Marks of an effective witness

We see the command to be witnesses of Christ in the Gospels. The message is continued throughout the New Testament, and there are many things that must describe a witness, but the one that I think is most important is that one be found faithful. Truly, if we run a marathon and then quit 10 yards before the finish line, we have failed to complete the task. In our Christian walk, things sometimes get hard, but we must press on toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 We must not set our eyes on anything but that which is pleasing to the Lord.

2 Timothy 2:13 reminds us that God is faithful. He cannot be unfaithful, as it is his very character to be faithful in all things. His promises, our hope of salvation, even the time table of prophecy must be fulfilled according to His Word because God is faithful. He will also be faithful in preparing us for the work, and providing the fruit of that work. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor. 2:2-5 of his "qualifications" for this work. Weakness, fear, much trembling... Verses 4-5 give me what I need to be reminded of, that it is not our words or our education, but His work being accomplished through faithful servants, relying on His power for all things.

Are we faithful? Do we run a little while in the race, then run off the course, constantly having to be redirected back on the path God has shown us, or are we keeping our eyes fixed on Him? Let's explore what our responsibilities and privileges are according to the Bible.

The witnesses to the resurrected Christ certainly got the message out! Matthew 28:8 "they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report to the disciples." These were not people that kept it to themselves, or waited for someone to ask them, but went out proclaiming the risen Savior to whomever would listen. They did tell the disciples first as they knew that those who knew who that He was who He claimed to be. They certainly would be excited, but even one of the 12, Thomas, didn't believe until Jesus personally appeared to him. We have the Word of God and the experience of our own lives to bear witness of to those who don't know Jesus.

Romans 10:14-15 Tells us the things we must do
How will they call on whom they have not believed?
How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?
How shall they hear without a preacher?
How will they preach unless they be sent?

The Lord looks approvingly at those who are faithful to witness of the good news of Christ.(15)
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God(17)

SEND-We see the approach here, starting with the responsibility of the believer in this process. We must SEND preachers out into the streets, skate parks, parades, fairs, door to door. Luke 24:48 "you are witnesses." We all, as believers, have witnessed the grace of God, the transformation to a new nature, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit living within us all.

PREACH- Some would say "I am not called to be a preacher" but in this context, I think this definition shows us that preaching is not just a pastor in a pulpit. Definition "To advocate, especially to urge acceptance of or compliance with" I think we all would urge unsaved sinners who are headed to hell to accept and be compliant with God's Word. So, if we are all capable of preaching the gospel to sinners, then what shall we preach? We then must be faithful to PREACH the truth of the Word of God.

The whole truth of sin, hell, sacrifice, what it means to follow Christ, including persecution. We don't want to sell them something bright and rosy, but show them the truth of God's Word in which we are promised that if we live Godly lives, we will suffer for it. That sounds counter-intuitive, but I believe that you must show the good with the bad, and it certainly weeds out the false converts and fair weather friends. They must be coming for the right reason, for God's purposes rather than for the personal gain of salvation. If we promise peace, joy, love, and then they suffer persecution, they will turn from the faith. Jesus said that the one who puts his hand to the plow and even looks back is not worthy of following Him. We need to tell the whole truth, the work with the wonder, and make sure they are following God rather than our fancily crafted love Gospel.

HEARD- We cannot expect to sit in church buildings and wait for people to come to us begging to know how to be saved from the wrath to come. There is none that seeks after God Romans 3:10. I read a story recently about a man sitting in his position on the assembly line, not a believer, he is sitting there day in and day out next to another man, who is a Christian. The story made it out like the Christian, by not swearing and getting angry when things went poorly, was witnessing for Christ.

I see the point of the story, but don't believe that it paints an accurate picture. Sure, if someone sees us every day for years on end, and they see that there is something different about us, they may ask and we may give them the gospel. The story, written by the unbeliever says "one day I asked him what it meant to be born again" I have a feeling it did not go quite like that. Why would someone ask such a question? In fact, if you are unsaved, you would not know the terminology, the Christianese in that question.

My question for that believer is this: If you had day after day for years sitting next to a man doing mindless repetitive work, didn't you at some point have the opportunity to talk about your passion, your love, about the Savior that gave you eternal life? How would you have felt if, after 5 years sitting next to this man, if one day you came in hoping and praying like you always have, that he will ask you how to be saved, and he doesn't show up for work because he died in a car crash, or a heart attack, killed himself after struggling with depression, lost his job, name the reason?

You would have wasted hundreds of opportunities to bring up the subject. You will be like the watchman in Ezekiel 33, his blood is on your hands. Do you want to live with that? Do you want to know that you had many chances and were found unfaithful to God's call to "be witnesses of these things"  It is valid to follow the promptings of the Spirit, but much like a thief doesn't go looking for a policeman, the reluctant witness will not look for a chance to speak about Christ.

We can't sit around waiting for God to smack us in the head or push us into a situation, but earnestly pray that He will put us in situations that allow us to share with a lost person about their situation, about God's love and mercy, and about salvation. If we are too busy making excuses, we won't feel the prompting of the Spirit. Do you really think God wants to use someone that is reluctant or too self involved to follow Him?

Will we tell them that they have transgressed God's Law, or will we just tell them about God's love and hope that they will love Him back? Jesus told the woman at the well about her sin, He told the rich young ruler his real problem was that he obeyed the Law in letter but not in spirit. This young man trusted in his riches. What are others trusting in? They must be told that they have offended a Holy God that desires them to follow Him. One may ask why we need to show them their sinful ways in order to tell them about grace.

In James 4 we are told that "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" and "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you" It is our place to come humbly, ready to sacrifice our own dreams and desires for His will. Certainly, His way is better than ours. A man not convinced of his sin will not be seeking forgiveness or come in repentance. Gal 3:24" Wherefore, the Law was our schoolmaster [top bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith"  Rom 7:7 "I had not known sin but by the law"

Example: If you have a child under the age of 8, weighing under 80 lbs, they must by Maine law be in a booster seat or child restraint system. If you don't know the Law, you cannot see that you have transgressed it. It would only be after a policeman, looking after the safety of your child, pulls you over and gives you a fine/punishment that you would realize your transgression. If however, a bulletin was put out, a flyer that came to every home, to let everyone know that there is a law and that there will be punishment for lawbreakers. Now the policeman pulling you over makes sense, because you are not ignorant of the law.

In the same way, we have God's Word and should spread it to every man, woman, boy and girl so that they know the penalty for failure to obey God's Laws. We cannot achieve the righteousness of God on our own, but when we take the Bible as our schoolmaster, looking into the perfect law of liberty described in James 1:25, then we will see how we appear before God, as a transgressor of the law and seek the remedy. If someone is not repentant, and seeks to avoid punishment by lying, outrunning the law, then they are not ready to hear the grace given by God through Christ. If they shake their fist at God and run away, then they certainly are not ready to believe and commit their life to Christ.

BELIEVE- It is not just a head knowledge, a mental assent, to believe. Truly the word is associated with trust, to put faith in like one would put faith in a parachute. This is not "trying Jesus on for size" but a heart change, a radical transformation that should produce genuine signs of contrition. If we realize what we are while in our sins before a holy and just God, then that belief will produce fear, a desire to please the Lord, and at the moment of true salvation we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will testify to our hearts that it is real. Once you step out in true faith, it is no longer faith but experience. God asks us to reach out in faith, but then grants us assurance through the indwelling of His Spirit in our lives. A true convert will not need to be assured, as the Holy Spirit will do the testifying.

In the same way, someone who has seen and experienced this will be full of the joy of the Lord, a witness of the faithfulness of God to His Word. What He has promised, He will fulfill. Every time. No doubts. If God draws you by His Spirit, and you accept salvation, you should not be able to keep it to yourself. It should be like Jeremiah in Jer. 20:9 " If I say, I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name, then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire, shut up in my bones and I am weary of holding it in and I cannot endure it." Do we have the joy of the Lord burning in our hearts? Are we bursting forth with the joy that is produced by a genuine knowledge that I am a child of the King? We have this hope, this assurance that we will live for eternity, worshipping the God who created all things. What a blessed thought!

Everyone says they want to go to heaven, but do they really? What is heaven like? We will live for eternity with God, in His heavenly home, praising and glorifying the name of  Jesus, worshipping at the throne. To an unregenerate sinner, this would not sound like much fun. Indeed, to someone who is simply running away from hell rather than running towards God and His beloved Son, heaven wouldn't be heaven would it?

Jesus told the rich young ruler that even though he claimed to have kept the commandments, that his heart was wrong. He wouldn't give up his riches, because he wasn't seeking to follow Jesus sacrificially, but wanting to protect his assets, thinking of himself. This young man went away in sorrow because he would have to give something up to follow Christ. How many of us don't follow the way we should because we are holding on too tightly to our comforts, our homes, our possessions? Are we glad we got out of the punishment, or living every day with joy in our hearts as we consider God and all He means to us?

