By: John F. Walvoord
First Thessalonians 3:1- 4:12
Background of Chapter Three
In the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians, the great theme of salvation was unfolded. There is nothing in all the world that thrills the heart like a real experience of trust in the Lord Jesus, which the Thessalonians had experienced. Chapter 2 presented the challenge of Christian service. Paul speaks of his own service and the rules of ministry, as well as the service and faithfulness of the Thessalonian church as it will be recognized at the judgment seat of Christ in glory. Chapter 3, before us now, has the theme of sanctification, which continues into Chapter 4 through verse 12.
Click this link, it's a "must read":
http://bible.org/seriespage/chapter-3-unblamable-holiness
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Old Time Religion Sermon~Billy Sunday
INTRODUCTION
Modern to the last minute Sunday's methods may be, but his message is unmistakably the "Old-time religion." He believes his beliefs without a ques tion. There is no twilight zone in his intellectual processes; no mental reservation in his preaching. He is sure that man is lost without Christ, and that only by the acceptance of the Saviour can fallen hunanity find salvation. He is as sure of hell as of heaven, and for all modernized varieties of religion he has only vials of scorn.
In no single particular is Sunday's work more valuable than in its revelation of the power of positive conviction to attract and convert multitudes. The world wants faith. "Intolerant," cry the scholars of Sunday; but the hungry myriads accept him as their spiritual guide to peace, and joy, and righteousness. The world wants a religion with salvation in it; speculation does not interest the average man who seeks deliversnce from sin in himself and in the world. He does not hope to be evoluted into holiness; he wants to be redeemed.
"Modernists" sputter and fume and rail at Sunday and his work: but they cannot deny that he leads men and women into new lives of holiness, happiness and helpfulness. Churches are enlarged and righteousness is promoted, all by the old, blood-stained way of the Cross. The revivals which have followed the preaching of Evangelist Sunday are supplemental to the Book of the Acts. His theology is summed up in the words Peter used in referring to Jesus: "There is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."
One of Sunday's favorite sayings is: "I don't know any more about theology than a jack-rabbit does about ping-pong, but I'm on the way to glory." That really does not fully express the evangelist's point. He was arguing that "theology bears the same relation to Christianity that botany does to flowers, or astronomy to the stars. Botany is rewritten, but the flowers remain the same. Theology changes (I have no objection to your new theology when it tries to make the truths of Christianity clearer), but Christianity abides. Nobody is kept out of heaven because he does not understand theology. It isn't theology that saves, but Christ; it is not the sawdust trail that saves, but Christ in the motive that makes you hit the trail.
Click this link to read the sermon:
http://www.biblebelievers.com/billy_sunday/sun8.html
Modern to the last minute Sunday's methods may be, but his message is unmistakably the "Old-time religion." He believes his beliefs without a ques tion. There is no twilight zone in his intellectual processes; no mental reservation in his preaching. He is sure that man is lost without Christ, and that only by the acceptance of the Saviour can fallen hunanity find salvation. He is as sure of hell as of heaven, and for all modernized varieties of religion he has only vials of scorn.
In no single particular is Sunday's work more valuable than in its revelation of the power of positive conviction to attract and convert multitudes. The world wants faith. "Intolerant," cry the scholars of Sunday; but the hungry myriads accept him as their spiritual guide to peace, and joy, and righteousness. The world wants a religion with salvation in it; speculation does not interest the average man who seeks deliversnce from sin in himself and in the world. He does not hope to be evoluted into holiness; he wants to be redeemed.
"Modernists" sputter and fume and rail at Sunday and his work: but they cannot deny that he leads men and women into new lives of holiness, happiness and helpfulness. Churches are enlarged and righteousness is promoted, all by the old, blood-stained way of the Cross. The revivals which have followed the preaching of Evangelist Sunday are supplemental to the Book of the Acts. His theology is summed up in the words Peter used in referring to Jesus: "There is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."
One of Sunday's favorite sayings is: "I don't know any more about theology than a jack-rabbit does about ping-pong, but I'm on the way to glory." That really does not fully express the evangelist's point. He was arguing that "theology bears the same relation to Christianity that botany does to flowers, or astronomy to the stars. Botany is rewritten, but the flowers remain the same. Theology changes (I have no objection to your new theology when it tries to make the truths of Christianity clearer), but Christianity abides. Nobody is kept out of heaven because he does not understand theology. It isn't theology that saves, but Christ; it is not the sawdust trail that saves, but Christ in the motive that makes you hit the trail.
Click this link to read the sermon:
http://www.biblebelievers.com/billy_sunday/sun8.html
Monday, July 26, 2010
CHS Quote on Morality
Holiness excludes immorality, but morality does not amount to holiness; for morality may be but the cleaning of the outside of the cup and the platter, while the heart may be full of wickedness.
