Akron Alliance Fellowship Church

Success in Jesus Christ

melvingaines — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:13:42 +0000

Today’s message summary from Pastor Gus Brown:

Success in Jesus Christ is not the same thing as worldly success, for everything that you gather here will remain here after you leave here. Success in Christ is in Him and Him alone…it is in a healthy relationship in Jesus Christ. You find a contentment in that relationship, and that is when you will realize success.

A successful relationship is based upon a consistent relationship. It requires an obedience to God’s Word. Success and obedience go together. If the Word is absent in your life, it will only lead to failure.

Visible signs of success are not related to a successful relationship in Christ. The temporal things that you possess are not true success from a spiritual sense. Your contentment in Jesus is not measurable from a worldly perspective. You will see how successful you truly are when you take an inventory of all of the things that you have that money cannot buy.

Matthew 6:25-33
25 “This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Obedience to God’s Word is critical in the development of your relationship with Him.

Numbers 14:41
But Moses responded, “Why are you going against the LORD’s command? It won’t succeed.

Jeremiah 7:23-24
23 However, I did give them this command: Obey Me, and then I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must follow every way I command you so that it may go well with you. 24 Yet they didn’t listen or pay attention but followed their own advice and according to their own stubborn, evil heart. They went backward and not forward.

A successful person moves forward by listening to and heeding God’s Word. He always keeps His promises.

1 Kings 8:56
“May the LORD be praised! He has given rest to His people Israel according to all He has said. Not one of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses has failed.”

Obedience to God’s Word will require you to do things that are in opposition to the natural mind; as a result, you may ask the questions:

Does God really know what is best for me?
Is God’s Word written for me when the Word was written for a different time?
People today live differently…is God’s Word relevant in today’s world?

It starts with following God’s Word and remaining obedient to Him, even if it doesn’t make sense to you.

2 Timothy 2:5
Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

Luke 5:3-10
3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.”

6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”

You respond to God because you have faith and trust in His Word.

When you disobey God, you deem it as useless to you, and it only leads to separation from God and a damaged relationship. David had reasoned himself to commit all of the acts of sin because of his initial transgression with coveting Bathsheba.

2 Samuel 12:9
Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword.

Exodus 20:13-14, 17
13 Do not murder.
14 Do not commit adultery.
17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

1 Kings 15:5
For David did what was right in the LORD’s eyes, and he did not turn aside from anything He had commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

God’s Word is for your good.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13
12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul? 13 Keep the LORD’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good.

It is good for you because He is truthful.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes His mind.
Does He speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?

Titus 1:2
in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

Hebrews 6:18
…so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.

Romans 3:4
…Absolutely not! God must be true, even if everyone is a liar, as it is written:
That You may be justified in Your words
and triumph when You judge.

What will God’s Word do for you?

It will bless you and keep you from wrong (Psalm 119:1-3).
It will help you to learn what is right (Psalm 119:7).
It keeps you clean in a dirty world (Psalm 119:9).
It gives you understanding of His Word (Psalm 119:34).
It keeps you from selfish gains (Psalm 119:36).
It protects and preserves your life (Psalm 119:37).
It gives you the ability to deal with what is wrong in your life and resist it (Psalm 119:104).
It shows the importance of a total life of dependence upon God (Psalm 119:114).

God is a keeper of His Word. He does what His Word declares.

Isaiah 55:11
…so My word that comes from My mouth
will not return to Me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

Isaiah 46:9-11
9 Remember what happened long ago,
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and no one is like Me.
10 I declare the end from the beginning,
and from long ago what is not yet done,
saying: My plan will take place,
and I will do all My will.
11 I call a bird of prey[a] from the east,
a man for My purpose from a far country.
Yes, I have spoken; so I will also bring it about.
I have planned it; I will also do it.

Jeremiah 29:10
For this is what the LORD says: “When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place.

Proverbs 11:21
Be assured that the wicked
will not go unpunished,
but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

Proverbs 15:6
The house of the righteous has great wealth,
but trouble accompanies the income of the wicked.

Your success is measured in your faithfulness and obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word. There is no comparison to success in Him to that of the world’s success. It requires trusting in Him, for He doesn’t lie to us and He only wants the best for us.