PASSION- When you talk to me you can expect a couple of things. As a husband and father, I talk about my family. I am passionate about them and you don't have to to ask me to bring them up while I talk. You will also hear about the Lord, about my passion for His work, for what He has done for me through the precious blood of Christ shed for my sins on the cross. If I don't make the opportunity to talk about Him, I feel like Jeremiah. We all should.
If we do claim the name of Jesus, that we follow God faithfully, how could we possibly get through a day or a conversation with a lost person without letting them know. How can we work day in and day out and hope that someone will bring it up, thinking that we don't want to offend them.

RESPONSIBILITY- The truth is, the Gospel is offensive. It tells a sinner how wrong they are, that they are headed for eternal death. It is offense, it cuts to the bone and even deeper to the soul. We are not trying to be better than anyone else, just saved sinners looking to share the cure for the problem of sin. What kind of doctor would I be if I saw all the signs of a disease in my friend, knew the cure was available, and kept it to myself? Do you really think that if someone sees the truth of the disease that they will be mad at us for sharing the cure? If they choose to remain blind to the truth, we can pray, ask God to open their hearts, and be faithful to continue to share. That is what we are called to do, each and every one of us, and we should do so joyfully out of love for God.

In a half hour of preaching, about 3600 people have died throughout the world. They don't get another chance. Are you willing to risk it being your family member, friend, coworker, mail man, that is next to head out into eternity without Christ? What are you willing to do about it? Will you be willing to look for and pray for the opportunity to share when you see someone? Will you be a faithful witness? For those who have been faithful before, and are out there every day looking for the chance to tell someone about Christ, what can we do to step up our efforts, to use our time more wisely, to reach even more for the Savior?

Emergent Church quotes

The Emerging/Emergent church- what you need to know

In an effort to show what we miss when we don't pay attention for a few years, I would like to present the Emergent/Emerging church, a post modern "conversation" that has inundated many formerly solid churches with anti-Christian, anti-orthodox beliefs.

This is not just a new cult, but a cult that is making its way into churches, Catholic and Protestant alike, in all denominations, seeking to reinvent the church. They protest the structure of New Testament teaching as being closed minded and legalistic

While many of the practices of modern churches are merely traditional, the structure of the church was handed down in the writings of the New Testament. There is no Scriptural leading to make us think that this is not the recommended practice for today.

There is no new revelation in regard to the structure of the church, and the structure instituted by God through the apostles is still valid today. This deconstruction is all done in the spirit of relevance, but James warns us to not be like the world, that we makes ourselves enemies of God when we choose to disregard His ways and instead follow our own.

So, you may say "I have never heard of these people , how could they be so influential?"

Speaking of influence, how about this quote from the Chicago times on the life/retirement of Billy Graham:

"Who will be the next Billy Graham? At first glance, someone like Rick Warren or Luis Palau (both of whom have been mentioned to take the place of Graham), might come to mind. But neither of those names was mentioned in the article. Instead, a popular emerging church leader, Rob Bell, was named as the possible replacement. While that may seem like a far-fetched notion to many, the article quotes emerging leader Brian McLaren as saying it "could very well be true."

Rob Bell of Mars Hill Bible Church is the poster boy for EE

The following are some more postmodern liberal definitions or denials of historic doctrines taught by Rob Bell:

Inspiration and interpretation of the Bible:

"The Bible is a collection of stories that teach us about what it looks like when God is at work through actual people. The Bible has the authority it does only because it contains stories about people interacting with the God who has all authority."

Heaven and Hell:

"When people use the word hell, what do they mean? They mean a place, an event, a situation absent of how God desires things to be. Famine, debt, oppression, loneliness, despair, death, slaughter--they are all hell on earth".
"Heaven is full of forgiven people. Hell is full of forgiven people. Heaven is full of people God loves, whom Jesus died for. Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for. The difference is how we choose to live, which story we choose to live in, which version of reality we trust. Ours or God's."

Ultimate Reality:

"When Jesus said, 'No one comes to the Father except through me', he was saying that his way, his words, his life is our connection to how things truly are at the deepest levels of existence. For Jesus then, the point of religion is to help us connect with ultimate reality, God."

The fall of man:

"I can't find one place in the teachings of Jesus, or the Bible for that matter, where we are to identify ourselves first and foremost as sinners. Now this doesn't mean we don't sin; that's obvious. In the book of James it's written like this: 'We all stumble in many ways.' Once again, the greatest truth of the story of Adam and Eve isn't that it happened, but that it happens."

- Velvet Elvis, p. 139

On the Nature of the Atonement

“So this reality, this forgiveness, this reconciliation, is true for everybody. Paul insisted that when Jesus died on the cross he was reconciling ‘all things, in heaven and on earth, to God. This reality then isn’t something we make true about ourselves by doing something. It is already true. Our choice is to live in this new reality or cling to a reality of our own making."

- Velvet Elvis p. 146

On Faith:

“Who does Peter lose faith in? Not Jesus; he is doing fine. Peter loses faith in himself. Peter loses faith that he can do what his rabbi is doing. If the rabbi calls you to be his disciple, then he believes that you can actually be like him. As we read the stories of Jesus’ life with his talmidim, his disciples, what do we find frustrates him to no end? When his disciples lose faith in themselves..... Notice how many places in the accounts of Jesus’ life he gets frustrated with his disciples. Because they are incapable? No, because of how capable they are. He sees what they could be and could do, and when they fall short it provokes him to no end. It isn’t their failure that’s the problem, it’s their greatness. They don’t realize what they are capable of....God has an amazingly high view of people. God believes that people are capable of amazing things. I’ve been told I need to believe in Jesus. Which is a good thing. But what I’m learning is that Jesus believes in me....God has faith in me.”

-Velvet Elvis, pp. 133-134

According to Mr. Bell there are two ways to approach doctrine: as a brick or a spring. The brick approach to doctrine is solid, unmoving and unchanging. It has no life. It is the wrong approach. A spring has life; it is flexible, and it is constantly changing. Rob Bell believes all doctrines are springs. By embracing such a view of doctrine and truth Mr. Bell drives a wedge between reality and doctrinal truth. He creates a paradox where there isn't one. Bell views doctrines as 'statements about our faith that help give words to the depth that we are.

---

<sup>Making sense of it all- don't even try

Doug Pagitt- another Emergent church leader, pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minnesota had an interview with Todd Friel of Way of the Master Radio about the afterlife-</sup>

Friel:" If I am a good Buddhist, where do I go when I die"

Pagitt" What you are suggesting here is that heaven is a place. When you say "where do I go" you are suggesting to me that the reign of God is in an individual place? Where is that place?

Friel" It's called heaven.."

Pagitt" but where is it? Are you suggesting it is a literal place? What do you mean, where do I go"

Friel" Just because I don't know where it is located, does not mean it does not exist" What happens to my soul when I die?"

Pagitt" there's a different question.When a [muslim, buddhist, atheist] dies, you interact with God, just as every other human being does"

Friel quotes Heb 9:27 "It is appointed to man once to die, and after this the judgment.

Pagitt" God is going to repair and restore and heal the life of everybody in the same way. There is going to be no difference in the way that God interacts with you (Friel) as He does with a Muslim. God will interact with all humanity. How a person's life translates into the evermore, for me to suggest that how God is going to interact with you.... "

The interview went down hill from there, as Pagitt accused Friel of setting him up to make him look bad, then went on about Plato, Socrates, etc. all the while accusing Friel and fundamentalist Christians of being judgmental and narrow minded to think the Bible is accurate and not just a metaphorical story book.

---

Some quotes from Emergent/Emerging church leaders:

"The church has been preoccupied with the question, "What happens to your soul after you die?" As if the reason for Jesus coming can be summed up in, "Jesus is trying to help get more souls into heaven, as opposed to hell, after they die." I just think a fair reading of the Gospels blows that out of the water. I don't think that the entire message and life of Jesus can be boiled down to that bottom line." —Brian McLaren

"Emergent doesn't have a position on absolute truth, or on anything for that matter. Do you show up at a dinner party with your neighbors and ask, 'What's this dinner party's position on absolute truth?' No, you don't, because it's a non-sensical question."- Tony Jones

"My goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ," McManus, author of a new book called The Barbarian Way, said in a telephone interview. "Some people are upset with me because it sounds like I'm anti-Christian. I think they might be right."—Erwin McManus

"Many Christians use "Breath Prayers" throughout their day. You choose a brief sentence, or a simple phrase that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath." —Rick Warren

If you would like more information, or the Power Point presentation of this material and others like it, please email me at cowperthwaitefamily@gmail.com

Get out of the boat, NOW!

I wrote this Feb 18,2008. The past year or so has been great in learning more about the Lord's will for our lives. It is amazing to look back and see how God was changing me back then and preparing us for the mission field we are headed to! I think the truths expressed here, honestly and sometimes harsh, are needed in today's Christian world. We need to be awakened, and this giant is not about to go to sleep while there is work to do. I hope this challenges you as it did me.

Mark Cowperthwaite 12/11/2008

We have always had a passion for lost souls and for evangelism. We started and run an evangelistic meeting for children after school hours, meeting at a local school. We pass out tracts and talk to people about God and their need for salvation. We wish to see everyone come to know God through salvation, but often feel that we are not doing enough. We have not known God's leading specifically, and for my part, I am guilty of not seeking His will with enough fervor.