CHS Quote on Mothers
There is, somehow, a wonderful power about a mother’s voice, when she talks to her children about Jesus and his love, which stamps itself upon the heart, and the heart is a far better place for the custody of truth than ever the brain can become.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Matthew 7
Matthew 7
Judging Others
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Judging Others
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Calvinism & Arminianism
I am not either one but I enjoy listening to the arguments. I'm somewhere in the middle. I do not know the mind of God and I will let Him handle it.
John Wesley's Free Grace sermon. http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/128/
George Whitfields's letter to Wesley. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/wesley.html
Excerpt from Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners ~John Bunyan
Bunyan finally puts the issue of his sin away.
229. But one day, as I was passing in the field, and that too
with some dashes on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was not
right, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, Thy righteousness
is in heaven; and methought withal, I saw, with the eyes of my
soul, Jesus Christ at God's right hand; there, I say, as my
righteousness; .. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good
frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad
frame that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness was
Jesus Christ himself, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
229. But one day, as I was passing in the field, and that too
with some dashes on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was not
right, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, Thy righteousness
is in heaven; and methought withal, I saw, with the eyes of my
soul, Jesus Christ at God's right hand; there, I say, as my
righteousness; .. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good
frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad
frame that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness was
Jesus Christ himself, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Knowledge of the Holy ~A.W.Tozer
Excerpt from Chapter 5
http://www.mtzionnashville.org/2009/ministries/tozer_KnowledgeOfTheHoly.pdf
A more positive assertion of selfhood could not be imagined than those words of God to Moses: I AM THAT I AM. Everything God is, everything that is God, is set forth in that unqualified declaration of independent being. Yet in God, self is not sin but the quintessence of all possible goodness, holiness and truth. The natural man is a sinner because and only because he challenges God’s selfhood in relation to his own. In all else he may willingly accept the sovereignty of God; in his own life he rejects it. For him, God’s dominion ends where his begins. For him, self becomes Self, and in this he unconsciously imitates Lucifer, that fallen son of the morning who said in his heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. . . . I will be like the Most High.” Yet so subtle is self that scarcely anyone is conscious of its presence. Because man is born a rebel, he is unaware that he is one. His constant assertion of self, as far as he thinks of it at all, appears to him a perfectly normal thing. He is willing to share himself, sometimes even to sacrifice himself for a desired end, but never to dethrone himself. No matter how far down the scale of social acceptance he may slide, he is still in his own eyes a king on a throne, and no one, not even God, can take that throne from him. Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one. A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, “I AM.” That is sin in its concentrated essence; yet because it is natural it appears to be good. It is only when in the gospel the soul is brought before the face of the Most Holy One without the protective shield of ignorance that the frightful moral incongruity is brought home to the conscience. In the language of evangelism the man who is thus confronted by the fiery presence of Almighty God is said to be under conviction. Christ referred to this when He said of the Spirit whom He would send to the world, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The earliest fulfilment of these words of Christ was at Pentecost after Peter had preached the first great Christian sermon. “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” This “What shall we do?” is the deep heart cry of every man who suddenly realizes that he is a usurper and sits on a stolen throne. However painful, it is precisely this acute moral consternation that produces true repentance and makes a robust Christian after the penitent has been dethroned and has found forgiveness and peace through the gospel.” Purity of heart is to will one thing,” said Kierkegaard, and we may with equal truth turn this about and declare, “The essence of sin is to will one thing,” for to set our will against the will of God is to dethrone God and make ourselves supreme in the little kingdom of Mansoul. This is sin at its evil root. Sins may multiply like the sands by the seashore, but they are yet one. Sins are because sin is. This is the rationale behind the much maligned doctrine of natural depravity which holds that the independent man can do nothing but sin and that his good deeds are really not good at all. His best religious works God rejects as He rejected the offering of Cain. Only when he has restored his stolen throne to God are his works acceptable.The struggle of the Christian man to be good while the bent toward self-assertion still lives within him as a kind of unconscious moral reflex is vividly described by the apostle Paul in the seventh chapter of his Roman Epistle; and his testimony is in full accord with the teaching of the prophets. Eight hundred years before the advent of Christ the prophet Isaiah identified sin as rebellion against the will of God and the assertion of the right of each man to choose for himself the way he shall go. “All we like sheep have gone astray,” he said, “we have turned every one to his own way,” and I believe that no more accurate description of sin has ever been given. The witness of the saints has been in full harmony with prophet and apostle, that an inward principle of self lies at the source of human conduct, turning everything men do into evil. To save us completely Christ must reverse the bent of our nature; He must plant a new principle within us so that our subsequent conduct will spring out of a desire to promote the honor of God and the good of our fellow men. The old self-sins must die, and the only instrument by which they can be slain is the Cross. “If any man come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me,” said our Lord, and years later the victorious Paul could say, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
