"Vanity of Vanities, All is Vanity"

I have been thinking a lot about how I spend my time...and this quote from Ecclesiastes 1 in the title describes it...everything I do, I need to ask myself, "Is this going to make a difference for eternity!?" True, we must work to have income to provide for our houses...we must eat to live...we must study to be able to have income and also to teach generations below us...but I'm talking about, does everything I do, honor God, and work together for the good of His Kingdom to come? The answer I give now is "absolutely not!" The answer I would love to give is "absolutely!" Lets take a look at Ecclesiastes 2.

Verses 1-3:
"I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?  3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life."

*There is pleasure in sin for a season, and then it will vex your spirit, and you will feel guilt, and displeasure, and dissatisfaction. Walking the road with God is not an easy walk, and you may feel like you are "missing out" on all the worldly experiences, as I often have, but with walking the road with God, comes true joy, and peace, and true satisfaction. Is it wrong to have a good time and laugh? No, but look at what you are laughing at and having a good time doing, and ask yourself, "is this working together for the good of God's Kingdom?"

Verses 4-11:
"I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."

*Work is good and needed! We need shelter, food, etc., and work is how we achieve getting those things. But that's just it, are we doing this so we can have more things and more riches? Or are we doing these things so that we can have our needs met so we can live to share the Gospel? Is your labour in vain or does it have a godly purpose?

Verses 12-16:
"And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. 15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. 16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool."

*God says a lot about foolish men in the bible. They are the opposite of wise men. So this is a duh moment here, what business does a wise man have spending their time the same way as a foolish man, and in doing so, doesn't the wise man become a fool? No matter how much wisdom you have gained, you are but a foolish man if you engage in the foolish man's behavior. 

Verses 17-21:
"Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. 20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil."

* Laboring in vain will cause bitterness and vexation and hatred for life. At the end of your life, what will happen to all this laboring in vain? All these things you have worked so hard to get? Will you be able to take it with you? Nope. You leave it for the people behind you, and chances are, you'll leave it to another foolish man to go through the same thing. If you work as a wise man to work for heavenly treasures, you will get to take those jewels to heaven with you to cast at the feet in appreciation to the Savior. And the things you leave behind will hopefully go to a wise man who will continue the work for God's kingdom on earth!

Verse 22-23:
"For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?  23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity."

*Often, men work so hard, they find it difficult to stop and rest, as they feel they have to keep working to get those earthly pleasures and treasures. Also, laboring in vain brings dissatisfaction and discontent, which makes it difficult to sleep at night and rest. Also, a lack of leaving everything to God, and walking with Him, causes you to lose peace and rest.

Verses 24-26:

"There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? 26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit."

* God provides for those who work for His Kingdom's sakes. He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, as well as the basic needs for carrying on His work. Also, all the work of the foolish man, in the end, goes to the good of God's kingdom, but the person who works so hard, gets nothing from it, no joy, no peace, no eternal treasure. 

Hebrews 11:24-26

"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward."

Chapter 4 Bible Study: A Lesson on Friendship

Chapter 4: A Friendship for All Time

I Samuel 20

Friendship traits we can learn from David & Jonathan … and our best friend, Jesus!

I.                    David found Jonathan trustworthy.

a.       He trusts Jonathan to tell him truthfully why he was worried.

b.      He trusts that Jonathan is not on his father’s side or going to turn on him.

c.       He trusts him enough to tell him what is weighing heavy on his mind.

d.      Jesus is trustworthy, too. Prov. 30:5 says “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield to them that put their trust in Him.”

II.                  They were considered servants to each other.

a.       In verse 4, Jonathan tells David that he will do whatever David desired him to do.

b.      In verse 8, David calls himself Jonathan’s servant.

c.       Jesus came to serve us too. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many”

III.                Jonathan and David support each other to stay out of danger.

a.       David said he wanted Jonathan to let him know if he had done something wrong. He said, “if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself.”

b.      Later, Jonathan finds out that Saul’s anger had nothing to do with David doing anything wrong and warns David to flee.

c.       God’s word tells us many ways to stay out of danger. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

d.      They came up with a plan to keep David safe.

