Just A Thought!     

When called by God, there is a purpose in that call. So often we want to conform everyone to the same call, but God is both specific and diverse in our call. Our call is unto salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, and to a church where the whole counsel of God is given. Our only problem is that many of the churches do not hold to the necessity of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. There will always be different expressions of Christ from different churches, even as we have seen in the Letters to the churches in the Epistle’s. Each church is unique, and yet we are called one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6. I should also include verse 3. “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” I must admit here that it is a little more difficult to keep that part seen casting off the whole counsel of God and now following another gospel.

     As individuals in the Body of Christ, we are a specific purpose and call to fulfill, and as one’s saved by the glorious gospel, we don’t have to be the same. So many forget that: Ephesians 4:7 “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” We are also instructed in verse 17: “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles, in the vanity of their mind.” We each have a purpose and the purpose is to fulfill the will of God, while we are here on this earth. Sameness does not fulfill that will. By One God and Father of us all, One Body, One Spirit, One faith, One baptism, we fulfill the will of God and members in particular, each with the purpose of glorifying God while here on this earth. There is one call of God for all believers. Ephesians 5:1 “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children, and walk in love as Christ hath loved us, and hath given himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.” God bless you today with these thoughts and have a great day.



Discerning The Times

John 11:9 got my attention this morning. Listen and hear what the Spirit has to say this morning. The disciples asked Jesus a question in verse 8, saying to Christ. “His disciples said unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and go thou thither again?” Even the disciples did not understand the plan of God at that particular time in Christ’s walk in the world. So many don’t even today for a lack of knowledge. Listen to Christ’s reply in verse 9-10. “Are there not 12 hours in a day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not, because he sees the light of the world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him.”  Please listen: Get into the Word of God and learn of Him who calls you. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

     Today so many get caught up with the emotions of the world, finding it difficult to walk by faith, for it is by the Word of God that a disciple of Jesus Christ is equipped to live this life in a world that grows darker continually. Jesus had heard that Lazarus was dead, and he was going to wake him out of his sleep. The disciples didn’t realize he was dead, until Jesus told them. It is like that today; so many walk in darkness and don’t realize it, Why? They don’t practice the presence of God in their lives. “In 1st Corinthians 15;35-37 Paul instructs the Corinthian believers in resurrection life. “But some will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do the come? Thou fool, that which thou sows is not quickened except it die. And that which thou sows, thou sows not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chances of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.”

     When people walk in darkness, they have difficulty discerning the world around them. But Christ was in communion with His Father, and He walked in the light. He was going forward in the plan of God and was returning to Judea to resurrect Lazarus. Christ was equipped and knew His Father’s will. Do we? If we continue in the Word as a disciple, we put on the whole armor of God. In other words, by the Word of God we are equipped to walk in a dark world.

     Listen this morning to what Paul instructed the disciples to do by the Spirit of God. In Ephesians 6:10 he says, “Finally brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God: that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Why? “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” What is the solution for us as believers. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

     In closing this morning, before one goes out in the darkness of this world, and believe me, it gets darker by the day; we put on Christ. Listen to these words and live the life God has called you too. “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the  breastplate of righteousness, (not your own righteousness, but the righteousness that comes by the intake of the Word of God), “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith;, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Every believer needs to be equipped by God, and the believer needs to know who he or she is in Christ, and how can one unless they are in His Word!



Seeing What God Sees!

     Perceptions of the flesh often limit our potential. We are hindered by our own frailty, and we have problems getting beyond the natural, into the spiritual. It is every simple. Spiritual intuition belongs to the Holy Ghost, who empowers us according to Acts 1:8 The natural man knows not the things of God. Listen to 1st Corinthians 2:14. “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know, because they are spiritually discerned.” Powerful words and these words help us understand that the things of God are revealed by the Spirit of God as the Holy Ghost opens our eyes to truth. He asks another question in verse 16: “For who hath known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him: for we have the mind of Christ.” So often people try to live a Christian life apart from being a disciple, disciplined in the Word of God, through having a personal relationship based upon truth in the inner man. The truth sets us free, not only by saving us, but instructing or empowering us to know the truth as we walk in the light of His counsel. Who is our counselor? Well, it is the spirit that quickens us to truth.

