basic training

BASIC TRAINING

 

I met a young man todayt hat by 19 years of age had pretty much screwed up his life way beyond the chance of getting it back on track. So he went and joined the Navy, now one year later and home visiting his grandmother for the first time, the structure missing from his life has been found and he has never been happier.

 

 

We know we should read the Bible. We know we should want to read the Bible. But almost all of us find there are times when we can’t find the motivation to read the Bible.

 

 Fortunately, we can turn to the Bible itself to regain the motivation we need.

 Here are five verses that can stimulate our desire to read Scripture:

1. To clarify the thoughts and attitudes of your heart (Heb 4:12)—When we find we’re not eager to read the Bible, our first question ought to be, “Why not?” The answer is likely to be revealed when we search the Scriptures. As Hebrews says, God’s Word “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

2. To experience joy (Ps 119:111)—The cure for a lack of motivation to read Scripture is to read more Scripture. The more we read the more it sinks into the marrow of our hearts and becomes for us, like for the psalmist, a source of joy.

3. To build up our ability to stand firm against evil (Eph 6:11–17)—If we are not currently forced to confront evil, we soon will be. The only way to be ready is to prepare now by having the “belt of truth buckled around your waist” (v. 14).

4. To become more hopeful (Ro 15:4)—The Bible is filled with stories of men and women who have endured suffering and been faithful in the face of adversity. They are examples for us of how we can be hopeful, knowing we, too, can endure.

5. To show our love for Jesus (Jn 14:23–24)—As Jesus said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching” (v. 23). To love Jesus requires obeying his teachings, which requires that we have them embedded in our hearts through God’s Word.

  Still need more motivation? Other motivations to read the Bible are so we can: be set free (see Jn 8:32), know how to please God (see 1Th 4:1–8), become equipped for every good work (see 2Ti 3:16–17), know what God says is valuable (see 2Pe 1:21), grow with other believers into a mature community (Eph 4:14–16) and reject conformity to the world as we renew our minds (see Ro 12:1–2).

We can’t have a fulfilled life if we don’t have basic training, and only the serious study of the bible can do that.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

Pray for Aimee, she entered hospice today

For Raymond, 23, and is a new dad today

Remember Joe and his shoulder

Dean and his battle with alcoholism

 

WILD FIRE

James 3:1-12

James has gone from preaching to meddling! He has just made it clear that genuine faith works. If God has changed your heart through the new birth, the saving faith that He granted to you will inevitably show itself in a life of good deeds. But now he moves from the generality of good deeds to the specifics of the words that you speak. Genuine faith yields to Christ’s lordship over your tongue. With David (Ps. 141:3), all true believers will pray, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” While the monster may never be totally tamed, if you know Christ as Savior, you are engaged in the ongoing battle to tame the terrible tongue.

In building his case that all have sinned, the apostle Paul zeroes in on the sins of the tongue (Rom. 3:13-14):

“Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness….”

It would be nice if conversion resulted in a total makeover of the mouth, but it is not so! Although we become new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), we also carry around with us the old nature or the flesh, which wars against the Spirit (Gal. 5:17). The tongue is one of the major battlegrounds in the war. To become godly people, we must wage war daily on this front.

James is a savvy pastor who knows that we won’t gear up for the battle and face our own sins of the tongue unless we recognize the magnitude of the problem. We all tend to justify ourselves by pointing to others who are notoriously bad. In comparison with how they talk, I’m doing okay. But James comes in with vivid illustrations to open our eyes to just how serious our problem is. It’s interesting that he never gives any advice on how to control the tongue. He just leaves you reeling from his portrait of how huge this problem is. He’s saying,

To tame the terrible tongue, we must recognize the tremendous magnitude of the battle that we face.

It’s difficult to outline this section, but we can organize it under four truths that we must recognize to tame our terrible tongues:

1. To tame the tongue, we must recognize that we will be held accountable for what we say (3:1-2).

Apparently the churches to which James was writing had too many men who were self-appointed teachers. In the Jewish synagogues, rabbis were highly respected and the office was often one that parents coveted for their sons. It was proper to respect the rabbis because of the sacred Scriptures that they expounded, but it was wrong to give men the honor that God alone deserves. Jesus confronted the Jewish leaders on this account (Matt. 23:6-11):

“They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.”

There’s a certain inherent prestige in becoming a teacher. Presumably, you know more than those that you teach, which means that in some way they should look up to you. Because of this, there is the built-in danger that some will take upon themselves the office of Bible teacher for the wrong reasons, or that those who took the position for the right reason later will fall into pride. If a man goes into teaching the Bible because of a secret desire for status or recognition, he is doing it for self and not for the Lord.

Because of the Matthew 23 passage, for many years I was uncomfortable with people addressing me as “Pastor.” Why not call me by my name, like everyone else? While I’ve grown accustomed enough to the title now that I don’t ask everyone to call me by my name, I hope that if they call me Pastor, they are respecting the office. But I’m also quite comfortable with being called Steve! I’m only a member of Christ’s body whom He called to shepherd His flock and teach His Word. Christ is the Leader!

James’ point is that a man should not take on the role of teacher unless God has called him to it, because teachers will incur a stricter judgment. We who teach God’s Word will be more accountable, because our words affect more people. Any time that we teach, we should keep in mind the serious fact that we will stand before the Lord to give an account!