http://www.mtzionnashville.org/2009/ministries/tozer_KnowledgeOfTheHoly.pdf
A more positive assertion of selfhood could not be imagined than those words of God to Moses: I AM THAT I AM. Everything God is, everything that is God, is set forth in that unqualified declaration of independent being. Yet in God, self is not sin but the quintessence of all possible goodness, holiness and truth. The natural man is a sinner because and only because he challenges God’s selfhood in relation to his own. In all else he may willingly accept the sovereignty of God; in his own life he rejects it. For him, God’s dominion ends where his begins. For him, self becomes Self, and in this he unconsciously imitates Lucifer, that fallen son of the morning who said in his heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. . . . I will be like the Most High.” Yet so subtle is self that scarcely anyone is conscious of its presence. Because man is born a rebel, he is unaware that he is one. His constant assertion of self, as far as he thinks of it at all, appears to him a perfectly normal thing. He is willing to share himself, sometimes even to sacrifice himself for a desired end, but never to dethrone himself. No matter how far down the scale of social acceptance he may slide, he is still in his own eyes a king on a throne, and no one, not even God, can take that throne from him. Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one. A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, “I AM.” That is sin in its concentrated essence; yet because it is natural it appears to be good. It is only when in the gospel the soul is brought before the face of the Most Holy One without the protective shield of ignorance that the frightful moral incongruity is brought home to the conscience. In the language of evangelism the man who is thus confronted by the fiery presence of Almighty God is said to be under conviction. Christ referred to this when He said of the Spirit whom He would send to the world, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The earliest fulfilment of these words of Christ was at Pentecost after Peter had preached the first great Christian sermon. “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” This “What shall we do?” is the deep heart cry of every man who suddenly realizes that he is a usurper and sits on a stolen throne. However painful, it is precisely this acute moral consternation that produces true repentance and makes a robust Christian after the penitent has been dethroned and has found forgiveness and peace through the gospel.” Purity of heart is to will one thing,” said Kierkegaard, and we may with equal truth turn this about and declare, “The essence of sin is to will one thing,” for to set our will against the will of God is to dethrone God and make ourselves supreme in the little kingdom of Mansoul. This is sin at its evil root. Sins may multiply like the sands by the seashore, but they are yet one. Sins are because sin is. This is the rationale behind the much maligned doctrine of natural depravity which holds that the independent man can do nothing but sin and that his good deeds are really not good at all. His best religious works God rejects as He rejected the offering of Cain. Only when he has restored his stolen throne to God are his works acceptable.The struggle of the Christian man to be good while the bent toward self-assertion still lives within him as a kind of unconscious moral reflex is vividly described by the apostle Paul in the seventh chapter of his Roman Epistle; and his testimony is in full accord with the teaching of the prophets. Eight hundred years before the advent of Christ the prophet Isaiah identified sin as rebellion against the will of God and the assertion of the right of each man to choose for himself the way he shall go. “All we like sheep have gone astray,” he said, “we have turned every one to his own way,” and I believe that no more accurate description of sin has ever been given. The witness of the saints has been in full harmony with prophet and apostle, that an inward principle of self lies at the source of human conduct, turning everything men do into evil. To save us completely Christ must reverse the bent of our nature; He must plant a new principle within us so that our subsequent conduct will spring out of a desire to promote the honor of God and the good of our fellow men. The old self-sins must die, and the only instrument by which they can be slain is the Cross. “If any man come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me,” said our Lord, and years later the victorious Paul could say, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
The Knowledge of the Holy quote ~A.W.Tozer
"With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence. Modern Christianity is simply not producing the kind of Christian who can appreciate or experience the life in the Spirit. The words, “Be still, and know that I am God,” mean next to nothing to the selfconfident, bustling worshipper in this middle period of the twentieth century.
This loss of the concept of majesty has come just when the forces of religion are making dramatic gains and the churches are more prosperous than at any time within the past several hundred years. But the alarming thing is that our gains are mostly external and our losses wholly internal; and since it is the quality of our religion that is affected by internal conditions, it may be that our supposed gains are but losses spread over a wider field."
This loss of the concept of majesty has come just when the forces of religion are making dramatic gains and the churches are more prosperous than at any time within the past several hundred years. But the alarming thing is that our gains are mostly external and our losses wholly internal; and since it is the quality of our religion that is affected by internal conditions, it may be that our supposed gains are but losses spread over a wider field."
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Where You go I'll go
"God can't steer a ship that isn't moving."
It's about following God into the unseen,
where you go I'll go.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Esther
http://www.wordlibrary.co.uk/article.php?id=159
Read The book of Esther Chapters 1 - 10
Introduction
Esther was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. The name Esther means 'star'. This is a derivation of the root name of the goddess Ishtar. Esther was also known as Hadassah which means 'Myrtle'. Myrtle branches signify peace and thanksgiving1.
Esther first appears in book of Esther Chapter 2. She is an orphaned Jew brought up by her cousin Mordecai.(ESTHER 2: 5 - 7).
