Phone Issues

For the past few weeks I have been dealing with "phone issues". 

It is standard practice to, each evening, plug the charging cord into my phone and lay it on my nightstand, allowing it to charge overnight. Yet several weeks ago simply plugging the cord into the phone was not enough. After plugging the cord into the phone, I wiggle the cord until it would make a connection with the phone. Days later wiggling the cord was not enough. After plugging the phone in, I would wiggle the cord until it would make a connection and then I would prop the phone up allowing e weight of the phon to rest on the charging cord. More recently, the weight of the phone was not enough. In recent days I have used stacks of books - even a gallon of milk - to offer more weight and make a connection to charge the phone. 

And then it happened, on Wednesday evening, my phone refused to charge. After a couple hours of plugging and unplugging, wiggling, wiggling, and wiggling some more, using a stack of books, a gallon of milk, and an iron to bring weight, I was unable to make a connection - unable to get a charge. 

So, I pulled out an old phone, changed the SIM card, plugged it in and, "DING", I was back in business. After a few adjustments and updates on Thursday morning I had all of the functions of my phone back. I had my phone back, that is, until today.

This evening, as I plugged the phone in, to charge, nothing. I went to work, doing everything that I could to get the cord to make a connection and bring a charge to my phone but nothing worked. Finally, around 8:00 this evening, as I watched the final bit of battery drain from my phone, with no other options, I accepted the reality that I would be without a phone. 

Moments ago, I laid down in bed, looked over at my nightstand and decided to give it one more shot, I gently plugged the charging cord into my phone and, "DING", it's charging. 

Amidst the rejoicing over my phone - now gaining battery life by the minute - I began to think about another source of power, the is The Holy Spirit. As a Christian I believe that all power comes from The Holy Spirit and that apart from Him I have no power to live, to act, and to to succeed.

I began to reflect on the amount of work I put into getting a phone to charge - the amount of work I put into getting the power to my phone. And I began to reflect on the lack of work I sometimes put into gaining the true and total power of The Holy Spirit in my life. Often times, when things get difficult, I stop pursuing His power in my life.

I believe that what God calls us to is a commitment and a dedication to pursuing His presence and His power in our lives. I believe that Gos calls us to pursue His presence despite difficult time - in spite of difficult times. However, we do not find His complete power through our labor - just as I did not find a charge for my phone through the hours of labor that I put forth. Instead, God grants us His power after we have shown complete commitment - and complete dedication - to Him. Yet God grants us His power once we stop labor intensive on our own and gently allow Him to take control. 

So, as I lay down to rest tonight - my phone charging nearby - I will let go and let God take control. 

Your Connection Has Been Lost

On January 1st the law went into affect in Illinois, making it illegal to talk on a cellphone while driving without a hands-free device. Because of this law, I broke down and purchased a blue-tooth hands-free device.

I have been enjoying this device for talking on my mobile phone, becoming more productive while having a conversation. I have also been enjoying the ability to listen to music and podcasts throughout the day. 

The other day I left my phone on my desk and, as I walked through the church, I got out of range. As this happened my blue-tooth device notified me, in the most polite way, "your connection has been lost". 

Wouldn't it be nice if we had such a notification when we had lost other "connections" in our lives? What if a gentle voice spoke to is when we were loosing connection with our children or our spouse? We could, then, restore the line of communication or spend more time and attention reestablishing this needed connection. What if this same notification came to is when we had lost connection with God? We could be alerted that this essential life-sustaining relationship was strained or broken and take the required steps toward restoration. 

"Your connection has been lost." The fact is, God gives us just this type if notification, if we simply listen to it. God's Spirit lets us know when we have walked to far away - or gotten out of range. God's Spirit notifies us when we are in danger of loosing one of the connections in our life. God's speaks to us, daily, at just the right time and in just the right way. But, we must be tuned in, we must listen, and we must take notice when He speaks!

Teaching: God's Faith through Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 1:4-7

·         Enriched in every way

·         Do not lack any spiritual gift

The Corinthians church had all of the spiritual gifts that they needed to live the Christian life, to witness for Christ, and to stand against the paganism and immorality of Corinth. But instead of using what God had given to them, they were arguing over which gifts were more important

Do we understand this passage?

We must not miss this; God has equipped you with every spiritual gift that you need – know that believe it, and stand faithfully on it. We must not miss this and we must not allow others to miss this; God has given us all that we need.

