God has to do it...

This is what's churning in my heart, I can't sleep because of it, most nights anymore I'm up till 3 am unable to sleep because my hearts broken, these word are unartful, but they're too raw to be clear... when one's heart is breaking poetry comes broken from it, it comes out of your soul like soured clumpy milk, and it's too raw and it makes you hurt even to say the words... 


My heart breaks, I read Isaiah and my heart breaks. He loved Israel so dearly, and they just wouldn't listen, they loved their blindness, they loved their sin too much, so they hated Isaiah and would eventually martyr him. Isaiah loved them and told them what was going to happen to them if they continued down their paths; they wouldn't listen, and would come to know more pain than they had to know, and a captivity that they didn't have to endure. 


I see so many of the youth (and for that matter the adults) of Wewahitchka and my heart breaks. I see so much utter blindness. I feel as though I'm gone though multiple stages of emotional trauma; from anger, to hurt, to acceptance, to fighting, to heart ache and so on... I have the cure for their souls in my hands and they refuse to take it. Jesus is right there and they refuse to look up. So many (by their actions) are saying, 'I choose to die rather than give myself to Christ'... I've shed too many tears to count, I see a generation and a people bent on killing itself, a generation and a people I love so dearly, and I've come to the two thing I've started with... 


"If I be lifted up I'll draw all men unto Me" 
“Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”


God... I know You love Your people, You lived for them and You died for them... there is nothing in me that can save myself let alone another... God You have to do it, break their hearts for the things of God, remove there blindness... Father draw them that they might be saved for Your glory... I can't do it, it's all You, You have to do it. Save them... Save them... Save them... 


I'm praying for you Wewa, I'm praying for you my youth ministry, PLEASE listen when God calls you, our next moment isn't guaranteed, God's giving you a shot, take it and know the joy of a life in service to God, yes their will be difficulty but it's more than worth it... Trade your ashes, sin, Hell and isolation from God for His glory, righteousness, Heaven, and eternity with Him... This world isn't worth it... If this world and life could give you everything your flesh desired in exchange for knowing Him, it wouldn't be worth it... Too cheap a price for the Son of God! 

The Fire Small Group Study...

The Fire

Pray for at least five minutes a day.

Witness at least once a week and write it out.

Week 1 Memorize Romans 3:23 1/30 Mark 1 1/31 Mark 2 2/1 Mark 3 2/2 Mark 4 2/3 Mark 5 2/4 Mark 6 2/5 Mark 7

Week 2 Memorize Romans 6:23 2/6 Mark 8 2/7 Mark 9 2/8 Mark 10 2/9 Mark 11 2/10 Mark 12 2/11 Mark13 2/12 Mark 14

Week 3 Memorize Romans 5:8 2/13 Mark 15 2/14 Mark 16 2/15 Isaiah 2 2/16 Isaiah 6 2/17 Isaiah 7 2/18 Isaiah 9 2/19 Isaiah 28

Week 4 Memorize Romans 10:9 2/20 Isaiah 40 2/21 Isaiah 42 2/22 Isaiah 49 2/23 Isaiah 52 2/24 Isaiah 53 2/25 Isaiah 55 2/26 Isaiah 58

Oswald Chambers idea of Christian perfection...

"Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life...I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself." - O. Chambers

This is my prayer, and in all honesty should be every Christians prayer... 'God help me with "X" sin' is good, but the better prayer is 'God make me more like you, bring me closer to You every day and in every detail of myself.' 'God show me what you want me to do with my life' is good, but the better prayer is 'God make me more like you, bring me closer to You every day and in every detail of myself.' Etc. 

The point is, as our closeness and relationship with God grows and there is less and less distance between us and God the other issues seem to work themselves out of our lives. All sin and moral deficiency is a branch from this one root, a lack of nearness to God. Now it is fine and good to pray for specific things, but let the greater prayer of your heart not be 'God make me not like this,' instead let the heart of your prayer (both in victory and failure) be 'Jesus make be more like You to the finest detail, bring me closer to You!' 