                                                               i.      We can let our friends know in a loving way if they’re doing something wrong. We should want to protect them by helping them stay on the straight and narrow.

                                                             ii.      We should give them godly advice and come up with a plan with them to help them stay on the right path. Not just tell them they’re wrong and headed for danger and leave them to figure things out.

IV.                Jonathan was unselfish.

a.       Jonathan was confronted by Saul and told to fetch David to be killed so Jonathan could have the kingdom.

b.      That would’ve sounded tempting had he not been a loyal and unselfish friend.

c.       Jesus was unselfish. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

V.                  Jonathan put his life on the line for David.

a.       No one WANTS to have to die for anyone, but a true friend is willing.

b.      Jonathan stood up for David against his angry father, just as Jesus stands up before God the Father and takes our sin upon himself and tells His Father that we are made blameless.

c.       Saul tried to kill Jonathan.

d.      Jesus died for us! What an amazing friend. John 15:13 says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” And I Peter 2:24 says, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

VI.                Good friends are hard to part!

a.       Verse 41 says they “wept one with another” when it was time to say goodbye.

b.      They were both very saddened at losing each other, but knew it was for the best and was God’s plan for some reason.

c.       Now days, we have telephones, but they didn’t then, so I can’t imagine how hard it was to not have any form of contact with friends we’ve departed from.

d.      Jesus even wept with Lazarus died as John 11:35 says.

e.      They made a pact to be faithful and true friends for generations to come. True friends don’t let anything come between them!

f.        Nothing can separate us from Jesus’ love! Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

-          John 13:34

Bible Study Chapter 3

I was elected as Bible Study Leader at our women's meetings on Thursday nights. I am NOT a speaker, and was very nervous about accepting the nomination for it, yet I felt that little "go on! It will be good for you!" in my heart, so I did. I am quite like Moses in my speech, and didn't know how or what I was doing! The first week I was in tears because I just didn't know how I was going to do it! God gave me strength and the words to say, and I made it through, though it was very rough. The second week was about the same, and I continued to stumble over my words. The third lesson, I decided the only way for me to not stumble through the whole thing was to write out every word I was going to say, which goes against everything I'd learned in college speech classes, but it works for me! It helps me not to leave out anything and not to say things I'd regret later and to get through it without 300 rabbit trails! So I thought, since I'm writing them out anyway, I might as well share them on here!

The name of the book we're using for our study is "After God's Heart" by Lynn Silvey. I didn't write out the first two lessons, so I'll just brief them.

Chapter 1 was called "A Matter of the Heart" and was about how and why David was chosen to be the future king. His heart was prepared for it, even though he was the youngest and least kingly. I compared it to how I was among the youngest of our women's meetings and somehow got elected as bible study leader, rather than the older, more experienced and wiser ladies.

Chapter 2 was called "The Tender Musician" and was about how David used his musical talents to help Saul through his heartache and used them for God's glory, which is how we should use our talents.

And here we are: Chapter 3!

Chapter 3: The Giant Killer

I Samuel 17:30-58

I.                    Saul heard David was there and was talking big, so Saul sent for him.

a.       He was probably worried by what was going on and wanted to see firsthand.

b.      How often do we worry or want to control things ourselves?

II.                  David tells Saul, “I got this!”

a.       He had no fear because he knew God would provide him protection and the victory over Goliath.

                                                               i.      Think of our giant – SIN.

                                                             ii.      God has provided us protection. He gives us warnings in His Word and tells us to meditate thereon, so when we’re faced with temptation, we can whip out our “sword” to fight off the giant. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any 2-edged sword.” Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

                                                            iii.      God has provided victory over our sins! I Cor. 15:59 says, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

b.      He remembered God had led him through before.