Before we start talking about spiritual gifts though, we must understand that God has given us all that we need to live the life He has called us to live – that is perfection in Him

•         All that we need to know about Him is in His Word

•         All that we need to obey Him is in His Spirit

Romans 12:4-8

·         One in the body of Christ – we belong to one another

·         We are call to use our gifts generously, diligently, and cheerfully

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

·         Different kinds of gifts, service, and works given by God

·         Gifts are given for the common good, just as God determines

God gives us every spiritual gift we need – we do not lack any

•         God gives us spiritual gifts as He determines

•         God gives us spiritual gifts so that we can build up His church

To use these spiritual gifts effectively we must;

1.      Realize that all gifts and abilities come from God

2.      Understand that not everyone has the same gifts

3.      Know who we are and what we do best

4.      Dedicate our gifts to God’s service

5.      Give our gifts wholeheartedly – not holding anything back

Our role – then – is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve others with what Christ has given to us.

•         And to assist others in the church in doing the same with the spiritual gifts that God has given to them.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

·         God, who called you into fellowship with Christ is faithful

Hebrews 10:23-24

·         Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess

·         God, who promised, is faithful

·         Let us consider how we may spur one another on

·         Let us not give up meeting together

2 Timothy 2:11-13

·         God is faithful even when we are not

1 Peter 4:7-11

·         Use our spiritual gifts to serve others.

·         Use our spiritual gifts faithfully administering God’s grace

PRAYER:

·         Praising God for the spiritual gifts that He has given to us,

·         Praising God for His faithfulness,

·         Asking for discernment in the body regarding our spiritual gifts,

·         Asking guidance in the use of our spiritual gifts.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

·         God is faithful to sanctify you (set you apart for sacred use)

·         God is faithful to keep you blameless until the end

A New Command

As Jesus sat down with His disciples in His final hours before being arrested and murdered, He begins to teach them. Jesus will teach them about staying connected with Him always because He is the only way to God, He will teach them about the Holy Spirit, and He will teach them that being a disciple means being hated by the world yet comforted by God. 

However, before Jesus can teach His disciples any of this He gives them a command; (John 14:34-35) “A new command I give you:Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Jesus is saying, forget about the rest of the rules, the laws, the commands, and the expectations, and love. Love one another not because it is going to be easy, love one another not because you are going to get a reward, love one another simply because I have loved you. 

And, Jesus says, although people are going to set certain standards on how to tell if someone is a follower of mine, your love for one another will be the transformational tool, your love for one another is what will turn heads and draw attention, your love for one another is what will soften hearts and change lives.

Jesus gives us this same command today.  “A new command I give you:Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Causing The Holy Spirit To Sin

I was awoken yesterday morning - very early in the morning - with a thought about what it means to "sin against" the Holy Spirit. The same thought came to me early this morning, so I thought I better write it down. 

When we know The Truth given to us in God's Word - the difference between right and wrong, obedience and sin, good and evil - and when we have committed ourselves to Jesus - to follow His ways and allow Him to be our Lord - we are filled with His Spirit - The Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).

Likewise, God cannot remain in fellowship with us if we choose to sin (1 John 1:5-7). Therefore, as those who have accepted Jesus and as temples of The Holy Spirit, when we choose to sin we are actually bringing The Holy Spirit of God with us in our sinfulness and evil. 

We are attempting to cause The Holy Spirit of God to sin! We are sinning against The Holy Spirit and there is a serious discipline - punishment - for this.

The Apostle Paul writes it this way in Hebrews 10:26-27; If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

So, as a temple of The Most High God - those who have the knowledge of The Truth and have committed our ways to Jesus and have called Him our Lord - let us continue to follow His commands for our lives. Let us be committed and faithful to Him today and always!

God Is In The Room

This picture is the wallpaper on my laptop. An artist, with the assistance of a smoke machines, has found a way to produce clouds indoors and has taken several stunning pictures. And while these pictures are quite remarkable I could not help but think of one thing as I looked at them; "God is in the room". 

SEE, no matter where we are, no matter what we are doing God is in the room with us. God is all-present or omnipresent, meaning that He is in all places at all times - that is one of the characteristics that defines Him as God.

AND, because God is omnipresent, He is here for us when we need Him the most. Likewise, He is there when we would rather Him not be, that is when we are doing things that we know He does not approve of - when we are doing things contrary to His will and His purpose.

YET, if we could simply remember that "God is in the room" with every decision that we make, every action that we take, every thought that we think, and every word that we speak, we would do better to obey His will and fulfill His purpose.

AND, although we do not have the benefit of seeing God in the form of a visible cloud in the room with us at every moment of the day, what we do have is His Spirit living in us and working through us. Through God's Spirit we are able to achieve all that God has called us to, all that He has desired for us, and all that He has created us for.