Son Light is the greatest disinfectant, get close to Him and allow your life to glorify Him.  

Matthew 5:20, 6:5-18 Small Group Notes (Prayer and Fasting)

Matthew 5:20,6:5-18

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is, in effect – Narrow all your interest until the attitude of mind and heart and body is concentration on Jesus Christ. - Oswald Chambers

A text without a context is a pretext…

V20 – Written in the context of twisting the Law… They (like lawyers) followed the letter of the law but forgot its spirit and purpose, a heart change not behavioral adjustments, get the heart right and actions will follow… “Our righteousness, then--if it is to contrast with the outward and formal righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees--must be inward, vital, spiritual.” … This was no new doctrine (Ro 2:28, 29; 9:6; Php 3:3). But our Lord's teaching here stretches beyond the present scene, to that everlasting stage of the kingdom, where without "purity of heart" none "shall see God." The main point is to check your heart in all you do…

In Matthew 6:1-4 it tells us to give to others, not in a way to be noticed by men, but quietly that God may receive the glory. So here we’re seeing we need to do good and for the right reasons. Then we come to verse 5…

V5 – “When you pray” notice it doesn’t say, ‘if you pray.’ It’s Jesus’ desire that you have an active prayer life… It’s very clearly saying not to pray in a way that says, ‘look at how holy I am,’ but is it saying that no prayer could be prayed in public?

V6 – “Inner room” = Storeroom… In the first century, most rooms within a house didn’t have doors, so unlike most of the rooms in the house it had a door that could be closed… So in prayer get alone with God, just you and Him…

Jesus is encouraging this for many reasons; helps you focus, allows you to be totally honest without thinking about what others may think, there’s no one else in the room to impress so it strips away pretenses, and God loves to reward things done in secret meant only for God’s ears, etc…

There are a lot of examples of this “Inner room” prayer; (Jesus) Mark 1:35, 7:33, 8:23, (Peter) Acts 9:40,  (Elijah) 1 Kings 17:19, (Elisha) 2 Kings 4:33… but there are countless examples of public prayer to (the Lord’s Prayer itself was a public prayer) 

“It is the retiring character of true prayer which is here taught.” The main point isn’t that we shouldn’t pray in public, only that our hearts need to be right when we do.

V7 – This is delusional… Pagans would name off all the gods they knew hoping that by repetition they would respond with a ‘yes’ to their needs… This method of heathen devotion is still observed by Hindu and Islamic devotees…

Jesus wasn’t condemning long prayers, or waiting in prayer, but only meaningless, mindless verbiage in prayer… praying much, and using at times the same words, is not here condemned, but don’t think that the more God hears you say your need means He’s more likely to meet the need…

V8 – Prayer in some ways is more about you than God. He already knows all that you need, you’re not giving Him new information when you’re praying… so what are you doing then when you’re praying?

You’re talking to God, you are listening to God. Good relationships require communication… When you’re giving Him your needs and you’re expressing your trust in Him and allowing God to move in the situation (James 4:3)… You’re being obedient to God, etc…

V9 – “Father… Heaven.” Here we express His nearness to us; in the latter, His distance from us… The first three petitions have to do exclusively with God: "Thy name be hallowed"--"Thy kingdom come"--"Thy will be done." And they occur in a descending scale--from Himself down to the manifestation of Himself in His kingdom; and from His kingdom to the entire subjection of its subjects, or the complete doing of His will. The remaining four petitions have to do with OURSELVES: "Give us our daily bread"--"Forgive us our debts"--"Lead us not into temptation"--"Deliver us from evil." But these latter petitions occur in an ascending scale--from the bodily wants of every day up to our final deliverance from all evil.

