6/30/13 DESIGN FOR LIFE

Guard Your Heart

    Imagine you’re out for a hike on a beautiful day and you come to a stream.  You realize there’s something wrong. You notice that someone has dumped trash into the stream.  It is an ugly sight.  The trash has been there for some time.  There is an ugly film on top of the water. You can’t just leave it the way you found it, so you stoop down and begin gathering the trash.
    It takes a long time before you begin to see a difference; it’s amazing how much junk is there. You sit back, rest for a moment, and realize you’ll have to keep returning until the site is truly clean. But when you come back the next day, it’s as if your work has been undone.
    In fact there’s more trash than before. Somehow the garbage bred overnight. You think about the unlikelihood of someone coming to this spot to dump their garbage in the few hours while you were away, and you realize that something smells fishy—so to speak. So you begin to walk upstream.
    Sure enough, you come to a garbage dump that has been there for years. It’s emptying into the passing creek. Your cleaning job only opened up a gap for more stuff to settle. You could go and clean every day …. But, if you want the stream to be clean, that means going directly to the source and dealing with what’s there.
Condensed from Kyle Idleman, Gods at War (Zondervan, 2013)
    Clean the source of junk to prevent it from impacting the rest of the stream.  Think about this picture and apply it to your life.  The Bible says your heart is the source from which your life flows.  Are your putting your efforts to clean up downstream?  Are you working to deal with the source so life, downstream is clean and attractive?  We are going to talk about the heart for a few weeks.
    The heart represents the center of our being—the source of desire and decision.
    It is a common saying, and it sounds so insightful and wise, “follow your heart”.  When you are facing a challenging situation, when you are not exactly sure what to do, “follow your heart”.  This can be very dangerous advice, for it doesn’t take into account what is in a person’s heart.  If there is a pile of garbage built up downstream, following your heart could lead to disaster.
    The Bible points to the heart as the center of our being:
Proverbs 4:23 NIV
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
NLT
23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
NKJV
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
    New Testament teaching from Jesus.
Luke 6:43-45 NIV
43 No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
    Guard your heart!  An important command.  What is in our heart is what comes out as life goes on.  Never allow anything to come into your heart that does not please God and is not helpful for our personal spiritual growth.  Don’t let anything into your heart that you don’t want to come out when people can see.
    How do we apply this principle?  Guard what you take in so you won’t be embarrassed by what you put out.  Guard what you watch, listen to, read, ponder or talk about.  We constantly take in images and ideas that take root in our hearts and impact the person we become.
    Christians must work to know and follow God’s purposes for our lives.  Jesus taught us this:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 NIV
    Making God and His ways our first priority puts the rest of life in proper order and perspective.  Keeping our priorities straight will help keep our spiritual hunger and desire for more of God strong.  This is one reason why Proverbs tells us to guard our hearts.  When junk begins to fill our hearts we open the potential to spiritual devastation.  Carefully guarding what you see, hear, say and do will increase strength and stability to our lives.
    Let’s take a moment and honestly think about how easy it is these days to take in information.  If you have the internet, you have immediate access to millions of ideas and images from all around the world.  If you have the internet on your phone, it is always with you.  In a time of discouragement it is simple to “check out” something that you know you shouldn’t, but are curious about.  The deception of sin is that it always starts out small, then grows and implants itself in your heart.  Then it gets very difficult to remove.
    This makes me think of the idea of clutter and filth.  I think of a home I was sent to many years ago that was filled with flies in the winter. Dirt was everywhere.  The longer filth is somewhere, the harder it is to get rid of.  The longer we allow sin the reside, the harder it is to eradicate the impact.
    Failure to guard our hearts can result in losing God’s guidance and blessing.  We risk being trapped in sin and even being destroyed by it.
    Look at the verses that follow v. 23 where we are told to “guard your heart”.
Proverbs 4:24-27 NIV
24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. 27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
    This is awesome advice to guard your heart.
    In a chapter warning a son about the snare of the adulteress - it starts out  Proverbs 7:1-2 NIV
1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
    It ends:  Proverbs 7:24-27 NIV
24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.
Review verses.
    Keep your heart on track and don’t let the sin resident in the hearts of others cause you to stray.
    Who we are on the inside determines our outward behavior.  Our “inside” must change from what we were in order to comply with God’s standards and intention. With no inward change, we won’t live God’s will or fulfill his plan for our lives.
    Many people believe that people are basically good at heart.  The Bible is clear about a heart that is separated from God.  It is wicked and deceitful.
Jeremiah 17:9 NIV
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
    Human nature is not foundationally good.  A heart that is not in communion with God is dangerous.  By itself, the heart is desperately evil and corrupt and leads to devastation and death.
    People are basically selfish and follow paths contrary to the ways of God.  Because the heart is corrupt human heart, we can’t make the necessary changes by ourselves.  Salvation purchased by Jesus on the cross, His grace is the only solution.  Transformation comes from the heart change Jesus makes.