Steps To Success: Rebuilding After Failure

melvingaines — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:23:35 +0000

Today’s message summary from Pastor Gus Brown:

Learning in life comes often after mistakes are made. The lessons you learn should be a true improvement, and you should never dwell in the past or in mistakes–it is only a form of self-pity, and there is no growth potential in dwelling on your mistakes. Your success comes in how you bounce back when you are down.

Success does not belong to any one group of people–you can be successful in what you do. Success is not measured in wealth. It is measured in God’s presence in your life and in your relationship with Him. How are you to rebuild from your mistakes and build your way back towards success?

1. A renewed prayer life. A regular conversation with God dealing with everything in our life. Note that when your life is in disarray, you are not talking with God–you are not in fellowship with Him.

2. Restore God’s Word in your life. Along with prayer, there needs to be an engaging with God through His Word that shapes your life. You are to develop your prayer life with a regular reading and studying in order to know how to pray and receive direction on how to live.

3. Reestablish your fellowship with God and with other believers. Sin breaks your relationship with God, and you are to bring yourself back to God and renew the relationship with Him through prayer and obedience to His Word. You also need to join up with believers you know to receive encouragement and valuable fellowship. To forsake them is to leave yourself open for the world’s temptations which may have caused you to sever your relationship with God before.

Galatians 6:7-8

7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Your obedience to God’s Word requires compliance with His Word. He takes His Word very seriously.

God already knows that we are going to falter in our life. He has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us in order for us to learn from our mistakes. We are challenged to lessen our number of falls and grow as we learn.

Proverbs 24:16
Though a righteous man falls seven times,
he will get up,
but the wicked will stumble into ruin.

God is ready to do a new thing for you.

Isaiah 43:19
Look, I am about to do something new;
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert.

Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven.”

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray constantly.

Look at what happens when we fail to talk with God:

2 Samuel 11:2-27
1 In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. 3 So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he reported, “This is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

4 David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to inform David: “I am pregnant.”

6 David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going. 8 Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.

10 When it was reported to David, “Uriah didn’t go home,” David questioned Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a journey? Why didn’t you go home?”

11 Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this!”

12 “Stay here today also,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.

14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote:
Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest fighting, then withdraw from him so that he is struck down and dies.

16 When Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. 17 Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the men from David’s soldiers fell in battle; Uriah the Hittite also died.

18 Joab sent someone to report to David all the details of the battle. 19 He commanded the messenger, “When you’ve finished telling the king all the details of the battle— 20 if the king’s anger gets stirred up and he asks you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the top of the wall? 21 At Thebez, who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the top of the wall so that he died? Why did you get so close to the wall?’—then say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’” 22 Then the messenger left.

When he arrived, he reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 23 The messenger reported to David, “The men gained the advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we counterattacked right up to the entrance of the gate. 24 However, the archers shot down on your soldiers from the top of the wall, and some of the king’s soldiers died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”

25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.”

26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah had died, she mourned for him. 27 When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the LORD considered what David had done to be evil.

Was David really praying or actually responding to his own fleshly desires? Sin was lingering from the beginning when he decided to stay home while his soldiers went into battle. He turned away from those who were loyal to him and betrayed the trust of his soldiers–some of them even lost their lives because of his actions. All of these actions were displeasing to God.

2 Samuel 12:1-13
1 So the LORD sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him:
There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up, living with him and his children. It shared his meager food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.

5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: “As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”

7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. 9 Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword. 10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.’

11 “This is what the LORD says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them publicly. 12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.’”

13 David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Then Nathan replied to David, “The LORD has taken away your sin; you will not die.

Nathan is sent by God to David to make David aware of his sin, because he was not conscious of it. It became a public sin before everyone after Nathan made the declaration. It took all of this to Bring David to repentance and to seek God once more with a new prayer life.

The consequences of the sins, however, were far reaching. He lost four of his sons because of what had happened. While David’s life was a great life of service to the Lord, he also had to deal with the consequences of being in sin and out of fellowship with God.

What did David learn?

Psalm 101:3
I will not set anything worthless before my eyes.
I hate the practice of transgression;
it will not cling to me.

Psalm 31:1-5
1 LORD, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.
Save me by Your righteousness.
2 Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
You lead and guide me
because of Your name.
4 You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for You are my refuge.
5 Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You redeem me, LORD, God of truth.

Psalm 51:11-12
11 Do not banish me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me,
and give me a willing spirit.

Psalm 103:2-3, 10
2 My soul, praise the LORD,
and do not forget all His benefits.