Verse 2 further explains verse 1 (“For”). James includes himself when he says, “For we all stumble in many ways.” We’re all prone to sin! One popular author and Bible teacher emphasizes that we should not view ourselves as sinners, but as saints who occasionally sin. Well, by God’s grace I’m a saint, but I’m a saint who stumbles in many ways, not just occasionally!

James then zeroes in on the tongue, saying, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” Perfect does not mean sinlessly perfect, but rather, mature. We can never achieve sinless perfection in this life, but we can grow to spiritual maturity. One important gauge of that is our speech.

One way to tame the tongue is to recognize that we all will be held accountable for our speech. Jesus said (Matt. 12:36-37), “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Jesus was not teaching justification by works. But, like James, He was teaching that our works reveal whether our faith is genuine faith. Our words either validate that we are true believers or reveal that we do not know God. If we sin with our speech, we need to ask God’s forgiveness and also the forgiveness of the one we sinned against. Genuine believers have this sense of being accountable for their speech.

2. To tame the tongue, we must recognize its power for good or for evil (3:3-5a).

James uses two analogies here to make the point that the tongue is small, but mighty: the bit and the rudder. A bit is a relatively small instrument, but when you put it into a horse’s mouth, you can control the entire horse. The same thing is true of a ship’s rudder. It is relatively small compared to the size of the ship, but with his hand on the wheel or tiller, the pilot can steer a mammoth ship, even in a strong wind.

James’ point of comparison is not so much the matter of control (the tongue does not really control the body), but of the inordinate influence of such a small part (3:5a): “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.” James is saying, “Don’t underestimate the power of the tongue, because if you do, you won’t be able to tame it.” There may be a comparison in the sense of influencing direction. If you control your tongue, it can direct your whole life into what is acceptable in God’s sight. If you don’t control your tongue, it will get you into great trouble!

Both the bit and the rudder must overcome contrary forces to direct the horse and the ship. A horse is a powerful animal that can do much useful work, but only if it can be directed. A ship is a useful means of transporting cargo or people, but if the rudder is broken, it will be at the mercy of the wind and waves, and could result in a shipwreck causing the loss of life and cargo. To work properly and accomplish good things, both bit and rudder must be under the control of a strong hand that knows how to use them properly. In the same way, the tongue must overcome the contrary force of the flesh and be under God’s wise control if it is to accomplish anything good.

James would vigorously disagree with the familiar children’s taunt, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” James is steeped in the Old Testament, and it (especially the Book of Proverbs) has much to say about the power of the tongue, either for good or for evil. Proverbs 12:18 states, “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Imagine that all of us here today were carrying into church an unsheathed, razor-sharp, two-edged sword. It would be a miracle if we got through the morning without anyone getting cut! The fact is, we all have a razor-sharp, two-edged sword—in our mouths! We should use them with the greatest care to bring healing, not injury.

Proverbs has many other references to the tongue. For example (16:24), “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” If we all would read Proverbs frequently and pay attention to its wisdom, we would be a source of sweetness and healing in our homes and our church!

So James wants us to recognize that we will be held accountable for how we use our tongues, especially those of us who teach God’s Word. He wants us to recognize the inordinate power of the tongue, either for good or for evil, so that we use it carefully.

3. To tame the tongue, we must recognize that it is a humanly untamable source of terrible evil (3:5b-8).

James uses two more word pictures for comparison and contrast: a forest fire and tamed animals. Living here in Flagstaff in the midst of the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world, we are very much aware of the potential danger and damage of forest fires. All it takes is one tossed cigarette or one campfire that is not totally extinguished and thousands of acres of beautiful forest can be destroyed. Under control, fire is useful; out of control, it is frightening and devastating!

In verse 6, James states directly, “And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” Scholars debate as to how to translate and punctuate that verse, but however it is done, the point is clear: the tongue is a deadly, powerful source of evil that taints every part of our being. If we do not use our tongues with great caution, we are like spiritual arsonists, lighting careless fires that cause widespread destruction.

James says that the one who is careless with his tongue is the first to be defiled. An unchecked tongue is “the very world of iniquity,” that “defiles the entire body.” This goes back to James 1:26-27, where he said that true religion requires bridling the tongue and keeping oneself unstained by the world. “The sense is simply that since speech is the hardest faculty to control it is there that one first observes ‘the world’ in a person’s heart” (Peter Davids, New International Greek Testament Commentary on James [Eerdmans], p.142). Like a spark that lights a bigger fire, it not only defiles us, but also it “sets on fire the course of our life.” If you have a careless tongue it damages your entire life!

Then James goes one step further and identifies the ultimate source of the problem, “and is set on fire by hell.” Hell translates the Greek gehenna, which is a transliteration of two Hebrew words meaning, “Valley of Hinnom.” This valley, just outside the walls of Jerusalem, was where the Jewish worshipers of Molech burned their children as sacrifices to appease this pagan idol (Jer. 32:35). It later became a place to burn trash. The only other New Testament use is by Jesus (11 times) to refer to the place of eternal torment. James means that an evil tongue is set on fire by Satan himself.

Most Christians would shrink back from sins like homosexuality, molesting children, or murder as being satanically depraved. Yet we tolerate gossip, slander, deceit, half-truths, sarcastic put-downs, and other sins of the tongue as if they were no big deal. James says that all such sins have their origin in the pit of hell. They defile the one committing them. They destroy others. As a believer in Christ, you must confront these sins in yourself and you must be bold enough to confront them in others.

