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Southern Missionary Baptist  Church Southern Missionary Baptist Church

A Spirit Led And Bible Based Church A Spirit Led And Bible Based Church

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    Southern Missionary Baptist Church
    921 Bissell St., P.O. Box 38 Map
    Madison, IL 62060
    Phone: 618-877-1305, Fax:618-688-4351, Pastor's Home Ph. 618-235-8299

    · Southern Missionary Baptist Church
    · Statement of Beliefs
    · Church History

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    Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

    Sunday Worship : 10:45 a.m.

    Children's Church Is Open During Sunday Worship

    Prayer Meeting:  Tuesday 7:00 p.m.

    Bible Study: Tuesday 7:00 p.m.

     

    CHURCH IS NOW OPEN!

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    SUNDAY WORSHIP IS AT

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    SOUTHERN MEMBERS, YOU MAY SEND YOUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS BY:

    MAILING THEM TO SOUTHERN M.B. CHURCH, 921 BISSELL ST., P.O. BOX 38, MADISON, IL 62060

    OR MAIL THEM TO DEACON TERRYL CURRY, SR. OR SIS MARY TRICE

    OR USE OUR CASHAPP: $9446church

     

    We would like to welcome you to the Southern Missionary Baptist Church of Madison, Illinois.  We are a church with a warm heart and where no one is considered a stranger.  We believe in following the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who exemplified love for all.  We believe in being led by the Holy Spirit in all that we do, praising God and giving Him the glory for His grace and mercy.  Here, at Southern, you will be greeted with open arms and you are invited to praise God with us.  Our Sunday and Bible Study is designed for all ages, with excellent teachers who exited about teaching and ready to answer your questions.  We have a mandate to win souls to Christ.  So if you're looking for a Spirit Led and Bible Based Church, come visit us.

     

    Pastor Sherrell and First Lady Mauristine Byrd

     

     

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      A LETTER FROM THE PASTOR

       

      SOUTHERN HAS GONE "MASK OPTIONAL"!

      WHICH MEANS THAT YOU WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK DURING SERVICES, BUT IS STILL RECOMMENDED. WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRACTICE SAFETY BY KEEPING HANDS SANITIZED, TEMPERATURE CHECK POINTS AND CURRENT SEATING ARRANGEMENTS. WE WILL REMAIN IN OUR PLACES DURING ALTAR CALL AND OBSERVE THE INSTRUCTIONS BY OUR USHERS.

       

       

      For those who wish to send their Offerings and Tithes, You may mail them to Deacon Terryl Curry, Sr. or Sis. Mary Trice.  Or you may mail them to the church address: Southern Baptist Church, 921 Bissell St. P.O. Box 38, Madison, IL 62020.  Or use our CashApp: $9446Church.

       

      Yours In Christ,

      Pastor Sherrell L. Byrd, Jr.

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      SOUTHERN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH BIBLE STUDY

      SCRIPTURE: 1 PETER 1: KJV

      LESSON TEXT:  LIVING LIKE YOU ARE BORN AGAIN

      Pastor Sherrell L. Byrd, Jr. Teacher

      The Holy Spirit has pricked our hearts and made us aware of our sinful lives.  In doing so, He has laid our sins before us and opened our hearts to the need of a Savior. By faith, we have believed in our hearts and confessed with our mouths that believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Died on the cross for our sins, stayed in a tomb for three days, and was resurrected from the dead to save us from eternal separation from God. Hell is no longer our destination. We have been Born Again! But the question is, “Are we living like we’ve been born again?

      When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they begin the sanctification process of becoming holy, or set apart. This means living a Godly life, which reflects the character of God. Although no one can be perfect like God, the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and helps us glorify God in our lives. Billy Graham said, “Make it your goal to become more like Christ by refusing to let sin have its way, and pursuing instead that which is pure and good in the sight of God.”

      As we study our lesson, let all of us reflect upon our daily conduct and lifestyle. We will also look at the life of the Apostle Peter. He often gets a bad rap for denying Jesus, but God used him mightily for His glory. Be careful who you criticize!

      A. A greeting from the Apostle Peter.

      1. (1) The writer and the intended readers of this letter.

      Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

      a. Peter: He was not merely an apostle, but there is a sense in which he was the leader of the apostolic group. Peter was an important and influential man in the early church. Considering the author, the first Christians would receive this letter with a sense of importance.

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      i. Peter’s name is mentioned in the gospels more than anyone except the name of Jesus. No one speaks in the gospels as often as Peter did, and Jesus spoke more to Peter than to any other individual.

       

      · Jesus rebuked Peter more than any other disciple.

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      · Peter was the only disciple who dared to rebuke Jesus.

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      · Peter confessed Jesus more boldly and accurately than any other disciple.

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      · Peter denied Jesus more forcefully and publicly than any other disciple.

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      · Jesus praised Peter more than any other disciple.

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      · Jesus addressed Peter as Satan alone among the disciples.

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      ii. Since Peter is so prominent in the gospel records, it is worthwhile to remind ourselves of some of the important mentions of Peter in the record of Biblical history.

       

      · When Jesus woke up early in the morning to pray before the sun came up, Simon Peter led the other disciples on a hunt to find Jesus and tell Him what He should do (Mark 1:35-39).

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      · Peter put his nets out at the direction of Jesus to bring in a massive catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11).

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      · Peter went on a unique outreach trip with the other disciples (Matthew 10:1-42).

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      · Peter stepped out of the boat during a raging storm and walked on the water with Jesus (Matthew 14:24-33).

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      · Peter was the one who said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and to know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:68-69).

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      · Peter saw Jesus transfigured in glory, together with Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:1-9).

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      · Peter was the one who asked Jesus how many times we should forgive a brother that sins against us, quoting the high number of “seven times” (Matthew 18:21-35).

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      · Peter was the one who asked Jesus, after the encounter with the rich young ruler, what the disciples would receive for giving everything up to follow Jesus (Matthew 19:27-30).

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      · Peter was the one who insisted that Jesus would not wash his feet; then he commanded Jesus to wash his whole body! (John 13:16-20).

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      · Peter heard Jesus predict that he would deny Him three times (Matthew 26:30-35), and Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with you I will not deny You!” (Matthew 26:35), and the rest of the disciples agreed.

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      · Peter was the one who cut off the right ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest, when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus (John 18:1-11).

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      · Peter denied Jesus three times, cursing and swearing that he did not even know “the Man,” refusing to even name the name of Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75).