3 He forgives all your sin;
He heals all your diseases.

10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our offenses.

Start talking with God about your life, what is on your heart, and about your problems. Tell Him about your spiritual needs, your battles with sin, and your fear of failure and falling out of fellowship with Him.

God will graciously remove the sin and transgression in your life, and He also provides healing, as well. In turn, you must have the desire to seek Him in the aftermath or there won’t be much growth in your relationship.

God values your relationship with Him and your communication with Him. When you are in fellowship with God, you are best able to recover from your falls and grow in your spiritual life with Him.

Fighting For Your Victory

melvingaines — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:38:09 +0000

Today’s message summary from Pastor Gus Brown:

When you are born again in Jesus Christ, you are to live your life in such a way that you are doing more than just surviving. You are to live as more than conquerors. To live any less is to be more of a victim than that of a conqueror. You can be a victim of sin or you can fight for the life that you have been given through the blood of Jesus.The plans that we make for our lives will require perseverance and dedication to accomplish them. Unless you don’t put plans in place for your life, you will have difficulty achieving them.Do you believe that you are trapped in the life that you are living? We must always remember that Satan is a thief and a deceiver.

2 Timothy 2:22-26
22 Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels. 24 The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap, having been captured by him to do his will.

Are you being entrapped and outwitted by the enemy?

2 Corinthians 2:10-11
10 If you forgive anyone, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for you in the presence of Christ. 11 I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

People who are victims must learn to fight. We are not to live just to survive, but to fight and enjoy the victory that we already have.

Ephesians 6:12
For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.

Do not sedate yourself with…

Lies claiming you are OK when you really aren’t OK. When you acknowledge the truth about yourself, you begin to grow in Christ.
False worldly counsel…especially those who rely on worldly wisdom rather than godly wisdom.
Music with the wrong message
False help from government authorities
Night clubs with wrong supports

1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight for the faith;
take hold of eternal life
that you were called to
and have made a good confession about
in the presence of many witnesses.

To live unsuccessfully in Christ is a choice. You already have eternal life and are not of the world, but now take hold of what you already have–the victory in Christ–and live in such a way where it is evident to you and to others who see you. Take hold of eternal life.

John 10:10
A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Remember that God calls you to a life of abundance and success once you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You must possess the desire to win in order to realize that you are victorious.

1 Corinthians 9:22-27
22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits.

24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. 26 Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Run your race with the will to win. It takes a willingness to win. This will to win will help you move forward in life and the will to do what is right (Romans 7:16-25). Ultimately, you must possess the desire and the will to live the Christian life. We must not be fearful to the point where we cannot develop our relationship with Jesus Christ.

God gives us the ability to have everything we need to be successful in living for Christ.

Romans 8:32
He did not even spare His own Son
but offered Him up for us all;
how will He not also with Him grant us everything?

You work for it.
You learn to stretch for it.
You study for it.
You give up things for it.
You fight for it.

Success is not a given–it is planned out, but it also involves obedience to God’s Word.

Joshua 5:6-7
6 For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40 years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 Joshua raised up their sons in their place; it was these he circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.

Are you so busy living in your past that you are unable to live your future?

Nothing changes in your life unless you change
Your condition determines your conduct
Your thinking must change

To walk out of life’s prison demands living in obedience and responsibility.
Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Do not remember the past events,
pay no attention to things of old.
19 Look, I am about to do something new;
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert.

1 John 5:1-5
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey His commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden, 4 because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 And who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Are You a Victim or Victorious in Christ? (Part 2)

melvingaines — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:29:36 +0000

A summary of today’s message from Pastor Gus Brown:

1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight for the faith;
take hold of eternal life that you were called to and have made a good confession about in the presence of many witnesses.

Being a victim or experiencing victory is a choice. Salvation is not just for getting out of going to hell…it is really for the purpose of having a relationship with Jesus Christ. We aren’t to call on Jesus just because were in trouble…we are to seek Him in all circumstances. This is the essence of a true relationship.

John 6:26
Jesus answered, “I assure you: You are looking for Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

Biblical salvation is based upon two things in order for the Christian life to be a success:

Relationship

Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit all work together to encourage you to get to know who they are.

Education

We are guided by the Holy Spirit in our learning.

John 14:25-26
25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Without education, your relationship with the Lord will suffer. In the same way, your knowledge of the Word does not ensure a strong relationship with God. If you love God, your desire to grow your relationship with Him will also show the importance of learning about Him.