I have recently read a book called "The Heavenly Man" which is the story about a Chinese man who endured prison, beatings, electrocution, and many tortures that would make you weep to just read about them. Even through great times of struggle, this man proclaimed Jesus to his captors, fellow prisoners, and everyone he met, whether they wanted to hear it or not. He never gave up on this quest that God led him to. He never feared what men could do to him, but rather obeyed God at all costs. I have been challenged by this book and you have not seen the beginning of what God will do with His people that will be wholly committed to Him.




I am sick of myself. God has broken my will and I have had to pour out myself in brokenness before Him. I have not just been lazy in my witness, as I liked to think. It is through the counsel of a dear friend, and from holding each other accountable that we have been able to admit to each other that we needed to repent. I had always considered myself just scared to witness to some people, and thought it was "something I need to work on."

Refusing to obey God's command to preach the gospel, to share our faith openly and regularly, amounts to a disregard for God's will. I have been standing in the way of what God has for me, and I had to repent of the sin of disobedience to the Lord. After praying and repenting, weeping and pouring myself out before God, I realized that I can no longer sit on the sidelines and wait for people to come my way. I prayed that God would give me a vision for what He wants ME to do. I don't honestly care at this point who else is doing what, but I MUST commit myself to this work of saving souls. I welcome all who will join me, and there is much work to be done, but I warn you it scares me to death, but not nearly as scared am I of that as I am of the idea that God had work for me to do that I would disregard and deny. I will not be ashamed of the gospel any longer. I know that seems like an emotional response and that I may be a zealot, but if we honestly search our hearts and seek the Lord, we cannot come up with any other verdict.

When God calls us to do, and we refuse, we are ashamed of Him. We are not willing to be persecuted, abandoned, and live without fear of men. I think the fear of man is what keeps us from realizing what we should be doing. The fear of the Lord, the realization that God will judge us one day is a sobering thought that we need to dwell on. God did not save us so that we can sit around and sing and have suppers. He saved us so that we could tell others. If we will not stand up, then the rocks will cry out. If we choose to disobey, then God will use someone else, but do we want to be on that side of God? Do you want to be the one God raised up to use, that refuses to follow his master and king? I don't want to be there, and I hope the fire that is burning in my heart spreads throughout the world.

This fire will go on, there will be those who follow God's leading, stand up and be counted among those who will follow "to the ends of the earth", but that may be getting ahead of myself. Next post will be about what God has specifically shown me I should be doing NOW!

This one thing I do text

“This one thing I do”
by Mark Cowperthwaite
November 5,2008

Philippians  3:13-15    What are you living for?
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended( laid hold of it yet): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. ”

People always ask when they meet you- What do you do? I guess they want to hear how I make a living. I hope that I am known to do one thing... press on toward my calling in Christ Jesus.

Time-
DAILY Bible, prayer, instruction (parents) Deut 11:18-20
If we don’t have time for God, what needs to go? Certainly there are priorities, but the list of possibilities is long. The gym, sports, karate, hunting, TV, computer...
What you do should not be dishonoring to God- TV, computer, books, testimony, dress (Modesty, causing a brother to stumble)
    
Do you have trouble with your kids, your marriage, money? Look to the Word of God, and earnestly pray, desiring God’s will more than your own. Are you following the road map set forth in Scripture, or doing it your way hoping God will bless it?

You are not your own, you are bought with a price!(1 Cor. 6:18-20) I don’t promise roses every day, but with our eyes fixed on the prize, our Savior, and eternity with God, the troubles of the world pale in comparison.

What would your friends say if asked “Does (your name here) give their life entirely to God, and live as Jesus would have them live?”
What would your coworkers, family, people you don’t like say?
What would God say?

Faith- the power of God, we must be plugged in to use it.
Disciples, who knew Jesus personally, didn’t have the faith to cast out a demon in Matthew 17.  John 11 tells us that Mary and Martha said “our brother would not have died if you had come!”  They thought Jesus was powerless, because Lazarus had died. He showed them that NOTHING is impossible, including raising from the dead. Phil 4:13

The church is plagued by sickness, marriage trouble, disobedient children, pornography, pride, lust for power, and sin of all kinds. It all stems from lack of properly directed faith(in God alone). Jesus said “what you ask in faith believing and not doubting, will be given” Mark 11:22-24
Do you think God can heal your body? I know He healed mine. Only when I committed my all to Him, preparing for ministry, knowing what He called me to do, praying without doubt, did God heal my body. What is out of God’s control? Why did it take me so long to surrender to His will? That is the question.

Can God heal your marriage? He will if you ask Him. If you let Him!
Can God fix the disobedient child? We hear people say that kids don’t come with an instruction manual- they do!  The Bible is God’s instruction manual for children, business, everything. Joshua 1:8, Deut 11:18-20

Can God keep you from pornography? I have seen it in my own life and those of many others God has put in my path to encourage me. It is ONLY by His power, not our own.

Do we believe that we can move mountains? Cast out demons? Walk up to an unregenerate sinner and by the power of God through the Gospel show someone the way to eternal life in heaven? If we rely on our own power, we will fail. If we rely on our own riches, talent, good looks (HA!), we will fail.

With GOD all things are possible. Without God, we are nothing, nothing exists apart from the will of God. If God decided to suspend gravity, it would go away. If God saw fit to take oxygen out of the air, we would all be helpless to fix it. We exist because God allows it and wills it. Take that into consideration before finding fault with how He chooses to handle things, what He instructs us to do, and what His Word calls us to live for..
    
(Let the toe stepping on commence) Elected officials will never bring about change for God. Banning abortion, the atrocity that it is, will not bring about change. It is only when our nation bows on its knees before a Holy God that we will see change.

If I am wrong, please show me out of Scripture, but I can’t seem to find a verse that says we should be involved in politics. Jesus didn’t run for president, Paul submitted himself to the council, Peter wasn’t spending his time or money to get so-and-so elected. They preached the gospel, they lived for God. They dedicated their lives to the work of the Lord.



Ephesians 2:19"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Our business is not to get into politics, but to spread the Word of God. The government will not save us, nor are we citizens of this earth, but of heaven. If God wills that the United States be overthrown or destroyed, then it will happen.
    
Our loyalty should be only to God. We are to honor the authority over us (including speed limits), and obey those God has put over us. Only when we must decide between God’s authority and man’s authority are we told as Peter said in Acts 5:29 “we must obey God rather than man”

Witness-
Do you tell people about God? Do you mention heaven or hell? Jesus certainly did! Do you honestly think you can love someone and then not tell them that without Christ and His salvation, they will spend eternity in hell, in judgement, in eternal death? “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, JUDGEMENT!” Heb 9:27

What kind of person sees a blind man walking toward the edge of a cliff and doesn’t grab him by the arm, rescuing him from death? An unsaved person is blind to the truth of the consequence, or the cliff itself until we tell them. It is our obligation to tell them.
    
You may offend him, but if he sees the reason for your assault, he will thank you. This is not a lifestyle choice, but a life or death decision for eternity! Today may be your friend’s last day on earth. Don’t wait for them to ask, go tell them!
    
When was the last time you brought up the subject of salvation to an unsaved person?
What are you afraid of? (Common objections, none of which are valid: not know what to say, can’t answer a question, not an outgoing person...)
I can do all things through CHRIST who gives me strength.

Jesus told us to tell people, and He won’t command us to do something and then not give us the strength to do it. We have to rely on Him, not ourselves, our strength, our ability to speak, but HIM ONLY!

Exodus 3:11-14
“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

Think about Moses, he actually tried to talk God out of using him through his excuses. Do we do the same thing? Too often, we do.
1 Cor. 2:1-6 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Paul said he was not eloquent, weak, fearful, and trembling. If Paul knew how little ability he had, yet chose to allow God to use him, what is keeping us from boldly proclaiming Jesus?

 We rely on human reasoning rather than obey God. If God tells you to do something and you don’t do it, you are disobeying Him. There is no other way to look at it. Obey or disobey, make your choice and repent if you have been disobedient in the past. You can’t fix yesterday, but you can do more today.

Jeremiah 20:9"If I say I will not remember Him, or speak anymore in His name, then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it”
This is how we should feel about the privilege we have of proclaiming our Lord and Savior to those who don’t know Him. When your heart is full and the Holy Spirit keeps filling you up, it will overflow, you cannot bind it up. You have to give it out, spreading the good news everywhere you go. Our testimony, our behavior is a direct result of what is in our hearts.

How do we get full? Psalm 1: 1-2 ,James 1:25.,Job 23:10-12 hold fast to His path, word of His mouth more than my food, sleep, fun.....

Give Him control of your life, stop taking it back. Take up your cross daily, (Living sacrifice crawls off the altar) WHY? Lack of faith in God to keep you, but He promises He will never leave us or forsake us. His promise is better than that of any man.
    
