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Wednesday. June 19, 2024

John 1:35-51

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Father’s Day Sunday morning, June 16, 2024

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  (2Timothy 2:1-15)

Our culture has done its best to rid us of real men. We see a stripping away of manhood. Men and fathers have always been the leaders in this world and in the home. No wife will follow a wimp who only cares about having his own needs met and gets offended when things don’t go his way. Commercials picture the man of the house as incompetent, stupid, and inept. Masculinity is bad. Men are no longer necessary in the home, the military or in business. They are weak, without the ability to cope with anything, to stop looking at porn, keep a job, keep their pants zipped, or remain faithful. They can’t make a commitment and keep it. The modern American man has little discipline in holy things and is not a leader. Some men are strong physically, they visit the gym regularly, but are not by grace spiritually strong like the following Bible men.

I.  Strong Men of the Bible   In contrast to all of this we have the strong virile men of the Bible. Real men. Leaders. Men who are the heads of their homes, leaders in battle, warriors, protectors and providers.

Noah lived as the only holy man in a whole wicked world and with his three sons built a gigantic Ark that saved the human race. Abraham is the typical man of the Bible. God said of him, “I know him that he will command his children and his household that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice.” (Gen.18:18-19) When 85 years old he armed 380 men of his household and pursued four kings and their armies who had invaded and captured five kingdoms, including Abraham’s nephew. He led them in chase and fought the enemy armies in hand to hand combat, defeated them and brought back all the captives. “So he brought back all the goods as well as the women and the people.” (Gen.14:1-16)

How about Moses? This man of God, between the ages of 80 and 120, broke the back of the most powerful nation in the world using only a stick in his hand, made seven trips up and down Mt. Sinai, defeated every military nation that Israel encountered on their way to the Promised Land. Joshua led a nation of former slaves to conquer seven nations rooted in their homelands. Time would fail to tell of Samson who ripped a lion apart with his bare hands and Samuel who chopped the head off of the king of the Amalekites, and David who faced off against Goliath, killed him and removed his head from his shoulders, and “killed his ten thousands.”

Jesus tops them all. He cleared out the Temple with a whip, overturned the tables of the moneychangers, and endured the sufferings of a mock trial, brutal beating and the cross. Salvation is making us like Jesus

II. Strong Men of this Text    Take note that it is the grace of God that makes us strong. It is not that we are strong in ourselves or just in our physical bodies. Samson was not strong because of his muscles but because of the Spirit of God who came upon him. God makes strong men and fathers. Put Him first and He will make you strong. Look at the types of men in this passage who example strength. The word for strong here is power.

1. Soldier, 2Tim.2:3-4    Soldiers must “endure hardships.” Soldiers endure many hardships, especially the Marines and Special Forces. They fight wars across the oceans. Today they deploy only for a year, but our forefathers went for the duration of the war, some of them fought for four years and more! The soldier leaves home and everything that is familiar to him and all for one reason: “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” They sacrifice much to serve and protect. And they do it all to please their Commander in Chief Jesus Christ.

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Stay Connected with Grace Church!

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A paradigm shift is a radical change in a person's or organization’s way of thinking and doing. Pretty much the whole modern American church needs a paradigm shift, shown clearly by our failure to affect our culture in a godly way and win our country to Christ. This type of shift means we have been thinking and doing things wrong. We need a change that will produce exponential and lasting growth in the church. That starts immediately for our church – tonight! Welcome to the RESET. It will be in two areas.

1. Worship – singing and ministry of the members of our church body to one another. I call it “Body Ministry.” This will focus on the Presence of Christ as we praise Him in song: “God inhabits the praises of His people.” Our worship will be a time where the various members of our church minister the gifts of the Spirit to one another. We will speak to one another words of knowledge, wisdom, encouragement, exhortation and comfort, according to 1Cor.14:3. As you are worshiping, be listening for the voice of the Spirit who may be leading you to go and speak to or pray for someone else. This is the time the gifts of the Spirit will operate and He will use the members of this body to minister to one another. The worship team will be leading this and doing a lot of word ministry from the stage. I’m tired of the usual ‘sing some songs, listen to a sermon and go home.’

I realize not everyone will do this. There will be visitors who probably won’t. Some will be ministering, others will be receiving ministry, and the rest will be just worshiping, and that’s OK. If you don’t know or are not familiar with someone who ASKS to lay hands on you, just say, “No, thank you.” If he or she persists, just look at him and say, “No.” Those who go any further to minister to someone who says no, that’s called rape. There is the giving of ministry by one person but there must also be the receiving of that ministry by another. Jesus would ask people, “Do you want to be made whole?”