Understanding Temptation

One of my favorite verses of Scripture is 1 Corinthians 10:13;

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

The quoting of this verse is very helpful when I find myself being tempted at many times and in many ways.

This morning I was reading from Luke 4; Jesus' temptation in the desert following His baptism. Verse 1 sets the stage for the chapter and serves as a reminder that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit of God and that the Spirit of God led Him into the desert, where he was tempted. Understand that I am not implying that God is the one that tempted Jesus in the desert, for James 1:13 points out;

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

 And, although God is not the one that tempts anyone, and He is not the one that tempted Jesus, His Spirit had filled Jesus and was The One that led Him into the desert where the temptation took place. It is important to recognize that when a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, it is the Spirit that leads them, there is no other way!

While Jesus is in the desert He is tempted on three occasions, by Satan, and He is tempted, in three distinctly different ways. First Jesus was tempted in the physical manner (verse 3);

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Next Jesus was tempted in the spiritual manner (verse 6);

“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down."

And finally, Jesus was tempted in the psycological manner (verse 9);

“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 

 All of these things are important to remember when we find ourselves being tempted, and we will all find ourselves being tempted.

• Am I filled with he holy Spirit? If so, it is the Holy Spirit that is leading you into this exact situation. Is this a place the Holy Spirit go? Is this a place the Holy Spirit would have taken you?
• No temptation that you have faced or will ever face is beyond what another human being has faced in the past. No temptation that you have faced or will ever face is beyond what you have been created to bear the weight of. No temptation that you have faced or will ever face is beyond the sovereign and faithful control of God the Father. 
• Am I being tempted in the physical manner? Am I being tempted in the spiritual manner? Am I being tempted in the psycological manner? Satan knows you weakness and He attacks that weakness. Satan has a target on your back and a plan to strike. Understanding the way that you are being tempted by evil will allow you to know how you must reach out to God and how you must pray through the temptation to overcome it. 

Pentecost Sunday

Today is Pentecost Sunday, a special day in the life of The Church. It was on Pentecost Sunday (40 days after Jesus' resurrection, and 10 days after His ascension) that the Holy Spirit of God came to rest on and in believers. The account of this day can be read about in Acts 2:1-4 (and 5-41);

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The men that were gathered int he upper room on the day of Pentecost were gathered, waiting and praying. We see that throughout the Bible, especially the New Testament, powerful things happened when believers gathered together to pray. As Rev. Jim Cybala says, "when God's people pray things happen". And, on this particular Sunday, some 2,000 years ago, when God's people prayed His Spirit moved upon them. But, these men weren't simply praying for their needs or for themselves, these men were praying for God's Spirit to move. 

In order to better grasp this, it is important that we look back to Acts 1, to Jesus last words on this earth, and to His direct instructions to His disciples. 

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

The men that were gathered in the upper room on this particular Sunday were waiting just as Jesus had told them to. And, as these men waited, they prayed. They were praying for this gift that Jesus had promised to them as He spoke His final words. They were praying for the baptism of  the Holy Spirit that Jesus had told them about. And, they were praying for the power (more literally the strength or the ability) to carry out the mission and the ministry that Jesus had called them to. 

On this Pentecost Sunday we, as faithful believers, need to pray as well. We need to pray that this gift that Christ has promised us would be made real to us. We need to pray that the baptism of the Holy Spirit would come over us. And, we need to pray for the power (the strength and the ability) to carry out our mission and Christ's ministry would be granted to us.

Without the Holy Spirit nothing makes sense. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit we do not have the gifts to carry out the ministry of Jesus. Without the power of the holy Spirit we do not have the power to achieve the mission of Christ. And without prayer we will not be given any of these!

Psalm 2

Let's take a look at Psalm chapter 2,

·        In this Psalm, there are four stanzas of three verses each

·        Each stanza has a different focus

·        The focus of the first stanza is mankind

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” (Psalm 2:1-3)

We need to know some things about Psalm 2 first.

·        Like many Psalms, it was written by David

o   Acts 4:25: You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

Before we focus on Psalm 2, let’s talk about Acts 4, we’ll work back

·        Acts 2: The Holy Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost

·        Acts 2: Peter addresses the crowd and 3,000 were baptized

·        Acts 2: House churches are formed and begin to spread

·        Acts 3: Peter and John heal a crippled beggar at the temple

·        Acts 3: Peter proclaims the Gospel message of Christ

·        Acts 4: The Priests and Sadducees were disturbed

·        Acts 4: Peter and John were thrown into jail

·        Acts 4: The number of believers grew to 5,000

·        Acts 4: Rulers and teachers of the law

·        Acts 4: Peter proclaims Christ’s message to the leaders

·        Acts 4: The rulers and teachers of the law were astonished

·        Acts 4: They released them with a warning

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. (Acts 4:23-26)

You see, Psalm 2 begins with a question about the people of earth;

·        What good is it if they plot against God – they must be fools.