When you’re talking to God, you need to give Him the glory due Him (as much as we can in this present world)

A side note – You don’t need to use the Lord’s Prayer every time you pray. There is “no example of its actual use, or express quotation of its phraseology, occurs in the sequel of the New Testament, we are to guard against a superstitious use of it.”

V10 – “The kingdom of God is that moral and spiritual kingdom which the God of grace is setting up in this fallen world, whose subjects consist of as many as have been brought into hearty subjection to His gracious scepter (i.e. Christians), and of which His Son Jesus is the glorious Head.”

"Thy kingdom come," it irresistibly stretches the wings of its faith, and longing, and joyous expectation out to the final and glorious consummation of the kingdom of God. (The Blessed Hope of someday seeing Him in Heaven…)

"Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven"--would then bring us back to this present state of imperfection… We’re not in heaven (hold your shock) so His Kingdom hasn’t fully enveloped the earth, so we pray that God’s love and Will would be more fully realized in the world around us…

V11 – “Among commentators, there was early shown an inclination to understand this as a prayer for the heavenly bread, or spiritual nourishment; and in this they have been followed by many superior expositors, even down to our own times. But as this is quite unnatural, so it deprives the Christian of one of the sweetest of his privileges--to cast his bodily wants in this short prayer, by one simple petition, upon his heavenly Father.”

Basically God cares about our day-to-day needs and wants to meet them… Also expressed is this; “In limiting our petitions, however, to provision for the day, what a spirit of childlike dependence does the Lord both demand and beget!” We don’t just need to depend on God periodically, but we need to know and live out this truth – every moment we’re alive we’re in total dependency upon God. So say this truth and live this truth…

V12 – In this verse “debts” = sins (it’s the same meaning here)

“God sees His own image reflected in His forgiving children; but to ask God for what we ourselves refuse to men, is to insult Him. So much stress does our Lord put upon this, that immediately after the close of this prayer, it is the one point in it which He comes back upon” (V14-15)

Basically, if you’ve truly committed yourself to God, and been forgiven, you must be able to forgive others that have sin against you. Not that forgiving is easy within ourselves, but it is possible in dependency upon Christ…

V13 – “And… Temptation.” – “There is some difficulty in the form of the petition, as it is certain that God does bring His people--as He did Abraham, and Christ Himself--into circumstances both fitted and designed to try them, or test the strength of their faith.”

“We incline to take it as a prayer against being drawn or sucked, of our own will, into temptation, to which the word here used seems to lend some countenance--"Introduce us not." This view, while it does not put into our mouths a prayer against being tempted--which is more than the divine procedure would seem to warrant--does not, on the other hand, change the sense of the petition into one for support under temptation, which the words will hardly bear; but it gives us a subject for prayer, in regard to temptation, most definite, and of all others most needful.”

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation"? (Mt 26:41).

It’s one thing to face a trial that refines us, makes us more like Him, and brings honor to Him and His deliverance. It’s another thing to fall to “the flesh” and give into our favorite sins… that’s what He’s telling us to pray against.

“But… evil”—“We can see no good reason for regarding this as but the second half of the sixth petition… The final petition, then, is only rightly grasped when regarded as a prayer for deliverance from all evil of whatever kind--not only from sin, but from all its consequences--fully and finally.”

Recapping the points of the Lord’s Prayer (Red is the prayer, black is the point)

23 Elements of the Lord’s Prayer            

Relationship: Our Father Recognition: who is in heaven, Adoration: Hallowed be Your name. Anticipation: Your kingdom come. Consecration: Your will be done, 
Universality: On earth Conformity: as it is in heaven. 
Supplication: Give us Definiteness: this day Necessity: our daily bread. 
Penitence: And forgive us Obligations and Sins: our debts, Forgiveness: as we also have forgiven Love and Mercy: our debtors. Guidance: And do not lead us Protection: (not) into temptation, Salvation: but deliver us Righteousness: from evil. Faith: For Yours is the kingdom Humility: and the power Reverence: and the glory Timelessness: forever. Affirmation: Amen.’