The story
The book of Esther teaches much more than the life of one lady.There are five main characters in this story King Xerxes, Queen Vashti, Mordecai, Esther and Haman. As you read the story in Esther chapters 1 - 10 make sure you understand the roles of these five characters.
In this short study we will concentrate on the life of Esther.
In Chapter one of the book of Esther king Xerxes decided to display his abundant wealth for 180 days followed by a seven day feast. A lavish display of his power. On the seventh day King Xerxes calls Queen Vashti in order to display her beauty to the people. She refuses to come and is eventually banished from the kings presence for life. A new Queen is sought.
The book of Esther is unique in that the name of God is never directly mentioned.
In chapter two Esther is chosen to be Queen. She goes through the normal twelve months of beauty treatment before meeting the King. God still prepares us for His work today (1 Peter 3:3-4).
Chapter two also records the good deed of Mordecai in saving the Kings life by alerting him of an assassination attempt on his life. This deed is recorded in the record books and later serves as a blessing for Mordecai in the future.
God never forgets our labour of love (Hebrews 6:10).
In Chapter three Haman is honoured by the King and given a high position in the kingdom. Haman is annoyed with Mordecai because Mordecai refuses to kneel down to him. Haman's anger leads him to plot the execution of all the Jews in the kingdom.
In order to prevent the execution of all the Jews Mordecai calls on Esther to intercede to the King. The only problem here is that the King does not know that Esther is a Jew. Esther has no ideal of how the King will respond to this news. Although God is never mentioned in the book of Esther we can see His acts in the background. Nothing takes God unaware.
Esther's reluctance to approach the King is met by stern words from Mordecai. In Chapter 4:14 he say:
For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Esther eventually agrees to appeal to the King. Prior to this she asks Mordecai to organise a time of fasting for her. She is well aware that she needs God's favour if she is to succeed.
Fasting is a godly exercise which bring us closer to God.
In Chapter five Esther approaches the King and invites him and Haman to a banquet. This is an attempt to get the timing right before she informs the king about Haman's plot to kill the Jews of which she is one. Esther had hid the fact that she was a Jew from the King on Mordecai's advice.
God's timing is always best. We need to wait for God's timing in doing things. It is dangerous to jump out before time.
Meanwhile Haman's hatred for Mordecai is growing and on the advice of his friends and wife he has a special gallows prepared beside his house on which to hang Mordecai. In Chapter six God moves to save the Jews. The King cannot sleep and asks for the record books to be read aloud to him. The deeds of Mordecai in saving the king in the past are read out.
In an extraordinary change of events the King asks Haman what should be done to a man who the king wants to honour. Haman, in his arrogance, thinks the king is referring to him and advises a lavish display of wealth and honour to be bestowed on the man publicly. The King orders Haman to do this to Mordecai. Can you imagine the shock, horror and humiliation Haman must have suffered! (You must read the book of Esther)
In chapter seven Esther reveals to the king that she is a Jew and that Haman has plotted to kill them all. Haman is hanged on his own gallows. In Chapter eight, nine and ten all the Jews are saved and Haman's children are killed.
Esther saved the Jews. Her life teaches us these vital lessons
1. There is a preparation time.
She allowed herself to be prepared for the task. God's preparation time can sometimes be long and uneventful. Moses spent 40 years in the desert looking after sheep before coming to deliver the Israelites. The refining of our characters is very essential to God's plan for our life. God cannot use a proud woman (or man).
2. We need the favour of God.
Esther found favour with the King and so did Mordecai. Even Jesus grew in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52). When you live a life pleasing to God, by obeying His will you will find favour with Him. God will also give you favour with people.
3. God works in His own time and season.
Esther also got her timing right. Maybe God has put it on your heart to do something for Him. Don't just jump into it but wait for his time. Joseph was in jail until it was God's time for him to be released. God will move in His time when we remain faithful and alert to His leading.
4. Your background does not hinder your future with God.
Esther was an orphan. God still exalted her and used her. Some of Jesus' disciples were fishermen, tax collectors and one was a doctor. Your background does not determine what God can do with you. Your faith does.
Questions
1. Who was Esther?
2. What role did King Xerxes, Queen Vashti, Mordecai, and Haman play in the book of Esther?
3. What preparation did Esther go through to become Queen?
4. What preparation does God take us through?
5. What is the importance of God's timing in our life?
6. How did God turn Haman's plot around?
How can God turn bad situations in your life around?
7. What effect did Esther's background have on God's plan for her life?
8. What hinders people from walking in God's plan for their life?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Esther: An Introduction and Commentary by Joyce G. Baldwin, 1984, p.66
Read The book of Esther Chapters 1 - 10
Introduction
Esther was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. The name Esther means 'star'. This is a derivation of the root name of the goddess Ishtar. Esther was also known as Hadassah which means 'Myrtle'. Myrtle branches signify peace and thanksgiving1.
Esther first appears in book of Esther Chapter 2. She is an orphaned Jew brought up by her cousin Mordecai.(ESTHER 2: 5 - 7).
