-08:002018-01-06T13:45:52.714-08:00God's Will For 2018<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God’
Will For 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“We
urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the
weak, be patient with everyone. See that
no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is
good for one another and for all people.
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks for this
is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14-18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> It
is now a new year, and many have made New Year’s resolutions to better themselves
in some way. I have been told that many
of the resolutions we make will be broken and long done away with by the end of
the month. Many will also make spiritual
resolutions that sadly fall by the wayside. This does not have to be the case
if we determine to know what the will of God is for our lives. We have a misunderstanding when we hear the
question; “What is the will of God for my life?” Today, I am going to show you the answer to
this question that will transform your 2018 to the year of God’s will!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> We
know that it is God’s will for us to avoid sin and be pure. Scriptures like Eph. 5:15-20 make that
abundantly clear. Yet many, if honest
with themselves, will say they struggle to some degree with issues of sin. Everyone uses the famous excuse, “no one is perfect.”
This excuse is fired off because we fail to get sin out of our lives and have
given up the fight to be pure before God in our lives. There is more to God’s will than just being
pure. If we put these other wills of God into our lives we will find more
success in being pure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
scripture above tells us some important things that are God’s will for your
life. Here is a list: admonish the
unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient, don’t repay
evil with evil, seek what is good, rejoice, pray, and give thanks. You may be surprised by this list because they
are common things the church should be about, yet many don’t follow these
things. Notice, most of these things are
about putting God and others above self.
To truly be successful in overcoming sins we need all these other things
in our lives to win the victory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Praying,
rejoicing, and giving thanks are truly important and as the above scripture
points out should be a constant in our lives.
Find joy in the small things of life not just the big things and you
will be happier. Pray about everything
because God cares about you wants to have a relationship with you. Become a thankful person because we could
always be worse off than we are. Jesus
loves you and is always there for you and so, we have a lot to be thankful for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> So
much could be said about God’s will for your life and even the above scripture that
books could be written about it. Let me
just ask you to take a moment to think about the above scripture and think
about what life would be like if you followed what it says. How could you apply each of these things in your
life? 2018 can be an amazing year for
you by living according to the will of God. So I encourage you seek God’s will and follow
it this year. We have help through the
Holy Spirit that indwells a believer’s life, so you don’t have to go it alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Have
a Happy New Year!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All Scriptures are from <i>The New American Standard Bible</i>, copywrite 1995 by the Lockman
Foundation, La Habra, CA<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/zNS6oFkwlG4?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">NordWood Themes</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-55037081945699409802017-12-22T08:56:00.000-08:002017-12-22T08:56:08.158-08:00An Advent of Joy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-aLv4p5fzRWSXIbOocE6s_aN8YP45i0ESITL-PcDRg8aQbAGklGLNFnV23GBCkzM4EzHxY3gzov9yxC1slFN_1zpeFs-ot7peCs8NczH_yXR9NBesUz4dMQqe58vvJoG3LLKpj-Eb9E/s1600/ben-white-170542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-aLv4p5fzRWSXIbOocE6s_aN8YP45i0ESITL-PcDRg8aQbAGklGLNFnV23GBCkzM4EzHxY3gzov9yxC1slFN_1zpeFs-ot7peCs8NczH_yXR9NBesUz4dMQqe58vvJoG3LLKpj-Eb9E/s400/ben-white-170542.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An
Advent of Joy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“But
the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of
great joy which will be for all the people;’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Luke
2:10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Rejoice
always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will
for you in Christ Jesus.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1
Thessalonians 5:16-18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> One
of the great gifts of Advent is the gift of joy found in Christ Jesus! Just as with
many we find joy when we see an infant child. We also find that same joy in Christ. Sunday was a joyful time for us all as we watched
the children’s program. Children more
than any other love the Christmas season!
They don’t worry about all the proofs of Christ and the message He
brought. They simply believe it and find
joy in knowing that Jesus loves them.