Building a successful life requires hard work.

1. Education: Spiritual and Social
We need to be fully equipped to be able to perform and function well in our society.

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I will reject you from serving as My priest.
Since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I will also forget your sons.

2. Health: Spiritual and Physical

Ephesians 1:4a
For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.

3 John 1:2
Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually.

3. Mental strength: Spiritual and Moral Strength
If you are spiritually strong, you will have the ability to stand and to discern over issues that may occur.

Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Ephesians 4:23-24
23…you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Your Source (John 15:1-10)
Key verses–verse 7 is how to be successful, while verse 8 reveals the purpose behind your success. It is all for God’s glory.

John 15:7-8
7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.

John 15:9-10
9 “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.

When you delight in the Lord you bring everything to Him.
1. You count on God to direct your steps (Proverbs 16:9).
2. Your conversation with God and with others for guidance and encouragement is important (Proverbs 15:22).
3. You are careful to not rush into the unknown (Proverbs 19:2).
4. You are able to watch for problems and be prepared to meet them (Proverbs 17:12).

Are You a Victim or Victorious in Christ?

melvingaines — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:31:32 +0000

A summary of today’s message from Pastor Gus Brown:Through God, it is possible that you can be or achieve more than who you believe you are or can be. It is important for you to decide, through life, whether or not you are a victim or a victor…living in victory through Jesus Christ.It is very easy to blame others as to where you are in your circumstances, but the responsibility of moving forward rests with you. God wants each of us to live in victory.

The world defines success as the power to get whatever you need and whenever you need it. For the believer, the definition of success is to contribute to the betterment of others in the name of Jesus Christ. In this, God is glorified.

Christ set the example by giving of Himself in performing good works in order to demonstrate the building up of the body of Christ and, ultimately, to glorify God.

Ephesians 4:11-12
11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:16
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace.

1 Timothy 6:17-18
17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share.

James 2:14-17, 26
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

The biggest reason why Christians fail and become victims:

Jeremiah 4:22
“For My people are fools;
they do not know Me.
They are foolish children,
without understanding.
They are skilled in doing what is evil,
but they do not know how to do what is good.”

In order to know God, it requires the development of a relationship with Him. It requires time and effort. The more that you know God, the more that you can draw upon your relationship with Him and live victoriously through Him. God wants you to know Him and learn about Him each day, and He gives us instruction, through His Word, on how to live with success in your life.

Some other reasons for failure:

A refusal or unwillingness to walk by faith

2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Romans 14:23
But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from a conviction (faith), and everything that is not from a conviction is sin.

Failure to see the need to succeed (or to improve). Much of this comes from the willingness to settle for less. If you desire to succeed in Christ, you are not willing to only strive for what is best for you.
Failure to make the commitment to be successful. There are requirements for success, and it takes a commitment and a focus to “walk by faith and not by sight.”

God wants you to be successful. He wants to be able to use you for His glory. He wants you to be seen as pure and righteous, for you are called to be holy and without fault through Him.

Isaiah 43:10
“You are My witnesses”—
this is the LORD’s declaration—
“and My servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe Me
and understand that I am He.
No god was formed before Me,
and there will be none after Me.

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Philippians 2:15
so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.

Jeremiah 32:27
“Look, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?

Note these attributes of God that you are to remember in your success through Him:

God is not a liar and He keeps His promises (Isaiah 46:11)

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes His mind.
Does He speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?

God is watching over you and protecting you in your efforts to be successful through Him.

Jeremiah 1:12
The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I watch over My word to accomplish it.”

Psalm 1:6
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

Psalm 121:1-8
1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.
4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.

5 The LORD protects you;
the LORD is a shelter right by your side.
6 The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all harm;
He will protect your life.
8 The LORD will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.

2 Timothy 4:18
The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

When we surrender to God, He molds us and shapes us to be the person He wants you to be. The only person that prevents you from being successful in Christ is you.

Look up
Look up to God and look to those who are progressing in your faith for your best examples of success.

Give up
Be willing to trust God enough to let something go that is comfortable or familiar to you in order to realize or achieve something that is better for you. This is also part of your growth and improvement.

Show up
Be ready to learn something with the willingness to show up and face the things in the life that are holding you back. When you show up and face these difficulties, God is right there with you.