James goes on to use an analogy from the animal world. If you’ve been to Sea World, you’ve seen trained whales, dolphins, and seals. At the circus, you’ve seen trained elephants, lions, and tigers. But James says that there is one beast that cannot be tamed: the human tongue! He adds, “it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Being restless means there is never a time when it sleeps. You must always be on guard against it. Being full of deadly poison, you should handle it as cautiously as you would a vial of anthrax.

James does not say that the tongue is untamable. He says that no one can tame it. It is humanly untamable. Only God can tame it. James does not state that because he wants us to get a clear view of the horrible monster that we must do battle with. When the Holy Spirit controls your heart on a daily basis, over time the fruit of the Spirit will appear. These include love, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control, which all relate to the control of the tongue. To tame this terrible tongue, you must daily walk in the Spirit, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Ultimately, an evil tongue is the tool of an evil heart. That is James’ final point:

4. To tame the tongue, we must recognize that its inconsistencies are rooted in its source (3:9-12).

James points out a gross inconsistency that he no doubt had observed. Christians say, “Praise the Lord” in one breath, and in the next breath they say evil things about another person, made in the likeness of God. They sit in church singing hymns to God and no sooner get out the door than they whisper, “Did you see so-and-so? She makes me sick! She’s such a hypocrite. Why do you know what she did?” Etc., etc. James gets very direct (3:10b): “My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”

Then he points out that what often happens among Christians is contrary to all of nature. The same spring does not send out fresh water one minute and bitter water the next. He asks rhetorically (3:12), “Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh.”

His point is the same as that of Jesus (Matt. 12:34), “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Jesus also said (Matt. 15:18), “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.” The mouth is simply the opening that vents whatever is in the heart. If there’s raw sewage in the heart, there will be raw sewage gushing from the mouth! That’s why Proverbs 4:23 exhorts us, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Have you ever thought about how terribly embarrassing life would be if there were a direct open line between your thoughts and your mouth, so that you blurted out loud whatever you were thinking? Instead of your polite, “I’m pleased to meet you,” out comes, “I couldn’t care less about meeting you!” After listening to someone drone on about something, instead of, “Yes, that’s very interesting,” you blurt out, “How can I get away from this bore?”

I’m not suggesting that we should abandon politeness and become brutally blunt. I’m only pointing out that even if you control your tongue, you often have a heart problem. If you want to tame the terrible tongue, the place to start is with your heart. Work daily at taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Walk daily under the control of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:18). Renew your mind by memorizing Scripture (Rom. 12:1-2; Ps. 119:11). Memorize James 1:19-20: “This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Memorize Ephesians 4:29: “Let no unwholesome [lit., rotten] word proceed from you mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

do the math

The problem with setting your expectations too high is that we try to create what we believe is the perfect scenario for us (emphasis on “us”) and then hope God simply blesses our desires.  I think we forget that God’s plans, dreams and expectations for us may not always align up with ours. In fact, His plans may include us having to climb our way out of a valley for awhile before we reach victory.  When that happens then we get upset and tend to question God, feeling disappointed that he didn’t bless our big expectations for the year like we hoped.

What’s ironic is that God gave us the ability to dream in the first place.  He wants us to dream big and have high expectations about things in life but I also believe we have to taste disappointment from time to time to better appreciate and enjoy victory when it happens.  He wants us to be content when things don’t always go our way.  I would say and so would Paul that contentment is the key to a great life here on earth.  He has great plans for all of us that believe and follow Him.

One of the most dangerous places for our unrealistic expectations, though, is what we think God should do. Some of the most bitter and angry people I know, or who have loud voices in the culture (think of the “new atheists” like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris) are those who feel betrayed by God, so they decide He isn’t there.

That sense of betrayal and disappointment comes from having expectations of God according to how we think He should act:

• Protect the innocent from pain and suffering

• Protect the people who maybe-aren’t-so-innocent-but-not-as-bad-as-axe-murderers from pain and suffering

• Show the same grace to all of us by treating us all the same

• Give us an easy life

• If I do all the right things to be “a good person,” God should do His part to make life work the way I want it to

When we pray fervently for what we want and He doesn’t answer the way we want, many of us get angry with Him.

Many times, we pray in faith, believing God will give us what we ask for, but we ask for things He never promised in the first place. Or even worse, we “claim” them on the basis of a scriptural promise wrenched out of context, such as “all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matt. 21:22). Jesus never promised that if we believe in our prayers, we would receive what we ask for. Believing in the Bible is all about trusting in and surrendering to the goodness and character of GOD, not our prayer list. We will always receive an answer to our prayers because God is good. Sometimes the answer is “No, beloved,” because we ask amiss. Psalm 84:11 promised, “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” If God says “no,” it’s because it’s not a good thing for us. His “no” is a “yes” to something else. But because we have such a limited perspective, it is essential that we trust in the unlimited perspective of the God who sees everything.

When we feel disappointed in God, when we think, “God didn’t come through for me,” that’s the time to take a step back and ask, “What kind of unrealistic expectations did I have in the first place?” That may be a great question to talk through with a mature trusted friend who can see things more clearly. Then we can place the unrealistic part of our expectations into God’s hands as an act of worship and trust . . . and watch our anger and frustration subside.

You want less anger, less stress, less frustration?

Look at all the ways you have no control, not over anyone, not really, or situations, so what to do?

Try lowering your expectations.

No I haven’t lost my mind, but if your biggest problem is other people, lower your expectations. For example no one has esp, so why are you upset when the person you want to call and see if you’re ok doesn’t call. How will they know that’s want you want? Less expectations, less frustration. Like anything else don’t overdo it.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

ALL OR NOTHING

All or Nothing

  “Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace” (2 Thess. 2:16).