Seeing their joy Sunday morning brought us joy as we watched them celebrate
Christ who should be our source of joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
shepherds, the night of Christ’s birth, were watching the sheep when an Angel
from the Lord came and announced the birth of Christ. A heavenly host sang of this great joy that
had come to all men, stirring in the shepherds a desire to see this great
Savior. When they found the child just
as the angel had told them, their excitement and joy went even higher. They became the first evangelists if you will,
proclaiming what the angels had told them.
They even went back to the sheep rejoicing by praising God and glorifying
Him! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Finding
joy can be hard for many of us at times in life. Sometimes life can really be hard. Yet it is God’s will that we be joyful. That joy when life is tough, can be hard to
find, yet we need not look anywhere but to Christ who was born in very humbling
circumstances for us. Sometimes when
life has been hard the only joy I have is found in knowing that Jesus loves me
and that in the end the Jesus will be glorified. God is in control and when I just rest in Him
there I do find joy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Kids
can find joy in places that we don’t often find it. Even in the hardest of times you can find
them playing with their toys and laughing and having fun. Growing up we didn’t have a lot and times
were hard, yet to watch us kids you would have never known it. We would just go outside to play and have fun
each day. We knew we didn’t have all
that the other kids had but we still had so much fun and found such joy in what
we did have. We just blindly trusted our
parents, teachers, society, God, etc. to always take care of us. There was great peace and joy in not having to
worry about the world around us. Sometimes
I find myself missing those days and, yet I find I don’t have to. I can choose to have that same kind of childlike
faith by just letting go and letting God take care of me. When you do that you
find joy and peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> As
we think of the first advent of Christ, His second coming can bring us great
joy too. We sometimes only think about
the judgement of those who don’t know Christ and we miss the joyful part of
being with Jesus! Jesus will win the victory! Eternal life will be ours in a place free of
pain and suffering. Are we proclaiming the Good news of Christ this Christmas? The best gift we could ever give someone is the
joy that is found in the Christ child that will lead them someday to a life
free of pain and suffering! The joy that
is found in knowing that God is in control and loves us! That is the perfect gift this Christmas!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/dddQHervE04?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Ben White</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
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All Scripture is from <i>New American Standard Bible, </i>copy-write 1995, by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA</div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-57422748781257344262017-12-14T08:21:00.000-08:002017-12-14T08:33:04.485-08:00An Advent of Peace<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KgIDWHfUYLTtVLuKAimvh90Ma2KknYXst-5zyIyIzATdmrPe8ee1gqv0UE2w4qYOrnaVMl8G3oenW1P2JreN99j6-zFb0DqCbLiQYaMkYEfvz_FJyNh3fEkuJ-GKnovx9pvBwgZ9GBY/s1600/davidson-luna-180631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KgIDWHfUYLTtVLuKAimvh90Ma2KknYXst-5zyIyIzATdmrPe8ee1gqv0UE2w4qYOrnaVMl8G3oenW1P2JreN99j6-zFb0DqCbLiQYaMkYEfvz_FJyNh3fEkuJ-GKnovx9pvBwgZ9GBY/s320/davidson-luna-180631.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An
Advent of Peace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Come
to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My
yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU
WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My
yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Peace
I leave with you; Peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to
you. Do not let your heart be troubled,
nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
second Sunday of Advent is a celebration of the gift of peace! In the movies it often seems that someone gives
a toast to world peace. In a world full
of turmoil, the desire for peace is strong.
Yet, do we every think about what might be waring in our own lives? Many people today have lives that are full of
conflicts family problems, work issues, personal problems, health issues,
etc. These conflicts and issues can
take away our peace of mind and spirit and that alone can rob us of rest. Jesus though brought peace when He came to
earth the night He was born and that gift of peace we celebrate this week. We can have peace with God this Christmas
season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> First,
we need to understand that peace from God is different than that of the
world. The peace comes thru the work of
the Holy Spirit. In John 14:23 it says,
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We
will come to him and make Our abode with him.”