                                                               i.      God had delivered him from the lion and the bear. David, at that time, may have been thinking “Why, Lord?” Now he knows why!

                                                             ii.      God often allows rough times so we can trust him when going through other trials and so we can have “training” for future trials.

III.                Saul says “Okay, go, but, here, wear my armor to protect you.”

a.       Saul realized that David’s faith in God was great, but he thought David should be wearing armor to protect him. Many times we remind ourselves we can do it with God, but we still are looking for a “security blanket.”

b.      David wasn’t fit for Saul’s armor, so he takes it off, fully relying on God to get him through.

                                                               i.      HOWEVER, David did have armor….the whole armor of God (see Eph. 6)

                                                             ii.      AND, David knew just how big his God really was!

1.       Lynn Silvey, author of this study book, quoted Beth Moore in this chapter, and I LOVE the quote! “Anything over my head is still under His feet!”

2.       On the veggie tales episode of this story, David sings a song about Goliath and sings, “He’s big, but God’s bigger!” What a great reminder!

IV.                David gears up!

a.       David took his staff and his sling and gathered 5 stones.

b.      Lynn Silvey noted that the fact that he took 5 stones was very interesting. Numbers in the bible are often very significant, and 5 is the number associated with God’s grace and protection. Just what David needed!

V.                  The enemies come face to face.

a.       Goliath looks at David and laughs, thinking it must be a joke, and begins to mock David and God. WARNING! You better be ready for a whooping if you mock God! Gal. 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

b.      David lets everyone know that it will not be him fighting this battle, but that the battle is God’s.

                                                               i.      So God can receive the glory.

                                                             ii.      So David remembers he can only do this with God.

VI.                The “battle”

a.       They ran at each other both so confidently.

                                                               i.      Goliath confident in himself.

                                                             ii.      David confident in God.

b.      It just took one stone and Goliath was out for the count. David may have been expecting a bigger battle or to use more stones, but God guided that first stone right where it needed to go…and fast! Goliath wasn’t given a second chance to mock God.

c.       David cut off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s own sword, and the Philistines fled with fear. They knew David’s God was no joke, and they were getting out of there!

d.      Ironically all the Israelites lost their fear suddenly once the giant was gone! Sometimes we wait for God to move the mountain first, or to “prove Himself” again, but if we only had faith like David! Imagine all the things we could see God do through us! Matthew 17:20 says, “And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.”

VII.              Saul was impressed.

a.       Those who know God sometimes forget how AMAZING He is, and are shocked when they see Him work. Have you forgotten?

b.      Saul wanted to know who his father was. Lynn Silvey notes that it was most likely so he could pardon their family from taxes. God often rewards us/our families when we do what we should. But we shouldn’t do it for the reward, but God’s glory!

Phil. 4:13  says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Isaiah 41:13 says, “ For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee.”

Earthly Pleasures or Heavenly Treasures

(This one hit me super hard and I need this just as much as anyone! And I know I've talked about it some before, but evidently God was laying it on my heart again, as I have not quite gotten in through my silly human mind) I always have these vivid dreams! I don't know if its what I eat or what time of day that I eat, or my weird imagination on overdrive, but last night I had a doozy of a dream! I was outside with my mother, and we got caught in a massive rainstorm! We were laughing about it and ran inside. The next thing I know, it's pitch dark outside. I go outside with my mom and she's just standing there and I saw that there were stars out too, and I said "mom, why is it dark out!?" She said "it just got dark, it's night time!" I said, "No Mom! It's 3 in the afternoon! It's not possible!" Then I saw a very dark orange sun start to literally flash on and off in the sky, it was gradually getting brighter and brighter. It was extremely eerie! Then there was an earth shaking explosion and I had a computer screen in front of me that said "the earth will be destroyed in ... Then it had a time, and I didn't get to read it but I knew it was soon! Then the power everywhere went out! I felt as though I had to pray with my family urgently! The power came back on and things returned to normal. I was frantically still trying to tell my family we needed to pray together! My mom was saying "You need to shower and call your job!" My dad was in the kitchen saying "The world is not going to be destroyed!" And in my head in the dream I knew that's not how God had the end planned, I was still thinking "well, maybe the rapture will happen soon!" And I just kept saying "we need to pray! We need to pray! Get my brothers on the phone, because we need to pray!" The next thing I know my oldest brother is at the house saying "let me take a shower first!" And then runs off. I call my other brother and he is talking about getting a new job. Everyone was distracted and so I was frustrated, but instead of praying myself, I got on Google and Facebook trying to see if anyone else saw what I had seen. Officially we were all distracted! Then I woke up from my dream.