  It has been well said that “it takes a lifetime to learn real dependence upon God, and to accept practically our own inadequacy.” We are going to learn this only through experience, and now is the time to settle down to this schooling—a day at a time.

We are to understand that God loves us, and that He justifies us by the work of His Son. We have no longer conscience of sins before God, because He Himself has taken them away before His eyes; we know that being united to the Lord Jesus Christ, who has fully glorified God in that which concerns our sins, we have been made the righteousness of God in Him. So the heart is free to enjoy His love in the presence of the Father.

I no longer attempt to produce that which will satisfy God from myself as originator. I know that even if I try I shall only fail. But I do seek to please God by faith in the activity of Another. The Son of God who indwells me by His Spirit is able and willing to carry out in me ‘those things that please Him’; and I count upon Him to do so. Consciously, day by day, I take the attitude that I trust Him to work the will of God in me, and in that attitude I go forward and serve Him. I do not trust myself. ‘I live by faith in the Son of God.’

  “Comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work” (2 Thess. 2:17).

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

inside out

Before I start this devotion, I want to point out one thing, there is not one unimportant word the bible, every syllable, every sentence, every word holds a blessing never forget that the bible is not literature to be studied, it is the Living Word of God and it is to be consumed.

Genesis 6, starting in verse one; “And it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them that the sons of Gods saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all that they chose. And the Lord said, my Spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh, yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. And there were giants in the earth in those days and also after that when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved Him at His heart. And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them.

“But”,  and I thank God for that little word but, “but, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” This is the first mention of the word grace in all of the Bible, and a marvelous mention, indeed it is. And we’re going to find some sweet truths about the Lord Jesus Christ as we study together.

First of all I want to say that the flood that took place in the days of Noah was an historical fact. As a matter of fact, the archaeologists tell us that all civilizations, everywhere have a record of the flood, they have their flood legends, their flood stories. Now, they do not come exactly as the story in the Bible because these legends have been handed down through the years and of course they’ve been corrupted. They’ve not been guided as the Holy Spirit guided the writers of the scripture, to record the precise story that took place. But, we know that all of these flood legends, all of these stories root to a common source. And someone might say, well, the Bible is just one more of those legends. No, the Bible reveals the truth out of which all of these other legends sprang and from whence they grew. And but not only does archeology tell us that there was a flood. Geology tells us that there was a flood and there is great geological evidence for the catastrophe of the flood. But, I want to tell you, I don’t believe in the flood because of archeology or geology. I believe it because of Christology. Jesus believed in the flood. Jesus said, in Matthew 24: “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the day of the coming of the Son of man.” And the Bible speaks of the time when the flood came in the days of Noah and Jesus utters these words from His own lips in Matthew 24:37 and following. Jesus Christ believed in the flood and Jesus said that the last days were going to be like the days that were before the flood—as it was in the days of Noah.

Now, what were the days of Noah like? Well, all of this is by means of introduction but the days of Noah were days of apostasy and the days of Noah were days of anarchy and the days of Noah were days of apathy. Those were the days of Noah. They were days of apostasy. I read here in the Genesis 6:1-3 how the sons of God took the daughters of men and there was an inter marrying between the sons of God and the daughters of men. Now, theologians, some theologians, say that these sons of God were demon spirits that actually took human wives and their offspring were giants, Nephilim, a mighty men of renown, grotesque, half demon, half human person. Others say that the sons of God were the descendants of the godly line of Seth, who intermarried with the ungodly line of Cain and that there was no longer separation and there was a unholy mixture and I do not have time or space in this devotion to go into that except to say this, that it was a time of apostasy. It was a time of unholy alliances. But not only was it a time of apostasy. It was a time of anarchy. I want you to notice verses four and following. The Bible says, “there were giants in the earth in those days and after, also after that when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they, there bare children unto them, the same became mighty men which were of old men of renown.” But, mighty to do what? Renown in what? Well, look in verse 5, and you’ll see. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth.” Why, these were mighty men to do wickedness. They were renown for their sin and for their lasciviousness.

And then it goes on to say that, “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Now, that word imagination is an interesting word. The scholars tell us that it comes from a root, a Hebrew root word which means to shape as a potter would shape things with his hands. That is, there were new philosophies that were being spawned. There were new ideas that were being molded. Actually, men were fashioning, they were molding wicked philosophies. And with these wicked philosophies, they were espousing filthy causes. What they were doing was trying to reshape and remold society. They were trying to get perversion and vice and immorality to become the acceptable norm. To say what was good was bad, and what was bad was good and to get the people of that day to be molded into their mold. And so it was a day of anarchy. And the same sins that produced the flood are reaching to heaven in our day and in our age. For Jesus said, “As it was in the time of Noah, it will be in the end of the age.” But, not only was there apostasy and anarchy, the time of Noah, but there was apathy.