The Holy Spirit is a part of each believer’s life and we should be in
God’s word because that is how God through His spirit will speak to us. To achieve peace, we must abide in the word
of God and be obedient to what it says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Second,
we need to learn from the word, just as what it says in Matthew 11:29-30 about
taking on His yoke and learning from Christ.
The Spirit will guide us obedience and in learning. When we gain
understanding about life or the struggles we are having we grow as people and
there we can find rest which only comes through peace. When, if nothing more, we understand that God
is in control, we don’t have to worry about what is happening. We can obtain the peace which leads us to
rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Finally,
sin is a destroyer of peace with God.
Just as when we were kids most of our fights with our parents were
because of our disobedience to them, it is the same with God. I know that sometimes we are burned by things
that are not in our control but how often were we heavy-laden by our own bad
choices and wrong actions. We need let
these things go by taking on Christ, learn from our mistakes and know that
Jesus is gentle and loving. Jesus is
waiting on you and is waiting on you to just let go, letting Him work in your
life. He will give you peace if you let
Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Last
week I talked some about Jesus second coming.
Are you at peace with Christ that if He came today you would be
ready? You can be ready and at peace as it
all starts with letting go of self and sin.
We miss so much because we just don’t love, honor, and obey Christ. This Christmas give of your whole self to
Christ, so you can truly say you are ready if Christ comes back today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All Scripture is from the <i>New American Standard Bible. </i>Copy-write 1995 by the Lockman
Foundation, La Habra, CA<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/2gSfZ9Baph8?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Davidson Luna</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-75181672519677337522017-12-13T08:22:00.000-08:002017-12-13T08:22:23.269-08:00Peace and Rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl2FIGPMkEShzRdVCEqwNxj8NjWUzz_9tO6WGL-7lJDODxZ98gBVafnIhQUwccPiB5QHmL2Oes805pDOrO9TsQg4CO8KmPlDhF6zc9RlYmQD5iDsGvGbFyLuiBGhxna0hSJQNK_3FsPo/s1600/peace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl2FIGPMkEShzRdVCEqwNxj8NjWUzz_9tO6WGL-7lJDODxZ98gBVafnIhQUwccPiB5QHmL2Oes805pDOrO9TsQg4CO8KmPlDhF6zc9RlYmQD5iDsGvGbFyLuiBGhxna0hSJQNK_3FsPo/s640/peace.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Kruis, John G. <i>Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling. </i>Baker, Grand Rapids, MI. copy-write 1994Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-46943716334142585512017-12-08T08:13:00.000-08:002017-12-11T08:04:27.564-08:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs89jX-sbZ6mUWPb_caGTgFv1Mxv-XtIVhgkNPuubL6-klJa8nhhTb16dh_B9eziTjFGau_ci0fqQCbrMu_I_7PBa7HEg1sOf3rYEuvn7sIx1SsKzRNzUrIiGS3vdQt_EBGTc0QOXnY20/s1600/joanna-kosinska-395393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs89jX-sbZ6mUWPb_caGTgFv1Mxv-XtIVhgkNPuubL6-klJa8nhhTb16dh_B9eziTjFGau_ci0fqQCbrMu_I_7PBa7HEg1sOf3rYEuvn7sIx1SsKzRNzUrIiGS3vdQt_EBGTc0QOXnY20/s400/joanna-kosinska-395393.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Advent:
Hope of His Coming!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“But
do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one
day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Behold,
I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to render to every man according
to what he has done.” Rev. 22:12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> When
we celebrate Advent, we are focusing our preparation for the celebration of
Christ coming to earth. It’s a time of expectation
of the coming of Christmas. With expectation
there are five different aspects of Christ’s Advent, hope, peace, joy,
love, and most important Christ, which we focus on. This Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent the
focus is on hope. Hope means to place
trust, rely. This definition is an old
meaning long forgotten but is true of the faith. We like then, need to trust and rely on Gods
word that just like the first coming of Christ the second coming will be in the same literal way. This Advent season I
think we need to take the principles of the first Advent and apply it to the
second coming of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
book of Malachi, last book of the Old Testament, tells us a lot about the
people during the time between the testaments.