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      · Peter was the one who ran with John the disciple to the tomb on the morning of the resurrection, after hearing the report of the women that the body of Jesus was not in its tomb (John 20:1-10).

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      · Peter was the one who received a personal visit from the resurrected Jesus on the day of the resurrection (Luke 24:34).

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      · Peter received a public restoration of Jesus in front of the other disciples after the resurrection of Jesus (John 21).

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      iii. Significantly, Peter introduced himself as an apostle. “The supreme importance of the apostles is suggested by the fact that the phrase of Jesus Christ is attached to no other New Testament office: we do not read of teachers of Jesus Christ or prophets of Jesus Christ or evangelists of Jesus Christ, only of apostles of Jesus Christ.” (Grudem)

       

      iv. Peter did nothing to explain or justify his apostleship and did not add a phrase like “by the will of God” as Paul did on some occasions (1 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1, and so on). “Unlike Paul, Peter’s apostolic status was never questioned. This brief phrase indicates Peter’s authority.” (Hiebert)

      So it is this Peter who wrote this letter to the believers in Christ.

       

      b. To the pilgrims: The idea behind the word pilgrims is of someone who lives as a temporary resident in a foreign land. Pilgrims are sojourners and travelers, and pilgrims live in constant awareness of their true home.

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      i. The early Christian writing The Epistle to Diognetus gives the idea of what pilgrims are. “They inhabit the lands of their birth, but as temporary residents of it; they take their share of all responsibilities as citizens, and endure all disabilities as aliens. Every foreign land is their native land, and every native land a foreign land… they pass their days upon earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.” (Cited in Barclay)

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      c. To the pilgrims of the Dispersion: Peter clearly wrote to Gentiles, Christians (see 1 Peter 1:18, 2:10, and 4:3). Yet he called them pilgrims of the Dispersion, a name that was applied to the Jews. He called them this because he saw the Christians of his day as sprinkled throughout the world as the Jewish people were in the Dispersion after the fall of Jerusalem when the Babylonians conquered Judah.

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      d. Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia: These specific areas were places Christianity had extended in the first several decades after the beginning of the church. It was probably the route that the original courier of Peter’s letter followed in distributing the letter. This was not written to any one congregation, but intentionally written to all Christians.

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      2. (2) Peter’s description of his readers and all Christians.

      Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

      a. Elect according to the foreknowledge: Peter first described his intended readers as elect. This means simply that they are chosen, chosen by God in a particular and unique sense.

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      i. “The opening characterization of the readers as elect was meant to strengthen and encourage them in their affliction. The doctrine of election is a ‘family truth’ intended to foster the welfare of believers.” (Hiebert)

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      b. According to the foreknowledge of God: This describes the nature of their election. God’s choosing is not random or uninformed, but according to His foreknowledge, which is an aspect of His omniscience. This foreknowledge includes prior knowledge of our response to the gospel, but is not solely dependent on it.

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      i. Though God’s election is according to… foreknowledge, there is more to His foreknowledge than His prior knowledge of my response to Jesus. Election is not election at all if it is only a cause-and-effect arrangement basing God’s choice only on man’s.

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      c. In sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience: An essential result of election is sanctification and obedience. While some would like to think that election has only to do with going to heaven or hell, Peter reminds us that it also touches earth. A claim to be among the elect is doubtful if there is no evidence of sanctification and obedience.

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      d. And sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: However, since all the elect fall short of perfect sanctification and obedience, there is cleansing from sin provided for them through the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

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      i. There were three circumstances in the Old Testament where blood was sprinkled on people.

       

      · At the establishment of Sinai or Old Covenant (Exodus 24:5-8).

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      · At the ordination of Aaron and his sons (Exodus 29:21).

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      · At the purification ceremony for a cleansed leper (Leviticus 14:6-7).

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      ii. The sprinkling of the blood of Jesus on us accomplishes the same things. First, a covenant is formed, then we are ordained as priests to Him, and finally we are cleansed from our corruption and sin. Each of these is ours through the work of Jesus on the cross.

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      e. God the Father… the Spirit… Jesus Christ: Peter’s effortless way of combining the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our salvation displays the New Testament approach to the Trinity. It is not detailed as a specific doctrine, but woven into the fabric of the New Testament.

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      i. Jesus has a Father, but not in the sense of being higher than He or the One who gave Him existence. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have existed together throughout eternity and each is equally God. Father and Son are terms used to describe the relationship between these first two members of the Trinity.

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      f. Grace to you and peace be multiplied: Peter brought a greeting that had become common among the Christians, combining elements from Greek culture (Grace) and Jewish culture (peace).

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      B. What it means to be saved and to live saved.

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      1. (3-5) Thanks to the Father for His work of salvation.

      3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

      a. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: When Peter considered the salvation of God, his immediate response was to simply praise Him. This is especially because the motive for God’s work is found in Him, not in us (being according to His abundant mercy).

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      i. Hiebert says of the extended passage 1 Peter 1:3-12: “This beautiful passage is the outpouring of an adoring heart. Only one who has devoutly contemplated the greatness of our salvation could utter such a magnificent paean of praise, one that prepares and encourages the suffering soul to steadfastly continue the spiritual battle.”

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      ii. All His goodness to us begins with mercy. “No other attribute could have helped us had mercy been refused. As we are by nature, justice condemns us, holiness frowns upon us, power crushes us, truth confirms the threatening of the law, and wrath fulfils it. It is from the mercy of our God that all our hopes begin.” (Spurgeon)

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      b. Has begotten us again: The wording of begotten us again is different from born again (John 3:3) but the meaning is the same. Peter’s idea is that when a person is saved, they are made a new creation (as in 2 Corinthians 5:17).

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      c. To a living hope: We are born again to a living hope because we have eternal life in a Savior who has conquered death Himself. The hope lives because it is set upon an inheritance incorruptible that can never fade away because it is reserved in heaven. This is a significant contrast to any inheritance on this earth.

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      i. “It is also called a ‘living hope,’ because it is imperishable. Other hopes fade like withering flowers.

      The hopes of the rich, the boasts of the proud, all these will die out as a candle when it flickers in the socket. The hope of the greatest monarch has been crushed before our eyes; he set up the standard of victory too soon, and has seen it trailed in the mire. There is no unwaning hope beneath the changeful moon: the only imperishable hope is that which climbs above the stars, and fixes itself upon the throne of God and the person of Jesus Christ.” (Spurgeon)

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      d. Incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away: Peter didn’t really describe our inheritance. All he can tell us is what it is not. What our inheritance actually is is something too great for him to describe. Yet we can know that our inheritance can’t perish, it can’t spoil, and it can’t fade away.