The story
The book of Esther teaches much more than the life of one lady.There are five main characters in this story King Xerxes, Queen Vashti, Mordecai, Esther and Haman. As you read the story in Esther chapters 1 - 10 make sure you understand the roles of these five characters.
In this short study we will concentrate on the life of Esther.
In Chapter one of the book of Esther king Xerxes decided to display his abundant wealth for 180 days followed by a seven day feast. A lavish display of his power. On the seventh day King Xerxes calls Queen Vashti in order to display her beauty to the people. She refuses to come and is eventually banished from the kings presence for life. A new Queen is sought.
The book of Esther is unique in that the name of God is never directly mentioned.
In chapter two Esther is chosen to be Queen. She goes through the normal twelve months of beauty treatment before meeting the King. God still prepares us for His work today (1 Peter 3:3-4).
Chapter two also records the good deed of Mordecai in saving the Kings life by alerting him of an assassination attempt on his life. This deed is recorded in the record books and later serves as a blessing for Mordecai in the future.
God never forgets our labour of love (Hebrews 6:10).
In Chapter three Haman is honoured by the King and given a high position in the kingdom. Haman is annoyed with Mordecai because Mordecai refuses to kneel down to him. Haman's anger leads him to plot the execution of all the Jews in the kingdom.
In order to prevent the execution of all the Jews Mordecai calls on Esther to intercede to the King. The only problem here is that the King does not know that Esther is a Jew. Esther has no ideal of how the King will respond to this news. Although God is never mentioned in the book of Esther we can see His acts in the background. Nothing takes God unaware.
Esther's reluctance to approach the King is met by stern words from Mordecai. In Chapter 4:14 he say:
For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Esther eventually agrees to appeal to the King. Prior to this she asks Mordecai to organise a time of fasting for her. She is well aware that she needs God's favour if she is to succeed.
Fasting is a godly exercise which bring us closer to God.
In Chapter five Esther approaches the King and invites him and Haman to a banquet. This is an attempt to get the timing right before she informs the king about Haman's plot to kill the Jews of which she is one. Esther had hid the fact that she was a Jew from the King on Mordecai's advice.
God's timing is always best. We need to wait for God's timing in doing things. It is dangerous to jump out before time.
Meanwhile Haman's hatred for Mordecai is growing and on the advice of his friends and wife he has a special gallows prepared beside his house on which to hang Mordecai. In Chapter six God moves to save the Jews. The King cannot sleep and asks for the record books to be read aloud to him. The deeds of Mordecai in saving the king in the past are read out.
In an extraordinary change of events the King asks Haman what should be done to a man who the king wants to honour. Haman, in his arrogance, thinks the king is referring to him and advises a lavish display of wealth and honour to be bestowed on the man publicly. The King orders Haman to do this to Mordecai. Can you imagine the shock, horror and humiliation Haman must have suffered! (You must read the book of Esther)
In chapter seven Esther reveals to the king that she is a Jew and that Haman has plotted to kill them all. Haman is hanged on his own gallows. In Chapter eight, nine and ten all the Jews are saved and Haman's children are killed.
Esther saved the Jews. Her life teaches us these vital lessons
1. There is a preparation time.
She allowed herself to be prepared for the task. God's preparation time can sometimes be long and uneventful. Moses spent 40 years in the desert looking after sheep before coming to deliver the Israelites. The refining of our characters is very essential to God's plan for our life. God cannot use a proud woman (or man).
2. We need the favour of God.
Esther found favour with the King and so did Mordecai. Even Jesus grew in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52). When you live a life pleasing to God, by obeying His will you will find favour with Him. God will also give you favour with people.
3. God works in His own time and season.
Esther also got her timing right. Maybe God has put it on your heart to do something for Him. Don't just jump into it but wait for his time. Joseph was in jail until it was God's time for him to be released. God will move in His time when we remain faithful and alert to His leading.
4. Your background does not hinder your future with God.
Esther was an orphan. God still exalted her and used her. Some of Jesus' disciples were fishermen, tax collectors and one was a doctor. Your background does not determine what God can do with you. Your faith does.
Questions
1. Who was Esther?
2. What role did King Xerxes, Queen Vashti, Mordecai, and Haman play in the book of Esther?
3. What preparation did Esther go through to become Queen?
4. What preparation does God take us through?
5. What is the importance of God's timing in our life?
6. How did God turn Haman's plot around?
How can God turn bad situations in your life around?
7. What effect did Esther's background have on God's plan for her life?
8. What hinders people from walking in God's plan for their life?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Esther: An Introduction and Commentary by Joyce G. Baldwin, 1984, p.66
Friday, July 16, 2010
Matthew 13:18-23
18 "Hear then the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately(receives it with joy, 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediatelyhe falls away.22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Marriage and Men ~Mark Driscoll
Trial
Part 10: Marriage and Men
1st Peter 3:7
Pastor Mark Driscoll
March 22, 2009
01hr:11mn
Jesus is the only perfect man to ever live. Because most men fail to look to Him as our example, there exists 2 extremes in men: chauvinism and cowardice. Pastor Mark Driscoll preaches to men about being real men who love God and serve their family well in this sermon from Trial.