    What is in the heart comes out.  Let me share a story.  Jesus used parables to get a point across.  This is a modern parable, a story written by a man named Russell Kelfer.
    Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas.  She was the patient of Doctor Will Phillips.  Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people.  His favorite patient was Edith Burns.
    One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns.  When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.
    Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way:  “Hello, my name is Edith Burns.  Do you believe in Easter?”  Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.
    Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly.  Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure.  Edith began by saying, “My name is Edith Burns.  Do you believe in Easter?”
    Beverly said, “Why, yes, I do.”
    Edith said, “Well, what do you believe about Easter?”
    Beverly said, “Well, it’s all about egg hunts, going to church, and dressing up.”
    Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
    Dr. Phillips said, “Beverly, don’t call Edith into the office quite yet.  I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room.”
    After being called back in the doctor’s office, Edith sat down, and when she took a look at the doctor she said, “Dr. Will, why are you so sad?  Are you reading your Bible?  Are you praying?”
     Dr. Phillips said gently, “Edith, I’m the doctor and you’re the patient.”  With a heavy heart he said, “Your lab report came back and it says you have cancer, and Edith, you’re not going to live very long.”
    Edith said, “Why Will Phillips, shame on you.  Why are you so sad?  Do you think God makes mistakes?  You have just told me I’m going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends.  You have just told me that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!”
    Dr. Phillips thought to himself, “What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns is!”
    Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips.  Christmas came and the office was closed through January 3rd.  On the day the office opened, Edith did not show up.
    Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her story to the hospital and said, “Will, I’m very near home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my room who need to know about Easter.”
    Well, they did just that, and women began to come in and share that room with Edith.  Many women were saved.  Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith that they started calling her Edith Easter; that is, everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.
    Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a “religious nut”.  She had been a nurse in an army hospital.  She had seen it all and heard it all.  She was the original G.I. Jane.  She was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.
    One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick.  Edith had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot.
    When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, “Phyllis, God loves you and I love you, and I have been praying for you.”
    Phyllis Cross said, “Well, you can quit praying for me.  It won’t work and I’m not interested.”
    Edith said, “Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family.”
    Phyllis Cross said, “Then you will never die because that will never happen,” and briskly walked out of the room.
    Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith would say, “God loves you, Phyllis, and I love you, and I’m praying for you.”
    One day Phyllis Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith’s room like a magnet.  Edith said, “I’m so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day.”
    Phyllis Cross said, “Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, ‘Do you believe in Easter?’, but you have never asked me.”
    Edith said, “Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now that you have asked .”
    Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
    Edith said, “Phyllis, do you believe in Easter?  Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your heart?”
    Phyllis Cross said, “Oh, I want to believe that with all of my heart, and I do want Jesus in my life.”  Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart.  For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.
    Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, “Do you know what day it is?”
    Phyllis Cross said, “Why Edith, it’s Good Friday.”
    Edith said, “Oh, no, for you every day is Easter.  Happy Easter, Phyllis!”
    Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of her duties, and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies, because she wanted to go up to see Edith, give her some Easter lilies, and wish her a Happy Easter.
    When she walked into Edith’s room, Edith was in bed.  The Bible was on her lap.  Her hands were in that Bible.  There was a sweet smile on her face.  When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith’s hand, she realized Edith was dead.  Her left hand was on John 14:2
    “In my Father’s house are many mansions.  I go to prepare a place for you.  I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
    Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4:
    “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
    Phyllis Cross took one look at Edith, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down her cheeks said, “Happy Easter, Edith --- Happy Easter!”
    Phyllis Cross left Edith, walked out of the room and over to a table where two student nurses were sitting.
    She said, “My name is Phyllis Cross.  Do you believe in Easter?”
Russell Kelfer
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
DESIGN FOR LIFE
What are the key points of this message?
How can we apply this message?
Discussion Questions
What should we learn from the parable about Edith Burns?
What do you think the general public doesn’t understand about Bible teaching about the heart?
What questions do you have about the heart? (Some questions we might need to write down and research.)