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      i. Our inheritance is like the inheritance of Aaron (Numbers 18:20) and the inheritance of the Psalmist (Psalm 16:5-6), which is the gift of God Himself. Since God gives Himself to us now, our inheritance begins here and now.

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      ii. We cannot experience this inheritance unless we are born again. Unregenerate man does not have the capacity to enjoy this inheritance. It would be like rewarding a blind man by showing him the most beautiful sunset or taking him to an art museum.

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      iii. In speaking with those who don’t know Jesus we shouldn’t just tell them of the agonies of hell they will experience, but also of the glories of heaven they will miss.

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      e. Who are kept by the power of God through faith: The promise of our inheritance is certain because we are kept by the power of God. This enables us to endure through faith until the coming of Jesus.

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      i. “God’s power is the garrison in which we find our security.” (Hiebert) We are kept by the power of God, but it is through faith, meaning our faith. The person who is kept is a person abiding in a continuing relationship of faith with God. We could say that faith activates the preserving power of God in the life of the Christian.

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      ii. “To have been told, as in the preceding verse, that our inheritance was reserved in heaven could have yielded us little comfort, unless that assurance had been followed and capped by this, that the heirs also are being kept for its full enjoyment.” (Meyer)

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      2. (6-9) The purpose of trials for those who are saved.

      6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:  8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

      a. In this you greatly rejoice: We especially rejoice in God’s keeping power when we are grieved by various trials, knowing that He will keep us as our faith is tested by fire.

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      i. If need be, you have been grieved: Sometimes it is thought that a strong Christian will never be grieved in a trial. The idea is that a Christian should be like Superman; though bullets are shot at Superman, they all bounce off of his chest. Yet Peter here tells us that there is a “need be” not only for the various trials, but more especially that there is a “need be” for being grieved itself. God has a purpose not only for the trial but also for the heavy grief we feel in the trial.

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      ii. Various trials: “Literally, it means ‘many-colored’ and was used to describe ‘the skin of a leopard, the different-colored veinings of marble, or an embroidered robe.’” (Hiebert)

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      b. Faith… tested by fire: Our faith isn’t tested because God doesn’t know how much or what kind of faith we have. It is tested because we often are ignorant of how much or what kind of faith we have. God’s purpose in testing is to display the enduring quality of our faith.

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      i. “Indeed, it is the honor of faith to be tried. Shall any man say, ‘I have faith, but I have never had to believe under difficulties’? Who knows whether thou hast any faith? Shall a man say, ‘I have great faith in God, but I have never had to use it in anything more than the ordinary affairs of life, where I could probably have done without it as well as with it’? Is this to the honor and praise of thy faith? Dost thou think that such a faith as this will bring any great glory to God, or bring to thee any great reward? If so, thou art mightily mistaken.” (Spurgeon)

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      ii. Much more precious than gold that perishes: If gold is fit to be tested and purified by fire, then how much more our faith, which is far more precious than gold? God has a great and important purpose in testing our faith.

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      · Faith is tested to show that it is sincere faith or true faith.

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      · Faith is tested to show the strength of faith.

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      · Faith is tested to purify it, to burn away the dross from the gold.

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      iii. Gold is one of the most durable of all materials. Yet it too will one day perish, but our faith will not.

       

      c. Receiving the end of your faith: The end of your faith is the return of Jesus and the ultimate salvation of your souls. Testing and trials are inevitable as long as we are on this side of the end of your faith. As long as we do not see the God we serve we must endure through trials and face them with faith and joy.

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      i. Whom having not seen you love: Peter knew that though he had seen Jesus (both before and after the resurrection) most every Christian in the early church had not seen Jesus. Nevertheless, they loved Him. Jesus was no less real because they had not seen Him.

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      ii. “In short, there is an equality between the believers in the present time, and those who lived in the time of the incarnation; for Christ, to a believing soul, is the same to-day that he was yesterday and will be for ever.” (Clarke)

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      iii. The word translated “joy inexpressible” “occurs only here in the New Testament, and describes a joy so profound as to be beyond the power of words to express.” (Grudem) “Their joy was no ordinary, earth-born joy.” (Hiebert)

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      3. (10-12) The prior revelation of the salvation experienced by Christians.

      10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

      a. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully: It was important to Peter – and to all the New Testament writers – to demonstrate that their teaching was no novelty, but that it was testified beforehand by the prophets. Understanding this made salvation so much greater in the mind of Peter’s afflicted readers.

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      i. “Peter did not seek to prove the truth of his teaching about salvation by showing its agreements with the prophets; rather, he sought to encourage his afflicted readers by demonstrating the importance and comprehensive grandeur of the salvation for which they were being afflicted.” (Hiebert)

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      b. Prophesied of the grace that would come to you: The prophets of the Old Testament longed to see the grace of the New Covenant to come. Prophesying by the Spirit of Christ, they knew something of His sufferings and glories, but far less than they longed to know.

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      i. One may only imagine how excited Isaiah would have been to read the Gospel of John. The Old Testament prophets knew so much; yet much was hidden to them, including the character of the Church (Ephesians 3:4-6) and the very essence of life and immortality (2 Timothy 1:10).

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      c. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering: The prophets understood that they were ministering to people beyond them as well as to people in their own day. These things the prophets predicted were reported as fact by the apostles (the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel).

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      i. Because we know the Who (Jesus) and the when (Jesus’ day) of these Old Testament prophecies, they should be of far more interest to us than they were even in the day of the prophets.

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      d. Things which angels desire to look into: The unfolding of God’s eternal plan is something that angels desire to look into. Angels observe our conduct (1 Corinthians 4:9), making it necessary that Christians conduct themselves properly (1 Corinthians 11:10).

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      i. Part of God’s eternal purpose is to show His wisdom to the angelic beings through His work with the church (Ephesians 3:10-11). God wants the angels to look in on what He does in the church, and the idea is that the angels are bending over with intense interest and desire to learn.

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      ii. Therefore, they desire to see and learn. This word “Denotes a strong interest or craving. The present tense portrays a present, continued inner yearning to comprehend. The term does not imply that the desire cannot or should not be fulfilled, but it does mark an enduring angelic effort to comprehend more of the mystery of human salvation.” (Hiebert)

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      iii. “The longing must therefore include a holy curiosity to watch and delight in the glories of Christ’s kingdom as they find ever fuller realization in their lives of individual Christians throughout the history of the church.” (Grudem)

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      iv. “First Corinthians 4:9, Ephesians 3:10, and 1 Timothy 3:16 likewise picture the supernatural world eagerly observing God’s program of human redemption. The concept seems grounded in Jesus’ words in Luke 15:7, 10 where angels are said to rejoice over one repentant sinner.” (Hiebert)

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      4. (13-17) The conduct of those who are saved.