Jesus there in the scripture that we referred to in Matthew 24:37 said, that just before the flood, I mean to the very day that the flood came, they were eating, and drinking, they were marrying, and giving in marriage, and knew not until the flood came. That is, in spite of the preaching of the prophet Noah, they joist simply yawned in the face of God. Oh, these were days when nothing seemed to shake them. They were just as assured as they could be that tomorrow was going to come just like yesterday had come. Well, after, in the context of these days the Bible says in verse 8, there was a man named Noah, he found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

 Now, the ark is a wonderful object lesson. And there are perhaps hundreds, and even thousands of things that we could say about the ark, but I’ll be content if God the Holy Spirit will help me to put three of them in your heart today. First of all, I want you to see this ark and it’s symbolism. I want you to see how the ark is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to see the symbolism of the ship And then the second thing I want you to see is the salvation through the ship. I want you to see how the ark is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore what Noah did is a wonderful of what we must do if we want to be saved through the Lord Jesus Christ. So, the symbolism in the ship, or of the ship, the salvation through the ship and then I want you to see the security in the ship. I want you to see that we are as secure and even more secure in the Lord Jesus Christ than, Noah was in good ship grace.

A very simple outline, there’s some marvelously wonderful truths that we’re going to see together. Now, the ship, the ark if you will, was a magnificent Old Testament type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter tells us that in 1 Peter 3. I’m not reading into this. The apostle Peter himself tells us that Old Testament ark was a prophesy, Peter uses the word type, a type of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And I had a good time just thinking and studying and of how this ark pictures and portrays in the Old Testament here, the Lord Jesus Christ because reminder, all of the Bible is about Jesus, all of it. The Old Testament, the New Testament. Jesus is the hero of the Bible.

Now, lets notice several things about this ark as we’re talking about the symbolism of the ship. Notice, well, lets begin reading here in verse 12 now, “And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. And behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood.” Now, lets just stop right there and talk about the substance of the ship—the substance of the ship. It was made of gopher wood. And what is gopher wood? Most scholars and commentaries tell us that gopher wood is cypress. And cypress, you know, is a wood that does not easily rot. Sort of an indestructible wood, and it has become a symbol of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, in the Bible wood is a symbol of humanity. And here I think, if the ark is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ, the very fact that it was made of cypress wood speaks of the indestructible humanity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You know, a righteous man is spoken of as a tree planted by the rivers of water and the Lord Jesus Christ himself is prophesied in Isaiah 53 as a root out of a dry ground and another place He is prophesied as a rod, a stem out of the stump of Jesse and so forth. All of these are figures of the Lord Jesus Christ who was God’s mighty tree who though was cut down in His prime, cut down in His youth. ‘And so, we see something of the Lord Jesus Christ right here in the substance of the ark but not only the substance the ark, I want you to notice the safety of the ark. Look again in verse 14, the last part. And the Bible says, “And thou shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.” Now, what is pitch? That’s just sticky tar. And God said to Noah, now Noah, when you make this boat, not only do I want you to make it out of cypress, very durable wood that can take the water, but I want you just to go on the outside of it, I just want you to cover it all over on the outside with pitch. Then, I want you to go on the inside. And all over on the inside, I want you to put pitch. And of course, that was there to caulk the seams, to keep the water from coming in because you don’t want the ship to leak.

Certainly not a ship that has such a precious cargo. But now, the interesting thing, about this word pitch. It’s the Hebrew word kaphar, is that it is translated over seventy times in the Bible and other places atonement, atonement. Now, this is very important. What God said to Noah is, Noah, I want you to put atonement on the outside of the ark and atonement on the inside of the ark. It’s a wonderful, beautiful prophesy of the blood atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, just keep your bookmark there in Genesis 6 and turn with me to Leviticus 17 and I’ll show you what I’m talking about. Leviticus 17:11. Here our Lord is speaking of the blood atonement. And he says in Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” That’s the reason the Bible says without shedding of blood is no remission of sin. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood. And I have given it to you upon the alter to make an atonement for your souls.” Now, that’s exactly the same word that we just found over here in verse 14 that is rendered pitch. And I could just as well read it. I have given it to you upon the altar to make a pitch for your souls. For it is the blood that maketh an atonement or a pitch for the soul.

 The word atonement and pitch both mean covering, covering. It’s the blood that covers our sins. Oh, thank God, this is what He’s talking about. It is a covering, a seal, you see, what did the flood represent? What did the waters of that flood represent? God’s judgment. God was judging the world. And what was this atonement, therefore, to keep the waters of judgment out, you see. Oh, thank God, Noah was safe inside because not one of judgment could come through God’s atonement. I believe that’s what He’s talking about here, right here in the very first part of the, of this bookThank God for the atonement. Thank God for the covering. Thank God that not one drop of water, not one drop of judgment can come to anyone who is in the Lord Jesus Christ, the judgment cannot penetrate. But, not only do I want you to see the substance of the ship and not only do I want you to see the safety of the ship, but, I want you to see the size of the ship. Continue to read here, in verse 14, “Make thee an ark of gopher wood rooms shalt thou make in the ark,” just underscore that rooms shalt thou make and then verse 15, “And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of. The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the eight of it thirty cubits.” Now, folks, it was a large ship—three million cubit feet of space inside the good ship grace. Rooms shalt thou make in it. What is the lesson here? It was amply sufficient for all that it was intended to do. Now, what I’m trying to say here, is this dear friend, that the size, the immensity of this great ship is just God’s way of saying to you today, I believe, there’s room at the cross for you. There is room. There is plenty of room for those who will come. If you want the Lord Jesus Christ today, I say come and take because out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth and giveth and giveth again. Thank God for the size of the ship. Let’s go on and notice the shape of the ship, in verse 15. And He goes on to say or let me repeat, “And this is the fashion which thou shalt make of it. The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits. The breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it, thirty cubits.” Now, notice not only the cubit volume, but the length, the height, and the breadth. Now this was not built like an ocean liner. The pictures that you see in the children’s storybook of boat with a prow that it comes to a point, that’s not what it was at all. It was built like a box. Built like a box. As a matter of fact, it was shaped like a coffin. That was the shape of the ship. It was shaped as a coffin.