6/16/13  DESIGN FOR LIFE

God’s Design for the family and society - And He Gave Fathers

    Let’s start out with some statements/thoughts/expressions about fathers.
**Honor your father and mother that your days will be long upon the earth.
**Father Knows Best - a TV program from 1954-1963
    A very successful program based on character interaction and development. Jim Anderson was a “Dad”, and TV audiences loved him.  He was a responsible father who loved his wife and kids. He did a paper route in the rain for his sick son. He choose to see Kathy in a school program instead of attending a Chamber of Commerce dinner. His family was a priority.
**Leave It To Beaver - Same time frame.
    Ward Cleaver:  caring, hard working, honest, faithful and respectful to his wife.  He cared for and did all he could to help out his children.  He talked about principles of right and wrong.
As we turn the corner on programs:
**Married With Children
    Al Bundy was married to Peggy. He got drunk and mistakenly asked her to marry him. There are two children: Kelly, a promiscuous dumb blonde, and Bud, a perpetually lustful and unpopular schemer named after a brand of beer.
    I could go through an unbelievable list of modern programs and movies that show dads/all men as completely incompetent and worthless fools.  Their concept of being a father has nothing to do with God’s design.  Our world is very confused as to what a father is.
    God’s plan from the beginning was that men would be married and then have a family. They would be involved, responsible, and committed fathers.  They would have a positive impact on their families and society in general.  They would live a godly life and pass eternal principles on to the next generation.
Genesis 2:15 NIV
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
    After God made the universe and the world, He made people.  He made a man, Adam, and put him to work in the garden of Eden. Note that Adam had a job.  Work is God’s idea.  Work is a good idea.
    God created the first man holy.  He was not a lazy, worthless, skirt-chasing lech.  He was not demanding, but hard working.   He was pure and used for God’s purposes. He was not controlled by sin and had a unblemished relationship with God. Adam was the pinnacle of God’s creation and was given the duty of working under God’s guidance. His responsibility was to tend God’s creation.  Sin broke this perfect relationship.
    God’s plan also included creation of the perfect companion for the man.
Genesis 2:18 NIV
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
    Life, social structure, fulfillment - all come from God’s plan.  We do not exist because of some random happenstance of evolution.  Life is so much better when people recognize God’s planning and live according to His standards.  There is must less confusion and frustration.
    Questions to think about & discuss:
What if everyone in the world lived in a family where mom and dad were married, loving and faithful to each other?
What if all dads worked hard and loved God?
What if “being a man” brought a mental picture of Jesus?
What if all dads taught their children Biblical truths and gave them love and discipline?
What would the world be like?
    The positive answers to these questions show God’s design for the world.  Following God’s way works best.  We are always better off doing things God’s way.
Genesis 2:24 NIV
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
    Leave his father and mother and start his own family.  God’s plan was for a man to be a man and lead his home. God established marriage and the family as the first and most significant foundation on earth.  The marriage of a man and a woman was the basis to form a family and the resulting relationships. God declared His specific purpose and gave priority to the importance of godly families and the nurturing of reverent children.
    God has a plan for marriage - one man and one woman who make an exclusive commitment to each other for life.  There is a very special bond that is established between a husband and wife.  There is both physical and spiritual unity.  God’s plan rules out adultery, pornography, drunkenness, homosexuality and immoral living.  Remember, God’s plan is best.
    Two verses - Old and New Testament
Malachi 4:6 NIV
6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.
Luke 1:17 NIV
17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
    The context of this verse is talking about John the Baptist.
    Fathers carry the most responsibility for keeping families unified and strong.  God expects fathers to love their children, pray for them, spend time with them, instruct them about right and wrong.  They are also to teach them to live by God’s Word and standards.
    Fathers give stability to their children.  They find comfort and encouragement knowing that he is committed to his wife and that he will be there for them in the future.  One of the best ways for young girls to not be looking for love in all the wrong places is to have a loving daddy.  One of the best ways for boys to grow up knowing what it is to be a man and how to respectfully treat a woman is to have a great example in his father.
    One of the leading sins of God’s people has been the failure of fathers to love their children enough to teach them the things of God.  John the Baptist challenged fathers to guide their families to God and fulfill His plans.
    Dads are to show their children a godly way to handle money.  The Godly ones spend wisely, pay their tithes and are generous.  You don’t have to be rich to be generous.  They use the resources God has given them wisely.
    One of the key goals of the Bible is to establish God’s intent for families.  This focuses on a right relationship between dads and kids.  A resulting factor of failure to follow God’s way is a breakdown in family relationships.  This is especially seen when fathers abandon their children.
    I firmly believe that one of the evil reasons for the attacks against men in our world in the past decades is to destroy the positive impact of men, therefore destroying society.
    When used properly, we can learn a lot from statistics.  I have done a little research and here are a few of the many I found.  Many of these came from Fatherhood.org.
    According to 2011 U.S. Census Bureau data, over 24 million children live apart from their biological fathers. That is 1 out of every 3 (33%) children in America. Nearly 2 in 3 (64%) African American children live in father-absent homes. One in three (34%) Hispanic children, and 1 in 4 (25%) white children live in father-absent homes. In 1960, only 11% of children lived in father-absent homes.
    Children who live absent their biological fathers are, on average, at least two to three times more likely to be poor, to use drugs, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems, to be victims of child abuse, and to engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents.
    Even after controlling for income, youths in father-absent households still had significantly higher odds of incarceration than those in mother-father families. Youths who never had a father in the household experienced the highest odds.
Source: Harper, Cynthia C. and Sara S. McLanahan. “Father Absence and Youth Incarceration.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 14 (September 2004): 369-397
    A 2002 Department of Justice survey of 7,000 inmates revealed that 39% of jail inmates lived in mother-only households. Approximately forty-six percent of jail inmates in 2002 had a previously incarcerated family member. One-fifth experienced a father in prison or jail.
Source: James, Doris J. Profile of Jail Inmates, 2002. (NCJ 201932). Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, July 2004
    People in general talk about the problems of society.  They talk about solutions.  Politicians work at telling us what the problems are and how they are going to fix them.  They are always talking about new programs they are going to invent and then we get to pay for it.  Unfortunately, most of the solutions proposed are humanly invented and the opposite of God’s plan for the world.

“The best thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother.”
Discussion:
What a “real man” is.
What a “real man” is NOT.
What is the God-factor in a real man?
How do we make a real man?