      13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

      a. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind: Living the way God wants us to means that we must gird up the loins of our mind. The idea in this phrase is to prepare for action, much like the phrase “rolling up your sleeves.” Then we must also be sober, which means the ability to take a serious look at life.

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      i. To gird up the loins of your mind is to get rid of loose and sloppy thinking; to bring the rational and reflective powers of your mind under control. It means to control what you think about, those things you decide to set your mind upon.

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      ii. Be sober: “It denotes a condition free from every form of mental and spiritual loss of self-control; it is an attitude of self-discipline that avoids the extremes.” (Hiebert)

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      b. Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ: Peter has told us a lot about God’s grace. He greeted us with grace (1 Peter 1:2). He told us of the grace that came to us in Jesus, predicted by the prophets of old (1 Peter 1:10). Now he goes further, writing of the grace that is to be brought to you when Jesus comes back. The only way we will be able to stand before Jesus on that day is because of the unmerited favor He gives and will give to us.

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      i. Grace isn’t just for the past, when we first gave our lives to Jesus. It isn’t only for the present, where we live each moment standing in His grace (Romans 5:2). It is also for the future, when grace will be brought to us. God has only just begun to show us the riches of His grace.

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      ii. “Grace is the unmerited love of God, stooping to save and bless; the source of all those bright and holy gifts which come from his infinite heart.” (Meyer)

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      c. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance: Fulfilling God’s call to holiness requires that we, as obedient children, break off with the lifestyle of the world (which is characterized by lusts and ignorance).

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      d. But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy”: The main idea behind holiness is not moral purity but it is the idea of “apartness.” The idea is that God is separate, different from His creation, both in His essential nature and in the perfection of His attributes. But instead of building a wall around His apartness, God calls us to come to Him and share His apartness. He says to us, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

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      i. When we fail to see God’s apartness, we begin to believe that He is just a “super-man.” Then we don’t see that His love is a holy love, His justice is a holy justice, and so on with all of His attributes. Holiness is not so much something we possess as it is something that possesses us.

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      ii. In this, the God of the Bible is radically different from the pagan gods commonly worshipped in New Testament times. “Heathenism scarcely produced a god whose example was not the most abominable; their greatest gods, especially, were paragons of impurity.” (Clarke)

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      e. And if you call on the Father: If we as Christians call on a holy God (presumably for help), we must understand that we call on a God who shows no partiality – and will so judge our conduct. This makes a working, sober, holy walk all the more important.

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      5. (18-21) The motivation for godly living.

      18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

      a. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things: The high call for godly living makes sense in light of the price that was paid for our redemption. The precious blood of Jesus did not save us so that we could then live as if we were garbage.

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      b. From your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers: Peter described the frame of mind which seeks to be justified by law as aimless conduct. It seems to have an aim – gaining merit before God by works – but it is in fact aimless because it cannot succeed.

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      c. A lamb without blemish and without spot: Peter here spoke in reference to the completely sinless character of Jesus. If He were not without blemish and without spot, He would not have been qualified to be our Redeemer.

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      d. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world: The work of Jesus was not a plan developed late in the course of redemption. It was foreordained before the foundation of the world, though it was made evident in these last times.

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      e. For you who through Him believe in God: The entire plan of redemption is for those who believe in God, though even their belief is through Him. Those who believe in God are not disappointed because their faith and hope has been substantiated by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

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      6. (22-25) The necessity for love among the saved.

      22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:  23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

      a. Love one another fervently: Holy living is incomplete if it is not accompanied by love. To be a Christian means to have a sincere love of the brethren, but we are encouraged to exercise that love fervently.

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      b. Love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again: Such love is only possible (and only to be expected) of those who have been born again by the eternal word of God.

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      i. Again, Peter did not use the same wording for born again as is found in John 3; but he did use the exact same idea.

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      c. Through the word of God which lives and abides forever: We are born again… through the word of God. But it doesn’t only give us new life. It also tells us to love one another. If the word of God is as Isaiah 40:8 says it is – the word of the Lord which endures forever, then we are both obligated by it and empowered by it, to live out the kind of love and holiness Peter speaks of.

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      d. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever: Peter here quoted from Isaiah 40:6-8. The word of the LORD certainly has endured. It has survived centuries of manual transcription, of persecution, of ever changing philosophies, of all kinds of critics, of neglect both in the pulpit and in the pew, of doubt and disbelief – and still, the word of the LORD endures forever!

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      i. In AD 303 the Roman Emperor Diocletian demanded that every copy of the Scriptures in the Roman Empire be burned. He failed, and 25 years later the Roman Emperor Constantine commissioned a scholar named Eusebius to prepare 50 copies of the Bible at government expense.

       

      ii. “A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put.” (Bernard Ramm, Protestant Christian Evidences)

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      iii. “God’s Word never dies, God’s Word never changes. There are some who think we ought to get a new gospel every few years or even every few weeks, but that was not Peter’s notion. He wrote, and he was divinely inspired to write, concerning ‘the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.’” (Spurgeon)

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      iv. Since this eternal, always potentially fruit-bearing seed is in us, we have both the obligation and the ability to have a sincere love of the brethren. Perhaps we could say that if we need more love towards others it begins with having more of the incorruptible seed set in our hearts and allowed to grow.

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      e. Through the word of God… Now this is the word: Some people try to draw a sharp distinction between the two Greek words most often translated word, which are the ancient Greek words rhema and logos. But here Peter used both words (logos in 1 Peter 1:23 and rhema in 1 Peter 1:25) to refer to the exact same idea. The two words sometimes have subtle differences, but often not significant differences.

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      5 Things the Bible Says About Living a Godly Life

      I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

      Romans 12:1-2


      Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

      2 Timothy 2:15-16


      That all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

      John 5:23


      As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

      1 Peter 1:14-19


      Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

      Deuteronomy 12:32

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      Where is God in our Grief?

      Lessons from C.S. Lewis

      In The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis takes his readers through a wardrobe to a world of witches and a heroic lion named Aslan. In Mere Christianity, he takes his readers through an intellectual sparing match with some of the toughest arguments against Christianity. But after his beloved wife, Helen Joy, dies of cancer, Lewis candidly takes his readers through the dark, empty hallways of despair in A Grief Observed.