God did not save you to be a failure. He wants you to live an abundant life in Him. He wants us to be successful in life because we are the servants of the Most High God. Our success comes when we hear God speak to us saying, “well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

In The Fullness of Time

melvingaines — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:27:44 +0000

A summary of today’s message by Pastor Gus Brown:

Galatians 4:4-5
But when the completion of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

God has an appointed time for each of us in our lives. He deals with each of us in a very special way.

Acts 7:22-23
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was powerful in his speech and actions. As he was approaching the age of 40, he decided to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.

Acts 7:30-32
³⁰ After 40 years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he was approaching to look at it, the voice of the Lord came: ³² I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. So Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look.

In His timing, Moses was trained and prepared at the appropriate time for a relationship with the living God. It was many years before God appeared to him, but it was clear that he was being prepared for ministry.

Luke 21:23-24

²³ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

God uses time to prepare many for ministry. We were once in a time where the law was prevalent, but now we are in a time of faith where we are to believe and trust in Jesus Christ. We were under the law until we, as a people, came of age. We are now conditioned for a Savior as the time of completion according to God’s will.

Galatians 3:25-26

²⁵ But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Compare this to the anticipation of a special day, such as a birthday or a wedding day. There is a joy that takes place when the day arrives. In the same way, our joy is made complete with Christ’s presence.

God sent Jesus Christ into this world at the appropriate time, which conveys His deity and fulfillment of his purpose. God directs people into our lives for the purpose of ministering to us. Jesus was sent, in the same way, to take away our sin.

Acts 12:6-10

⁶ On the night before Herod was to bring him out for execution, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. ⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” Then the chains fell off his wrists. ⁸ “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did so. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.” ⁹ So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what took place through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ After they passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and immediately the angel left him.

Romans 8:3-4

³ What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, ⁴ in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

John the Baptist noted correctly when he referred to Christ as “The Lamb of God” because he was a sin offering for the world. Christ became flesh for us in order to be seen from a human perspective and yet He was still God. He was the inheritance that came from the tribe of Judah, born of a virgin woman, who would sit on the throne and be declared as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

Luke 1:26-35

²⁶ In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was deeply troubledby this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. ³⁰ Then the angel told her:

Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
³¹ Now listen:
You will conceive and give birth to a son,
and you will call His name Jesus.
³² He will be great
and will be called the Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give Him
the throne of His father David.
³³ He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and His kingdom will have no end.

³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?”

³⁵ The angel replied to her:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore, the holy One to be born
will be called the Son of God.

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

John 17:17-18

¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth;
Your word is truth.
¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world,
I also have sent them into the world.

God is the one who uses time to do the work in our lives in amazing ways. When you begin to see that you are operating in such a way that seems peculiar to you, it is God working in your life…a new birth and transformation in your life.

In the same way, God sends us into the world in the fullness of time to minister to others who are in need (Matthew 28:18-20).

Jesus came in the form of a child to take on our likeness. God gave His Son in order that we would be declared righteous. He is eternal and is the fulfillment of God’s timing for all of mankind. Praise the Lord!

Isaiah 9:6-7

⁶ For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

There is so much wrapped up into Christmas Day that we forget to recognize the day for what it is to represent…Jesus Christ. He was sent to us in the fullness of time.

God With Us

melvingaines — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:31:30 +0000

Matthew 1:18-25
The Nativity of the Messiah

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 See, the virgin will become pregnant

and give birth to a son,

and they will name Him Immanuel,

which is translated “God is with us.”

24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.

When we look at the story of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, we find that it is more than just a baby boy’s birth–it is, in fact, seeing God at work. It is the story of God being among His creation. God’s plan was to have Immanuel dwell with us. Even though He came to be with us, He did so as God in the flesh.

Why did God choose to be among us and leave His kingdom? The short answer is that we could not go to Him in our sin. He is a holy and righteous God that would never allow sin to enter His domain. As a result, God, who is holy, righteous and just, came to us to do the work that would make us righteous before Him. God loves us so much that He desires to be present with us. We are reminded, even in the very beginning, that God walked with Adam. This was before the fall of man. His desire was to dwell and walk with man, but He does not excuse the sin that we possess, which calls for the need for a Savior.

Why didn’t God use a great person of faith to do this work? While people like Mother Teresa and Gandhi were great people indeed, none of these great people could do the work that God was to do. God did not have a fear of man, while Abraham, a great man of God, was unable to take on such a burden where a sacrifice needed to be made.