If we are full of the world, we will act like the world. James 4:3-8
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
    
If we are full of ourselves, we will talk about ourselves. But if, as we should be, we are filled to overflowing with the love of God toward people that need His salvation (which only comes through the Holy Spirit) we will be spilling out our love and desire for our Savior everywhere we go.

What are our motives in prayer? Do we seek to bring people to salvation through Christ, or do we want to make ourselves feel better. Do we pray for things according to God’s will or that we get what we want. We see in this passage that if our motives are wrong, our prayers will not be answered. If we desire out of our own lusts, and seek what the world has, we are double minded and need to repent.
    
Read 2 Cor 5:15-21
15 “And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”-  All from God, reconciled us through Christ, given US the ministry of reconciliation, we are made new, dead to sin(v.17, Rom 6, Rom8)

Not counting  their trespasses(using them OR numbering them)- don’t only witness to nice people(truckers, prostitutes, homeless) Jesus died for all sins and committed to us the work (says it again, must be important) of  ambassadors, making an appeal through US, we BEG you to be reconciled to God. This is not the “friendship evangelism” approach, not some weak attempt at bringing up spiritual things over the course of a 5 year relationship, but a forthright, bold, brazen attempt to show the love of God, not worrying about offending someone.

 If you care about someone, you cannot just sit and watch them go to hell for the sake of your comfort. This is a challenge, and does not come naturally, but only through fervent prayer, desiring that the Lord give us His heart, His desires, according to His will revealed in His Word. If we rely on our own wisdom, rather than that of countless evangelists throughout time that followed the example of God’s Word, then we are blinding ourselves to the truth. We don’t need to make up a way, just do what Jesus instructs us in Mark 16:15

We cannot depend on past victories- we tend to put up our memories of what we did for Christ years ago like shrines on the wall. (Borrowed example from Brother Yun- “Living Water”) The nets used to fish for men have been dry cleaned, pressed, and put up to remind us of what we have done in the past. Some sort of trophy, pictures of our big game. Why do we tend to think that we are done serving God. If you aren’t dead, you aren’t finished on this earth. God left you here to serve Him, every day until He calls us home, we are to be about our Father’s business.  What are you doing today, tomorrow? If it is for yourself, not for God, give it up. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then you will have whatever else you need. God does not promise temporal treasure, but heavenly blessings.

“We used to... remember when we... “Get out of the past and do something today. I keep hearing “ we used to have Gospel meetings” and “remember when that evangelist came and we went out in the streets and knocked on doors  to talk to people” and “this church has been a rock in our community for decades” Get out of the past and see what God wants you to do today and then DO IT!

Only what’s done for Christ will last- personal victories are meaningless, the power and strength we use only comes from God. He uses those who know they are weak... “when I am weak, then I am strong” sounds opposed to human reasoning. It is, we are not talking about human reasoning, but God’s reasoning. He wants us to live for Him, by His strength, and according to His will.

Phil 4:13 I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who gives me strength” Everything....includes EVERYTHING!!! that is according to His will and His purposes, not the Maserati, the vacation home, or anything this world offers. You may get those things, but Jesus did not promote the “prosperity gospel” but rather persecution, suffering, and being ostracized. Read Matt 10,Acts 5:40-42,Rom. 8:17,2 Tim. 1:8,Phil. 3:10,Col. 1:24, 1 Pet.4:12-19

Do you do things in such a way as to bring attention to yourself or to the Lord? False humility is pride, just in disguise.  It is sin, and we tend to think that if we act humble on the outside, that pride is OK, as long as nobody sees it. God sees.
    
He is our only strength, our only hope, and the one who deserves our worship, praise, OUR LIVES!  The song says “all to Jesus I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow...”

Will you surrender today? It will cost you, but the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is worth it. Can we sing the song honestly, and live it out each day? We can through the power of God in Christ Jesus.

I Surrender All
All to Jesus, I surrender; All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
All to Jesus I surrender; Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus, I surrender; Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.



“This one thing I do”  Philippians 3:13-15
Mark Cowperthwaite

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if  I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

1. Time
    A. Daily reading and prayer
    B. Ministry to family and others
    C. God’s standard
2. Faith
    A. Healed marriage, family, sin in your life
    B. All things are possible
    C. God is in control
3. Witness
    A. Salvation from death
    B. Rely on God for strength
    C. Filled with the Spirit
Conclusion
    Keep moving forward
    Press on toward the calling of God
    I can do all things through Christ, not myself Philippians 4:13
    Only what is done for Christ will last for eternity
    
Surrender yourselves therefore to God...
We want to be where God wants us to be
When God wants us there
Doing what He wants us to do.

All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. I will ever
love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.
I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender ALL

Rob Bell- deceiver of many

I have been studying quite a bit lately about Rob Bell and those who share his beliefs. I do not wish to personally attack the man, in fact we should be praying for him. This presentation along with all my other presentations are available upon request. Please take note of the way Scripture is misquoted, misrepresented, and twisted to make it say what Bell wants it to say.
This all goes back to man's desire to not be accountable to God. We all desire our own way and follow after the flesh. Please remember that just because someone speaks "Christianese" they may not be a true believer. Please check out Way of the Master and Ray Comfort's teachings on "True and False Conversion" which you can listen to free on their site.
All pictures were taken from the Poster page at Team Pyro who made all the posters that point out the absurdities of the Emerging Church and its leaders.

Updates

I am speaking tomorrow at chapel Lord willing. I have had a desire to share this sermon for quite some time, and the time has come to share this message with the saints at our assembly tomorrow. It seems like the last month or two have been the slowest times in memory. We have been busy, things have been changing, and all along the way we have seen the Lord at work.

Last weekend we helped Bible Baptist Church in Hancock with their float in the Christmas parade in Ellsworth. They had a well decorated trailer, singers caroling, and we passed out candy bars, tracts, CDs, and a few other things. It was terrible weather, but we made out all right. The tow vehicle hauling the parade float got stuck at the end of the parade route, but otherwise it went off without a hitch.

We then met with Heap and Jennifer Him, our friends serving the Lord with CRM in Cambodia. We were able to hear more about their lives, their ministry, and got a great DVD from them about the mission they work with. What a work the Lord is doing there!

Saturday was our first trip with our new camper in tow. We left the house in overcast weather, but dry roads and within 15 miles from home were engulfed with 4" of snow and ice on the road with not a sand truck in sight. We prayed a lot that day, and felt that God would have us continue on, and we made it safely. Praise God!

Sunday was a whirlwind day, visiting 3 churches in 1 day. We visited Family Bible Church in the morning, and Matt Valarik filled in preaching. The sermon he gave was spirit led, as evidenced by the fact that the sermon I had prepared(in case I was asked to speak) was in essence the exact same message was the same as the one presented by our brother, Matt. Please keep that church in prayer as they heal from problems of the last few months. There are many saints there with a heart for the Lord. I have no doubt they will overcome whatever comes their way, leaning on God for the strength necessary to fulfill His work for them.

That afternoon, we visited Bible Baptist, the folks we did the parade with. We were missing the remembrance time in our own assembly, desiring to come around the Lord's supper table. Not knowing how things worked in this meeting, the Lord worked through the pastor there as he read Scriptures and led hymns(chosen by whoever felt led to a certain song) to bless our hearts. Being in the habit of taking the Lord's supper weekly, we notice the different atmosphere in some churches where the work of Christ on our behalf is not taken reverently or given a place of prominence. This meeting was glorifying to God, uplifting Christ for His work on our behalf, and spirit led.

I gave testimony of my salvation experience and was able to share a passage from Ephesians 2 about Jesus work paying for my salvation. I believe a church that takes the time to appreciate and publicly remember our Lord regularly will have less problems with pride, sin, and religiosity. This focus on Christ should not be an oddity, but according to Colossians 1:18, that in all things He(Christ) will have the pre-eminence. He is the focus of our worhip and it is one of my favorite times of the week, and one that I miss when I am not able to be gathered in such a way.

In the evening, we headed to Maine Coast Baptist in Ellsworth, but due to terrible driving conditions, the meeting was cancelled. We did stay the night there in the parking lot in the camper. It was blowing and cold, and we learned a bit about how things work in camper living. We needed to insulate(just did it) and found a few other things to fix.

I did have to tear out and reframe the back end of the camper, replace the wiring harness, and replace the vent lid that I broke while working on things in the middle of our recent ice storm.

So, I quit for now. We have a few more things to do, mostly cosmetic, not structural, that can wait until later. We are planning a trip in January or February, and are waiting on scheduling details to see how things go.

The house was shown to 2 couples on Monday evening, shortly after returning home. Both went OK, but no offers yet. We continue to wait on the Lord in this area. Speaking of waiting on God, we lost power for about 21 hours. We were told we would be without power for 3-4 days, so we were pleasantly surprised then it came on much sooner. When the power came on, we noticed that the internet was out, and were told we would wait until Thursday. It was back on 6 hours later.