      The level of anguish and grief Lewis experiences and shares surprises some readers. He writes about God’s seeming absence amidst his grief …

      Lewis’s writing strikes a somber note, similar to many psalms in Scripture – full of anguish, anger, and unanswered questions … 

      The Messiness of Grief

      A Grief Observed mimics the psalms of lament in many ways. They raise hard questions. They express difficult feelings. They don’t always resolve in a nice and neat way. But that’s the point. Grief isn’t nice and neat. It’s messy. Grief can feel so overwhelming that it can cloud our ability to hear from God. Lewis writes …

      Although Lewis’s grief seems to have hindered his ability to hear from God, Lewis did not stop knocking on heaven’s door. And that’s what faith does – it turns to God, not away from Him.

      Like grief, faith can be messy – not always neat and tidy. Faith is not always a mountaintop experience. Sometimes it leads to walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Sometimes it brings your broken cries and questions before the Lord. And as Lewis continually pours out his heart and his hurt, he begins to sense God’s presence. He writes …

      Grieving with God

      Death and heaven raise many questions and difficult feelings, especially for the bereaved. Bring them to the Lord. He can handle your questions, your emotions, your thoughts, your fears, and your sorrows. He encourages us to pour out our hurting hearts to Him, however broken they may be. The Bible says, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8)

      The Bible, and in particular the Psalms, is filled with people courageously expressing their difficult feelings. They serve as a model to us for what it looks like to come to God when we feel angry, bitter, confused, depressed, grieved, fearful, or hopeless. C.S. Lewis understood this. His grief and that of the psalmists remind us that no matter what we’re feeling, God invites us to give Him our burdens … “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).

      For the bereaved or for those approaching death, bring whatever you’re feeling before the Lord. Pour your heart out to God and bring your questions and feelings to Him as an act of trust, faith, and obedience. God will not be shocked or surprised. Answers to some questions can be found in His Word. But more important than the what and why behind the pain is the Who.

      The Promise of Hope

      We may not receive all the answers to our questions in this life. But we have God – His presence, His promises, and His peace. He invites us to come to Him, regardless of how we feel. And we have His Word. We have His promise that in heaven, our pain will melt away, our questions will be answered, and our tears will be wiped away as we live in the light of His love.

       

       

       

       

       

      10 WAYS TO GET CLOSER TO GOD EVERY DAY

      Barrett BoganKnowing God3 Comments

      10 WAYS TO GET CLOSER TO GOD

      If you want to grow closer to God, think of Moses in the tent of meeting, Mary at the feet of Jesus, and Jesus Himself, constantly stealing away to be with the Father. Every great leader and hero of the faith had this one thing in common: they never considered themselves close enough to God.

      Take Paul in his letter to the Philippians:

      Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

      -Philippians 3:13-14

      It’s really all of Chapter 3, so you should go read that for sure. But basically he says that even he hasn’t come to a place where he can relax and kick back.

      But instead he has this intense desire to press on, to push closer, to know Christ more, to grow closer and more intimate, more fellowship. Even Paul, the writer of most of the New Testament, wanted to get closer to God.

      We definitely need this encouragement, this attitude, this heart posture.

      WANT TO GROW EVEN CLOSER WITH GOD (EVEN IF YOU’RE CLOSE ALREADY) AND LEARN HOW TO GROW CLOSER WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM HERE ON OUT?

       

      WHAT IS YOUR HEART POSTURE?

      Praise God that He is patient with us and that He loves us, His Church, even with our blemishes. But if we are to truly walk closer to God, we have got to realize that true love is ever-pursuing, ever-increasing, ever-responding, and ever-growing closer every day.

      It doesn’t stay put. It goes with God… it moves… it follows… it pursues.

      Jesus is in the process of preparing and purifying us, His bride, more and more, so we should be engaged in that process as well.

      That being said, there is a deep, disgusting disease in the Church today that we definitely need a cure for. It is unseen and unspoken of, and it is rampant throughout our churches and our hearts. It is the posture in our hearts that we are close enough.

      We might never say it out loud or even realize it sometimes, but it plays out in how we spend our time. It plays out in our worship services. It plays out when there is an altar call, and the majority of us don’t go up. And mostly, it plays out in our hearts.

      “I’M GOOD”, OR “GIVE ME MORE?”

      We sit back thinking, “I don’t need that. I’m good. I don’t want people to see me going forward. What would other people think of me?”

      Whatever we’re thinking, it’s not, “Give it to me! Show me your glory Lord. I want more of you, so here I come.”

      Instead of staying put if there is an invitation for prayer, we, the people of God, the ones who have spent the most time at church, should be the ones that are up at the altar most often.

      The altar should be full of us; the altar at church, the altar in our homes, and the altar in our hearts. We should live in close pursuit and die daily. Daily laying our lives at His altar and letting Him prune and shape us more into His likeness. It should be a pursuit, and a passionate one at that.

      Almost everyone in the whole church should be up there seeking more of Jesus, every time, any chance we get, every day. We should be seeking more of Jesus, every week, all the time, Sunday after Sunday, every other day too, in our homes, in our living rooms, with our families, with our friends, with each other.

      Imagine what kind of atmosphere our churches would have if God looked down and saw passionate, longing hearts instead of indifference. 

      IMAGINE WITH ME

      What if He saw us at the altar instead of in our chairs?

      If He saw pursuit and desperation and love in our hearts?

      What would God do if He looked down and saw everyone in your church up at the altar, over and over, and over again each week? I guarantee you He would match that pursuit and meet you in power!

      “I’m good!?!”

      Why would we ever say that to God?

      Again, we don’t realize we are saying it, but we are. We are giving God the stiff arm. We are saying, essentially, “I’m close enough. I don’t need to go any further. I’m good right here. I don’t need any more of you. I’ve done that. Jesus cleansed me. I’m thankful. But now I’m good.”

      If God is offering something, I don’t care if it’s something we’ve already received from Him before, we should want more of it, more of Him, every time. That altar should be full of all of the people that are hungry for more of Him.

      I fear though that it already is. We’ve got to stoke our hunger for Him again.

      WANT TO GROW EVEN CLOSER WITH GOD (EVEN IF YOU’RE CLOSE ALREADY) AND LEARN HOW TO GROW CLOSER WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM HERE ON OUT?

       

      REKINDLE THE FIRE

      We have got to rekindle that fire inside of us and be hungry for Him again.