When I woke, I was saddened at the thought of my dream! The Lord has told us that He will return for His church, but didn't give us a time or day.(John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."& Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.")  No "End of the World!!!" Movie or publication or dream will tell us when this will happen. Yet, it's going to happen, and we need to be prepared! Even if its not in our lifetime, we need to be busy about our Fathers work! We were put here for a purpose, and we need to be aiming to achieve that purpose! (Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.") We don't know how long we have left on this earth! (And no new watch technology or internet website will tell us when we will die, our Father in heaven is the ONLY one who knows and needs to know!) Still we need to be living each day as the last we have! No, not to gain worldly pleasure before we die, but to gain heavenly treasure! There are souls that need saving, and a relationship to build further with God! Brother Ricky (the man who teaches Sunday School for us) has told us this story several times, "I always ask my wife to come sit with me and she says 'okay, let me put your laundry in' and she does that. Then I tell her again to come sit with me and spend time with me! She says 'let me do the dishes first!' And then I get so frustrated and she gets frustrated because she's doing it all for me, but she's not spending time with me, which is what I really want. We are often doing busy work for The Lord, but we need that solid relationship with Him, too!" And it always hits me twofold! As a wife, I am guilty of this, and I'm also guilty of doing the opposite, spending all my time with my husband and neglecting the work that needs to be done for him, and that is no good either, but that time with him is super important and the laundry and dishes, while still important, can wait for a little bit while I build a relationship with my husband! The same goes for our time with God. We have to have a good solid relationship with Him first, then we need to build relationships and share God with others, and THEN our last priorities are cleaning the church and stuff like that which is important, but not AS important. All the earthly pleasure time is no good! We mustn't let the world distract us from doing what we need to in our relationship and work for God. (I Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:") Yes, you need to take time to rest and relax, so that you can keep going strong, but still in that time you should be building that relationship with God through continual prayer and meditation! (I Thess. 5:7 "Pray without ceasing.") And there's nothing wrong with having a good time, as long as it's glorifying and honoring to God.(Col. 3:17 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.") Earthly pleasures are as temporary as your short time on earth. Heavenly treasure is permanent and will last all eternity! (Phil. 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain") We should strive to live our lives as if every day was our last and as if tomorrow we would be standing before God's throne for judgement. Are you building earthly pleasures or heavenly treasures today?

Ecouraging Verses!

I just finished writing a letter of encouraging verses to my brother, and I was encouraged by the verses I was writing, as well, so I thought I'd share with everyone, because everyone needs encouragement and comfort, and scripture is the best place to find it!

Isaiah 41:13
  "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."

Psalm 7:1
   "O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:"

Psalm 18:1-3
   "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."

Psalm 34:18-19
   "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."

Romans 8:28
   "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Psalm 116:1-2
   "I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live."

Psalm 103:11-13
   "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him."

Philippians 4:6-7
   "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:13
   "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Philippians 4:19
   "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 40:29-31
   "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Psalm 18:32
   "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect."

Proverbs 3:5-8
   "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."