Men, ask God how you can be a better man and dad.  We can always improve.

6/9/13  DESIGN FOR LIFE - Communion

The World’s Most Expensive Meals
    A chart on the Daily Infographic website offers the following list called “The World’s Most Expensive Meals”:
    At the Fijimake Gekijyo restaurant in Tokyo you can get a bowl of Ramen for $110.
    The Capital Dawg in Sacramento, California serves up “The Ultra-Dog”, the world’s most expensive hot dog at $145.99.
    The Westin Hotel in New York City offers a white truffle bagel that sells for about $1,000.
    For $1,000 New York City also boasts the “Golden Opulence Sunday”, which includes rare cocoa beans harvested off the coast of Venezuela.
    At $2,000 a slice (or $16,000 per pie) you can enjoy Britain’s Wagyu Meat Pie and its savory combination of six pounds of Kobe beef and matsutake mushrooms which sell for $910 per pound.
    And in Italy, Chef Viola’s “Louis XIII” pizza, loaded with lobster, caviar, eight different types of cheese, and seasoned with hand-picked pink Australian river salt, sells for $12,000.
    I have to admit that I am amazed that anyone could imagine something like these extremely expensive meals.  I am even more amazed that anyone would spend that kind of money, no matter how rich they were.
    What is the world’s most expensive meal?  And yet it is offered freely to all?  It is God’s gift of salvation represented in The Last Supper, the Lord’s Supper.  They’re both offered free of charge.  Jesus paid the price that we could never have paid.  He paid with His life.
Grayson, “World’s Most Expensive Meals [Infographic],” Daily Infographic (7-25-12)
Matthew 26:26-29 NKJV
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
    Communion, The Lord’s Supper, is something that the church celebrates on a regular basis.  Sometimes, when something is a regular occurrence, it can become routine.  It can be something we do and not think about what it means.  Today we want to look at what it means.
    This celebration of remembrance was one of the last things Jesus did on this earth.  Last words are very important.  Let me share a story of Chuck Swindoll as he recalled the impact of his father’s “Last Words”.
    One of my most unforgettable moments happened when I was about ten years old. My father served our country during World War II in a plant in our hometown, building all sorts of interesting equipment for the massive tanks, fighter planes, and bombers that defended us in lands far away. Dad worked too long and too hard. As a result he suffered a physical breakdown. And on its heels came an emotional trauma that puzzled everyone, including the doctors.
    I was convinced in my heart that my dad was going to die. He may have had such thoughts too, because one night he called me into his room for a somber father-son talk …. I remember leaning hard against his bed, listening carefully to a voice that was hardly more than a whisper. I thought I was hearing him for the last time. He gave me counsel on life—how I should live, how I should conduct myself as his son. The counsel wasn’t long, and then I left and went across the hall to the room that I shared with my older brother. All alone, I lay across my bed and sobbed, convinced that I would never see my dad alive again.
    That scene still haunts me. Even though my dad recovered to live … I still remember the night he talked to me. Something very significant is wrapped up in our final words. Consider the night in Jerusalem when the Lord and his disciples gathered for … what we call “The Last Supper”.  Less than twelve hours after [that meal], Jesus was nailed to a cross; a few hours later, he was dead. Jesus understood the significance of those moments and the importance of his last counsel. And so he gave them exactly what they would need to carry them through the rest of their days.
Chuck Swindoll, Embraced By the Spirit (Zondervan, 2010), pp. 11-12
    The words of the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 11:1 NKJV
1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
    Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.  We can learn from people like Paul.  We are all expected to follow Christ’s example and live a Christlike life.  What does that mean?
    It means that you deeply love God and people.  This love motivates you.  It drives you to live pleasing to God.  You want God to get honor in all you do.  You will strive to be faithful to God and accomplish His work.  You learn to love what God loves and hate what God hates.
    Following Jesus helps you set an example that other people can follow.  Remembering what Jesus did on the cross through celebration of Communion brings you closer to Him.
    Later in the same chapter, Paul wrote:
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 NKJV
17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
    23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
    27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
    33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.
    Jesus established the Lord’s Supper.  It is a memorial of Christ’s death for the redemption, liberation or salvation of people from sin and from eternal punishment.  As we share in Communion we are reminded of Jesus’ sacrifice and its significance for our lives.
    When we celebrate Communion we have a special fellowship with HIM.  There is a Greek word:  koinönia.  This is a special companionship and unity with Jesus as well as a sense of community with our local church body.  We need this kind of fellowship and relationship with both God and other believers.  Communion makes this more real and special.
    We are reminded of the gift of Salvation God has given us.  God has an amazing plan to take us into His family.  Jesus came to be our LORD.  The Lord’s Supper reminds us of that.  He is worthy to be our Lord and worthy to be obeyed.  Communion reminds us of the horror of sin and our desire to reject active participation in it.  We want to be known as followers of Jesus.
    Our service for Jesus is part of His eternal plan for us.  We will spend forever and forever in His presence.  We know that this messy world is only temporary.
    Let’s go back and review the verses we just read.  What are the key points?

See the sacrifice of Jesus.