      We have got to recapture that flame, that heart ablaze, that worshipful spirit that is thankful, and grateful, and awestruck, and in love, and can’t for the life of us get enough of Him.

      You see, we don’t completely push Him away. We make sure to keep Him within reach, but definitely an arms length away. You know, just in case we need Him for something, but on our terms.

      WE KEEP GOD AT AN ARMS DISTANCE.

      It’s as if we don’t need more cleaning and don’t need Him anymore. Like we’ve forgotten and are no longer enthralled and hungry and thirsty and in love.

      I do this too. It’s easy to get to the point where you just want to be comfortable AND God’s. But that’s not exactly in the cards bro.

      I mean, He is our great Comforter. But we don’t really want Him to be our comforter because that would mean that the circumstances He allows us to be in are UNcomfortable, and we definitely don’t like that. If we’re really honest with ourselves, we want the situation to be comfortable already.

      On the contrary though, God says that our flesh will die when we are close to Him.

      “But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

      -EXODUS 33:20

      COME UP THE MOUNTAIN

      God is inviting you up the mountain to be with Him, to come closer, to know Him more intimately than you ever have. Will you come up the mountain and come closer to God?

      Will you recapture that love and fire and pursue God again? It may be painful. There may be some dying and some burning, but hardness produces goodness, and He is making us more Holy.

      Death is always the required course for resurrection life. 

      As far as what side of the fence to choose, there have always been people on both sides of passion and jade. But Jesus wants us to come back to Him. He spoke to it in Revelation.

      I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

      Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

      Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

      -Revelation 2:2-6

      There have always been people who have been in love with Jesus, and there have always been people who have hated Him. But the group that Jesus had the biggest issues with was the group that claimed to love God, but was actually quite far from Him.

      A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART

      Let’s be honest. Most of us have experienced a season of decreased passion and fervency in our walk with Christ once or twice before.

      David expressed it too.

      Create in me a pure heart, O God,
       and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
      Do not cast me from your presence
       or take your Holy Spirit from me.
      Restore to me the joy of your salvation
       and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

      -PSALM 51:10-12

      Even King David, the man after God’s own heart, had lost it somehow.

      He had lost the joy and the enthrallment. He had lost the zeal, the worship, the pursuit.

      This is the same thing that we struggle with today. We have lost the pursuit. Our posture is no longer one of pursuit and hunger for the Lord. And we have got to recapture that pursuing heart!

      It’s as though we have forgotten or grown accustom to our freedom and have started to take it for granted. But you only stay truly free when you stay close to Jesus every day.

      WHO WILL YOU BE?

      Will you be the Israelites, who stayed away from the mountain? Or will you be Moses, who desired to meet with the Lord face to face?

      Will you be Martha, who considered the dishes and house chores to be more important? Or will you be Mary who put all that aside to be with Jesus?

      Will you be the Christian who is comfortable with how close you’ve come? Or will you be the Jesus follower who is passionately pursuing Christ and coming closer to God because your heart is so enthralled and can never ever be close enough?

      10 WAYS TO GET CLOSER TO GOD

      Whether you’re just getting to know the Lord or you’ve been following Him for years, getting to know God closer is actually quite simple. That’s because He has made Himself available to us.

      If you’re looking for more ways to get closer to God and spend more time with Him, here’s a list of 10 easy things you can do to engage or re-ignite a passionate and thriving relationship with Jesus.

      1. PRAY

      Just talk to God like you would any other person. Pray out loud. Listen for Him to answer you. He has made Himself incredibly available to us through prayer. No matter where you are, talk to Him, and He will talk back to you. And when He does, it will change your life.

      WANT TO GROW EVEN CLOSER WITH GOD (EVEN IF YOU’RE CLOSE ALREADY) AND LEARN HOW TO GROW CLOSER WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM HERE ON OUT?
       
      2. GO ON A WALK TOGETHER

      This is what Jesus did. There’s something about going on a walk or a hike OUTSIDE with God. Out in the breeze, out in creation. You get out of whatever you were in and you meet with Him. The important thing here is that you get up and move with Jesus. It helps you put your life in His hands instead of just sitting there stuck in your own head and circumstances. It very practically gets some motion in your life and really helps you keep moving with God. I even do this at Church during worship sometimes. Just pray and pace a little as you seek Him. You don’t have to move to pray, but it can definitely be really great and extremely helpful sometimes.

      3. READ THE BIBLE

      This may be obvious, but there are too many of us that don’t dig into Scripture on a regular basis. God will without a doubt reveal Himself to you through His Word. Read the Bible and you will get to know Him more and more. If you want to get to know somebody, you talk to them. Between prayer and reading the Bible, these are the 2 best ways to talk to God and get to know Him. But read with an expectation to hear from God! His Spirit is ready to speak to you through His Word. Pick it up today and come alive with the Lord’s voice in your heart.

      WANT TO GROW EVEN CLOSER WITH GOD (EVEN IF YOU’RE CLOSE ALREADY) AND LEARN HOW TO GROW CLOSER WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM HERE ON OUT?

       

      4. FILL YOUR LIFE WITH WORSHIP

      There are so many things we put into our lives these days. But we may not realize the affects they have on our spirit. Just like junk food to our bodies, certain things can have a negative affect on our spirits as well. The fact is that God has said multiple times in Scripture that worldly things separate us from Him. So if you want to get closer to God, cut out some things you normally do, watch, listen to, and think about, and fill your life with worship.

      Become a worshipper of God. Spend time in the car singing and praying and talking with Jesus. Spend time worshipping in your living room. Filling your life with worship will have a MASSIVE affect on your relationship with God, and it will have an ENORMOUS affect on your entire life. If you need a list of great worship music, I’ve got a list of some of my personal favs here on my website to get you started.

      5. FIND A GOOD CHURCH

      There are some places in the world where there are literally churches on every corner. And other places where you can’t even gather legally together as Christians. But the fact of the matter is that Godly community is a HUGE blessing for growing in Christ. Find a Church where people really know God, really love Him, and really love you. Get involved. And eventually, make sure you’re not just there to get but to give and serve as well.

      WANT TO GROW EVEN CLOSER WITH GOD (EVEN IF YOU’RE CLOSE ALREADY) AND LEARN HOW TO GROW CLOSER WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM HERE ON OUT?

       

      6. TALK TO A PASTOR OR GODLY MENTOR

      God has equipped everybody for specific service to others. If you’ve got a great Church and great Pastors, get to know them and spend a little time together. They can make some of the best mentors. Other than that, find someone in the Church that is older and wiser than you who you can meet with and chew on life together. 