V16 – The Jews when they fasted would put smeared ashes on their faces… As well traditionally Monday and Thursday priests would fast regularly… mosaic law only had one regularly commanded fast (the day of Atonement). After the exile four more were added… They were doing right in fasting but it was not the deed, but reputation for the deed which they sought; and with this view those hypocrites multiplied their fasts… God wants you to fast regularly as He leads you but not to show off…

V17,18 – Basically maintain regular appearance, and don’t make a show of it… as well don’t complain about fasting… And if you do God will bless you and answer your needs as He wills…

Matt 6:1-18 (Giving, Prayer and Fasting) are all spiritual disciplines, and all are meant to honor God, not to be done to receive honor from men. As well if done in the right heart, to honor God, God will richly honor (as a byproduct) those who make these disciplines a part of their lives…

So give, pray and fast, but do it with the right heart!

Mark 1:35

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.

Mark 7:33

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

33 Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva;

Mark 8:23

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

23 Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?”

Acts 9:40

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

1 Kings 17:19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

19 He said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed.

2 Kings 4:33

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

33 So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the LORD.

James 4:2
You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

Matthew 5:20, 6:1-4 Small Group Notes (Giving)

Matthew 5:20,6:1-4

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is, in effect – Narrow all your interest until the attitude of mind and heart and body is concentration on Jesus Christ. - Oswald Chambers
A text without a context is a pretext…

V20 – Written in the context of twisting the Law… They (like lawyers) followed the letter of the law but forgot its spirit and purpose, a heart change not behavioral adjustments, get the heart right and actions will follow… “Our righteousness, then--if it is to contrast with the outward and formal righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees--must be inward, vital, spiritual.” … This was no new doctrine (Ro 2:28, 29; 9:6; Php 3:3). But our Lord's teaching here stretches beyond the present scene, to that everlasting stage of the kingdom, where without "purity of heart" none "shall see God."

V1 – First notice the word “Beware,” when God tells you to watch out for something you had better do it… Next take note of the word “righteousness” then read Matthew 5:20 again… One author puts it this way, “God accepts only what is done to Himself.”

When we good, not for God, simply to be noticed we take away glory from Him who deserves glory. All that we have, every ability every blessing, is from God. When we use those gifts to pump ourselves up and not God we miss the point of our blessing… We’re blessed to bless others, God gives to us so that we can give to others… So when we take our lives and blessings to puff ourselves up and not honor God it doesn’t please Him…


V2 – They would literally do this under the pretext of calling the poor to themselves that they could give to them, but God knew there hearts and that it was to have everyone look at them… By doing that they received their reward, peoples praise, a pretty cheap reward compared to what God gives…

God is very clear that we need to give to the poor. (Deut 15:7,8 Matt. 19:21) But we need to give smartly, in a way that’s helping them and not enabling poor choices, and need to give quietly… So how are we to give?


V3 – Have you ever heard the phrase, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse…” No one in so hungry they could eat a whole horse in one setting. It’s called Hyperbole; you’re exaggerating the point to make the point…

When you give to others, which does want us to do, do it quietly… Some examples; people have given me (Sabian) money secretly to give to others, if it’s a service that people may see just do it and don’t make a big deal over it, etc…


V4 – When you give of yourself, when you love others God will reward you… Rev. 22:12… I would much rather have God’s rewards than mans (V2)… But this is nothing that can be faked God is searching hearts (1 Chron 28:9, Jer 17:10), make sure your heart is true in giving, if it’s not repent and then continue to give… 

Giving is a spiritual discipline that is meant to bring Glory to God, do this the right way, with the right heart, and you’ll receive reward that that nothing on this earth can match…

A quick thought...