What do you think of when it is time for Communion?
“It’s that time again.” (Routine)
“Awesome.”
“Thank you, Lord, for these great people I get to be with at church.”
“Celebration!!”
“Thank you, Lord, for the strong personal relationship I have with You.”

Share communion with someone and pray for them.

5/26/13 DESIGN FOR LIFE

Lest We Forget

    Stories of remembrance.  We all have stories of times past.  “Remember when . . .?”  This holiday weekend will bring many families together and that will lead to countless stories.  Maybe you have someone in your family whose storied “expand” every time they are told.  Memories are important.
    Because memories are important, it is common to set up memorials.  The purpose of a memorial is so that something is not forgotten.  You have pictures in your home to remind you of how people used to look.  Memorials are especially important for the difficult experiences and lessons of life.
Pictures, memorials
    People need to be reminded of the corrupt mind that comes from sinful hearts.  In Europe that have preserved concentration camps so future generations will know what happened.
Buchenwald
    Our government preserves that graves of soldiers killed in battle to honor their sacrifice and let people see the cost of freedom.
Military Cemetery in Tunisia, North Africa
    The church remembers the sacrifice of Jesus that gives us hope for life and eternity.
Empty tomb and Golgotha
    Today is my mother’s 92nd birthday.
Let’s Look at a Story
**The nation of Israel, they were slaves in Egypt
**After 430 years they were miraculously delivered, Moses was their leader
**Their rebellion in the desert caused them to wander 40 years
**Finally they were ready to enter the promised land
**They crossed the Jordan River at flood state, this takes a miracle and a major leap of faith
**Joshua was God’s chosen leader to take them out of the wilderness, across the Jordan to the Promised Land.
Joshua 3:5 NIV
5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”
    Get ready, you are going to see the awesome power of God.  Imagine going to Hudson and stepping in the St. Croix River.  And, as you do, the river stops flowing and all the water builds up so you can cross on dry ground.
Joshua 3:9-13 NIV
9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD--the Lord of all the earth--set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
Talk about a step of faith.!!!  Wow!!!!!
Joshua 3:14-17 NIV
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.
15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Joshua 4:1-3 NIV
1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,
2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”
Joshua 4:5-7 NIV
5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
    God is concerned that truth and faith are passed from parents to children.  This is one of the major responsibilities of parents.  Note that the Bible talks about when children ask the purpose of the rocks the parents are to tell the children of the mighty works of God.  Parents are not to wait till they are asked, but the memorials help keep the stories in front of future generations.
    All the truth of God, all the things that God has done are potentially one generation away from extinction if they are not passed on.  This is another reason for bringing children to church and Sunday School.  Children MUST learn not only WHAT to believe about Jesus, but also WHY.  We must encourage good questions and give good answers.
Another History Lesson for Israel – The Passover
    How did Israel finally get out of slavery in Egypt?  The last plague was when death went through the land killing all the firstborn of the families that had not sacrificed the Passover Lamb.  Review story.
Exodus 12:13-14 NIV
13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. 14 This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance.
Exodus 12:26-27 NIV
26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
    Do we have a memorial today?  We looked at memorials from the Old Testament, that were for Israel.  How about the church?  How about the New Testament?
We have the memorial of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Luke 22:17-20 NIV
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
    We celebrate this memorial when we share in Communion.  We do this regularly because we must not forget what Jesus did for us.  What are the events of His arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial and resurrection?

Jennie Evelyn Hussey (1874-1958) wrote:
King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.
    Lest I forget Gethsemane;
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.
Lyrics: Jennie Evelyn Hussey (1874-1958)
Music: William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921)
    So that I don’t forget what You did for me, Lord, keep Calvary in my heart, mind, thoughts.  Keep the truth, the cost, the reality of Your sacrifice fresh in me.
WHAT SHOULD THIS REMEMBERING CAUSE US TO DO?
Be Thankful
Be Faithful
Be Hard Working
Be Generous
Be Eternity-focused
    Prayer: Lord, help me to be
Thankful
Faithful
Hard Working
Generous
eternity-focused