Psalm 27:1
   "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

I Corinthians 10:13
   "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

Psalm 46:10
   "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

Isaiah 58:9a
   "Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am."

Psalm 16:11
   "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

I Peter 5:7
 "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."

Romans 8:38-39
   "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jeremiah 29:11-13
   " For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

 

 

 

   

Sermon Notes 5/19

Sorry I've been MIA...our computer went down, so I had to wait until it was fixed (as it would've been a headache to do a blog post from my phone), but we fixed it last night! So I thought I'd share the sermon notes from this morning!

Our Church's Great Future

Matthew 16:30-20

1. God Delights in using imperfect people.
   - Our condition is, for a reason, what it is.
   - You can have realistic expectations, but they could not align with God's results.
2. God uses people who we probably wouldn't.
   - Paul, who murdered Christians, was greatly used of God.
   - David, who wasn't the oldest, strongest, or most kingly, was chosen by God.
   - Peter had "foot in mouth" disease, we must be careful not to do the same.
   - We have to be adamant about doing what God tells us to do.
3. We are the temple of God: Eph. 2:20-21
   - "This Building" (the church...the people) must be built on a firm foundation!
   - We need all the parts to be complete and useful.
   - The church will NOT be full of perfect people until we are at home in Heaven.
     +But we should aim not to be hypocrites.
     +We can accomplish GREAT things with Him.
4. The Lord uses everyday people.
   - No experience needed, entry level job ;)
   - Jesus is a builder - not a lawyer, doctor, millionaire, etc.
     + If we follow Him, results are guaranteed. The gates of hell will not prevail against us!
          (Matt. 16:18)
5. Satan leads a doomed army
   - He's so stubborn that he knows he will lose, but still fights without stopping.
   - There's NO chance of him winning.
   - Jesus has already won! "It is finished"
   - You're a victor because of Christ, if you're saved, and no one can take that away!
   - We're here to honor and glorify HIM.
6. We should let Christ REIGN in our lives!
   - God placed responsibility on us of winning the lost, the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20)
   - We can only do that by following Christ and letting Him reign in our lives.
   - Put Him FIRST!
   - How can we expect change in others if we don't change?

Commit yourself to Christ!!!

 

(and I think we should have a song.)

 

 

 

Sunday School AND Sermon Notes 4/14/13

I enjoyed the Sunday School and Sermon today, so I wanted to share both (not that I ever don't enjoy either!) The Sunday school lesson is from the outline Brother Ricky makes for us each week, with the questions we use to discuss. I encourage you to answer the questions, and take some time researching if you want to know more. We always think and discuss a lot on Sunday mornings!

Sunday School - "How's My Walk With God?" Series, Bauman Road Baptist Church
4/14/13 "Don't Steal The Show" With Brother Richard Robinson

(Below is all from the outline Brother Ricky makes for us each week.)

We have a tendancy to think more highly of ourselves than we should. The day we attribute God's success to our own account, is the day we start going down hill.

Discussion...Acts 14:8-20
⁸ And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:

⁹ The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

¹⁰ Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

¹¹ And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

¹² And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

¹³ Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

¹⁴ Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

¹⁵ And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

¹⁶ Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

¹⁷ Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

¹⁸ And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

¹⁹ And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

²⁰ Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

(Thought Provoking Questions:)

• How were Paul and Barnabus presented with the opportunity to "steal the show?"
• What are some of the tricks that are being used today (in Christian circles), in order to "steal the show"?
• Are we guilty of misrepresenting ourselves and our relationship with the Lord?
• How would you compare this misrepresentation of our relationship with the Lord, with what other shysters out there are doing?
• Can you recall a time when you were tricked into doing something, and how it felt?
• When it comes to ourselves, many times we don't deceive people, and yet know they are mistaken and do nothing to set things straight. Is there a difference?
• What do you know about stoning? How was it done?
• When Paul was being stoned, do you think he thought about Stephen?
• "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me." Lets talk about what we say, and stoning people.
• After being stoned, Paul got up and walked back into the city. Do you think he was doing so in defiance, to show them he wasn't afraid of them? Why do you think he did it?
• In your opinion, what was today's lesson all about?