I think the key to waiting is not to become impatient. I have had major problems with patience, or my lack thereof. I have spent much time in prayer about it, and have seen how the Lord has led me through various trials and felt the peace in my heart when I stopped thinking about the circumstances, and instead counted the blessings that we take for granted. We take electricity, internet, heat, food, shelter for granted many times. In fact, having a wood stove, I have heat, ability to cook, and so much more that I don't have to worry about. The only real worry we had about the lack of power was that the food in the freezer would go bad. God has provided, and supplied all our needs. He has also seen fit to give us so much more. What a great God we serve. He cares about us and loves us. We need to take a step back from time to time and realize how good we have it.

That is all for now. I have more preparation to do for tomorrow. Thanks for checking in on us.
mark

The next step, on the road living

With all that has gone on here lately, some may be wondering what we are up to now that we are minus the chickens, sheep, and it isn't garden season. Our house is for sale and we are headed out permanently as soon as things are wrapped up here. But, what about all the time in between while we wait? What do we do until the Lord's timing is right to move?

We have prayed and feel that God wants us to be doing a few different things. For one, we are still active in our local assembly, doing whatever needs to be done. We also are working at the local food pantry, helping stock shelves, distribute food, and witness to folks in the process.

Last weekend, we went to the local "Festival of lights" parade and passed out gospel literature on the street, and took a friend with our family. The young man we took is a friend from our assembly. He is on fire for God and wants to see people saved. It is good to see a young person whose desire is to serve the Lord and winning souls for the Savior.

This coming weekend will be much the same as last, with a parade about 1 1/2 hours north in Ellsworth. My mother lives near there and we are joining her local church in their gospel tract distribution. They will have a parade float and folks walking along the route talking and handing out tracts and other items.

Saturday afternoon we will meet again with our friends, Jenny and Heap Him, missionaries with CRM to Cambodia. They have 6 children and are going back to Cambodia at the end of the month, so this is most likely the last time we will get to see them. They are a wonderful couple, a great family that the Lord has used to work with AIDS patients in Cambodia along with a plethora of other ministries there. Please keep them in prayer as they travel and seek the Lord's guidance as to the next phase of their ministry.

The next day we will be visiting friends and family in 3 churches in one day. Family Bible Church in Ellsworth, our home church when we lived there, is our first stop. We will be there for Sunday AM worship service, and then head to Bible Baptist Church in Hancock. This is my mother's home church, the one we will be working with at the parade. They have an afternoon service that we will be attending. Then, at 6pm we will be visiting Maine Coast Baptist, a church that I attended for many years of my childhood. We have friends there and it is a church on fire for evangelism. We will be sharing our ministry Dec 10 at Maine Coast Baptist.

I am ready to preach at any service that I am asked, but have found that many churches don't give just anyone a preaching time slot. I understand the caution, but at the same time am desiring to share what the Lord has put on my heart. Regular readers here know my passion for Christ and evangelism. I do have a few things that God has burdened me to share with those who are willing. Pray that we have opportunity to encourage, exhort, and be a blessing to all that we come in contact with. We are a team, working together as the earthly body of Christ, and it is a blessing to do whatever the Lord wills. We are giving our lives to Him to do as He pleases.

With all the traveling, and hopes of a long trip to Ohio in January(maybe sooner) we have decided to buy a camper trailer. It is a 24 1/2' 5th wheel type camper. It is older, and we will be able to pay cash for it (no more debt for us) and have it ready to go in the next few weeks. Getting an older camper means more work to do, and I have repairs and modifications planned. We will have the camper this weekend, hopefully ready for our trip to Ellsworth as a test run on the road before we skip across country.

Part of the reason for the camper is that in talking with the chaplains with Transport for Christ in Beaverdam, we were asked to consider also helping with the Toledo chapel. This would be about 75 miles north of our planned home in Bluffton, so we would need someplace to sleep for the times we would be in Toledo. A camper seems to fit for many reasons, and not needing a larger truck, this one fits the bill. Another use for the camper would be some place to stay when we come to Maine for August each year. We would be here for the Union Fair open air ministry that we helped begin this year. We would take that opportunity to visit family and spend time with folks from the chapel here, and helping with evangelistic work while we are here.

The doors seem to be swinging open for us as we continue to be more full time than part time in ministry. Much is behind the scenes stuff, but the only roadblock we have right now is our house selling (maybe renting to the right person) but we are feeling led to get started this winter, using the camper as a short term living space while we go from place to place.

So, that is about it from here for now. We will try to keep folks up to date, but feel free to call and talk. I get sick of typing some times and love to hear what is going on with everyone else. Keep us in prayer, we certainly can't have too much of that!

Mark

God supplies for His work!

I was discussing with a missionary friend the issue of missionaries raising support. I was also preparing a sermon on Philippians 3:12-16. After writing the whole thing, I decided to open a commentary and see the meaning of a certain phrase. While doing this, I came upon verse 11 of Philippians 4. What is really funny is that I was preaching on chapter 3, not 4, but was led to this verse and didn't realize til afterward that I was on the wrong page. Even when you are in the wrong place, God can use you if you are willing to follow, learn, and admit your mistakes.

In Philippians 4, Paul is talking about being content in every circumstance. He is not complaining
of want or desire, but rather letting us know that we need to be content with whatever God has or has not blessed us with materially. Our promise is not of financial blessing, but of the peace of God which passes all understanding.

We tend to see things from man's point of view, not God's. This missionary will tell you of his many years in missions work, he never asked for a penny, yet always had what he needed. He does not believe, like most do, that God supplying X amount of money in peoples promises means that God is in something. I know, and an honest person would agree, that when we have too much or are too comfortable, we tend to rely on ourselves and thank God(maybe), but not rely on the Lord as much as those times when we are poor, desperate, and crying out to him for rescue.

The quote from Bill MacDonald's commentary on Philippians 4:11: "It is a blessed secret when the believer learns how to carry a high head with an empty stomach, an upright look with empty pockets, a happy heart with an unpaid salary, and joy in God when MEN are faithless" I am not saying that serving the Lord means empty pockets, and poverty. It may, it may not. But, trusting in men rather than God will not produce God's perfect work. 2 Timothy 2:13 "If we are faithless (like men tend to be), He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself" It would be denying the very nature of God to go back on His promises. Our joy is in serving the Lord, not in what we gain from it. His glory and honor are to be what we are seeking.

If God calls you to do something, He will not leave you without the means, the strength, and the resources to do that which He called you to do. Relying on men's promises is tantamount to denying God's ability to provide for His own work. "God's work, done God's way, will never lack God's supply"- Hudson Taylor, missionary to China, and a man of tremendous faith in the calling of God on His life in very specific ways.

I just was thinking about that and wanted to share it with you.

Mark Cowperthwaite
email: markcowperthwaite@roadrunner.com

One thing I do- Philippians 3

“This one thing I do”
by Mark Cowperthwaite
November 5,2008

Philippians 3:12-16 What are you living for?
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

People always ask when they meet you- What do you do? I guess they want to hear how I make a living. I hope that I do one thing... press on toward my calling in Christ Jesus.

Time-
DAILY Bible, prayer, instruction (parents)
If we don’t have time for God, what needs to go? Certainly there are priorities, but the list of possibilities is long. The gym, sports, karate, hunting, TV, computer...
What you do should not be dishonoring to God- TV, computer, books, testimony, dress
(Modesty, causing a brother to stumble)

Do you have trouble with your kids, your marriage, money? Look to the Word of God, and earnestly pray, desiring God’s will more than your own. Are you following the road map set forth in Scripture, or doing it your way hoping God will bless it?

You are not your own, you are bought with a price! I don’t promise roses every day, but with our eyes fixed on the prize, our Savior, and eternity with God, the troubles of the world pale in comparison.

What would your friends say if asked “Does (your name here) give their life entirely to God, and live as Jesus would have them live?”
What would your coworkers, family, people you don’t like say?
What would God say?

Faith- the power of God, we must be plugged in to use it.
Disciples, who knew Jesus personally, didn’t have the faith to cast out the demon because they had little faith in Matthew 17. John 11 tells us that Mary and Martha said “our brother would not have died if you had come!” They thought Jesus was powerless, because Lazarus had died. He showed them that NOTHING is impossible, including raising from the dead. Phil 4:13

The church is plagued by sickness, marriage trouble, disobedient children, pornography, and sin of all kinds. It all stems from lack of faith. Jesus said “what you ask in faith believing and not doubting, will be given” Mark 11:22-24
Do you think God can heal your body? I know He healed mine. Only when I committed my all to Him, preparing for ministry, knowing what He called me to do, praying without doubt, did God heal my body. What is out of God’s control? Why did it take me so long to surrender to His will? That is the question.

Can God heal your marriage? He will if you ask Him. If you let Him!

Can God fix the disobedient child? We hear people say that kids don’t come with an instruction manual- they do! The Bible is God’s instruction manual for children, business, everything. Joshua 1:8, Deut 11:18-20

Can God keep you from pornography? I have seen it in my own life and those of many others God has put in my path to encourage me. It is ONLY by His power, not our own.

Do we believe that we can move mountains? Cast out demons? Walk up to an unregenerate sinner and by the power of God through the Gospel show someone the way to eternal life in heaven? If we rely on our own power, we will fail. If we rely on our own riches, talent, good looks (HA!), we will fail.