The book was written 400 years before the time of Christ. He talks about the sins of the people of God,
their spiritual leaders and to the sins in families. When you read it, one can’t but feel how some
of this has crept back into the churches today.
The message in the book is harsh and yet it was needed then, and we need
it now, but we do our best at times to ignore it. Within the 400-year period between the
testaments the message was ignored and it only got worse. By the time Christ did come the religion was
not as much based on faith as on works and who you were. Christ during his ministry would butt heads many
times with religious leaders and it would one day “cost Him His life.” Christ would then be raised to life again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> There
was great hope by the time of Christ that someday He would come. The people didn’t like Roman control nor did they like any leaders that were placed over them. People were looking forward
with great hope for the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to come. Though many would someday reject Him,
because of false understandings, they wanted a Savior. When the Magi came in Matthew 2, the scribes even
knew where the Messiah was to be born and understood many of the details about
Him. It is worth noting that even though
the Magi pointed out the Messiah was born, the scribes didn’t go with them to find Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Jesus
came at just the right time as Gal 4:4 says “When the fullness of the time came,
God sent forth His Son…” When Christ
second coming happens, it to will happen at just the right time. Jesus tells us in several places like Rev.
22:12 that He is “coming quickly.” How
long is quickly? Well 2 Peter 3:8 says “a
day is like a thousand years.” If someone
says they are coming quickly they usually are not talking about years but
days. So, I am left to believe the same
with Christ and, so I have to say it could be any day any time. That leads to yet another question: Are you ready? Few were truly ready the first time He came
and, yet they were told He was coming.
We too are told He is coming. Will we be ready? Don’t be like the scribes
and religious leaders and not recognize what is happening though you know the
truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This
Advent Christmas season let us fix our hope on the fact that Christ will be
coming back! The best gift we could ever
give Jesus is our lives committed to loving Him with our everything, and to
look forward to His second coming. It
may not happen in our lifetime, but it could. Remember its been 2000 years so
that is like 2 days to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God Bless!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/fVaN7rSVlRY?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Joanna Kosinska</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-79393758149472746032017-10-02T08:41:00.003-07:002017-10-02T08:41:25.535-07:00Outline of LukeHere is part of the Outline for the book of Luke that I am using to prepare my sermons on Luke. It is from "Talk Thru the Bible."<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Outline
of Luke<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Part
One: The Introduction of the Son of Man (1:1-4:13).<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">I.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
purpose and method of Luke’s Gospel (1:1-4)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">II.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Events Preceding Christ’s Birth (1:5-56)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">John the Baptist’s Birth is Foretold
(1:5-25)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>i.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Zacharias
Ministers in the Temple (1:5-10)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>ii.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An
Angel Announces the Birth of John the Baptist (1:11-17)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>iii.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Zacharias
is Unable to Speak (1:18-25)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">b.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus the Christ’s Birth is Foretold
(1:26-56)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>i.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Gabriel
Announces Christ’s Birth (1:26-33)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>ii.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mary
Miraculously Conceives (1:24-38)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>iii.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mary
Visits Elizabeth (1:39-56)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">III.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Events Accompanying Christ’s Birth (1:57-2:38)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Birth of John the Baptist (1:57-80)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>i.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elizabeth
Gives Birth to John (1:57-66)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>ii.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Zacharias
Prophesies of John’s Ministry (1:67-80)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">b.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Birth of Jesus the Christ (2:1-38)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>i.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christ
is Born (2:1-7)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>ii.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Angels Announce Jesus to the Shepherds (2:8-14)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>iii.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Shepherds Visit Jesus (2:15-20)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>iv.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christ
