Biblical ABC’s: W is for – Worship

Ladies Bible Study by Mrs. Rick Jackson

 

Tonight I wanted to bring us back to something I touched on in a lesson a couple of years ago.  It is really at the core of our Christian life, once we have the matter of our salvation settled.  I’d like to look at W is for Worship! The word “worship” appears in the English Bible some 102 times, “worshipped,” 69 times, and “worshipper” twice, so it is quite often mentioned in God’s Word! 

 

John 9:31 tells us, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

 

I’d like to explore avenues tonight to make us better worshippers, so that God will hear us!

 

 

     I.              Worship means “to bow down”

 

In the Old Testament, there is a Hebrew word from which we regularly translate the English word, worship. That Hebrew word is shachah and it means, “bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.”  However, it is not always translated into our English word, worship.  The first time the Hebrew word, shachah, appears in our Bibles is in Genesis.

 

Do you remember the story of Abraham when he was visited by God, just before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah?  Look with me at Genesis 18:2.  When Abraham saw the three men (later revealed as the Lord and two angels) approaching, it says, “And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground.”  In that verse, “bowed” is the Hebrew word, shachah.  So, worship means to “bow down” oneself, essentially, to the will of the one deserving worship.

 

William Bates, a minister in the 1600’s said this, “The more we magnify God and exalt His authority in our judgments, the more our wills are prepared to yield to Him.” [1]

Now, in the New Testament, the Greek word translated worship is proskuneo, which means, “to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):--worship.”  One of the best examples of this is when the wise men were seeking the baby Jesus.  We find them first in Matthew 2:2 approaching King Herod: “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”  They recognized that this baby was not just a baby but was “God in the flesh” and they came to “bow down” to one who alone is worthy to be worshipped! Again, we read in Matthew 2:11, “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

 

When we worship, we must understand, it is not that we must always physically bow down (not that that wouldn’t do us some good, sometimes) but that we must bow our wills. We must understand that it is the same as when Jesus was praying in the Garden, “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) It is an attitude of complete surrender.  Do we WORSHIP in that way?

 

Do you remember when Pastor was teaching us verse by verse through 2^nd Samuel and we studied the life of David?  Do you remember the heartbreaking story of when David’s son was severely ill and David would not eat or sleep and continued in prayer for the life of his child? Turn to 2 Samuel 12, so we can look at it together:

 

15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.       16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?           19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.            20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

 

Do you see what happened? After the child died, there was an acceptance of God’s will.  David’s fervent prayers had been answered.  Not the way that he would have chosen, because his own sinful life had led to this point, but there was an acceptance of God’s will.  Verse 20 says he “came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped.” David did not become bitter.  He did not rail against God and cry, “WHY?” No, he went church and he worshipped.  He showed by his actions that he accepted that God’s will was best, and life went on.

 

Psalm 95:6 says, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”

II.              Worship is to honor

 

A gifted Puritan theologian wrote, “The whole life of a Christian should be nothing but praises and thanks to God; we should neither eat nor drink nor sleep, but eat to God and work to God and talk to God, do all to His glory and praise.” [2]

 

In other words, he was saying, everything that we do in this Christian life, whether we are eating or working or praying, ALL of it should be an act of worship that brings honor to God.  Doesn’t that give you pause?  It does me!  What have I done with my day today?  Did my actions, did my words, my speech, did my prayers, did they all bring honor to the Lord?

 

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

 

If we want to know about honoring the Lord in our worship, the best place to learn about it is in the Book of Psalms! Read the following with me:

 

Psalm 5:7 -- But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
Psalm 22:27 -- All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Psalm 29:2 -- Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalm 66:4 -- All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
Psalm 86:9 -- All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
Psalm 96:9 -- O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Psalm 99:5 -- Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
Psalm 99:9 -- Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.
Psalm 132:7 -- We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.

We must grasp the concept that we serve a HOLY GOD.  None of this idea of the world that He is “the man upstairs,” or the flippant use of OMG.  We serve a HOLY GOD! God is holy, beyond the capability of being anything but without sin.  HOLY.

John 4:23 says, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
Revelation 15:4, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

 

We mustn’t forget the admonition that Moses gave to the children of Israel when he presented the Ten Commandments, when God Himself was teaching the nation of Israel about worship:

 

Exodus 34:14 – “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

 

Let us learn to honor God with our whole hearts and to worship Him accordingly!