5/19/13 DESIGN FOR LIFE
GOD’S POWER IS ALWAYS GREATER
    Let me start off by telling you a true story that happened approximately 2,800 years ago.
II Kings 6:8-23 NLT
Elisha Traps the Arameans
    8 When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, “We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place.”
    9 But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, “Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there.” 10 So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there.
    11 The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, “Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?”
    12 “It’s not us, my lord the king,” one of the officers replied. “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!”
    13 “Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.” And the report came back: “Elisha is at Dothan.” 14 So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.
    15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.
    16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
    18 As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
    19 Then Elisha went out and told them, “You have come the wrong way! This isn’t the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to the city of Samaria.
    20 As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, now open their eyes and let them see.” So the Lord opened their eyes, and they discovered that they were in the middle of Samaria.
    21 When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?”
    22 “Of course not!” Elisha replied. “Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master.” 23 So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their master. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.
    What an amazing story of the knowledge and power of God.  He knows what to do and will use those who are willing and submissive to be used.  Nothing is too hard for God.
    We live in a time when many Christians are fearful.  We are seeing an onslaught of evil like we have never personally witnessed.  We are shocked and disgusted by what we see happening all around.  It seems as if the foundations are being shaken on everything we have relied on.  God is rejected and mocked.
    When this is happening, it is very easy to be consumed with the fear that wants to make us give up.  We have lost the battle, so we might as well quit.  It is at these times that we must step up and put our complete trust in the Lord and be reminded that God really is in control and He is not surprised by what is happening.  The church has faced these challenges before and God has come through.
    What did the early church face?  They faced a powerful and despotic government.  But it was because of their assurance of the resurrection that they took on all challenges.  The miraculous power of God made them bold to not quit or give up.  The resurrection was their theme and they proclaimed Jesus as the risen Savior.
    Note that is was and is still the story of the power of God that gives the church victory.
GOD’S POWER IS ALWAYS GREATER
    What does the BIBLE tell us?  Let’s look at some passages and key words.
The Battle Is Real
    We wrestle not against flesh and blood.  The battle was real back in Bible times and it is still real today.
Ephesians 6:11-13 NIV
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
    Yes, the battle is real, but we don’t give up.
God’s Power is Real
    All things are possible.  Note:  A similar statement by Jesus in two different situations.
Matthew 19:26 NIV
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Mark 9:23 NIV
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
    How we look at situations makes all the difference.  We won’t see the results we want in the timing we want, but God makes all things possible.
The Battle Is The Lord’s
    David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17:46-48 NIV
46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
    David’s confidence in God was not diminished.  He sensed in His heart that God was leading him and nothing was going to stop him.
God Empowers His People
Acts 1:8 NIV
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
    The power of the Holy Spirit will take us to spiritual places and victories we never thought possible.  The Spirit empowers us to be overcomers.
The Battle Is For Eternal Souls
John 3:17 NIV
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
    This is the foundation of all the struggles we face.  It is about trying to keep people from receiving Jesus as Savior or to get them to walk away when things get hard.  Bottom line: Jesus came to save souls.
    How do we see that happen?
God wants to use us just as He used Peter.
Acts 2:37-39 NIV
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
    The power of the Holy Spirit had just been poured out on the church.  They waited for the power Jesus promised, and, when that happened Peter preached a sermon that brought 3,000 people to the Lord at once.
    The work God has called us to do has nothing to do with our ability to tell a funny story or impress others with our eloquence.  It has all to do with speaking with the power of the Spirit of God as He stirs hearts and exposes sin.  As the Spirit uses a person results come.
GOD’S POWER IS ALWAYS GREATER
    We can read what happened in the Bible times.  Many doubt anything like that can happen today.  Is it possible to see the supernatural today?  Can we, just ordinary people see it?
    One of the missionaries we have supported for many years, who has been here several times, is Rocky Grams.  God has used them in Argentina in awesome ways.  Here are just a few of the examples he has shared in the past few months.
    A phenomenal beginning to the marriage retreat. Serarfín and Alva Contreras ministered to us about “God’s Design for Marriage.” It has already been worth the eight hours of travel to get here.
    A tremendously impacting message today in the Missions devotional. Tony Pedrozo was very much used of the Holy Spirit.
    What an evening service at IBRP! Many tears of commitment at the altars! The disposition to pay the price to take the Gospel to the most oppressed regions. Ric Shields preached and shared many testimonies about the persecuted Church and the perilous times we live in. Help us, Lord, to be true to your purposes.
    God is at work! The worship at Avance Cristiano today was so deep we almost could not make the transition to the Word. The Lord used Norman Knoodle once again in such diverse ways. Baptisms in the Holy Spirit, physical healings and healings from anguish along with very specific an confirmed words of knowledge. The service started at 10:00 A.M. and we were still there praying for people at 1:15 P.M. As we were walking out the door, Sabrina and her mother came up and excitedly told us that God had placed the arches in both of Samantha's feet. I insisted that she take her tennis shoes and socks off and we wet her feet and had her walk around on the bare floor. The wet footprints showed perfectly formed arches! God is so good.

    These are just a few of the hundreds of stories that are coming out of the Bible School and the churches.  These are happening NOW.
    Lord, do Your same work here.  SEEK GOD AND THE FULLNESS OF HIS POWER both here when we are together and when you are at home praying.
Questions about seeking God, His fullness and the power of the Spirit.