Genesis 12:12-13
12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live. 13 Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”

Jesus was willing to come to earth to dwell among us to give His life for us on the cross. God is life in Himself. Without God, there is no life. He came into the world to save us, not Himself.

What about Moses, a great man of faith?

Numbers 11:10-12
10 Moses heard the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents. The LORD was very angry; Moses was also provoked. 11 So Moses asked the LORD, “Why have You brought such trouble on Your servant? Why are You angry with me, and why do You burden me with all these people? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth so You should tell me, ‘Carry them at your breast, as a nursing woman carries a baby,’ to the land that You swore to [give] their fathers?

How would Moses bear the burden of the entire world? He couldn’t do it. Only God Himself could bear the burden of the entire world.

The name of Immanuel…God with us. The name of Jesus…because He will save everyone from their sin.

What about David? Read the account of the sin of David and misuse of his power and authority in 2 Samuel 11:14-27. More than just the adultery that David committed, he demonstrated that he could not be trusted with the power and authority. Jesus declared that He was the One who was given all power and authority, but He never abused that power.

John 8:3:11
3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. 5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?” 6 They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. 7 When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”

8 Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. 10 When Jesus stood up, He said to her, ” Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, Lord,” she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]

God made the choice to come to earth to forgive…not to condemn.

What about Isaiah? All he could do was confess his unrighteousness in the midst of a holy God:

Isaiah 6:1-5
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe [a] filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another:
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts;
His glory fills the whole earth.
4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 Then I said:
Woe is me, for I am ruined,
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,
[and] because my eyes have seen the King,
the LORD of Hosts.

What about Jeremiah?

Jeremiah 20:7-9
7 You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceived.
You seized me and prevailed.
I am a laughingstock all the time;
everyone ridicules me.
8 For whenever I speak, I cry out—
I proclaim: Violence and destruction!
because the word of the LORD has become for me
constant disgrace and derision.

9 If I say: I won’t mention Him
or speak any longer in His name,
His message becomes a fire burning in my heart,
shut up in my bones.
I become tired of holding it in,
and I cannot prevail.

God loved His people so much that He readily proclaimed the truth from His father, and no one would keep Him from proclaiming the message of His Father.

John 17:4-5
4 I have glorified You on the earth

by completing the work You gave Me to do.

5 Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence

with that glory I had with You

before the world existed.

Jesus was born in order to carry out the message of truth and would not be deterred. His message was one that no one else could deliver.

John 8:26
“I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the One who sent Me is true, and what I have heard from Him—these things I tell the world.”

He loves us and cares for us in a very personal way. When Jesus spoke, we were able to see His heart for His people and His love for us.

Romans 8:3-4
3 What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

There is no one on earth that could carry out the message that God can. Let’s remember that the Christmas that we celebrate was indeed God Himself coming to us to do His work. He came to save His people and deliver them from their sins.

Rest in The Lord

melvingaines — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:51:04 +0000

For many of us, there is no such thing as a slow time of the year, and the holiday season is no exception to that. Everything that we are involved in seems to move at a rapid pace. There are timelines and deadlines, ever-present breaking news events, instant communication through emails and social media, and ever-increasing expectations to do more with less, even when we aren’t at work.

As busy as we can be, our moments of leisure, such as a vacation, or even a day off from work, are very precious to us. These are the times when we can rest our bodies, take a deep breath, and enjoy the change of scenery or surroundings, or even get a nap or two in when we need it most. If only those moments wouldn’t go by so quickly!

Our time of rest is indeed precious to us. God knows that this time is special. While it is good for all of us to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10) and remain busy in service for Him, it is still a necessity that we make time for some down time. In our time of rest, we are to use it to our benefit. We need to regularly refresh and recharge our batteries, for it helps each of us to see life in a way where we can appreciate what we have instead of what we don’t have. It is a time to focus on the peace of the moment and on where God is in your life.

The best opportunities of reflecting upon God come when we are less busy—it’s very difficult to do when we are very busy. While we are to never put Him to the side while we are at work, we are best able to learn about Him during our moments of rest. What you will find is that the moments of rest are His preferred time for each of us to rest in Him and in His Word. The more that we see His best during our rest, the more we will see His presence at all times during our life.

God uses the time we spend in Him to communicate with us, and to give us a reassurance of His presence. He gives us what we need, and when we need it most.

Deuteronomy 7:9

Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.