Click here to for more on this sermon
After addressing women last week, this week Pastor Mark preached specifically to men.
1.Your father: Adam (Genesis 1 – 3)
Marriage is a covenant (Prov. 2:16; Mal. 2:14). Men are the covenant head, responsible for their wife and family (Gen. 2:18; 5:2; 1 Cor. 11:2 – 16, 14:33 – 34; Eph. 5:21 – 33; Col. 3:18; Titus 2:3 – 5; 1 Pet. 3:1). Adam and Eve both sinned, both are at fault, and both are cursed, but God held Adam responsible (Gen. 3:9). Marriage is cursed (Gen. 3:16). Work is cursed (Gen. 3:17 – 19). Jesus is the only hope (Gen. 3:15). 2.Your Manhood
Like Adam, the sins of men fall into two general categories: sins of commission (doing what you’re not supposed to do) and sins of omission (not doing what you’re supposed to do). This leads chauvinistic or cowardly tendencies:
Chauvinism
No Sissy Stuff Sam: whatever women do, do the opposite
Success and Status Stewart: masculinity = material success
Give’em Hell Hank: angry and abusive
I’m the Boss Bob: domineering and controlling; in authority, not under authority
Cowardice
Little Boy Larry: never grew up, disorganized, lives with his mother, etc.
Sturdy Oak Owen: absolutely dependable but emotionally absent
Hyper-Spiritual Henry: Hides behind religious behavior and “God talk.” Talks at you but not to you.
*Good Time Gary: *irresponsible life of the party
h3. 3. Your Savior: Jesus Christ (the Last Adam, 1 Cor. 15:45)
Ephesians 5:25 calls men to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Men are not ready to be good husbands until they are a part of the Church and understand how Christ loves the Church by taking responsibility for her and sacrificing himself for her.
The essence of true masculinity is taking responsibility.
4.Your Wife
Understand that a wife’s fears (1 Pet. 3:6) are legitimate; men dominate the lives of women and children, for good or for evil. Honor your wife:
Honor her maritally. Take a wife honorably. Establish right priorities, and be a one woman man—absolutely faithful to your wife.
Honor her physically. Be strong for your wife, not against her. Be protective of her and present with her.
Honor her emotionally. Be emotionally present and intimate. Take her on dates.
Honor her verbally. Speak honorably to her. Speak honorably of her, when she is present and absent.
Honor her financially. Provide for the financial needs of your family, organize your budget, and be generous towards your wife.
Honor her practically. Consider her needs and how you can serve her.Honor her parentally. Be “Pastor Dad” by shepherding your children (praying with them, teaching them about Jesus, reading the Bible with them, etc.).
Honor her spiritually. You initiate and lead prayer, Bible, chats, church attendance, etc. Take responsibility for your church.
What happens when you fail to honor your wife? God ignores you (1 Pet. 3:7). Repent.
Further Study:
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, by Wayne Grudem and John Piper
God, Marriage, and the Family, by Andreas Kostenberger
New Men, Soft Patriarchs: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands, by W. Bradford Wilcox
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Hosea
http://www.raystedman.org/bible-overview/adventuring/hosea-the-prophet-and-the-prostitute
Click the link above and read Hosea: The Prophet and the Prostitute
So Hosea went to the marketplace and he watched Gomer brought up and placed on the dock and there she was stripped of all her clothing and stood naked before the crowd. The auctioneer pinched her and prodded her and showed how strong she was, and then the bidding began. Somebody bid three pieces of silver and Hosea raised it to five. Somebody else upped it to eight and Hosea bid ten. Somebody went to eleven; he went to twelve. Then Hosea offered fifteen pieces of silver and a bushel of barley. The auctioneer's gavel fell and Hosea had his wife back.
He went to her and put her clothes on her and he led her away by the hand and took her to his home. And then follows what is perhaps the most beautiful verse in all the Bible. As Hosea led her away he said to her:
"You must dwell as mine for many days; you shall not play the harlot, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you." (Hosea 3:3b RSV)
He pledged his love to her anew. And that was all this poor woman could take. She had gotten down to the very dregs of shame and disgrace, but the love of this man broke her heart, and from this time on Gomer was faithful to Hosea. She became an honest. industrious, faithful wife, and the rest of the book of Hosea simply goes on to tell the effect of this story on the nation of Israel -- God said to them. "How can I give thee up?' He reminded them of his love for them all those years. He reminded them of his goodness, and of how again and again they had turned their backs on him. The final picture of the book is one of beauty and glory, for it looks to the day when Israel shall at last return to God -- her true husband -- and shall say, "What have I to do with idols? I have seen him and heard him and he has won my heart."