     So often people get caught up in the methods, characteristics, emotions and presentations of the Pastor, instead of the content and truth that is being presented. When Paul was writing in 1st Corinthians, he was correcting misconceptions of the believers in Corinth. In verse 4-8 of Chapter 2 He writes: “For while one saith I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. (Notice now!) So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither is he that waters: but God gives the increase.” If one looks back into 1stCorinthians 1, in verse 21 we read this. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” My guess is that most today would choose another way, but God’s wisdom is greater than any man’s!

     Today we see so many departing from the very foundations God has established. But what did Jesus say in John 16:7-15 which is critical to those things I am writing today. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now: Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself: but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” The power of God by that Holy Ghost is what is working in you and through you as you continue in the Word of God as a disciple. Are you listening? These disciples lived under the authority of another. Christ sent the hope of the Holy Ghost into our hearts that we might know the things which have been given unto us by that same Spirit which empowers us to live Christ. The object of our faith is Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. The scriptures teach us; and we see in Romans 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of he Holy Ghost.” We also read in 1stThessalonians 1:5, “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.” For the Word of God, is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit; and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 So as it says in verse 16, “Let us come therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”



Verse of the Day

I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)


Verse Of The Day June 18 2018

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. (Ephesians 3:20) #HCCverseoftheday   #hccmtsterling



10 Opportunities Lost When We Skip Church

 

1. Opportunity for corporate worship

Coming together to praise a sovereign God, regardless of our individual circumstances, is beautiful. Some people are exuberant in their praise, while others are mellow. Some are loud, quiet, raise their hands, or just cry. But the central thing is that all of these are expressions of praise and worship to God. Sometimes in the midst of this joyful time, I am reminded that I will be doing this for all eternity, and it takes my praise to a new level.

2. Opportunity to give

Every week we have the opportunity to consciously give financially to our place of worship. This giving is an extension of a faith that we already practice. By giving financially, we are sowing seed into the church body. And in a small way, we are emulating what Christ first did for us.

3. Opportunity for fellowship

 Humans are wired for fellowship. When the word fellowship is broken apart, we see that we are all fellows in a ship working together, supporting each other, and encouraging each other. We have this reminder in Scripture also not to neglect coming together in worship with the purpose of exhorting each other. (Hebrews 10:25)

4. Opportunity to meet each other’s needs

When I’m tempted to stay home, but I pull myself together and make it to church, God makes it worth the effort. Many times, the conversations after church are unplanned, but it’s where I hear what’s burdening my sister or brother in the Lord. Usually, at the end of these conversations, we lift each other up in prayer, and we usually leave better than when we came.
 

5. Opportunity for growth

God may prick your conscience a certain way in the company of believers. The person sharing God’s word spent time in preparation, and now is your time to partake of what was prepared. After the service, you have the opportunity to discuss it with the pastor or someone in the congregation so that you can go deeper. That spoken Word is the foundation for you to go deeper as you study God’s word.

6. Proximity to pastoral staff and care

You have access to staff or a team that is there primarily to serve you. Just asking a question or sharing your thoughts encourages them. In addition they can challenge you to adjust your perspective as you learn the Bible for yourself. If you need prayer, they are available to pray for you.
 

7. Opportunity to display love

 Since I’ve attended my current church, I have become a hugger, and a hug is the first sign of affection. I love hugging newcomers or people who look a bit unsure of where they are. It’s my way of letting them know that they’re all right, and God has them right where they need to be.

8. Opportunity for mending broken relationships

 Have you ever attended church after having a fight with your children? Or speaking curt words with your spouse?  You’re in church with the music playing, and the pastor starts preaching. Then you turn to your spouse and mouth, “I’m sorry.” Meanwhile, your child goes to Sunday School and learns ways to love others better. None of this would have happened if you stayed home. Relationships are mended on Sunday mornings.
 

9. Opportunity to come out of your comfort zone

 It takes many people to run a church. We all have various gifts and talents, which can be used to serve others in the church body. Your talents could meet a desperate need, and they may even lead to other exciting opportunities. Bloom where you are planted and watch God bring results.

10. Opportunity to hear how God is working in other’s lives

 Often, we have no idea what the person sitting next to us is going through. They may have seen God work miracles in their lives during the past week. They sit serenely in the pew, but it is only by the grace of God that they are there. If we venture to speak with people around us, we could be encouraged and inspired by what God is doing in their lives. We are all living testimonies. Hearing others’ testimonies offers different displays of how God works.