      Also, if you want to get mentoring from me, I do have some 1-on-1 coaching packages available you can check out HERE. You can be anywhere in the world because we meet over video chat, and I will help you maximize your potential and pursuit of Christ and grow as a leader as we spend 1-on-1 time together. All you have to do is be hungry and ready to invest in your personal, spiritual, and leadership growth.

      7. GET AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER

      Talk To a Close Friend Who Knows God. You may not share everything with everybody. But it is extremely healthy to have one or two friends who know pretty much everything about you. And I mean the good, the bad, and the ugly. Find someone you can trust and grow together. Confess sin, confess temptation even before sin to stay out of sin, pray together, pursue God together, have fun and live the adventure together.

      When God gives you a really great friend, they can end up becoming even closer than a brother. But to get a friend, you’ve got to be a friend, so make sure you are the kind of friend to them that you want them to be for you in return. Meet regularly and talk about what the Lord is teaching you. Challenge each other and grow closer to God together. And always keep it same sex when you’re dealing with accountability. (Side note: if you struggle with purity & sexual sin, don’t stick with just an accountability partner. Get help from a Pastor/mentor as well who can help you overcome and get healthy.)

      WANT TO GROW EVEN CLOSER WITH GOD (EVEN IF YOU’RE CLOSE ALREADY) AND LEARN HOW TO GROW CLOSER WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM HERE ON OUT?

      Click Here To Download My FREE “Get Closer To God Workbook” So That You Can Start Growing Closer With God Today!

      8. READ A BOOK

      I’ve never really been a big natural reader. But over the years I have learned to love it. As I look back on some of my most intimate seasons with the Lord, I was reading the Bible in the mornings and reading a challenging book at night before I went to sleep. Mostly some sort of Christian self-help type book on life with God, who He is, etc. If you need a list of great books to read, I’ve got a list of some of my personal favs here on my website to get you started.

      9. TAKE A COURSE

      It’s incredible what we can learn from people whom God has appointed to help show us the way. There are lots of great online courses out there about all different topics. But if you’re looking for online courses on walking with God, building confidence, finding your contribution, leading well, or making the difference in the world that you were born to make, then check back here often as I am constantly putting together courses for your growth and walk with the Lord.

      Make sure you’re subscribed to my email list so you get updates about new courses before they drop. And also, I’m always looking to tailor my content to your specific needs, so hit reply on any email I send you and come chat on Facebook or even right here on any blog post in the comments. I would love to hear back from you and get to know you so that I can know what you’d like help with most and how I can help you grow.

      I love helping you grow closer to God and grow as a leader, and I have made sure to put only the best, most actionable content into my courses so you get incredible results from every course you take. If you follow the steps I lay out for you in my courses you will without a doubt get closer to God & grow as a leader. It’s one of the best ways to go deeper, take things to the next level, and to grow together.

      WANT TO GROW EVEN CLOSER WITH GOD (EVEN IF YOU’RE CLOSE ALREADY) AND LEARN HOW TO GROW CLOSER WITH HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM HERE ON OUT?

       

      10. DROP ME A LINE

      My absolute passion is helping people just like you know and walk closer with God every day. I am here for you, so if you ever need anything, have a question, or just need someone to pray for you or help show you the way, you can drop me a line right here in the blog comments or even here on my Facebook page. I would love to help you any way that I can.

      These 10 things have absolutely changed my life so much that I could write a whole book on each one. Well, the first 9 I guess 😉

      Here they are again to recap.

      1. Pray
      2. Go on a Walk Together
      3. Read the Bible
      4. Fill Your Life With Worship
      5. Find A Good Church
      6. Talk To a Pastor or Godly Mentor
      7. Get An Accountability Partner
      8. Read A Book
      9. Take a Course
      10. Drop Me A Line

      Walking with God is an absolute treasure, one that nothing in this world could ever match in a million years. Not in a billion kajillion years could anything in this world measure up to living life with Christ. His Spirit and His love and His life and His Words are everything we truly crave. And it is just so satisfying to walk with Him that you could never be close enough.

      We have got to re-spark that passion and come closer to God.

      The closer you get to Jesus, the more you just want to get closer and closer and closer, because He is so infinite and amazing.

      No one else can make you strong. Only Jesus is strong in your weakness. And only He sees all of you AND loves you more than you can even imagine. Trust wholly in Him & put Him first before everything else. It will change everything in your life.

      I’m praying for you 🙂


      Lord draw us close. Forgive us of our apathy and distance. Give us clean hands and pure hearts. Show us the depths of your love for us, and create in us a deep desire to respond to you with passion and pursuit and love right back. We dare to pray the dangerous prayer that asks you to burn away our flesh, meaning our self, if it means we can be close to you and be fully alive in your Spirit. Restore to us the joy of our salvation. Give us sight Jesus. Heal our hearts. Come and be our first love again. We love you Lord, and we want more of you. Lord draw us close.

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    • Prayer List and Birthdays

       

      PRAYER LIST AND BIRTHDAYS

       

      See the source image


      Pray for those who are on our prayer list. SICK/SHUT

       

       

      Claudia Ball

      Etta Banks

      Melvin Bell

      Renard Bell

      Yvonne Bell

      Stanley Boyd

      ​Daphne Buckels

      George Buckels

      Lester Buckels

      Geraldine Brewer

      Eva Davenport

      Rhonda Fletcher

      Madeline Foster

      Bobby Foster

      Sandra Glover

      ​Martin Griggs

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      JUNE BIRTHDAYS

       

      OLLIE WALKER...............................................JUNE 7

      GRACIE SHANKS............................................JUNE 8

      PAMELA COOK...............................................JUNE 8

      LEROYCE COOK..............................................JUNE 12

      ALLEASE RICH...............................................JUNE 13

      ALICE WARD.................................................JUNE 13

      MARTIN GRIGGS...........................................JUNE 13

      GEORGE BUCKELS.........................................JUNE 14

      WILLIAM HAWKINS......................................JUNE 14

      MILDRED CLAGGETT.....................................JUNE 14

      EDWARD PETTY............................................JUNE 15

      MARK JUNG..................................................JUNE 18

      GLORIA PETTY.............................................JUNE 21

      XAVIER CHAVIS...........................................JUNE 23

      WILLIE WILLIAMS.......................................JUNE 24

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       
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      OUR HIGHER CALLING DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY

      Each Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. on Facebook.  Central Time. Just go to the Pastor's Facebook page

       

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      7 Steps to Start Becoming a Church

      People Want to Commit To

      A lot of recently unchurched people are like some of the rowdy kids in school.
      They’re ditching because they’re not being challenged.