Click the link above and read Hosea: The Prophet and the Prostitute
So Hosea went to the marketplace and he watched Gomer brought up and placed on the dock and there she was stripped of all her clothing and stood naked before the crowd. The auctioneer pinched her and prodded her and showed how strong she was, and then the bidding began. Somebody bid three pieces of silver and Hosea raised it to five. Somebody else upped it to eight and Hosea bid ten. Somebody went to eleven; he went to twelve. Then Hosea offered fifteen pieces of silver and a bushel of barley. The auctioneer's gavel fell and Hosea had his wife back.
He went to her and put her clothes on her and he led her away by the hand and took her to his home. And then follows what is perhaps the most beautiful verse in all the Bible. As Hosea led her away he said to her:
"You must dwell as mine for many days; you shall not play the harlot, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you." (Hosea 3:3b RSV)
He pledged his love to her anew. And that was all this poor woman could take. She had gotten down to the very dregs of shame and disgrace, but the love of this man broke her heart, and from this time on Gomer was faithful to Hosea. She became an honest. industrious, faithful wife, and the rest of the book of Hosea simply goes on to tell the effect of this story on the nation of Israel -- God said to them. "How can I give thee up?' He reminded them of his love for them all those years. He reminded them of his goodness, and of how again and again they had turned their backs on him. The final picture of the book is one of beauty and glory, for it looks to the day when Israel shall at last return to God -- her true husband -- and shall say, "What have I to do with idols? I have seen him and heard him and he has won my heart."
Households Where All Are Saved ~C.H. Spurgeon
There are some households where all are saved—how happy they should be!—where every son and every daughter, father, and mother are all believers—a church in the house, a church of which the whole of the house is comprised. It is such an unspeakable blessing that those who enjoy it ought never to cease to praise God for it day and night.~ C.H. Spurgeon
Student in the school of Christ~C.H. Spurgeon
Student in the school of Christ, wouldst thou be wise? Ask not the theologian to expound to thee his system of divinity; but, sitting down meekly at the feet of Jesus, ask that his Spirit may instruct thee; for I tell thee, student, though thou shouldest read the Bible many a year, and turn over its pages continually, thou wouldst not learn anything of its hidden mysteries without the Spirit. 3048.342
Saturday, July 10, 2010
One Night With The King- The Real me(Natalie Grant)
"And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
http://www.amazingchange.org/story_Esther.htm
Hadassah, Esther’s Jewish name, comes from the word for 'myrtle', a tree whose leaves only release their fragrance when they are crushed. Esther's true heroism only appeared when she and her people were in terrible danger.
Beth Moore's Esther, Web Promo from LifeWay Media on Vimeo.
http://www.amazingchange.org/story_Esther.htm
Hadassah, Esther’s Jewish name, comes from the word for 'myrtle', a tree whose leaves only release their fragrance when they are crushed. Esther's true heroism only appeared when she and her people were in terrible danger.
Beth Moore's Esther, Web Promo from LifeWay Media on Vimeo.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Backsliding
By little and by little, as a rule, backsliding leads on to overt apostasy and sin. No, no, so mature a servant of the devil as Judas is not produced all at once; it takes time to educate a man for the scorner’s seat. Take care, therefore, of backsliding, because of what it leads to. If you begin to slip on the side of a mountain of ice, the first slip may not hurt if you can stop and slide no further; but, alas! you cannot so regulate sin; when your feet begin to slide, the rate of their descent increases, and the difficulty of arresting this motion is incessantly becoming greater. It is dangerous to backslide in any degree, for we know not to what it may lead. 920.150
~Chalres H. Spurgeon
~Chalres H. Spurgeon
Balance
Never break the balance of holy emotions and sacred duties; let us have our fear and our great joy; but, at the same time, we must not sit down because we have great joy, but we must run on the Lord’s errand, joy and all. 2323.413
We should work with the hands of Martha, but yet keep near the Master with the heart of Mary; we want a combination of activity and meditation. 2440.556
~Charles H. Spurgeon
We should work with the hands of Martha, but yet keep near the Master with the heart of Mary; we want a combination of activity and meditation. 2440.556
~Charles H. Spurgeon
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Prayer - Amazing 7yr old Rhema Marvanne
I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe
La luce che tu hai
I pray we'll find your light
Nel cuore restera
And hold it in our hearts.
A ricordaci che
When stars go out each night,
L'eterna stella sei
The light you have
I pray well find your light
Will be in the heart
And hold it in our hearts.
To remember us that
When stars go out each night,
You are eternal star nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede che
When shadows fill our day
How much faith there's
Let this be our prayer
In my prayer
When shadows fill our day lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so well be safe sognamo un mondo senza pi violenza
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace, di fratern
We dream a world without violence
A world of justice and faith.