·        Why do they try to outwit God – this is absurd. 

·        Nations might take a stand against God and against His ways

·        Rulers and leaders might gather and make plans against Him

·        They may say, let’s break this slavery that God has us in

·        They may say, why should we submit to this Jesus fellow

·        They may think that without God they will be free

And what is God’s response? 

·        Verse 4 takes the focus from mankind to God.

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” (Psalm 2:4-6)

God’s Response is, first, an unexpected response

He laughs

·        God merely laughs at them, He is amused by all of their puny plans.

·        Psalm 37:13 says; “the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming”

·        And Proverbs 1 goes on; “But since you rejected me when I called
and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.”

He rebukes in rage

·        In fierce fury, He rebukes the wicked and the evil doers

·        He speaks to them out of His anger toward them

·        The word anger here is the Hebrew word meaning “anger”, “wrath”, or, ”face”

·        This is the anger of man, an anger that we comprehend.

·        Basically, this is saying that God speaks to these evil doers face-to-face with words of anger that they can understand.

He terrifies in wrath

·        The word terrify is to “make anxious” or “disturb”

·        What’s more, the word wrath is so much different than the word anger used before, this wrath is the wrath of God

o   It is a heated anger, a burning anger

o   It is the word always used for God’s wrath

·        God fills these people with fear,

o   literally putting the fear of God in them

And why?

·        For the Lord declares, this is the King of my choice, and I have enthroned Him in Jerusalem, My Holy city.

You see, God is moving forward with His plan and His purpose and that is the establishment of the throne on which Jesus Christ will sit.

·        This upsets the plans of man, it upsets the plans of world leaders, and it even upsets the plans of religious leaders.

·        But it is God’s plan and for Christ’s throne to be established and so it will be done!

·        We may have to wait a long time before we see Christ enthroned over this world, but it is already a fact in God’s purpose.

·        There is no other King but Jesus!

So then, beginning with verse 7, we focus on Jesus, as He speaks

I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” (Psalm 2:7-9)

To understand this passage, we must understand that this is regarding the second coming of Jesus Christ.

·        This is not the Gospel of grace and mercy that we are to preach today because this is not what Christ came to deliver when He walked on the earth.

·        This passage refers to the judgment that will come to all who disregard His message of grace, mercy, and love.

·        This passage refers to the judgment that will come to all who plot and conspire against God’s ways.

Listen to this paraphrase of verses 7 through 9; His chosen One replies, “I will reveal the everlasting purpose of God [listen up, here it is], for the Lord has said to Me, ‘You are my Son, this is Your Coronation Day. Today I am giving You Your glory.’ Only ask, and I will give You all the nations of the world. Rule them with an iron rod; smash them like clay pots.”

·        You see, that’s the judgment of Christ’s second coming

And then, in the final stanza of chapter 2, the focus changes again

·        First it was on mankind on earth

·        Then it was on God the Father in heaven

·        Next it was on Jesus Christ on His throne

·        And now it is on the Holy Spirit speaking to man

Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:10-12)

This is the ultimate warning from God, directed at the kings and rulers of this world, through them, aimed at the people under their rule.

·        God is saying; Kings and rulers of the earth, listen while there is still time.

·        God is saying: Serve the Lord with reverent fear; rejoice with trembling. Fall down before The Son and kiss him before His anger is roused and you perish.

·        God says: I am warning you, His wrath with soon begin.

The most famous kiss in the Bible was in the Garden of Gethsemane

·        When Judas walked up to Jesus, armed guards following closely behind Him

o   This had been prophesied for hundreds of years

o   This had been planned since the fall of mankind

o   This had been spoken of by Jesus hours before

§  Clearly Jesus knew what was happening.

·        And what was Jesus’ response to this kiss from Judas?

o   “Friend, what have you come for?”

·        You see, Jesus was giving Judas one more chance to turn this kiss of betrayal into a kiss of friendship.

o   And, this is exactly what God’s Spirit is doing here,

§  Giving mankind one more chance!

But, Psalm 2 ends on a high note;

·        “Blessed are all those who take refuge in Him.”

·        Oh, the joys of those who put their trust in Him.