is Presented to the Temple (2:21-38)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 2.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christ is Circumcised (2:21-24)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 2.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Simeon’s Prophecy (2:25-35)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 2.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level4 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Anna’s Testimony (2:36-38)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">IV.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Events During Christ’s Childhood (2:39-52)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus Returns to Nazareth (2:39-40)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">b.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus Celebrates the Passover (2:41-50)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">c.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus Grows in Wisdom (2:51-52)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">V.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Events Preceding Christ’s Presentation (3:1-4:13)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Ministry of John the Baptist
(3:1-20)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">b.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Baptism of Christ (3:21-22)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">c.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Genealogy of Christ thru Mary
(3:23-38)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Century Schoolbook"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Century Schoolbook";">d.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Temptation of Christ (4:1-13)<w:sdt citation="t" id="-1717733439"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span> CITATION Bru80 \l 1033 <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (Boa 1980)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1>
<span style="color: windowtext;">Bibliography<o:p></o:p></span><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></h1>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>BIBLIOGRAPHY <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->Boa, Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth. <i>Talk Thru the
Bible.</i> Nahville: Thomas Nelson, 1980.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></div>
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Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-16848686211967610202017-08-08T09:04:00.001-07:002017-08-08T09:06:23.322-07:00Not Ashamed<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0U7rbIdj-jl3_q87haKqXDpKp-dk6vq6b6BQmXgYzPijtGoUFkRJXuwLH6N6ey4nKx8aoJ8drjTQuhmTdyBKGir5FiQXuFLW584AW0HhOqiIa9aQ-9NiJkcKeQh44XdmZ7WFIW4y0Ww/s1600/allef-vinicius-107831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1600" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0U7rbIdj-jl3_q87haKqXDpKp-dk6vq6b6BQmXgYzPijtGoUFkRJXuwLH6N6ey4nKx8aoJ8drjTQuhmTdyBKGir5FiQXuFLW584AW0HhOqiIa9aQ-9NiJkcKeQh44XdmZ7WFIW4y0Ww/s320/allef-vinicius-107831.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Not
Ashamed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By
Pastor Thomas Carter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But
the righteous man shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:16-17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> As
a teenager, at camp meetings, I was challenged to carry my Bible on top my
books and wear Christian t-shirts. At those meetings, many kids said that the speaker
doesn’t know my school. There were teens
from my school who said the same thing, yet I felt lead to do that very
thing. My experience was not that
bad. I was laughed at by a few and even
had my Bible stolen once but overall it was a great experience that even led to
me getting to share the gospel with classmates. I carried this idea into the job world by not
being afraid to read my Bible on breaks and invite people to church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> What
is ashamed? Webster defines ashamed as:
1.</span> <span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">feeling
shame, guilt, or disgrace 2. reluctant
or unwilling to do something because of shame or embarrassment.<w:sdt citation="t" id="1327252720"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span> CITATION ash17 \l 1033 <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (ashamed)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> I think the second part of this definition is
what Paul had in mind when He said he was not ashamed of the Gospel. Paul
didn’t hide or have reluctance despite the fact he had been imprisoned, chased
out of places, laughed at and even stoned because of preaching the gospel. The Gospel is a message of good news and
power that would save people from their sins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Rome
was the center of the world at the time of Jesus and Paul. There was all sorts of pagan and idol worship
taking place in that city. This was the
capital city of the world for Paul and the emperor or Caesar was in that
city. With all the political things that
take place in a capital city and the many different beliefs and people type
that would be living and passing through that city, Paul knew he would face
ridicule, criticism, possible physical repercussion, and even death for that
message when he reached Rome. This would
not stop Paul from his mission nor should it stop those in Rome from proclaiming
the good news of Jesus! They should not
hide but boldly proclaim that salvation and eternal life is through Jesus
Christ! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century schoolbook" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> What
about us? In today’s world do people
know that you’re a Christian? A pastor asked me years ago: “If you were
arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict
you?” In America, we have freedom of
religion but that doesn’t mean we don’t face getting laughed at. We fear that we might be laughed at or even
be the center of the gossip. We let fear
drive us not the power of God nor the Gospel.