The ancient people use to make their coffins out of cypress wood and I believe that it is suggestive of a coffin, because you see, when, if the ark represents the Lord Jesus Christ, He was born to die and not only that, when we receive Him as our personal Savior and Lord, we die with Him. We’re crucified with Christ. We are buried with Christ. This ark is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But, we die with Him, that we might live with Him. Jesus didn’t come to give us death, He came to give us life, and life abundant full and free. John 10:10 tells us. But, not only do I want you to notice the shape of it, I want you to notice the structure of it. Look in verse 16. “A window shalt thou make in the ark,” and “in a cubit shalt thou finish it and the door of the ark shalt thou set on the side thereof with lower second and third stories shalt thou make it.” That was the structure of it. And in the first place, I want to talk about the door and the window. God was to control the door. Noah was to control the window. It was God, as we’re going to see who shut the door. They entered into the door, which again is illustrative of the Lord Jesus Christ who said I am the door, by me, if any man enter in, he’ll be saved, and that again pictures the Lord Jesus Christ but there was a window. And Noah could look out of the window but the window was on top and when Noah looked out he looked up. You see, God closed Noah in and God shut Noah in that Noah might look up to God. He was closed in to look up. He wasn’t to have his eyes on all of the death and the degradation and the putrefication that was going on. He had a view of heaven.

 The Bible says that we are set our affection on things above, not on things of the earth. But, you see, if that ark pictures the Lord Jesus Christ, it was in the ark and through the ark and by the ark that he knew the Lord. You see, that he worship the Father. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life and no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” I want to tell you the Lord Jesus is God’s window to heaven. I want to tell you it is through the Lord Jesus that you can worship, that you can praise, that you can look up to Him and set your affection on things above. Oh, how God’s people today aboard the good ship grace ought to be heavenly minded. But not only the structure, and incidentally, there were three stories—one, two, three stories in the ark. I believe that speaks to me of the body, soul, and spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. It speaks to me of the triune God—God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Well, there’s the structure of the ark and then there was the sustenance on the ark. If you will look here in chapter 6, and let’s look in verse 21: “And thou shalt take unto thee all food that is eaten.” Notice, that all food that is eaten. Not just the just the black eyed peas but the strawberries. “And thou shalt gather it to thee and it shall be for food for thee and for them.” Oh, the sustenance of the ark. You see, not only did Noah find shelter, he found sustenance. For Jesus not only saves, bless God, He satisfies

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

BUT GOD!

Isaiah 55:1-3

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Compassion of the Lord

55 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.

55:1, 2 In ch. 55 the Lord issues a general call to all who would call themselves by His name, to abandon the Babylons of this world and to find their satisfaction and their security in Him alone, and in that city of joy and peace that He will build. This passage is a call to revival for all who have wandered far from the Lord or from that grace which is the basis for our relationship with Him.

The human condition, we chase after things that won’t satisfy, that don’t bring any lasting satisfaction.

 

 

I remembering counseling a guy one time that was dealing with sexual addiction. The reason he came in was he just had fulfilled his ultimate sex fantasy, and as he was leaving the apartment where this act had taken place he understood that in 10 minutes he was wondering what he would do to top that, and all of a sudden he realized the lust was still there; it hadn’t been satisfied at all.

Sin is like that, lust of the flesh, the eyes, the mind; drugs, booze, sex, shopping; it never ends.

 

But God.

 

One of the greatest sermons in the bible; “But God.”

 

Only He can give us satisfaction, rest, peace, and end to self-destruction.

Come all that are weary, and He will give you rest.

 

The first move is up to us, come, seek, then He does His part.

 

It’s your move

 

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

Pray for all those searching for a good church home

 

Only God can give real happiness and lasting joy, everything else is artificial.

 

KNOW FEAR

Know Fear

Yes, there has been much bad teaching about the Holy Spirit and yes the Charismatic/Pentecostal churches have probably done more harm than good. But one thing they did right was allowing genuine emotion to be a part of Christian Life. There is nothing worse than religion devoid of passion.

In my sober judgment the relation of the Spirit to the believer is the most vital question the church faces today.

Satan has opposed the doctrine of the Spirit-filled life about as bitterly as any other doctrine there is. He has confused it, opposed it, surrounded it with false notions and fears. He has blocked every effort of the Church of Christ to receive from the Father her divine and blood-bought patrimony. The Church has tragically neglected this great liberating truth—that there is now for the child of God a full and wonderful and completely satisfying anointing with the Holy Ghost.

The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people. There is nothing about the Holy Spirit queer or strange or eerie.

Unless you are convinced that it isn’t an added, unusual, extra, deluxe something that you have to go to God and beg and beat your fists on the chair to get, I recommend that you don’t do anything about it yet except to meditate upon the Scriptures bearing on this truth. You don’t have to persuade God at all. Dr. Simpson used to say, “Being filled with the Spirit is as easy as breathing; you can simply breathe out and breathe in.”

Before you can be filled with the Spirit you must desire to be filled. Are you sure that you want to be possessed by a Spirit other than your own? That Spirit, if He ever possesses you, will be the Lord of your Life! Do you want to hand the keys of your soul over to the Holy Spirit?