The next time you are tempted to stay home on a Sunday morning, get yourself together and join in the company of believers and the presence of God. Go as you are, and let people minister to you. Be prepared to hear God speak through his servants from his Word. Be open and willing to let God work in you and through you in mighty ways. You’ll be better off for it.

 
 


Say NO

Many commentaries view this passage as Paul’s theological reasons for his call to Christian living to the various groups in the preceding verses.

He starts this section off by stating that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared.” What a statement! The Greek verb is in the past tense, indicating something that has already happened. Of course, he is speaking of Christ’s appearance to mankind, God’s ultimate revelation of himself.

Be careful to note that Paul does not say “the grace of God appeared bringing salvation to all men.” Rather, he states that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,” meaning Christ. Our salvation is found in Christ alone, and God’s actions in sending his Son demonstrate his grace.

Briefly Paul applies two negative, followed by three positive reactions to that Grace, and to Christ himself.

Saying “No” to ungodliness

Very obviously, this is the opposite of godliness. Paul stresses godly living throughout the letters of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. This description is the exact opposite of what he calls Timothy and Titus, and us, to live.

Saying “No” to worldly passions

Again, worldly desires go directly against the desire God has for our lives. Personal pleasure, power, worldly possessions and more are to be avoided because through Christ, we have so much more!

After these two negatives, Paul moves to the positives.

Live self-controlled lives

The idea of self-control is a prominent theme in many of Paul’s letters. Living in such a way to control ourselves, and our passions, displays that we have mastered ourselves, and submitted to God’s lordship in our lives. The self-controlled person has learned restraint and prudence.

Live upright lives

Other translations render this as living “righteously.” The idea here is to live with right conduct towards our fellow men. Fairness, honesty and integrity are hallmarks of the upright life. This emphasizes the fact that Christ is in control of our lives instead of us.

Live godly lives

In direct contrast to the ungodliness we are to avoid, Paul encourages us to live godly lives. In order to do this, we give to God what is clearly due him: our very lives and everything about us.

When are we to be doing these things? In this present age. This is not something simply to look forward to, something that God will work in us in times to come. God’s word gives us instruction on how to live for him in the now. But God’s grace also teaches us that this present age is not the most important one. This, paired with what is to come in verse 13, helps us to understand that this world, this age, is temporary. But how we live in this age prepares us for the age to come.

So the question we have to ask ourselves is this: How are we living? Are we striving to accomplish such things as the reasons Paul lists here? Or are we saying “Yes” to the things we are to be saying “No” to?

Let us strive to live lives that bring honor to Christ!



Tested Stone

 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. (NLT) ( Isaiah 28:16 )

Where do you find your security? Does it lie in your success? What about your finances? Or are you counting on family? When one of these crumbles, our sense of security is shaken. There is a stronger rock to stand on that will withstand any quake. That firm and tested stone is Jesus. If you get down or depressed because of bad news, your foundation may depend on something other than the hope found in Jesus.



The Ultimate Valentine

There really isn’t any other day on earth like it.  If you just look at Valentine’s Day by the numbers, it boggles the brain a bit:

♥  $130.97 – The average estimated amount an individual will spend on Valentine’s Day.

♥  $224 million – The estimated number of roses grown for Valentine’s Day.

♥  $18.6 billion – The projected total amount Americans will spend for Valentine’s Day.

♥  $1.6 billion – The amount people will spend on candy

♥  $1.9 billion – The amount people will spend on flowers

♥  $4.4 billion – The amount people will spend on diamonds, gold, and silver

Not only that, but over 6 million folks will propose on February 14th, and if you are a member of the club that sees Valentine’s Day as S.A.D. (i.e., Single Awareness Day), you can actually pick up a Valentine’s card and/or treat for your pet!

Picture yourself as God’s living Valentine to a world that needs His love.

But then after the hundreds of pounds of chocolate have been gobbled, and the millions of cards have been exchanged, and the billions of dollars spent, their comes the inevitable follow up—

February 15

That’s the day when we go back to our daily grind, and all that focus on love typically gets thrown out with the wrappers and cards.  This probably happens because we put so much emphasis on the temporary and emotionally-driven feeling called love, which is why it is so important to remember that God sends us a very different message:

For the mountains may move
and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”
says the Lord, who has mercy on you
(Isaiah 54:10).