      People who don’t go to church, don’t want to go to church. They’re not rolling out of bed late on Sunday morning wishing they had somewhere more churchy to be.

      In fact, a growing number of people who do go to church don’t want to go, either. If we don’t give them something worth committing to, they’ll be gone soon.

      As I mentioned in my last post, People Aren’t as Loyal to a Church Or Denomination Anymore – Good For Them, it’s not that people are less capable of making commitments than they used to be. They just commit differently. But too many churches haven’t caught up to that reality.

      So how do we get people to commit to the church we pastor? Especially when our church is small and struggling?

      I don’t have all the answers, not by a long shot. But I’ve learned a handful of principles over three decades of ministry that have helped our church become a place people are excited to be committed to.

      These steps won’t cost you any extra money and very little extra time – the extra time because of the learning curve. It’s not about adding to your already limited schedule and overtaxed budget. It’s not about doing things bigger. It’s about focusing on doing church better. Working smarter, not harder.

      Where Our Focus Needs to Be

      But first, despite the title of this post, the challenge before us isn’t about getting people to go to church.

      It’s about inspiring people to commit to

      • Worshiping Jesus
      • Genuine relationships with God’s people
      • Making disciples
      • Doing ministry for those in need

      If your focus is trying to get people to commit to your Sunday service schedule, your denominational preference, maintaining your church building or anything like that, you might as well stop reading right now. In fact, you might as well close your church right now.

      The days of people going to church for anything less than a genuine relationship with Jesus are over.

      The days of people going to church for anything less than a genuine relationship with Jesus are over. Yes, there’s still a residue of those people, but they’re dying out – literally. And they won’t be replaced by a new group. Nor should they be.

      But if you want people in your church because you have a passion to help them connect with Jesus and God’s family, read on.

      1. Clear Away Anything that Isn’t Jesus

      If people continue to go to church, it won’t be because they feel a sense of loyalty to a tradition most of them have never had in their lives to begin with. And it won’t be because they want to be entertained. They have better entertainment on the phone in their pocket than we can ever compete with.

      The only thing that will get them out of their house and into our churches is if we give them a cause worth living (and dying) for. Namely, an authentic presentation of the gospel of Jesus – through our words and our lives.

      If your generational traditions or your hip, new staging helps people do that, great! Keep doing it. But if not, don’t let your church’s personal preferences keep people from seeing Jesus.

      Whether he’s hidden behind stained glass windows or laser lights and fog machines, anything that obscures Jesus instead of revealing him needs to be ditched.

      2. Emphasize Relationships Over Spectacle or Tradition

      For small churches especially, being a church that people want to commit to starts and ends with relationships.

      We need to help people make connections to Jesus and each other.

      We need to help people make connections to Jesus and each other. Then work together to build bridges with those outside the church walls.

      Long after our traditions have grown stale and the spectacle has been replaced by a bigger show somewhere else, genuine relationships with Jesus and people will last.

      3. Be Genuine

      People are far less naïve than they used to be. A teenager can spot bad CGI in a movie that would have blown their minds a few years ago. And they can spot phoniness in people even quicker.

      This is especially important for church leaders, because we have a culture in which respect for leadership is lower than it has been in a loooong time – and mostly for good reasons.

      Respect doesn’t come with the position of pastor any more. In fact, it’s more likely to be viewed with skepticism than honor. That skepticism will only be overcome by practicing what we preach.

      4. Discover Your Calling – Then Be Good at It

      Every pastor and church needs to discover who you are and what you’re called to do. Then, do that and be that!

      Giving people something worth committing to isn’t a matter of competing with the big church down the street. It’s not about offering nicer facilities, bigger events or even better preaching. It’s about discovering what God has called you and your church to be great at, then being great at that.

      Excellence isn’t limited to churches with big budgets.

      There’s no excuse for shoddiness. It costs no more time or money to do it right. It just takes a full commitment.

      5. Don’t Just Talk – Hang Out and Listen

      No one wants a relationship in which one side does all the talking. We have TV and movies for that.

      But even TV and movies are giving way to social media. One of the best parts about watching a show that has some social media buzz is chatting about it on Twitter and Facebook as it airs.

      People want to engage with others, not just sit passively while someone else talks.

      People want to engage with others, not just sit passively while someone else talks.

      Sadly, the church does not have a reputation of being open to dialog – or to hard questions. And definitely not to criticism.

      No, you don’t have to turn your sermon into a discussion group (although, some churches do that with great success), but there needs to be an easy and obvious way for people to engage, dialog, chat, hang out and feel like their life and their opinion matters.

      And pastors, especially pastors of small churches, need to be engaged in those conversations. Listening, participating and learning, not just teaching.

      6. Keep Learning and Getting Better

      I communicate, minister and lead much differently today than I when I started in pastoral ministry 35 years ago. In fact I do it differently than I did just ten years ago. And I expect to change at least as much in the next five years.

      I now have over 30 years of ministry experience in addition to my formal ministry training. But that experience matters less today than it ever has. If I’m not constantly learning, listening and growing, I’ll fall behind very quickly.

      But that shouldn’t intimidate us. Learning and growing is Discipleship 101. It’s central to being a follower of Jesus, let alone a church leader.

      7. Offer People a Challenge Worthy of Their Time and Talents

      Jesus never made discipleship easy. He always inspired people to a bigger commitment by calling them to a greater challenge.

      Too many pastors limit the expectations they have for their members to sitting in a pew and filling gaps in existing ministries. We think we can’t ask more of them because … well … they’re not even doing that!

      But a lot of uncooperative church members and recently unchurched people aren’t as disinterested as we think. Like some of the rowdy kids in school, they’re not ditching class because we’re asking too much of them. They’re acting out because they’re not being challenged.

      People are deciding that leaving church is better than being bored in church. I don't blame them.

      People are deciding that leaving church is better than being bored in church. I don't blame them.

      If we don’t challenge people through a genuine experience of worship, fellowship, discipleship and ministry, they’ll do one of four things: 1) go to a church that challenges them more, 2) go to a church that entertains them better, 3) show up physically, but disengage in every other way, or 4) stopping going to church entirely.

      People want to go to a church where they’re challenged by something bigger than themselves and where their gifts are being used to further that cause.

      If you ask small, you’ll get a small commitment. Ask large and your joy might be full.