5/12/13 DESIGN FOR LIFE

Mothers’ Day

Our Creator’s Unique Design

Pastor Reflects on His “Mama’s” Love and Prayers
    E. V. (Ed) Hill, who pastored Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, tells the story of how “Mama’s” love and prayers changed his life. During the height of the Depression, Hill’s mother, who had five children of her own, didn’t have enough food to go around, so she sent four-year-old Ed to live with a friend in a small country town called Sweet Home. Ed just called her Mama. As he was growing up in Sweet Home, Mama displayed remarkable faith which led her to have big plans for Ed. Against nearly insurmountable obstacles, Mama helped Ed graduate from high school (the only student to graduate that year from the country school) and even insisted that he go to college.
    She took Ed to the bus station, handed him the ticket and five dollars and said, “Now, go off to Prairie View College, and Mama is going to be praying for you.” Hill claims that he didn’t know much about prayer, but he knew Mama did. When he arrived at the college with a dollar and ninety cents in his pocket, they told him he needed eighty dollars in cash in order to register. Here’s how Hill describes what happened next:
    I got in line …, and the devil said to get out of line …, but I heard my Mama saying in my ear, “I’ll be praying for you.” I stood in line on Mama’s prayer. Soon there was [another new student ahead of me], and I began to get nervous, but I stayed in line …. Just about the time [the other student] got all of her stuff and turned away, Dr. Drew touched me on the shoulder, and he said, “Are you Ed Hill?” I said, “Yes.” “Are you Ed Hill from Sweet Home?” “Yes.” “Have you paid yet?” “Not quite.”
    “We’ve been looking for you all this morning,” he said.
    I said, “Well, what do you want with me?”
    “We have a four-year scholarship that will pay your room and board, your tuition, and give you thirty dollars a month to spend.”
    And I heard Mama say, “I will be praying for you!”
Martha Simmons & Frank A. Thomas, editors, Preaching with Sacred Fire (W. W. Norton & Company, 2010), pp. 707-708
    People are in the world because of the Creator.  God made everything.  He made us to communicate with Him.  As the Creator, He made everything the way He wanted to make it.  His creative ability is beyond our comprehension.  He didn’t just make one kind of each thing and say “That’s good enough”.  He didn’t just create one person and make everyone else like the first one.  When He made trees and flowers and dogs and fish and all of creation, He was lavish in His creativity and variety.  He did an amazing job of creation.
    God not only created vegetation and animals, He created people.  People are His highest creation.  He made people with great variety.  We have different colors of skin, different sizes, different skills, likes and desires.  Variety is something that describes all of God’s creation.  One universal aspect of His creation of people is that all are allowed to share in a special relationship with Him.
Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
    Because we have been created in His image, God made people with the desire for relationship with Him.  He also made us with a desire for relationships with other people.  He gave us roles to play within the human race and these relationships.  When God got to the end of creation He saw that it was all very good.
    God created Adam and Eve in his own image  so that He could have a loving and personal relationship with people.   He gave us a free will so we can worship and serve Him.  Sin broke the relationship with God.  He promised to send a Savior to redeem the human race from sin’s consequences.
    Men and women were both created in God’s image and likeness.  We can respond to God and have a unique personal relationship with Him.  People possess a moral likeness to God.  This is why we intuitively know certain things are right or wrong.  When Adam and Eve sinned, that moral likeness to God was corrupted.  Salvation renews that moral likeness. 
    God created the family as the foundational social unit of society.  God gave us marriage as the foundation for families.  Marriage is an institution of God.  All our thinking on the subject has its basis in the divine revelation, the Holy Scriptures.  God Himself was the originator of it when He  said, “For this cause a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh.”  It is apparent that our maker instituted this as an experience of love, to provide his own idea of a proper social order and to provide that through well-ordered families, truth and holiness might be transmitted from one age to another.
    God made the woman to be the wife and the man to be the husband.  Genesis 2:18, 24 NKJV
18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
    As a result of their love and marital intimacy, God designed that children would be born.  New life is created.  God’s design included the plan that it really takes both the mom and dad to raise the children.  We know it is possible for single parents to be effective in raising their children, but His plan from the beginning was for marriage to produce families.
    The unequaled creative power of God didn’t just make men and women the same.  He made them unique.  In their uniqueness they add so much to the home and relationship.  One of Satan’s lies is that these differences are bad.  No, God never made anything bad.
    This is mothers’ day.  Let’s look at some of the uniqueness God created in mothers.
    In 1963 there was a popular TV commercial for Bayer Children’s Aspirin.  Little Mike rings the doorbell of a friend asking if she can come out and play.  The mom says no, she is sick.
“Does she hurt and have a temperature?”
“No, I gave her Bayer Children’s Aspirin.”
“My mother gives that to me when I’m sick.”
“That’s cuz she loves you.”
“Mothers are like that, yeah they are.”
Questions for discussion:
What is the nature of a mother?
What are the attributes of mothers?
Is being a mother demeaning to a woman?  (We know it is not. Then why do so many people in our modern world act like it is?)
What do mothers want most from their children as they are growing up?
    Remember at the beginning, the story of E. V. Hill, And I heard Mama say, “I will be praying for you!”  Many children have been encouraged during hard times by that thought.
    Probably the most important attribute for a mother is godliness.  All of the other beneficial and necessary attributes grow out of that one.  Godliness is the foundation.  As mom prays and lives a Christlike life, she is impacting the lives of her children in the most important way.
    What is the greatest heritage to pass on to future generations?  Genuine faith and fire.
II Timothy 1:5-6 NKJV
5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
    Timothy was greatly used of God.  He received teaching and applied it in his life.  God’s anointing on his life made him a man of impact because of what he was taught and what he applied.
    What should we do?  Give honor to your mother.  We all have a mother, honor her.  You can honor her even is she is not still living.  What’s one of the best ways to honor her?  Live a godly life.  Follow the commandment with promise.
Exodus 20:12 NKJV
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
    God will bless you as you follow this commandment, for you will be following HIS plan.
Question: what can you do to honor your mother?