Everyone gives the hand to his neighbours
Symbol of peace, of fraternity la forza che ci
We ask that life be kind
Il desiderio che
And watch us from above
Ognuno trovi amor
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro
Another soul to love
The force his gives us
We ask that life be kind
Is wish that
And watch us from above
Everyone finds love
We hope each soul will find
Around and inside
Another soul to love let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer, just like every child need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so well be safe
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so well be safe la fede che
Hai acceso in noi,
Sento che ci salv
It's the faith
You light in us
I feel it will save us
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Pursuit of God ~A.W. Tozer
Excerpt from Chapter 9
Let us examine our burden. It is altogether an interior one. It attacks the heart and the mind and reaches the body only from within.
First, there is the burden of pride. The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed. Think for yourself whether much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking slightingly of you. As long as you set yourself up as a little god to which you must be loyal there will be those who will delight to offer affront to your idol. How then can you hope to have inward peace? The heart's fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest. Continue this fight through the years and the burden will become intolerable. Yet the sons of earth are carrying this burden continually, challenging every word spoken against them, cringing under every criticism, smarting under each fancied slight, tossing sleepless if another is preferred before them. Such a burden as this is not necessary to bear. Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. He develops toward himself a kindly sense of humor and learns to say, "Oh, so you have been overlooked? They have placed someone else before you? They have whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all? And now you feel hurt because the world is saying about you the very things you have been saying about yourself? Only yesterday you were telling God that you were nothing, a mere worm of the dust. Where is your consistency? Come on, humble yourself, and cease to care what men think."
The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own. Then the righteous shall shine forth in the Kingdom of their Father. He is willing to wait for that day. In the meantime he will have attained a place of soul rest. As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings.
Let us examine our burden. It is altogether an interior one. It attacks the heart and the mind and reaches the body only from within.
First, there is the burden of pride. The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed. Think for yourself whether much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking slightingly of you. As long as you set yourself up as a little god to which you must be loyal there will be those who will delight to offer affront to your idol. How then can you hope to have inward peace? The heart's fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest. Continue this fight through the years and the burden will become intolerable. Yet the sons of earth are carrying this burden continually, challenging every word spoken against them, cringing under every criticism, smarting under each fancied slight, tossing sleepless if another is preferred before them. Such a burden as this is not necessary to bear. Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. He develops toward himself a kindly sense of humor and learns to say, "Oh, so you have been overlooked? They have placed someone else before you? They have whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all? And now you feel hurt because the world is saying about you the very things you have been saying about yourself? Only yesterday you were telling God that you were nothing, a mere worm of the dust. Where is your consistency? Come on, humble yourself, and cease to care what men think."
The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own. Then the righteous shall shine forth in the Kingdom of their Father. He is willing to wait for that day. In the meantime he will have attained a place of soul rest. As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Excerpt from The Pursuit of God~ A.W. Tozer
Artificiality is one curse that will drop away the moment we kneel at Jesus' feet and surrender ourselves to His meekness. Then we will not care what people think of us so long as God is pleased. Then what we are will be everything; what we appear will take its place far down the scale of interest for us. Apart from sin we have nothing of which to be ashamed. Only an evil desire to shine makes us want to appear other than we are.
The heart of the world is breaking under this load of pride and pretense. There is no release from our burden apart from the meekness of Christ. Good keen reasoning may help slightly, but so strong is this vice that if we push it down one place it will come up somewhere else. To men and women everywhere Jesus says, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." The rest He offers is the rest of meekness, the blessed relief which comes when we accept ourselves for what we are and cease to pretend. It will take some courage at first, but the needed grace will come as we learn that we are sharing this new and easy yoke with the strong Son of God Himself. He calls it "my yoke," and He walks at one end while we walk at the other.
Lord, make me childlike. Deliver me from the urge to compete with another for place or prestige or position. I would be simple and artless as a little child. Deliver me from pose and pretense. Forgive me for thinking of myself. Help me to forget myself and find my true peace in beholding Thee. That Thou may answer this prayer I humble myself before Thee. Lay upon me Thy easy yoke of self-forgetfulness that through it I may find rest. Amen.
The heart of the world is breaking under this load of pride and pretense. There is no release from our burden apart from the meekness of Christ. Good keen reasoning may help slightly, but so strong is this vice that if we push it down one place it will come up somewhere else. To men and women everywhere Jesus says, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." The rest He offers is the rest of meekness, the blessed relief which comes when we accept ourselves for what we are and cease to pretend. It will take some courage at first, but the needed grace will come as we learn that we are sharing this new and easy yoke with the strong Son of God Himself. He calls it "my yoke," and He walks at one end while we walk at the other.
Lord, make me childlike. Deliver me from the urge to compete with another for place or prestige or position. I would be simple and artless as a little child. Deliver me from pose and pretense. Forgive me for thinking of myself. Help me to forget myself and find my true peace in beholding Thee. That Thou may answer this prayer I humble myself before Thee. Lay upon me Thy easy yoke of self-forgetfulness that through it I may find rest. Amen.
1 John 2:7
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)