 

 

III.              Worship requires obedient action

 

We tend to think of "worship" as singing, or testimonies, or hearing a message.  However, worship is so much more.  If we understand the majesty and holiness of the omnipotent and omniscient God Himself, we will understand that everything we do is for Him!

Deuteronomy 6:5, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”  When a scribe came to Jesus asking about the greatest commandment, He said in Mark 12, “(28) And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?  (29) And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:     (30) And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

And Jesus said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

So what does loving God with all of our being and keeping His commandments have to do with worship?? Let me see if I can show you from the life of Abraham.  Let’s look at Genesis 22.  We come to the life of Abraham, when he is with his son of Promise, Isaac, his beloved and long-awaited son.  I think one of the things God is trying to find out is who does Abraham love most – God or Isaac?  Or perhaps God is helping Abraham to find out or even showing us -- let’s read:

1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.          4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.             5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.            6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.     7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?    8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.   9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.        10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.     11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.         12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.    13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

Now look back with me at verse 5.  What does it say? "And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." (Genesis 22:5) Let’s think about that for a moment.  What could that mean?  Does it mean that Abraham and Isaac were going up to the mountain to sing and pray and hear a message?  Did Abraham know why they were going up to the mountain?  What were they carrying? Hebrews 11:17-19 tells us, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.                       Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:      Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”  So, we can be sure that the worship that Abraham was talking about was the obedient offering he was prepared to make of Isaac on a sacrificial altar in accordance with what God told him in verse two, “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

 

IV.              Worship brings wisdom

 

Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”  We also know from Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” And if you look at Nehemiah 9:3,  you find this: “And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.”

When we put it all together, we are to understand that worship requires that we spend time in God’s Word!  By doing that, when we worship, we follow God’s commandments and we grow in wisdom!  But it all begins in God’s Word!! Is it any wonder, then, that we find this – Psalm 138:2, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”

 

 V.            Worship in Action

Let’s see if we can sum up what we’ve learned and try to apply it to our daily lives.  Remember where we started?  With this thought from John 9:31, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”  That’s our goal, to be a worshipper that God will hear, right?  We understand that we serve a HOLY, sinless God who deserves our worship -- Psalm 29:2, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” And we know that worship requires obedience which brings wisdom.   1 Chronicles 16:29 says, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” 

 

The more value we place on God, the more worthy of a life we will live.  We have a Savior Who is worthy and should be worshipped.  We are worth something when He is worth everything!  Colossians 1:27 & 28 says, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:            Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

 

I was reading a devotion recently which helped me to formulate a method whereby we might begin each day in worship, even while we are busily preparing for the tasks that are in front of us.  If we try to keep these thoughts while we go through our morning rituals, we can perhaps become worshippers that God will hear!  The devotion author, Thomas Gouge said, “Good and holy thoughts first let into the heart of a Christian will keep it in better tune all the day after.”[3]

 

 

As you are rising out of your bed, take a minute for holy and heavenly meditations. Here’s how --

·         Rise from bed – remember the resurrection of Christ giving you a life of grace – Romans 6:4 (Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.)

·         Undress – when you takeoff your clothes, be reminded that God in heaven knows all about you, there is nothing hidden, take time to confess your sin – Hebrews 4:13 (Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.)

·         Put on your clothes  –  as you dress remember you are a new creature – Ephesians 4:22-24 (That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;     And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;               And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.)

·          Look outside  –  when you look outside, remember Who created this world!  – Psalm 19:1 (The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.)

 

When Morning Gilds the Sky – Edward Caswall

 

1.     When morning gilds the skies,                                           When evil thoughts molest,
My heart awaking cries:                                                      With this I shield my breast,   
May Jesus Christ be praised!                                                         May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer                                                     The powers of darkness fear,
To Jesus I repair:                                                               When this sweet chant they hear,
May Jesus Christ be praised!                                                         May Jesus Christ be praised!

 

2.     To Thee, my God above,                                                    When sleep her balm denies,
I cry with glowing love,                                                      My silent spirit sighs,
May Jesus Christ be praised!                                                         May Jesus Christ be praised!
The fairest graces spring                                                    The night becomes as day,
In hearts that ever sing,                                                      When from the heart we say,
May Jesus Christ be praised!                                                         May Jesus Christ be praised!

 

3.     Does sadness fill my mind?                                                 Be this, while life is mine,
A solace here I find,                                                            My canticle divine,
May Jesus Christ be praised!                                                           May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss?                                                   Be this th’ eternal song
My comfort still is this,                                                        Through all the ages long,
May Jesus Christ be praised!                                                           May Jesus Christ be praised!