We're blessed to bless. There is a root of bitterness that comes from "misering" away blessing. Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. God allows blessing to come into our lives, from finances and possessions to love and relationships (this could be an endless list). What we do with that blessing will make all the difference in the fulfillment of our lives.

Do we give to those in need, even when we may not have so much? Do we give when we have a lot? Do we love only when we are loved, or do we love even in the face of hatred? (Matthew 5) Do we only build relationships with those who approach us? Or do we make it a point to build friendships with as many people as possible who touch our lives?

The point is simple. We've all been blessed "according to his[our] own ability..." What are we doing with that blessing? Are we allowing ourselves to be a stream of blessing? Letting God's kindnesses flow through our lives. Or have we dammed up that stream, claiming lordship over blessings that were only meant to pass from our hands to another? 


If we desire to go deeper with Christ these are questions we need to ask ourselves. Is God Lord over your blessings, or are they yours to do with as you please? Let this question bug you, then make the right choice, and stand and be amazed at how much more God blesses you (I'm not really even talking about money), and how much closer you get to Him! 

Blessing is just as much a test of faith as hardship, how you choose to handle it matters... 

Matthew 5:20, 38-48 Small Group Notes (Love Like Jesus)

Matthew 5:20,38-48

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is, in effect – narrow all your interest until the attitude of mind and heart and body is concentration on Jesus Christ. - Oswald Chambers
A text without a context is a pretext…

V20 – Written in the context of twisting the Law… They (like lawyers) followed the letter of the law but forgot its spirit and purpose - a heart change, not behavioral adjustments, get the heart right and actions will follow… “Our righteousness, then--if it is to contrast with the outward and formal righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees--must be inward, vital, spiritual.” … This was no new doctrine (Ro 2:28, 29; 9:6; Php 3:3). But our Lord's teaching here stretches beyond the present scene, to that everlasting stage of the kingdom, where without "purity of heart" none "shall see God."

Probably one of the harder truths of the bible, it goes against our nature… Nonresistance is a major theme here. Why do you think revenge movies are so popular?  It appeals to our base fleshly desires. Someone does us wrong, or even a perceived wrong and we want revenge…
   
V38, 39a – This was the ministry and life of Jesus. Before the cross, this was our fate, but at the cross He absorbed this justice. An eye for an eye is appealing when we’ve been wronged, but what about when we wrong others?

•    So where is the balance? We want grace when we fail, but we want justice when we’re wronged. This is the very reason Jesus came, to take on the “eye for an eye;” not that there would be no punishment (that would make God unjust), but that He would take the punishment for us.
•    To know grace you must be able to extend that same grace to others, and this is hard.
•    Here are some examples of revenge: Jezebel (1 Kings 19:2), Ahab (1 Kings 22:27), Haman (Esther 3:6), Philistines (Eze. 25:15), Herodias (Matt. 14:8), Nazarenes (Luke 4:29), Sanhedrin (Acts 5:33), Jews (Acts 23:12) [Read the contexts to get the point].

V39b – This verse goes two ways; first, the phrase “resist” means a court of law. It’s speaking to us to avoid suing people. The strikes mentioned here are more of an insult than a violent act. So basically it’s saying, ‘It’s better to be insulted twice than to be taken to court.’ 
 

•    The bible is not silent about the subject of revenge; Lev. 19:18, Prov. 20:22, Prov. 24:29, Romans 12:17, 1 Peter 3:9.
•    So instead of revenge being the model of how we are to live, this is the model Christ believes in; 1 Cor. 13:(v4) 7.

The second thing we see in this verse is that Jesus modeled how we are to live here. He was bruised and slapped for our transgressions, both literally and figuratively. If we’re no greater that Jesus then we should live out 1 Cor. 13:7…


V40 – This is referencing Exodus 22:26-27 and again driving home the above point. Also notice again Jesus’ example for us on the cross  - He had His clothing taken from Him… I know this is a hard truth, but it’s the heart God desires in us.