Romans 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

Sermon -  Bauman Road Baptist Church - Sunday AM service
4/14/13 "Paul's Prescription for Peace and Joy" With Brother Adam Johnson
(aka Pastor Hubby to me!)

I Thess. 5:16-18

1.Rejoice Evermore

• Nothing should drag us down because we have been saved!
• Bad things will happen, but we always have something to be joyful about!
• Not always happy outside, but inward joy!

2. Pray Without Ceasing

• Take the time to pray for others (and not just a "bless them" type of prayer) and for ourselves
• We have not because we ask not or we ask amiss

3. Give Thanks

• Not just for food!
• Thank God for all He has given us!
• Thank God for all He has NOT given us!

Psalm 145:17-18

1. We have to embrace God in faith to feel the joy

• "I'm crucified with Christ" - the old guy is dead!

2. Give your heart to God (Romans 10)

• Not half-hearted, but WHOLE heartily
• be sincere!
• if not, don't expect the joy and peace

3. Obedience

• God's expectation is perfection
• We can't be perfect, but it's not a licence to sin!
• If we're not obedient, we will fall HARD!
• Follow God's word! Not man's word, or priest's, or anyone but God!
• Believe God's Word and Apply It!

Phil. 2:1-11 - The purpose of our existence - Glory to God!

1. Godly service requires Allegiance

• God HAS to be #1!

2. Godly service requires Genuine Love

• If you can't love your brother who you can see, how can you love God whom you can't see?
• If your left arm offend you, cut it off! Don't let anything keep you from serving God!

3. Godly service requires humility (James 4)

• Jesus hasn't changed, why has the church (we) felt the need to? To put on a show to make us look better!?
• Service doesn't have to be made fanciful!

God expects us to be joyful! He has given us Joy and Peace! (not happy on the outside or to put on a fake smile, but to be truly joyful!)

And I know I've already posted this song before, but it is one of my VERY favorites and we sang it in worship this morning! So, I'm sharing it again:

 

Proverbs 31:27

Proverbs 31:27

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

This morning I was determined to write another blogpost for myself and for whoever else may read. I say every time I go to write a blogpost that I'm just going to sit down, write a blog, then get up and do laundry, dishes, vacuum, etc. etc. etc. (and yes I just said this aloud like the king in The King and I...lol) Well, I sit down, write a blog, then I check my e-mail, then I check my facebook, then I watch videos on youtube, then I check pinterest...and you get the drift...before I know it it's 1:00 on my only day off (and only good time I have to really clean and do things around the house) and the only productive thing I've done is write a blogpost...ugh. Then my back hurts from sitting in the computer chair so I have to go lay down until it stops hurting and there goes some more time. So, this morning I kept saying to myself "Sit down, write a blog, get up!" I wasn't sure what I was going to write about quite yet, so I searched through the chapter of the virtuous woman (after all this is what the blog is all about) and I came to this verse...PERFECT for me today! I waste way too much time doing pointless stuff...I mean truly pointless! What good is looking at videos on youtube going to do me? It's just a distraction and an excuse to procrastinate longer on what I really need to be doing! Why do I do it? Probably 1 or 2 reasons. 1. LAZY...that's all there is to that one... 2. Worn out and tired from working a full time job all week and feel like I dont have enough energy to get around to cleaning. Well, if I'm tired, watching videos on youtube is NOT going to make me less tired to get stuff done. I need to take a little catnap, or exercise, or eat a healthy meal to charge me. Maybe even all 3. Also, if you take better care of things and get done what needs to get done, you can be able to sleep better at night. If it's being lazy, I just need to get started....that's the hardest part! Once you get started, it's not so bad! (and yes, I'm talking to myself here...a self pep talk! lol) And you feel much better and can relax once it's done! AND YES we do need a day of rest...this is what Sunday should be for...after all the work for the week has been done! God worked hard and created the world in the 6 days and THEN rested on the 7th...He should be our example in all we do. So that's what I have to say about that...but all of that is just blubblering...what really matters is what God's word says! So let's see some other verses!