Psalm 119:102-105

I have not turned from Your judgments,
for You Yourself have instructed me.

¹⁰³ How sweet Your word is to my taste—
[sweeter] than honey to my mouth.

¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from Your precepts;
therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet
and a light on my path.

In the same way that we need rest after a very long and busy day, we need God’s promises to bolster us and gives us encouragement through these moments, and even through those times when things are not going very well. If we are being oppressed, falsely accused, or even persecuted, we are not going through those experiences alone. God is aware of everything that we go through, sees it all, and provides encouragement that helps us to endure it.

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8

Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. The LORD is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the LORD,
and He will support you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Psalm 27:13-14

¹³ I am certain that I will see the LORD’s goodness
in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
be courageous and let your heart be strong.
Wait for the LORD.

When we slow down from a busy life pace, we can best hear God speaking to us. Our time of rest should also be a time of recovery, and a time of healing.

Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸ “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus Christ encourages the state of being at rest, because, in His wisdom, He relates to us that He is the true source of our rest. We readily need rest from our hectic life, our troubles, and our difficulties, and He encourages us to seek Him for that rest. One area of that rest in Christ is communication with Him through prayer:

Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 107:28-30

²⁸ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and He brought them out of their distress.

²⁹ He stilled the storm to a murmur,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.

³⁰ They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet.
Then He guided them to the harbor they longed for.

Matthew 7:7

“Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 21:22

And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Mark 11:24

Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for —believe that you have received them, and you will have them.

John 14:13-14

¹³ Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

In addition to prayer, your rest in the Lord is fulfilled when you have faith that God is responsive to your prayers and that you exercise complete trust…your trust and faith in the Lord is when you realize the true rest that Christ provides. It is rest with confidence in Christ’s ability.

1 John 5:14-15

¹⁴ Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

Another aspect of rest in the Lord is that He communicates with us in response to our prayers and provides insight to His will with guidance and direction.

Psalm 32:8

I will instruct you and show you the way to go;
with My eye on you, I will give counsel.

Proverbs 3:1-6

¹ My son, don’t forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commands;

² for they will bring you
many days, a full life, and well-being.

³ Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.
Tie them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴ Then you will find favor and high regard
in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;

⁶ think about Him in all your ways,
and He will guide you on the right paths.

Resting in the Lord is more than just a state of mind and mere relaxation. It is actually our best opportunity to slow our life pace down to recognize His true goodness. He gives us much more than just rest. He gives us a time of reflection through His word. We are assured of:

His very presence
His encouragement through His Word
His communication with us through prayer

With these things, we have a confidence that He responds to us and that He will guide us through each and every situation and circumstance. Our true rest in the Lord is our complete faith and trust in Him.

Sunday School Today: Triumph Over Temptation

melvingaines — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:15:26 +0000

Note: There was a technical difficulty with the upload of today’s sermon summary. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Triumph Over Temptation

How does a Christian resist sinful temptations? Whenever a person is saved, a great struggle begins. He still has the old nature; the sinful nature of Adam, which will try to drag him into sin all the time. But he also has the new nature, the life of God, which hates sin and wants to do what is right. The two natures fight against each other continually. The question is which will win. The answer is, “the one you feed.”

Galatians 5:16-17

¹⁶ I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.

Romans 8:5-8

⁵ For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. ⁸ Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God.

The old nature is incurably bad. It cannot be improved, and it will not be removed until the Christian goes home to heaven. God condemned it when Christ died on the Cross, and He wants Christians to treat it as if it were dead. Don’t encourage it! Don’t feed it! Don’t give it a chance!

Romans 13:14

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.

The new nature inspires the Christian to behave well and to be good. It should be encouraged and fed. This, then, is how the Christian resists temptation—by saying “No” to the world, the flesh and the devil. At the same time he must nourish the new life that is within. Here is a practical suggestion as to how this may be done:

Read the Bible–study, memorize, meditate and obey God’s Word.

Psalm 119:9-11

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping Your word.

¹⁰ I have sought You with all my heart;
don’t let me wander from Your commands.

¹¹ I have treasured Your word in my heart
so that I may not sin against You.

The Word of God helps to keep us from sinning. Be sure, therefore, that you set aside a definite time each day for the reading of God’s Word.