With GOD all things are possible. Without God, we are nothing, nothing exists apart from the will of God. If God decided to suspend gravity, it would go away. If God saw fit to take oxygen out of the air, we would all be helpless to fix it. We exist because God allows it and will it. Take that into consideration before finding fault with how He chooses to handle things. The greatest lack of faith I see in Christians is in God’s ability to handle things.

Elected officials will never bring about change for God. Banning abortion, the atrocity that it is, will not bring about change. It is only when our nation bows on its knees before a Holy God that we will see change. Get used to saying “President Obama” He keeps talking about change. I don’t think he will bring about the change that will matter to God.

If I am wrong, please show me out of Scripture, but I can’t seem to find a verse that says we should be involved in politics. Jesus didn’t run for president, Paul submitted himself to the council, Peter wasn’t spending his time or money to get so-and-so elected. They preached the gospel, they lived for God. They dedicated their lives to the work of the Lord.

(Time to step on toes) Ephesians 2:19"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Our business is not to get into politics, but to spread the Word of God. The government will not save us, nor are we citizens of this earth, but of heaven. If God wills that the United States be overthrown or destroyed, then it will happen.

Our loyalty should be only to God. We are to honor the authority over us, and obey those God has put over us. Only when we must decide between God’s authority and man’s authority are we told as Peter said in Acts 5:29 “we must obey God rather than man”

Witness-
Do you tell people about God? Do you mention heaven or hell? Jesus certainly did! Do you honestly think you can love someone and then not tell them that without Christ and His salvation, they will spend eternity in hell, in judgement, in eternal death? “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, JUDGEMENT!” Heb 9:27

What kind of friend sees a friend walking toward the edge of a cliff and doesn’t grab him by the arm, rescuing him from death? An unsaved person is blind to the truth of the consequence, or the cliff itself until we tell them. It is our obligation to tell them.

You may offend him, but if he sees the reason for your assault, he will thank you. This is not a lifestyle choice, but a life or death decision for eternity! Today may be your friend’s last day on earth. Don’t wait for them to ask, go tell them!

When was the last time you brought up the subject of salvation to an unsaved person?
What are you afraid of? (Common objections, none of which are valid: not know what to say, can’t answer a question, not an outgoing person...)
I can do all things through CHRIST who gives me strength.

Jesus told us to tell people, and He won’t command us to do something and then not give us the strength to do it. We have to rely on Him, not ourselves, our strength, our ability to speak, but HIM ONLY!

Exodus 3:11-14
“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

Think about Moses, he actually tried to talk God out of using him through his excuses. Do we do the same thing? Too often, we do.
1 Cor. 2:1-6 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Paul said he was not eloquent, weak, fearful, and trembling. If Paul knew how little ability he had, yet chose to allow God to use him, what is keeping us from boldly proclaiming Jesus?

We rely on human reasoning rather than obey God. If God tells you to do something and you don’t do it, you are disobeying Him. There is no other way to look at it. Obey or disobey, make your choice and repent if you have been disobedient in the past. You can’t fix yesterday, but you can do more today.


Jeremiah 20:9"If I say I will not remember Him, or speak anymore in His name, then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it”

This is how we should feel about the privilege we have of proclaiming our Lord and Savior to those who don’t know Him. When your heart is full and the Holy Spirit keeps filling you up, it will overflow, you cannot bind it up. You have to give it out, spreading the good news everywhere you go. Our testimony, our behavior is a direct result of what is in our hearts.

How do we get full?
Psalm 1: 1-2 ,James 1:25.,Job 23:10-12 hold fast to His path, word of His mouth more than my food, sleep, fun.....

Give Him control of your life, stop taking it back. Take up your cross daily, (Living sacrifice crawls off the altar) WHY? Lack of faith in God to keep you, but He promises He will never leave us or forsake us. His promise is better than that of any man.

If we are full of the world, we will act like the world. James 4:3-8
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

If we are full of ourselves, we will talk about ourselves. But if, as we should be, we are filled to overflowing with the love of God toward people that need His salvation (which only comes through the Holy Spirit) we will be spilling out our love and desire for our Savior everywhere we go. What are our motives in prayer? Do we seek to bring people to salvation through Christ, or do we want to make ourselves feel better. Do we pray for things according to God’s will or that we get what we want. We see in this passage that if our motives are wrong, our prayers will not be answered. If we desire out of our own lusts, and seek what the world has, we are double minded and need to repent.

Read 2 Cor 5:14-21
“ the love of Christ constrains us” 15 “And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”- All from God, reconciled us through Christ, given US the ministry of reconciliation not counting their trespasses- don’t only witness to nice people, Jesus died for all sins and committed to us the work (says it again, must be important) of ambassadors, making an appeal through US, we BEG you to be reconciled to God. He had no sin, but became sin for us, we are made righteous ONLY through Him.

We cannot depend on past victories- we tend to put up our memories of what we did for Christ years ago like shrines on the wall. (Borrowed example from Brother Yun- “Living Water”) The nets used to fish for men have been dry cleaned, pressed, and put up to remind us of what we have done in the past. Some sort of trophy, pictures of our big game. Why do we tend to think that we are done serving God. If you aren’t dead, you aren’t finished on this earth. God left you here to serve Him, every day until He calls us home, we are to be about our Father’s business.

“We used to... remember when we... “Get out of the past and do something today. I keep hearing “ we used to have Gospel meetings” and “remember when that evangelist came and we went out in the streets and knocked on doors to talk to people” and “this church has been a rock in our community for decades” Get out of the past and see what God wants you to do today and then DO IT!

Only what’s done for Christ will last- personal victories are meaningless, the power and strength we use only comes from God. He uses those who know they are weak... “when I am weak, then I am strong” sounds opposed to human reasoning. It is, we are not talking about human reasoning, but God’s reasoning. He wants us to live for Him, by His strength, and according to His will.

Phil 4:13 I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who gives me strength” Everything....

Do you do things in such a way as to bring attention to yourself or to the Lord? False humility is pride, just in disguise. It is sin, and we tend to think that if we act humble on the outside, that pride is OK, as long as nobody sees it. God sees.

He is our only strength, our only hope, and the one who deserves our worship, praise, OUR LIVES! The song says “all to Jesus I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow...”

Will you surrender today? Can we sing the song honestly, and live it out each day? We can through the power of God in Christ Jesus.

I Surrender All
All to Jesus, I surrender; All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
All to Jesus I surrender; Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus, I surrender; Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

More stuff to go through, faith in action.

Wow, you really don't know how much stuff you have until you need to move it. The house is on the market, and will make someone a great home, we have loved it here. I have continued to work and get more stuff finished.
Justin (my friend and business partner) and I went through our tools and have tons for sale. My whole shed 12x16 is full of tools. Over half of which we are selling. This has been cool to have money coming in, but also caused me to pause and reflect on the materialistic way we live in the US.
I don't need half the stuff we have, and as we continue to think of the possibility of living in a small apartment instead of a large house, we have been blessed to be able to see how we can be trapped in consumerism even when we tend to think of ourselves as not being involved in it. I have like a dozen saws and drills that I have not used in years, why do I have them?
So, where do we go from here? Well, it has been great to give stuff away, and we have more to give, but are really down to the sales part now. When the house sells, we will gather the most important things and start there, then weed through everything else to see what will fit in the moving truck when it comes time.
Justin is moving into a 35' camper being hauled by his family van. He will be going across the country working with churches and spreading the Gospel in street preaching, one to one ministry, kids clubs, and equipping the churches to do the same. He had to pare down his possessions even more, with 5 kids and a wife all living in the camper. This experience, getting ready to travel and move, has definitely been eye opening for him too.
It is great to know that when God puts on one's heart a desire to go and serve Him no matter where that road leads, that there are still people that will follow His leading. Justin has helped me in our decision to follow God's leading and we have learned together as friends the experience of trusting the Lord with everything. The Lord is in control and works all things together for good for those who love Him.
We certainly do love the Lord and desire to serve Him with all we are and all we do. That is the focal point of this life, and beyond. Let's remember each day to trust God and lean not on our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight.

Things are moving fast now

We have gone through all our books, clothes, beds, furniture, kitchen appliances, etc. We have cleaned out much of the stuff we don't want, have more for sale. I finished the trim inside the house and tore out the dining room dividing wall so we have the full dining room back. Still have the crown molding and chair rail in the dining room to finish. That is about it. We meet with the realtor today, and are hoping that things move quickly.

We feel so unsettled here now. Our desire is to be where God wants us, and in His timing. I really feel like He is preparing us to go soon. I can't describe the feeling, just that my heart is in the trucker's chapel, and I long to be there. Please keep us in prayer, that we will not rush the Lord's hand, that we will keep our hands off the wheel and let Him be God. Pray also that our transition goes well, as we will be on the road a few days and then getting a new place, there is a lot to do.

I will write again when I have time, but will be starting a new blog about the TFC chapel and other family ministry as we become involved. The 1 acre homestead is for sale, and it doesn't look so much like a homestead. Without the animals, things sure are different.