Isn’t this amazing?  Long after our flowers have faded and the feelings have waned, God’s love endures beyond even the foundations of the earth!  That’s because His love for us isn’t centered in our beauty, behavior or even our love for Him.  God’s love flows from the unconditional affection and commitment of the perfect Father’s heart.

The gospel is the ultimate Valentine that should not be kept a secret!

And here is the best part. When we decide to share the love that God has for us with others, it will have an eternal impact. In fact, loving others the way that God loves us is the only meaningful thing that will last forever:

What if I speak in the most elegant languages of people or in the exotic languages of the heavenly messengers, but I live without love? Well then, anything I say is like the clanging of brass or a crashing cymbal.  What if I have the gift of prophecy, am blessed with knowledge and insight to all the mysteries, or what if my faith is strong enough to scoop a mountain from its bedrock, yet I live without love? If so, I am nothing.  I could give all that I have to feed the poor, I could surrender my body to be burned as a martyr, but if I do not live in love, I gain nothing by my selfless acts. Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love;it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs  or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight!  Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what.

Love will never become obsolete (1 Corinthians 13:1-8).

This Valentine’s Day, remember that love is so much more than flowers and candy and cards.  It is even more than the deepest feelings you experience, because real love is expressed by unconditional commitment and unwavering dedication to our loved ones—which should be everyone!

That’s why God didn’t spend billions of dollars on us, He sacrificed His priceless Child.

He didn’t send us flowers, but He allowed a crown of thorns to be put on Jesus’ brow.

He didn’t send us a card, but He demonstrated the ultimate Valentine:

John 3:16 - The Ultimate Valentine

Let’s make every day a “Valentine’s Day” for THE Cause in the sense that since God so loved the world, so should we.  Picture yourself as God’s living Valentine to a world that desperately needs to know what love is truly all about



4 Ways to Know if It’s God’s Voice

How can you tell God is speaking to you?  How do you know it’s His voice and not the enemy’s?

Is It Biblical?

I have often heard people say that God “spoke to them,” but it was contrary to what the Scriptures say. God will never ask us to do something that is contrary to biblical doctrine, speaking to us by His Spirit.  For example, a man I was counseling once told me that God told him that he is to divorce his wife.  I asked him if his wife was committing adultery.  He said no.   I told him that God hates divorce and that, except for adultery, there should be no divorce because he didn’t have biblical grounds for it.  Why would God “speak” to him and tell him that He wanted him to divorce his wife when the Bible clearly teaches that this would be sin?  If you feel that God is speaking to you–and I don’t mean in an audible voice you can hear–and that He is telling you to do something the Bible is against, don’t believe it!  That’s a lie.  It’s likely from the enemy or your own selfish desires.

It Glorifies God

We know it is always God’s will that His name be glorified.  If you believe God is telling you to do something and it will result in His being glorified, it could well be that God is speaking to you.  A good example is found in Psalm 145:11-12, where it says, “They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.”  If you are endeavoring to do something for God’s glory, then it is very likely God’s trying to speak to you.
 

God Does Speak to Us

One of the most overlooked things believers do when seeking the will of God is want Him to speak to them, but what they don’t realize is that God has already spoken to them, which is in His Word, the Bible.  God’s Word is alive, active, and living.  It penetrates the stony human heart and makes the simple wise.  Why do we seek to hear God in a quiet, still voice when he boldly and plainly speaks to us in His Word?  If you’re not reading the Bible regularly, then don’t expect God to speak to you in a voice because you are not even hearing Him speak to you in the Scriptures.
 

Seek Godly Counsel

Sometimes you need another set of ears from a close and trusted Christian friend, counselor, or pastor to see if what you believe God is speaking to you is the enemy or God Himself.  The Bible says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety”(Proverbs 11:14).  The Christian life is not intended to be a solo act but one in which we are connected to other believers and to be in community and fellowship so that we can gain wisdom through their experiences.  If you really want to know if it’s God’s voice or not, bounce it off a couple of Christians and see what they think.  It surely can’t hurt.