What is instore for those who never receive Jesus? Are you truly going to be silent and let that
happen? The calling to share the gospel
is to all of us. How people will take
that message we won’t know until we pray for them and we boldly tell them the
good news of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/GMcC5_u0yzM?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;">Allef Vinicius</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; text-decoration-skip: ink; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;">Unsplash</a></span></div>
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Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-36278107441564327922017-02-20T08:35:00.002-08:002017-02-20T08:35:32.387-08:00Christ is Our Advocate<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christ is
Our Advocate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1John 2:1,2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> In the
beginning of this book we learned that God is Light and in Him there is no
Darkness. We learned to walk in the
light not claim to be in the light.
Also, we learned that we still must fight the battle over sin in our
lives. The Apostle John opens the
chapter by saying, “My little Children, I am writing these things to you so
that you may not sin. And if anyone
sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”. 1John
2:1 As you can see one of the purposes of
this letter is that we may not sin. Sin
is a battle we will fight for all our earthly life. Walking in the light will lead us to confess
our sins when they come up and will also help keep us from sin. It has been said, “we are who we are around,”
so if we are walking in the light we are going to be around others who walk in
the light, and most importantly we will be in the light of Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Yet, it also
says, “if anyone sins.” I as a human
being would like it to say when you sin.
It’s easy to think that way because we all like to have the excuse for
our sins. The old saying of nobody’s
perfect. Yet, here John is trying to
keep us focused on walking in the light which will protect us from sin. We will have trouble with sin but it’s better
to have a positive focus on it then negative.
Negative energy does cause us to be brought down and John is trying to
build us up here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The New
International Version of the bible does a good job of defining what an advocate
is: “we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense.” When a person commits a crime, or breaks a
law they often hire an attorney to plead their case before a judge. The Father, here in this scripture, is the
LORD. The LORD is a righteous and holy
judge. Jesus, when we sin, speaks to the
Father for us. He makes our defense. To
top this off Jesus is righteous too, like the Father. What an amazing thought we are defended by
someone who is righteous just like The Father is Righteous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Verse two says
that “He Himself”, that is Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation is the act of gaining ones’
favor. Christ is the atoning sacrifice
for our sins. He paid the price for our
sins to gain us favor with God. He is
our advocate and the payment for our sins.
This was done through His love for us that lead Him to the cross. Ask yourself what does your sin look like to
God? When you see it how the Lord sees
it you will understand better the Love of Christ. This will also move you to walk in the
light. Even to do your part to not
sin. How much do you love Jesus?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thomas Carter February 19, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-65705042161625540772017-02-01T08:40:00.000-08:002017-02-01T08:40:26.552-08:00Be Like Christ.<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be Like
Christ<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Scripture in Philippians says; <b><i>“Do nothing from selfishness and empty
conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than
yourself; do not merely look at your own personal interests, but also for the
interests of others.” Phil. 2:2-3<w:sdt citation="t" id="-16306590"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>CITATION NASB \l 1033 <span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (NASB)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"></span></w:sdt></i></b></span> What is selfishness? Merriam-Webster says its:
“concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own
advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others; and arising from
concern with one's own welfare or advantage in disregard of others.”<w:sdt citation="t" id="998620620"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span> CITATION Mir17 \l 1033 <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (Mirriam-Webster.com)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> As I look at this definition one thing is
repeated and that is “without or disregard of others.” We are told not to be selfish which at times
can be a hard thing to do. Today we live
in a very self-serving world and let us look at selfishness and what we can do
about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The
greatest commandment in scripture is: <b>“‘You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is
like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments
depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:3-40<w:sdt citation="t" id="-442925778"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span>
CITATION NASB \l 1033 <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (NASB)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> </b>When you look at just the ten
commandments you will see that the first five deal with loving God. The Second five are all about loving
others. Maybe, that is why we want to
remove the ten commandments from public view so we are not reminded to love
others. If you didn’t follow them you
could disobey parents, murder, committee adultery, basically do what every you
wanted. Yet would that be paradise? When we obey those commandments, we show true
love for others and the impact can be great.