V41 – Some background we need to know that helps us to better understand this verse is this - there was “the practice of the Romans and some Eastern nations, who, when government dispatches had to be forwarded, obliged the people not only to furnish horses and carriages, but to give personal attendance, often at great inconvenience, when required. But the thing here demanded is a readiness to submit to unreasonable demands of whatever kind, rather than raise quarrels, with all the evils resulting from them. What follows is a beautiful extension of this precept.”
 

•    Notice that when Jesus had carried the cross as far as He could take it (Mark 15:21) Simon was pressed into service to help Jesus carry the cross.
•    God’s desire in us is that we would have unlimited service even in the face of hardship. (1 Peter 4:11)

V42 – Christ has given us so much. He gave us grace when we had nothing to offer Him…are we greater than our master? We should be as generous as possible toward as many people as possible.
 

•    Now don’t think of this as just money, money is implied here, but it’s not overtly stated for a reason. Generosity is more than just money, it’s time, it’s prayer, it’s conversation, it’s can be anything and everything that you can give.
•    But there is a balance here. If someone wants money (for example) just to buy drugs, then don’t give to them money, but buy them food. You’re still giving, but you’re giving wisely…

V43 – This idea of “hate your enemy” was not found in the bible, but it was in the Jewish ethic of the day. And we can look down on this, but it’s not too far off the way people operate today, maybe it’s not said, but actions bear them out…
 

•    Girls will seek to destroy other girls that cross them, fighting on youtube is very popular…
•    But one question we need to start asking ourselves is this. Who is our real enemy? People or Satan?
•    Let us pray that those that seem to be our physical enemies here on earth, prayerfully will become our spiritual brothers and sisters should they turn to Christ…

V44 – So what is God’s command to us? To love even those that hate us. Jesus was the ultimate example of this - ‘while we were yet sinners He died for us. While we hate God, He loved us!’
 

•    The love Jesus is talking about here is not just a passive love… “Usually, the former denotes "complacency in the character" of the person loved; but here it denotes the benign, compassionate outgoings of desire for another's good.”
•    In other words, love is not just not wishing them bad, but in a very practical way showing them love…

V45 – “so that… heaven,” If you’ve been forgiven you must be able to forgive. It’s not an easy thing, but here it is very clearly saying, “If you can’t strive to love like Jesus you may not know Jesus…”
 

•    “for He… unrighteous.” We’ve been on both sides of that equation, if we know Christ. Are you not glad that God showed mercy on you in your unrighteousness?!? Who are we not to show the same grace?

V46-47 – It’s not hard to love those that love you. I like how one guys says it, "In loving those who love you, there is no evidence of superior principle; the worst of men will do this: even a publican will go that length."
 

•    So lets love in a greater way like Jesus, and not just the easy way the world loves.

(Divine Standard)
V48 – This is God’s divine standard, I like how one author says it, “Perfect – or complete, “ Manifestly, our Lord here speaks, not of degrees of excellence, but of the kind of excellence which was to distinguish His disciples and characterize His kingdom.”
 

•    Remember the context of V20 - this is a heart condition, a heart issue. It’s not about the letter of the law, but simply striving in grace to follow His footsteps.
•    Gen 17:1, Basically it’s saying, ‘walk like I walk.’
•    Imagine a parent walking on the beach leaving footprints in the sand. Now imagine their child walking behind them trying to step only where their parents have stepped. That parent isn’t going to strike them down if they slip up, they’ll pick up their child, dust them off and let them try again. As the child grows and gets bigger they’ll be better able to walk in those footprints.
•    This is what God’s talking about. God’s perfect and we’re to strive to walk like Him, if we falter there is mercy, but He’s expecting us as we grow to do better and better until we finally see Him in heaven and are made perfect there!

Final Points
1.    Salvation, Do you really know Jesus.
2.    We need to show the same grace we’ve been shown.
3.    We need to strive to walk more like Jesus every day.