---

[1] James Stuart Bell, From the Library of Charles Spurgeon (Minneapolis:  Bethany House Publishers, 2012), 19.

[2] James Stuart Bell, From the Library of Charles Spurgeon (Minneapolis:  Bethany House Publishers, 2012), 21.

[3] James Stuart Bell, From the Library of Charles Spurgeon (Minneapolis:  Bethany House Publishers, 2012), 29.

WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH?

2 KINGS 2                                    

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. ELISHA’S TESTING [v. 1-18]

 

1. The Test of Devotion [v. 1-6, 1 Kings 19:20]

 

2. The Test of Decision [v. 7-13]

 

3. The Test of Demonstration [v. 14-18]

 

II. ELISHA’S MINISTRY [v. 19-22]

 

1.  The Situation of the City [v. 19]

 

2. The Salt of the Covenant [v. 20-21, Numbers 18:19, Mk. 9:49-50]

 

3.  The Sweetness of Christ [v. 22]

 

III. ELISHA’S CHALLENGE [v. 23-25]

 

1. They Mocked the Prophet – God’s Representative [v. 23]

 

2. They Mocked the Parting – God’s Work [v. 23b-24, 2 Pet. 3:3-4]

 

3. They were Mauled by Bears – God’s Reminder [v. 24-25, Lev. 26:13-22]

 

Genesis 37:2 Joseph=17 years old,  41:12=39, 1 Sam. 16:11=David’s older brothers, etc.

THE COMPASSIONATE CHRIST

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. CHRIST HAS COMPASSION ON OUR PHYSICAL INFIRMITIES [Mk. 1:39-45]

 

1. The Leper Realized it was NOT a Question of Ability [v. 39-40]

 

2. The Lord Reflected His Compassion by Responding [v. 41]

 

3. The Lord Allowed Compassion to Override Convenience [v. 42-45]

 

II. CHRIST HAS COMPASSION ON OUR SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE [Mk. 6:30-45]

 

1.  The Compassion of Christ Motivated Him [v. 3—34a, 2 Corinthians 5:14]

 

2. The Compassion of Christ Moved Him to Teach Truth [v. 34b-35]

 

Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

 

3.  The Compassion of Christ Manifested Orderliness [v. 36-46, 1 Cor. 14:40]

 

III. CHRIST HAS COMPASSION ON OUR FUTURE NEEDS [Mk. 8:1-21]

 

1. Christ has Compassion on Our Future Needs [v. 1-9]

 

2. Christ has Contempt for Hypocrisy [v. 10-13]

 

3. Christ has Concern for Our Dullness [v. 14-21]

 

Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.]

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Do you know if you're deceived?

 

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In this issue . . . Q&A: Do you know if you're deceived? Video: Evolution of Darwin: His Life (Part 2) Get Equipped: The Lie: Evolution/Millions of Years Blog Highlights News to Note Quick Look After Eden Answers ... with Ken Ham Q: Do you know if you're deceived? A: By definition, a deceived person does not know he is deceived. If he realized he was being deceived, then he would no longer be deceived because once you know you are deceived, you are no longer deceived. Also, if a person knows he is being lied to, then he is not deceived. It is impossible to be deceived and to know you are deceived (about the same issue) at the same time. A deceived person does not know he is deceived! Maybe that last paragraph insults your intelligence, but there is a point. The big deal is simply that you do not know you are deceived, unless you have access to all relevant information from a source that does know. Continue reading as Nathan Ham takes a practical and biblical look at the origin of deceitfulness—and how to know if you've been deceived. Get Equipped The Lie: Evolution/Millions of Years This updated, revised, and expanded edition is an essential resource to help the church understand the great delusion that permeates our world. The message of The Lie is the message of AiG and it is absolutely vital for our time! News to Note Quick Look Take action: freedom under fire: The threatened deportation of a German family, now living under asylum in the United States, has brought to light a disturbing threat to the freedom of all Americans. Born alive, to die?: But what if she's not dead? Should abortion providers be required to save the lives of infants they fail to kill? The Bible finale: "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Hippity hop: How leafhopper legs survive the launch Crystal clues: Massive volcanism correlated with the onset of the end-Triassic mass extinction, evolutionary geochronologists find. After Eden Answers ... with Ken Ham radio program Biblical Geology, Part 5 (God's World through God's Word) Biblical Geology, Part 4 (Back to the Bible) Biblical Geology, Part 3 (Uniformitarianism) Biblical Geology, Part 2 (Biblical Origins of Geology) Biblical Geology, Part 1 (Introduction)	Video On Demand Evolution of Darwin: His Life Watch Video (Part 2) Blog Highlights Ken Ham: Remembering Dr. Gish This Saturday Ken Ham: Birds Produce Wings—Evolution? Ken Ham: From Virgin Birth to Glorious Resurrection Pray for AiG Praise God for the crowds at the Creation Museum this week! Read the latest update to stay current on other requests and praises. Resources   The Mammoth and the Ice Age (DVD) Connect with Us Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Answers in Genesis Creation Museum See all networks
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God's Pin-point Accuracy