Verses about not being lazy/idle:

Prov. 18:9 "He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster."

Prov. 6:6-11 "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man."

Prov 10:4 "He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich"

Prov 21:25 "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour."

2 Thess. 3:10-12 "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."

2 Cor. 9:6 "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

So what does a virtuous woman do instead of idleing?

Grocery Shopping (for healthy food while being wise with the money...)(or gardening is even better! Healthier and cheaper...the more work you put into it, the more rewarding the outcome):
- Prov. 31:14 "She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar."
- Prov. 31:16 "She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard."

Budgeting for wise use of money:
-Prov. 31: 18 "She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night."
(Also note how she considered the field, in verse 16, before buying it)

Cooking:
-Prov 31:15 "She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens."

Providing clean clothes for her and her family to wear (for us this means laundry, buying clothes when they NEED something [this is the problem...we like to clothes shop in abundance sometimes...be wise with the money, but provide for the needs], or sewing and mending clothes (again cheapest and most rewarding.):
-Prov. 31:19 "She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff."
-Prov. 31:22 "She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple."

Meditating on Scriptures:
-Joshua 1:8: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

Teaching scripture (and how to live them) to her children and being a good example:
-Deut. 6:6-7 "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."
- Titus 2:4-8 "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you."

Get some exercise (although, if you're working hard enough, it's a good workout in itself):
Prov. 31:17 "She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms."

Prepare for rough times ahead of time:
-Prov. 31:21 "She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet." (also applies to providing clothing for your family)

She brings in money, too, with her craftiness:
- Prov. 31:24 "She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant."

Keeps her home tidy and orderly:
- Prov. 24:3 "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:"
- Prov. 14:1 "Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."
(Also in Titus 2:5 above "Keepers at home"...Part of being wise with money is taking good care of the homes we have. If you let your house get dirty and gross, it gets worn down a whole lot faster, and you have to spend a LOT more money on repairs than you would have to on upkeep. Also, it's important to keep your family healthy, and isn't a family healthier if there isn't dirt and grime floating around everywhere? And our God is ordly in everything, so shouldn't we be too? Now, I'm not saying the virtuous woman's house has to be spotless at all times...it can be lived in! Just orderly and well kept. But, don't focus on the cleaning so much that you miss important time with God and your family)

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men"

Col. 3:23

Spiritual Drift: Sermon Notes 4/7/13

These are sermon notes from my husband's sermon today...I always enjoy hearing him preach:

Pastor Adam Johnson : Bauman Rd. Missionary Baptist Church : 4/7/13

Things that cause us to drift:

 1. Time
       A) We can grow weary of good (Galatians 6:9)
       B) We can lose the ferver of our devotion (Revelation 2:4)
       C) We can rest on past laurels and quit pressing forward (Phillipians 3:13-14)

2. Familiarity Breeds Contempt
     A) As we are familiar to the truth, it can seem common place to us
     B) We may lose our sense of novelty about it
     C) We may take it for granted
     D) We can stand in danger of losing our first love

3. Society
     A) Modern opinions easily seduce us (I Cor. 15:33)
     B) Being bombarded by secular humanism, false religions, and fake Christianity can cause us to waver
     C) These can move us away from the simplicity in Christ (II Cor. 11:2-3)

4. The Flesh
     A) Our warfare is not without, but also within (I Peter 2:11)
     B) Our flesh is constantly waging war with our souls (Galatians 5:16-17)

So, How do we keep from drifting?
TRUST in the LORD and His provision!
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."