5/5/13 DESIGN FOR LIFE

HEALTHY CHURCH - PRAYING TOGETHER

    We really do need friends.  Life is so much better with healthy relationships.  No one wants to end like this.
May 2011
    Actress Yvette Vickers died, and no one knew it.  Her uncollected mail gathered cobwebs outside her dilapidated Los Angeles home.  Finally acting on a neighbor’s tip, police discovered her mummified remains.
    Vickers was 82 and had long been a recluse.  The coroner said she could have been dead for as long as a year.  She died of heart disease.  She was married and divorced twice with no children.  She had one brother who was notified of her death.  She kept to herself in her later years.
    Vickers was born in Kansas City, Mo., to jazz-musician parents Charles and Iola Vedder. Entering UCLA at the age of 16, she studied journalism but left school to seek an acting career.
    What a sad ending, no friends, family.  No one even knew she was gone.
    Friendship.  How many activities do people do with the goal of friendship, fellowship, comradery?  Even some things that can have negative side effects draw people because they long for the sense of involvement and belonging they desire. 
    Many civic organizations flourish, in part, from a desire people have to be close to people and be accepted.  We all need a sense of connection and acceptance.
    This is one of the aspects of the church that we must continue to develop.  What brings us closer together and more effective for God?  There are many activities that accomplish that.  One of them, and a very important part of our spiritual life and growth is prayer.  And, praying together is an effective way of increasing our prayer life and fellowship with believers.  Praying together, bearing one another’s burdens, is very powerful.
    Let’s look at this concept of:  bearing one another’s burdens.  If we have not developed strong Christian relationships, we will probably not be open to it.  We will just suffer alone in silence.  We will be too ashamed to admit we have a need.
    Prayer together - Praying and being draw closer to God because we are drawn closer to each other in our desire to pray and engage in the spiritual battle.  Prayer is the battle.  We are all in the spiritual battle and we need one another to win.  We must carry the burdens and fight the spiritual battles together.
    A healthy church prays together and sees God accomplish His purpose.
    A quick history lesson, setting the foundation for our study.
1 Kings 16:29-33 NIV
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.
1 Kings 17:1 NIV
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
    Things were drying up in the land because there was no rain.  Verse 7 tells us that.  In the mean time God is showing His power to overcome all problems and issues.  God used Elijah in may miraculous ways, including the resurrection of a dead boy.  The longer the drought lasted the worse the famine became.
    After three years God told Elijah to go to king Ahab and then the rain would come.
1 Kings 18 NIV
1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,
15 Elijah said, “As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.” 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals.”
21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.
23 “Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it.  24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire--he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”
    As the prophets of Baal prayed:
28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
    Then Elijah prepared an altar with the sacrifice.  He had twelve barrels of water poured over it.
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.  37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.
    King Ahab was a sinner, and proud of it.  He did whatever he wanted.  He was destroying the nation of Israel.  God used Elijah to show him and the nation God’s power and righteousness.  It was a strong battle, but God won.  In Elijah we see faithfulness, prayer, faith and complete confidence in God.
Effective Praying
    Basically, prayer is communication with God.  All humanity has a natural instinct to reach out to God, to talk with Him, to rely on and know Him.  This is because God made us this way.  This is why you see people in every culture seeking God.
    Prayer is the necessary connection that helps us get to know and understand God’s plans for our lives, to receive God’s blessings and to experience his fulfilled promises. It connects us to God’s power and purpose.
    The early church understood that they needed to gather in prayer.  There was the time when Peter and John were arrested.  They boldly proclaimed the message of Jesus.  After they were threatened and released, they got together with the believers and had a prayer meeting.  They prayed intensely for the Holy Spirit to give them boldness and impact to talk about Jesus.
    Their prayer ended with:
Acts 4:29-30 NIV
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
The results:  Acts 4:31 NIV
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
There were real RESULTS when they prayed with all they had.
    The missionary work of the early church was covered with prayer.  Paul, in his letters to the churches, frequently asked people to pray for him. He knew his ministry would not be successful without prayer support from the churches.
    Jesus told the church to pray for workers.
Matthew 9:36-38 NIV
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
    Footnote from Fire Bible:
This verse expresses one of God’s most important spiritual principles about our actions and our part in his plans. Our part in the work is necessary because before God takes action, he usually inspires his people to pray. Only after they have prayed does God respond and finish what he desires to happen. What it means is that God has limited himself, choosing to accomplish his plans through the prayers of his faithful people.
    We are called to pray for workers.  We must do that.  Workers that will do what God has empowered them to do.
    Any good thing that happens is because God did it.  We are called to pray and trust God for the results.
    What have we seen today?  Let’s discuss:
**We really do need each other and will be effective spiritually as we focus together on the spiritual battle.
**God showed His power over sin and evil even when the leadership and the nation had turned their backs on Him.
**God will pour out His power, His Spirit on the church.
**We must pray for workers.  This is not just for a foreign land, but for this area as well, for Cornerstone.  Lord, help us have the workers we need to get everything done we must do for You.