Colossians 3:16

Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Learning About Faith In Your Wilderness Experience

melvingaines — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:14:37 +0000

In life, for many of us, we have a theory of who God is, but not the practical application or experience of who God is. For 400 years, the Jewish nation had a similar take…they thought that they knew who God was, but had to learn about who He truly was. They developed a relationship with God that was beyond their understanding. When we learn about who God is and what He means to us, we understand that there is a growth in our relationship with Him, and it grows as we learn to have faith and trust in Him.The children of Israel were looking for a great deliverer, and there were many instances when God reminded them of His promises. With all of the reminders and assurances, there comes a point where the person’s faith becomes important. The level of faith that a person has for God is directly related to that person’s knowledge of God. It is about knowing Him and not just hearing about Him.

Genesis 15:13-14
13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be strangers in a land that does not belong to them; they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years. 14 However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterwards they will go out with many possessions.Israel was to be persecuted and would be delivered from bondage after a period of 400 years. The challenge was to believe what God had said and to have faith in His promises. While it is human nature to want the results now, God is patient and operates according to His timing.

Genesis 50:24
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Exodus 6:6-9
6 “Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.” 9 Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.

Exodus 34:10
And the LORD responded: “Look, I am making a covenant. I will perform wonders in the presence of all your people that have never been done in all the earth or in any nation. All the people you live among will see the LORD’s work, for what I am doing with you is awe-inspiring.

Through all of this, in spite of everything that is seen and experienced, God’s promises for deliverance require a choice to believe in God and trust that He will do what He says. This is an act of obedience to Him and to His Word. God has to come first in all things.

Numbers 13:31
But the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can’t go up against the people because they are stronger than we are!”

Deuteronomy 1:26-28
26 “But you were not willing to go up, rebelling against the command of the LORD your God. 27 You grumbled in your tents and said, ‘The LORD brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites so they would destroy us, because He hated us. 28 Where can we go? Our brothers have discouraged us, saying: The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, fortified to the heavens. We also saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’

God recognizes that many people struggle with trusting in Him because of the disappointments that people may experience, as well as betrayals and circumstances brought about by others. In spite of all of this, God never brings us to a place where we cannot handle what we are facing. He provides intervention, grace and mercy.

Matthew 17:27
“But, so we won’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and catch the first fish that comes up. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to them for Me and you.”

John 21:3-7a
3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.

“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore. However, the disciples did not know it was Jesus.

5 “Men,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”

“No,” they answered.

6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” He told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. 7 Therefore the disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

John 6:60
Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept it?”

It is difficult to follow biblical truth; nonetheless, it is necessary. The degree of difficulty in recognizing truth does not mean that the truth is less significant or irrelevant. One loses out when the choice is made not to believe and trust.

Joshua 24:13
I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’

Deuteronomy 1:29-32
29 “So I said to you: Don’t be terrified or afraid of them! 30 The LORD your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt. 31 And you saw in the wilderness how the LORD your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place. 32 But in spite of this you did not trust the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 1:35, 37-45
35 ‘None of these men in this evil generation will see the good land I swore to give your fathers.
37 “The LORD was angry with me also because of you and said: ‘You will not enter there either. 38 Joshua son of Nun, who attends you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit it. 39 Your little children who you said would be plunder, your sons who don’t know good from evil, will enter there. I will give them the land, and they will take possession of it. 40 But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea. ‘
41 “You answered me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight just as the LORD our God commanded us.’ Then each of you put on his weapons of war and thought it would be easy to go up into the hill country.

42 “But the LORD said to me, ‘Tell them: Don’t go up and fight, for I am not with you to keep you from being defeated by your enemies. ‘ 43 So I spoke to you, but you didn’t listen. You rebelled against the LORD’s command and defiantly went up into the hill country. 44 Then the Amorites who lived there came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir as far as Hormah. 45 When you returned, you wept before the LORD, but He didn’t listen to your requests or pay attention to you.

When the people wandering in the wilderness chose not to trust in God, the consequence was that they would never see “the good land.” The land was still given to Israel, but the ones who lacked faith missed out. The consequences of a lack of faith can be dire. No matter how difficult it is to carry out, one should never doubt to the point where we are disobedient to God’s commands. None of this is to be confused with your salvation, God’s forgiveness, or how much God loves you. The lack of faith that drives a person into disobedience of God’s commands brings harm into the relationship that you have with Jesus Christ.

The more that we learn about Jesus Christ, the greater our ability to have faith and trust in Him. His promises have never changed, and we need to trust that He has kept each and every one of them.