Mark

The end of homesteading for now

With all that has gone on with us getting ready to move, we have just the layer hens left and they are sold and awaiting delivery. The bantams left yesterday with almost all the fencing. We also sold the feed buckets and such. The TV and VCR are sold. We have lots more for sale, including the house.

So, you can see pictures of our little homestead here , and if you read this blog and know someone wishing to have a little homestead here in Warren, Maine, please let them know that our little 1 acre on the Maine coast is available. I will be writing more after getting preparations ready to move.

I put the tongue and groove pine on the walls about a year ago, and ran out of money and time. I finally found enough money and time to do the trim. I got the door trim all done and some other finish stuff that I have left to do. Those that have been to my house probably had given up on the trim ever being done, but selling a house tends to motivate you to get stuff done. There is plenty of wood in the shed for the winter, so what I have left is just minor cleanup and organizing what to sell and what to keep or give away.

That is about it for this morning. Hope you have a great day.

Mark

It starts at home.

1 young boy, age 6 after hearing a Bible story read by his mother, decides to ask Jesus into his heart. He prays a prayer, truly desiring to be obedient. This makes his Mommy and Daddy happy. He is baptized soon after, and the whole church celebrates. He lives a life in church, Sunday school, every service listening to the stories, sermons and hymns, memorizing God's Word, and doing all the right things. Years pass by, he goes to Christian schools, is involved in community events, attends revival services, and serves in many church ministries.
In his teen years, he works with the youth group in the church, bringing friends in and telling them of the love of Jesus and how to get to heaven. This young man is considered by all to be a good Christian testimony. We all want to have a child like this, don't we? We all hope that our stories and church activities will produce Christian children. It is our desire to bring about salvation in our teaching, training, and bring forth fruit for God in our own homes. This is what God wants for us, right? We will come back to this young man, but let's look at another child.

1 young boy, age 12. After living in a home, like most, with struggles, parental conflict, and what he sees as a difficult family life, he is driven into deep depression and seclusion. He has never been accepted because of how his family lives. He is not a loner, exactly, but he has only one real friend, or so he thinks.
This friend is involved with sexual sin and drugs at the age of 12, and shows him pornographic magazines. He disregards the conscience inside telling him that this is wrong. Something about this seems appealing, and he feels like he is more of a man for being able to have such carnal knowledge. He has no idea that this sin, these images will shape his future for years to come. Sin has its consequence, and even hidden sin becomes obvious in time.
He delves deeper into sexual sin, perversion, but his perception is that nobody knows or even cares to ask what is troubling him. Years later, at the age of 16, he begins to party with older friends and finds himself drinking daily to continue to try to block out that still small voice in the back of his mind.
A drinking party one night gets out of hand and he drives drunk down a curvy road, somehow escaping hitting trees and rocks. The night ends with this young man crouched by the road side throwing stones at vehicles as they drive by. Scared, our young boy is drunk, shaking in the woods, and digging deeper into the pit of sin by the moment it would seem.
By 18, he is involved in more and more sexual perversion, not realizing that he is unable to have real, healthy relationships with the opposite sex because of the sin of his heart and adulterous thoughts that engulf his mind.
The friends he hangs around with get him some drugs, just another part of being a cool mature man. He finds himself stealing from his family, his boss, and breaking into homes to get the money he "needs" to get the drugs that will soothe the pain.
By 19, he has been in and out of jail a few times, usually related to alcohol or drugs. A close friend dies in an alcohol related drowning. This death, and those of other young friends makes him think of settling down. He gets married.
By the ripe old age of 21,he has been married, divorced, and feels completely alone. His own family has turned their backs on him, and for good reason. He reaches out through sex, drugs, alcohol, anything he can to stop the pain. He spends years looking to find what will make life worth living. Who will reach him and tell him about Jesus?
His young son is the only thing that seems worth living for, yet he continues on, never realizing that the Savior was there waiting for him to reach out and see that his way will not do. This young man seems to have no hope.

Do you know a young man like this one? Nobody here wants to admit that this could be someone they know or associate with, yet I can say without a doubt that you know someone like that.
The first young man was never saved, just going through the motions, but felt safe knowing that Mommy and Daddy have reassured him of his eternal home in heaven. He wanted to be loved and accepted, but did not rely on God, repent of his sin, or understand what he needed to do. He knew the right words and the things to do, but was never challenged to make it real, to learn more, to make a commitment. If those challenges had been made, maybe he would have realized earlier in life that there was more than a prayer, more than good deeds, and more than “church life”, but a restored relationship with the God that made him that he needed.

The second young man was obviously not saved. He rebelled against all authority, and boldly, though secretly lived a life denying God. He thinks he should live it up while he is alive and all the talk of God and hell will wait until he is old and too tired to have any more fun. He is scared, and doesn’t feel like he deserves to be rescued. He will get right with God someday, maybe, but not today.

I know these stories well. I have seen it played out time and again in homes and churches wherever I go. It doesn’t have to be this way, and we must not allow this to happen in our homes and in our churches. You may ask why I am so passionate about this. There are a few reasons. First, the Lord has laid this message on my heart and I knew I must share it. Secondly, I am passionate because I have children that I don’t want to take either of these courses. I want them to know the Lord of the Bible, to know God for who He is, and make sure they have the information necessary to make a decision to follow Him. God’s way, the only way!

You see, these two young men are one and the same. He is me. Some may be surprised, others have assumed things about me, and many of my actions in this life I am ashamed of. I can honestly say that the only reason I can stand before you today and speak is because God has radically transformed my life. I came to Him, repenting of my sin, acknowledging my inability to gain righteousness of my own accord. I had to stop pretending, stop searching for my own answers, and face the truth that was staring me in the face.

God made me, I was accountable to Him whether I wanted to submit to His authority or not. It would not be enough to go through the motions some more, or please my parents by going to the altar at church. I needed to surrender ALL of me to Him. I needed to recognize God’s love in sending His son, Jesus to die in my place. He is worthy of my praise, my worship, and my meager attempts to gain His acceptance will not do. I need a Savior. We all do. I am blessed to know that “whosoever will may come” and that God does not wish that any should perish, even dirty, rotten sinners like me.

You may not have such a hard tale of woe and sin, but Romans 3 reminds us that there is none righteous, not even one. The scale of the sin is not what made me need a Savior. The fact of sin, no matter how seemingly trivial, is what caused Jesus to have to die for me. We cannot earn it, buy it, or attain it any way but His way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father, but by me” Jesus is the only way, and for what seems like the first time in my life, I chose the right way. We need to make sure our children know the true way, not watering it down, not compromising, but the truth from God’s Word.

We would like to think that we can make the decision to follow the Lord for our children. We can’t , that decision could not be made for me, no matter how hard my parents tried, they could not make me repent before God. Parents can only live their lives in a way that is honoring and pleasing to the Lord, teaching, instructing and modeling Godly behavior. God has to take over from there and draw the child to Himself. No one seeks after God, not one can come unless the Spirit draws him.

If we are the best parents before God, there still may be some that do not choose Him, but the percentages certainly seem to drop among families with strong fathers that lead according to God’s ways, not bending the Scripture around their own personal thoughts or desires. We must not pervert God’s Word to please ourselves.

Romans 5:6-11 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation

I desired to write today about the importance of not only spending time in church, or reading Bible stories to your kids, but to live a life worthy of the name of Christ. To dedicate ourselves to our Savior. One part of that is to make sure that we teach a true gospel, not one of works or halfheartedness, but one of total dedication, recognizing that we have no righteousness in and of ourselves.

A mediocre effort, simply going with the flow and never challenging ourselves will never accomplish what God wants us to be. We must hold ourselves accountable to God’s standards. We can not be satisfied to be better than most Christians, or closer to God’s will than other churches. We must be in the center of God’s will and never be satisfied until we get there. I can tell you that until we are in heaven, there is room for improvement. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, sinned. He struggled, and God never left him without the strength to defeat sin.

Those close to us must love us enough to ask difficult questions and lovingly show us when we are living in sin. We cannot be lukewarm. We know how God feels about living that way regarding Him.

Revelation 3:15-20 15'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
16'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
17'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
18I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
20'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me

This passage tells us that God would rather we be cold or hot. God’s church, His testimony before men is damaged, along with opportunity to reach the lost by mediocre Christians that just fill the pews, and are comfortable right where they are.

May we never consider ourselves to have attained just the right level of spirituality and Godliness. Verse 19 tells us that who the Lord loves, he disciplines; therefore we should repent. Verse 20 is not a verse about salvation with God standing at our heart’s door hoping to come in, but the lukewarm church who has shut God out. They appear to be His church, but do not do the things that please Him.

I am not saying this is your church, although we all do need to be on our guard that we never become like this church in Revelation, callous to our sin, avoiding discipline and correction in the home or the assembly. Discipline may be the gentle reminder of a friend, a word that God gives the teacher, or a host of other things. It must be the truth given in love and according to God’s way, as outlined in Scripture.
We are family, we should be looking to help and encourage those who need it. That may be me some days, and it may be you some days. We must be on our guard that it is not us, and that we don’t allow easy believe-ism and “as good as can be expected” to be the characteristics of ourselves and our assembly. We all have a part in this, and we need to do our part to keep God’s assembly honoring to Him.