Again, are you sure that you need to be filled? Can’t you get along the way you are? But maybe you feel in your heart that you just can’t go on as you are. If you feel that there are levels of spirituality, mystic deeps and heights of spiritual communion, purity and power that you have never known, that there is fruit which you know you should bear and do not, victory which you know you should have and have not—I would say, “Come on,” because God has something for you.

Here is how to receive. First, present your body to Him (Rom. 12:1–2). God can’t fill what He can’t have. Now I ask you: Are you ready to present your body with all of its functions and all that it contains—your mind, your personality, your spirit, your love, your ambitions, your all? The second thing is to ask (Luke 11:9–11), and I set aside all theological objections to this text. He chooses to have us ask; so why not ask? Acts 5:32 tells us the third thing. God gives His Holy Spirit to them that obey Him. Simply live by the Scriptures as you understand them. Simple, but revolutionary. The next thing is, have faith. (Gal. 3:2) We receive Him by faith as we receive the Lord in salvation by faith. He comes as a gift of God to us in power. First He comes in some degree and measure when we are converted, otherwise we couldn’t be converted. But I am talking about something different now, an advance over that. I am talking about His coming and possessing the full body and mind and life and heart, taking the whole personality over, gently but directly and bluntly, making it His, so that we may become a habitation of God through the Spirit.

When the Spirit presents Christ to our inner vision it has an exhilarating effect on the soul much as wine has on the body. The Spirit-filled man may literally dwell in a state of spiritual fervor amounting to a mild and pure inebriation. God dwells in a state of perpetual enthusiasm. He pursues His labors always in a fulness of holy zeal.

The Holy Spirit came to carry the evidence of Christianity from the books of apologetics into the human heart. The Spirit of the living God brought an evidence that needed no logic; it went straight to the soul like a flash of silver light.

One blessed treasure we have missed is the right to possess the gifts of the Spirit as set forth in such fulness and clarity in the New Testament.

In their attitude toward the gifts of the Spirit Christians over the last few years have tended to divide themselves into three groups: those who magnify the gifts of the Spirit until they can see little else—those who deny that the gifts of the Spirit are intended for the Church in this period of her history—those who appear to be thoroughly bored with the whole thing and do not care to discuss it.

More recently we have become aware of another group—those who want to know the truth about the Spirit’s gifts and to experience whatever God has for them within the context of sound New Testament faith.

It is usually said that there are nine gifts of the Spirit. (I suppose because Paul lists nine in 1 Cor. 12.) Actually Paul mentions no less than seventeen (1 Cor. 12:4–11, 27–31; Rom. 12:3–8; Eph. 4:7–11). And these are not natural talents merely, but gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit to fit the believer for his place in the body of Christ. They are spiritual gifts.

For a generation certain evangelical teachers have told us that the gifts of the Spirit ceased at the death of the apostles or at the completion of the New Testament. This, of course, is a doctrine without a syllable of Biblical authority back of it. The result of this erroneous teaching is that spiritually gifted persons are ominously few among us. This frightening hour calls aloud for men with the gift of prophetic insight. Instead we have men who conduct surveys, polls and panel discussions. We need men with the gift of knowledge. In their place we have men with scholarship—nothing more. Thus, we may be preparing ourselves for the tragic hour when God may set us aside as so-called evangelicals and raise up another movement to keep New Testament Christianity alive in the earth.

The truth of the matter is that the Scriptures plainly imply the imperative of possessing the gifts of the Spirit. But I must also add a word of caution. The various spiritual gifts are not equally valuable, as Paul so carefully explains. Certain brethren have magnified one gift out of seventeen out of all proportion. Among these brethren there have been and are many godly souls, but the general moral results of this teaching have nevertheless not been good. In practice it has resulted in much shameless exhibitionism, a tendency to depend upon experiences instead of upon Christ and often a lack of ability to distinguish the works of the flesh from the operations of the Spirit. Those who deny that the gifts are for us today and those who insist upon making a hobby of one gift are both wrong, and we are all suffering the consequences of their error.

The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to restore the lost soul to intimate fellowship with God through the washing of regeneration. Gifts and power for service the Spirit surely desires to impart, but holiness and spiritual worship come first.

One obstacle to the reception of power is a widespread fear of our emotions wherever they touch the religious life. Feeling and faith are opposed to each other in modern teaching. This anti-emotionalism is nevertheless an unwarranted inference, not a Scriptural doctrine. Where in the Bible are feeling and faith said to be at odds? The fact is that faith engenders feeling as certainly as life engenders motion. Faith as a cold, unemotional light is wholly unknown in the Scriptures. The Book of Acts is almost hilarious with joy.

Another hindrance is fear of fanaticism. Instinctive revulsion from fleshly excesses and foolish undisciplined conduct on the part of some who profess lofty spiritual attainments has closed the door to a life of power for many of God’s true children. They have made the mistake of putting all teaching concerning the Holy Spirit in the same category. Such victims must be taught that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus, and is as gracious and beautiful as the Saviour Himself. The Holy Spirit is the cure for fanaticism, not the cause of it.

The doctrine of the Spirit as it relates to the believer has over the last half-century been shrouded in a mist such as lies upon a mountain in stormy weather. A world of confusion has surrounded this truth. This confusion has not come by accident. An enemy has done this. Satan knows that Spiritless evangelicalism is as deadly as Modernism or heresy, and he has done everything in his power to prevent us from enjoying our true Christian heritage.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

blessed and rich, how do you beat that?