When you obey parents, it goes well with you. When you cheat on your spouse it leads to
pain far greater than just your spouse. Love is an amazing thing and can change
the whole course of one’s life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some
might say it would be so awesome to just do what I want. To live this life, and have a complete
disregard to how what you do would affect others. Take what you want do what you want causes
pain that maybe you won’t feel until those actions are taken against you. The golden rule is what it is because it has
truth to it. To do unto others as you
would have don unto you, is to live a life above self. We might think this is only for children but
it’s a truth for all of us. A life lived
in love and above the line will also, in most cases, protect you from being
known as a hypocrite. Many Christians who don’t live by the golden rule are
known to be this because they say one thing and their actions show the
opposite. Then to make matters worse they get mad when they aren’t treated the
way they should have been treating others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Paul in
this passage also talks about conceit. Which has its roots in pride and strong opinion
about one’s self. It walks hand in hand with being selfish. The world teaches to look to self and take
care of self as number one yet most don’t like it when they are around a
conceited person. There are somethings
that we might do exceptionally well at, which we all want to boast about. We can cross that line to conceit when we
forget others. Even worse is when that
conceit is empty, meaning we aren’t as good as we thing we are. Those people really will drive us nuts
because we can see their faults. We need to check our self, because humility is
something we all could spend more time on.
We are truly small when compared to the greatness and might of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes
people can be hard to love or even seem to not be as great as we think we
are. It is hard at times but we most view
them the way Christ does. We need to
love them and look out for them. That is
for all people the easy to love and the hard to love. Ask yourself, what a world would look like if
we each lived according to Phil. 2:2-3?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thomas
Carter Feb. 1, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<h1>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Works Cited<o:p></o:p><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></h1>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>BIBLIOGRAPHY <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Mirriam-Webster.com</i>. n.d. 31 January 2017.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"NASB." <i>New Amercan Standard Bible</i>.
Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA, 1995.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<w:sdt docparttype="Bibliographies" docpartunique="t" id="-1928178564" sdtdocpart="t"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></w:sdt><br />
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Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284408698850638112.post-19390598197238571292017-01-19T08:49:00.000-08:002017-01-19T08:49:42.819-08:00Treasure <div class="MsoNormal">
Today, just like in all times we have things we
treasure. It might be gold, silver, or
money. It also can be other things like
homes, computers, cars and much more.
Luke 12:34 says that “For where your treasure is there your heart be
also.” Matthew’s Gospel adds this: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon
the earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal. But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves don
not break in and steal; for where your treasure is there will your heart be
also.” Matthew 6:19-21. Both Luke and Matthew are quoting Jesus. After reading these passages it has lead me
to do some thinking about myself and the world around me. Treasure is so important to many of us that
it at times does get in the way of our walk with Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I Look at our heavenly treasures I see that unlike the
earthly ones they don’t fall apart, get lost, stolen, become junk. They are eternal. When you and I are called to go home to be
with Jesus we don’t get to take our earthly treasures with us. Just as it was one time said to me, “you
don’t see a U-Haul behind a hearse.”
The things I do for the kingdom of heaven they are what truly last for
eternity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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John Piper says this about the treasures of your heart:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The
heart is the emotional barometer of the value and security of the treasure
(Lk.12:34). If your treasure is
vulnerable, your joy is vulnerable. If
your treasure is secure, your joy is secure.
If your treasure is great, your joy is great. Your heart fellows your treasure, wherever
and however it leads. Your heart rises
and falls with the quality of what your treasure. The full, trustworthy, satisfying treasure in
heaven is God—Himself, His Son, His kingdom.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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What we do and how we live our lives shows what we
treasure. Our Generosity is an awesome
way we show our treasure because giving to the needy show a never-failing
treasure. When we serve, and give back
to the Lord we are showing our treasure is in Him. The Lord will never fail us. Remember though that these do not save us,
but by Jesus, so our treasure should be in Him and not in our work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope you all have a great and Blessed week.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By: Pastor Tom Carter<o:p></o:p></div>
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Scripture from the New American Standard Copyright 1977 by
the Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Piper, J. (2014-2015). Look at the Book Labs (Lk.12:32-34).
Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.<o:p></o:p></div>
Tom Carterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10720345316082075853noreply@blogger.com0