Romans 12:1-2 1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

It is not enough to just do good works, but to give ourselves as a living sacrifice. Our lives are for God’s honor and glory. We are to be crucified with Christ, not just living freely because our sin is forgiven. Romans 6 expands on that, but that is another topic.

Do you walk the talk? Do you live your life in a way that shows your spouse, children, coworkers, friends, and loved ones that you are completely sold out for God? Would those people, if asked, say that you are living every minute of every day striving to be more like our Savior?
Would God, who knows our deeds and our hearts, say that we are on fire for Him, cold, or lukewarm, “having a form of godliness, but lacking the power thereof”?

I was 25 years old before I came to the point of not only head knowledge of God and sin, Jesus and salvation, but a repentant spirit yearning to be made right before a Holy God.
Psalm 51"16-17 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise

God desires us to come before Him with a broken and contrite heart. I was certainly broken that day hearing a familiar gospel song. I started weeping so much while driving that I had to pull over. Nathaniel, only 4 years old, asked me what was wrong. I couldn’t say a word. I was finally ready to surrender and I am so glad I did. We must remind ourselves that God is the potter, and we are the clay. Let Him mold us to what he desires for us to be.

I knew what I needed to do as the years went on, but I hardened my heart, not wanting to surrender to God. I played the part, and led a secret life that I have seen played out by one or more teens in every youth group I have interacted with, which are many. So, how do we keep it from getting this way? What can we do to show our kids that there is more than Sunday services and religion?

Titus 2:1-8 1But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.
2Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.
3Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
5to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
6Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;
7in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,
8sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

Here is our example. Men, women, young folks, are all instructed here as to how we should live. I will concentrate on the men for now, though. As the God appointed leaders of our homes, we are the authority. But that is not just being boss. No, with authority comes responsibility. Husbands, you are to be leading your household. You are to be the man you should be before God, and model that for your wife and your children. Our model should be one of love and desire to help the whole family to glorify God together. This is a great responsibility and one that I admit that at times I feel I don’t measure up to. If I don’t lead in God’s ways, then there will be no one following. I can’t expect them to learn it on their own. Some may, but most won’t.

If you disregard the daily reading of God's Word, your family will hold no regard for it either. If you do not spend time in prayer, they will not see the value of it in your life. They will see it as a tradition, a religious exercise and nothing more. If the Lord’s Day is just another day off, to play and we do not dedicate it to the Lord, we can rest assured that the next generation will become lax about it, too.

If you spend more time in front of a TV than showing your family the life of a man that seeks after God, you will breed the same attitude in your children and your wife. Working out at the gym, sports, hobbies, leisure time, and many other things may have their place in your life, but if God is not first, you will be held accountable before God.

I don’t want to stand on Judgement Day with God shaking His head, disappointed in how I lived. We need to live out our love for God. So, is this scriptural, you may ask?

Matthew 22:36-40 the Pharisees are trying to catch Jesus doing or saying something wrong, we pick up in verse 36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
37And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
38"This is the great and foremost commandment.
39"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets

Loving God is the greatest commandment. That includes loving our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus said that this sums up the Law and the Prophets. If we love God, we will obey Him, loving our neighbors also.
I would love to follow that verse out, but I will stick to the idea that God is to be first, with no exceptions. Our lives are for God, we were created for His glory. We have died to ourselves, and taken up His cross and followed. There is no room for mediocrity. We have covered what we are to live for, but what does this look like in regards to our families.

Psalm 127:3-5 3Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. 5How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them

If children are a blessing, a heritage from God, then we are accountable before God to raise them up right.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it

Train a child. Take a proactive approach. Teach them what they need to know. Don't wait until they fall into sin and turn their backs on God. Start young and be faithful, teaching and instructing them who God is, what He desires from us, and what the consequences of disobedience are.

How do we go about training them?
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Deut 11:16-20 Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them. 17"Or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.
18"You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

19"You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.
20"You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
21so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth

Job 23:10-12 But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 11"My foot has held fast to His path; I have kept His way and not turned aside. 12"I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

Job knew that he had followed God, and that God would not forsake him. He considered God's Word more precious than food. I don't want to add to God's Word, but would like to make an application point here. Do you desire God's Word more than food, sleep, money, fishing, sports, the acclaim of man? What in your life is more important to you than God? If there is anything, you need to confess that to Him and fix it today. There is no time to waste. It all belongs to the Lord and we must not allow anything that is displeasing to Him to continue to have a place in our lives. The fleshly desires sometimes become great, and we can fall if we do not rely on God to lift us up in those times of trouble.

How do we combat the desire to live for the flesh?
Galatians 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit

These verses tell us that if we live by the spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. It also gives us some milestones, fruits to look for in our own lives. We should be striving to exhibit these fruits. If we follow the Spirit, we will see the fruit in our own lives and be used of God in His work.

James 1:13-25 13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. 19This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

This passage reminds us that we cannot just hear the word, but must put it into practice. We must not disregard the truth of God’s Word, but let it transform us into what He desires us to be. Justin likes to remind me that sarcasm is not a fruit of the Spirit
Verse 19-20 speaks of anger. This is also not a fruit of the Spirit. We have no business being angry and terrorizing each other under the guise of godly counsel. Another subject I will not be getting into today.

Verses 22-24 remind us that we have crucified the flesh if we are indeed children of God. We do not have to follow the sinful nature anymore. The thing is, it should never get to that point. If we look into the “perfect law of liberty” we will be convicted by God, His Spirit ministering to us, drawing us back to Him. It is only when we disregard God in our hearts that we will be trapped in sin. We need never get this way.

James 4:4-8 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?
6But He gives a greater grace Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7Submit therefore to God Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded

Here is a stern warning not to be complacent, letting sin into our lives. We all think that we are not like the world, but we need to honestly and prayerfully assess everything we do to make sure it is of God , not of the world.
God warns us that to be friends with the world is to be an enemy of God. This is no place for any Christian to be. We sometimes catch ourselves flirting with sin, teetering on the edge of the cliff, but we need not run on the edge. We should not be looking over the cliff, or admiring the flowers on the edge of the cliff but living on the narrow path that God has told us to stay on.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
This warns that the way to life is narrow, and not many find it. I know I have found myself too close to the edge more than once, fallen and broken fellowship with God. It is not for us to desire for ourselves, but to desire what God wants more than anything.

I want to urge every parent here to live like God would have you live. The fruits of the Spirit should be easily evidenced in a person honestly seeking to please the Lord. To be the man, woman, child, husband, wife, father, mother, and servant of God that we should be. Leading by example is much more profitable than making excuses for our mistakes, hoping our children will learn from our sin and disobedience.

I have focused on the fathers mostly, I know. As a father, I know this has hit home with me and that is why I am sharing it with you all. This is not just about parenting, though, but for all of us. I hope I effectively communicated that and that this is profitable for all of us. I know in preparing this talk, God shook me pretty hard and I found my own writing to be convicting. Funny how that happens, huh?

Older folks, grandparents, elders, you need to be in prayer and seeking God’s face in how to be involved in helping shape the lives of the young families in this body. Your years of experience and patience in guiding from God's Word are valued. Keep us in your prayers, and be involved in your families, both genetic and spiritual. Some may mentor, some may pray, but you are all important in His body. God has put us all here together for a reason. We are a family, brought together by the Lord, and you are all equally vital to His work.

Young people, guard your hearts against sin. Honor your parents, and seek to honor God in all you do. Don't be satisfied with just going to church, but dig deep into God's Word. Ask your parents and other spiritual folks to help you understand difficult passages. There are many here willing and ready to help if you just ask. I did not have the resources growing up that we have here in this building.

Realize that your are not born Christian. You have to make a conscious decision as God leads you. God will never leave you, nor forsake you. It is up to you to follow Him. I can tell you that even though sin seems fun for a season, the ends of it are the ways of death. You may not get the second chance that I got, not everybody does.
The tattoo on my arm (which I am not advocating, but it is one of the scars I bear to this day) bears the constant reminder of a young life lost. An 18 year old boy that, though he was a popular, fun, nice guy, was not born again and is in hell for eternity. He died rescuing a drunk man from drowning. That drunk man lived, and my friend died. He had no idea that night would be his last on this earth. He was not prepared, and I lived with the guilt for years of not telling him.
Some live a long life, some are gone as teens. Don’t wait until tomorrow to speak about the need for salvation to those you care about. You may never get the chance. I am not trying to scare anyone, but life is precious and we only get one chance. Make it count for God. You have the choice to make it eternally right or eternally wrong. Choose wisely.

Lastly, I just want to thank you all for listening. I do not speak today as someone who has attained anything, but one who desires to learn, to be held accountable according to God's Word, and to encourage those who may be struggling that we are all in this together. We are in this together, this is God’s church, Christ’s body.