“But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom. 7:23).
Self is the believer’s indwelling enemy; its degrading bondage is his deepest heartache. However, the reign of self is overthrown by its own enmity, since it creates the needs that cause us to hunger for and appropriate Christ’s life and liberty.

“A sense of spiritual poverty is necessary to spiritual growth. This awareness of failure becomes acute to the believer during those days when he is attempting to attain holiness of heart through self-effort. Knowing what he ought to be and do, he proceeds to try to reach those goals. He purposes, resolves, promises, struggles, weeps, and fails again. His testimony, with Paul, is, ‘The things that I want to do, I do not do, and the things that I do not want to do, I do’ (Rom. 7:15).

What a delightful day it is for him when he realizes that ‘in him, that is, in his flesh, dwelleth no good thing’ (Rom. 7:18). Only then does he, in his failure, cry out, ‘Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?’ ‘I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Rom. 7:24, 25) comes back the reply. He begins to recognize that God expects only failure from the flesh, never success, but that ‘in Christ’ is his sanctification, his growth. Thus it is that freedom comes through bondage, life through death.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

prayer requests to the email sight please, blessings.

DO THE HARD PART

There are no secrets and there is no easy path.

Do the work, get the reward, that’s the only answer.

When we read or hear the words of Scripture, do we “pay the most careful attention” (Heb 2:1)? How often have you noticed that by the end of the week, you’ve forgotten the Bible reading you did only a few days earlier?

 Too often we attempt to build a framework for scriptural knowledge without first gathering the lumber and cement needed to create a solid foundation. To lay that groundwork check out this simple four-step process that could transform your life by, quite literally, changing your mind:

1. Choose a book of the Bible.

2. Read it in its entirety.

3. Repeat step #2, 20 times.

4. Repeat this process for all books of the Bible.

  The benefits of following this process will become obvious. By fully immersing yourself in the text, you’ll come to truly know the text. You’ll deepen your understanding of each book, as well as your knowledge of the Bible as a whole.

 This method is adapted from the book How to Master the English Bible by James M. Gray, so we’ll let him explain the benefits in his own words:

  The first practical help I ever received in the mastery of the English Bible was from a layman . . . One day I ventured to ask him how he had become possessed of the experience, when he replied, “By reading the epistle to the Ephesians.” . . . He had gone into the country to spend the Sabbath with his family on one occasion, taking with him a pocket copy of Ephesians, and in the afternoon, going out into the woods and lying down under a tree, he began to read it; he read it through at a single reading, and finding his interest aroused, read it through again in the same way, and, his interest increasing, again and again. I think he added that he read it some twelve or fifteen times, “and when I arose to go into the house,” said he, “I was in possession of Ephesians, or better yet, it was in possession of me, and I had been ‘lifted up to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,’ in an experimental sense in which that had not been true in me before, and will never cease to be true in me again.”

  Here are three suggestions for putting this reading plan into practice:

1. Choose shorter books—Because you’ll be reading an entire book of the Bible and not just a chapter or two, you’ll want to choose books you feel are manageable. You might want to start with a short book that has only a few chapters that can be read several times in one sitting. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and help develop the reading habit. For example, a short book like John or Jude can be read four or five times in one sitting, allowing you to finish the entire 20 readings in less than a week. And then you always have the option to work your way up to more extensive readings.

2. Read at your normal pace—Treating the material reverently does not require reading at a slower than normal speed. Read for comprehension, ignoring the division of chapters and verses and considering each book as one coherent unit.

3. Stick with the process—After the eighth or ninth reading you’ll hit a wall similar to what runners face in marathons. The text will become dry and lose its flavor. You’ll want to move on to the next book or abandon the program altogether. Stick with it. Persevere and you’ll discover the treasures that repeated readings can provide.

  Keep in mind that not every book will be equally rewarding. It doesn’t mean something is wrong with you if during one of your readings you find 2 John a bit redundant or Jude just plain boring. The Bible tells us “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching” (2Ti 3:16–17). Keep reading, and you’ll fully understand the truth of those verses.

The good news, it’s get easier and more exciting and more rewarding.

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

 

the future looks bright

  Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).

  Beware! The world, both secular and religious, is seeking to destroy your individuality by conforming you to the mass of faceless ones. But our heritage and destiny in the Lord Jesus Christ is to be conformed to His image—not at the loss of our individual personality, but by the gain of His nature and character. “I in you”; “Christ liveth in me” (John 15:4; Gal. 2:20).

Something has got to be done in us as well as for us. We want to proceed on the line of having things done for us, heaven intervening for us, our difficulties removed for us, having a straight path made for us. Heaven may be ready to come in, the Lord may be prepared to work for us, but it is not sufficient for Him—and it would not prove good enough for us—if that were all. The very principle of spiritual growth and maturity demands that He keep the objective and the subjective balanced; that is, that something is done in us as well as for us.

  “We are apt to think that if and when the circumstances and conditions of our lives are changed and we are in another position than the one we now occupy, then something will happen, the purpose of God will begin to be fulfilled. But the Lord says, ‘No, it is not circumstances, not conditions, at all; it is you.’“

  “Being confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

God bless from scumlikeuschurch@gmail.com

Pray for me, my right foot is twice its normal size and as red as a beet , very painful, it has been like this since Friday, went to the emergency room Saturday and the medicine they gave me spiked my blood pressure and some other problems; hopefully I’ll get in to see my doctor tomorrow.