October 4, 2013   Thank you for reading my Prophetic Daily Devotionals!   Please visit my website to learn more Bible prophecies being fulfilled in these last days.    Daniel 9:24   Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.   For further study - Daniel 9:1-27     In this ninth chapter of Daniel's prophecy, which follows chronologically Daniel 6, the ancient Jewish prophet is around 85 years old and had just come under the Medo-Persian Empire after seventy years under the Babylonians.   I give you this information because it helps us to see how Bible prophecy helps us to determine where we are on God's "prophetic time-clock".   Verse 2 tells us of what Daniel got from his own devotional time, reading God's Word. Daniel was reading from the book of Jeremiah 29:10 and 25:11, where the prophet Jeremiah, almost one hundred years before the fact, revealed that the Jews would be out of the land of Israel for a seventy year period of time so that the "land of Israel" could get it's "seventy Sabbaths".   By reading God's Word Daniel could determine where he was in God's time. Notice as you read verses 3-23, Daniel, once he realizes where he was in God's "prophetic time", he confessed his sins, the sins of his people and looks for the Lord's direction for his life.   You may not know that there is not one single negative word said about Daniel any place in the entire Bible. There is, by the way, in this chapter a "commendation", from the heavenlies, for Daniel, verse 23.   God gives Daniel a glimpse into the future with the prophecy of the "seventy weeks of Daniel", verses 24-27. God has a "special plan", the seventy weeks of Daniel, (490 years); for a "special people", the Jewish people; and a "special place", the Holy City of Jerusalem; all of these in verse 24.   In this devotional I won't have the time to deal with the entire prophecy that extends from Daniel's day until the day of the Lord's return to earth. I would love to share with you the special blessing of Daniel 9:25-26 where we can see how the Lord set the time when the Messiah would appear on the earth.   The time for the appearance of the Messiah, verse 25, would be after 69 of the "70 Weeks", or 483 of the 490 years of Daniel's prophecy. This timing would be from when King Artaxerxes, the King of Nehemiah's day, gave the command to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and streets of the city, some time in April 445BC.   The time would extend until the crucifixion of Jesus in April of 30 AD. This passage actually lays out for us when the Messiah would show up in Jerusalem.   In fact, Daniel even added information about the destruction of the Temple, which took place in 70AD, to the time mix. This prophecy pin-pointed the time that the Messiah would be crucified, "cut off", verse 26, and that it had to happen before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, which was done by the Roman army.   These two verses set the time for the appearance of the Messiah on the earth. Jesus Christ fulfilled every prophetic detail, proving He was the Messiah and that He came right on time, according to Bible prophecy.   Next time we are in Daniel for our devotions, I will look at Daniel 9:27 and be more specific about the Lord's return. All the prophecies of Daniel, referring to the Lord's first coming and what would happen, were fulfilled in every detail. By the way, fulfilled prophecy sets the stage for future Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.   Keep your focus on the "special people", the Jewish people, and the "special place", Jerusalem, to know where God is on His time clock.     PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for Your prophecies that help me understand the times in which we're living. Help me to live in light of Your soon coming.     Visit our website at http:/www.prophecytoday.com

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QUOTES OF THE WEEK

I believe Job is a great standard- not THE Standard. - Evangelist Don Potter

It might be alright to question God's ways ["why"] but DO NOT ever question the wisdom of God. - Potter

When you pray in unbelief you are using God's name in vain. - Evangelist Ron Comfort

If you don't stand for something you are liable to fall for anything. - Evangelist Bill Compton

God makes no duplicates. - Unknown

Thoughts create actions, actions habits, habits character, character destiny. - Unknown

Quitters are a dime a dozen. Anybody can quit! - Dr. Lee Roberson

Give your face to God and He'll put His shine on it! - Evangelist Billy Sunday

Yank some of the groans out of your prayers and shove in some shouts! - Sunday

GRANDDADDY LOUDON’S RECIPE FOR CONTENTMENT

1 Tm. 6:2b-12                                                     Pastor Rick Jackson

 

Going through my papers I came across a 5 by 8 card with the word “Contentment” written across the top in my Grandfather Loudon’s handwriting. Underneath that was written 3 points- the 3 major points of our message tonight. Granddad was an early encourager in my faith when some other family members were against it.

 

 

I. “Realizing God has given everything I Need for my present happiness.”

 

1. The Bible Standard for Self-Esteem [1 Tm. 6:2b-6]

 

2. The Bible Standard for Physical Need [1 Tm. 6:6-10]

 

3. The Bible Standard for Spiritual Need [1 Tm. 6:9-14]

 

 

II. “If I’m not satisfied with what I have I probably would not be satisfied with what I want.”

 

1.  The Forever Unsatisfied [Proverbs 27:20, Eccles. 5:10]

 

2. The Present Satisfaction [Psalm 65:1-4, Matthew 10:23-26]

 

3.  The Future Satisfaction [Psalm 17:15, 1 John 3:2]

“Learn to be satisfied with whatever state you’re in” Philippians 4:11

III. “Knowing the more I release earthly possessions the more I can appreciate what is inside -that is important.”

 

1. The Perception of Contentment [2 Cor. 4:18]

 

2. The Philosophy of Contentment [Mt. 6:25]

 

3. The Person of Contentment [Mt. 6:26-34]

Holy Anointing

Holy Anointing "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2:20)   The word "unction" in our text is translated "anointing" the other two times it is used (1 John 2:27). That term, and a companion word, are used only seven times in the New Testament, but all refer to the same essential concept often spoken of in the Old Testament.   Both things (tabernacle, temple, vessels, offerings) and people (priests, Levites, kings, ambassadors) were "anointed"—often ceremoniously—to identify them as consecrated or honored for a special service or position. Once anointed, the person or object was to be held in great respect by everyone.   Thus, we who are the "children of God" (Romans 8:16) have been anointed by God Himself (2 Corinthians 1:21) in such a way that the anointing abides, teaches, and is truth (1 John 2:27). This anointing is, obviously, no ceremonial oil demonstrating an honor (Psalm 133:2), but rather the "pouring out" of the Holy Spirit Himself onto and into our earthly bodies, consecrating us to be the very "temple" of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).   This "unction" further designates us to be "kings and priests" (Revelation 1:6) who will one day "reign on earth" (Revelation 5:10). We are called "lively stones" (1 Peter 2:5) being built into a spiritual house for the Lord.   Furthermore, we are to be seen as "chaste virgin[s]" (2 Corinthians 11:2) who are ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), having been set apart as a "vessel unto honour" (2 Timothy 2:21) in the "household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). We are to know all these things. HMM III       | Subscribe

Looking Back or Pressing Forward?

Ezra 3:12  "But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:"   Backup Cameras   My Ford Explorer has a fancy screen that does several tasks, like many cars today can do.  Whenever you shift into reverse, the screen changes and you can see what is behind you.  You may think the backup camera is old news, but it is fascinating to me!  I am so fascinated by it that I told my wife I wish you could see what was behind you while driving down the road.   Evidently, Ford Motor Company considered people like me and created a safety feature that shuts of the camera when the vehicle is shifted into neutral or a forward gear.  The only time the backup camera works is when you are backing up.  They knew that I would be tempted to watch the screen instead of focusing on the road ahead!   So many people live their lives the same way.  They are drawn to past successes or sins, and they cannot go forward because they are looking behind!  Now, looking back is important, just as using a rear view mirror or backup camera is important.   Glancing back occasionally to remember from whence you've come is good; being chased or held back by your past is not good.   When the captives returned to Jerusalem, they rebuilt the foundation of Solomon's Temple that was destroyed.  The Bible says that the older men wept while the younger men cheered.  The younger cheered because they didn't know what had been before; the older wept because they were still living in the past and couldn't see the present or future.   Since you cannot relive your past, live forward by following God's Word today.  We are not in the future; we cannot relive the past; we can only engage the present right now.  God's perspective exceeds the optimism of the young and the experience of the old.  God's Word is not ancient or old-fashioned; It is timeless.  And that beats navigating life by a backup camera any day! Prayer Requests: 1. Services tonight in Bloomington, IL and Coatesville, IN 2. WB Men on the Move Conference this weekend in Fort Collins, CO       Enjoy more devotionals, sermon audio, and articles on our website!

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