There will be “order” during this time, according to 1 Cor.14:26,40. There will be no fleshly exhibitions among the people. I will make sure of that. But we must be careful here because Jesus often had lots of commotion in large groups while He was ministering to the sick (Mk.3:10-12; Acts 8:6-8). I’d rather ride a live horse that could buck me off than to ride a dead horse. The best is to ride a live horse with a bridle and saddle. Forest fires are dangerous, but campfires are wonderful. Fires can be controlled and they will be here.

II. Leadership. This is the Practice of Jesus, the way He accomplished His mission, and it centers on the making of leaders. His disciples became apostles. Jesus calls us to Him that He might send us out for Him. Leadership is influence and since everyone has some sort of influence, everyone is a leader. We will begin to train leaders in this church. Say it out loud, “I am a leader! I am a leader in training, but I am already a leader!”

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But the father said to his servants, “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.” (Luke 15:22-23)

We all know God tells us to rejoice in Him at all times, whether good or bad, when we’re down and when we’re up (Phil.4:4). And He says, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” (Jas.5:13) This tells us that when Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison, they were cheerful, for Acts 16:24-25 says they, “were praying and singing psalms to God.” Check out Habakkuk 3:17-18, where the prophet says that no matter how big a crop failure he has, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord my God, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” 

Having said all that, we have to admit that it is easier to be full of joy when we have plenty and are prosperous. Famous singer and actress, Pearl Bailey, said, “I’ve been a rich Christian. I’ve been a poor Christian. I’d rather be a rich Christian.” Who wouldn’t? Joy is an inside job, but what goes on around us is nonetheless important. Financial poverty is a bigtime downer. It’s not fun to be broke or poor. 

The prodigal son teaches us the difference between being poor and rich. Much poverty is because of lifestyle choices. Some are just lazy. Some waste their lives and what they have on drugs and booze; what the Bible calls prodigal or wasteful living. This son in Luke 15 ended up in the hog pen starving because he wasted his possessions with prodigal living. A tv network journalist spent a week with the homeless people in L.A. and concluded, “This city does not have a homeless problem. It has a drug problem.” That is true of a lot of cities. Prodigal living is the cause of much poverty. But some is caused by circumstances beyond anyone's control. 

We can’t blame God for the world’s poverty. We weren’t poor in Eden and we won’t be in the New Jerusalem. Deuteronomy 28 shows clearly that poverty is a curse and prosperity is a blessing from God. 

God desires His children to “prosper in all things” (3Jn.2) just like you do for your kids. Notice what this son said when he was in the hog pen, “How many of my father’s servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger.” (v.17) That is the very definition of prosperity: more than enough! The dad made his servants prosperous. What do you think he would do for his sons? 

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May 22, 2024, Wednesday Evening.

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“Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” (Luke 15:1-2)

There’s the sword of the Spirit which we know to be the word of God. The sword is words that come from God but they are spoken by humans. Jesus wields this sword when He comes back and it comes out of His mouth (Rev.19). There is also the sword of Satan which are also words. This sword kills. A sword is not for spanking, it is for killing. It is seeking a victim. Satan’s sword are words of criticism, murmurs, fault-finding, complaining, griping, gossip, and backbiting. This sword’s victim is your joy! Satan hates your joy because the joy of the Lord is your strength, and he wants you weak. Your joy in the Lord opens the door for the gospel you share.

Unless you are a really warped psycho, if you are at odds with others, you are not a joyful person.  People who can’t get along with others (God or people) are not happy people. And “misery loves company,” which means misery is like a deadly virus, it will infect those it comes into contact with. So, don’t be critical and don’t hang around with people who murmur and complain. They will kill your joy, even the joy of the Lord, and sap your spiritual strength before you know it. Critical people hurt others and they will hurt you because if anyone will criticize you behind someone else’s back, they will criticize you behind your back. And their critical spirit will jump on you like a duck on a June Bug and stick to you like a cocklebur on a Collie. The next thing you know you will be critical of others and begin to murmur about them.

There is a spirit of criticism. Chronic critics can’t help themselves. If you get near them that spirit will jump on you and kill your joy. Critical people are not happy people, and if you listen to them you won’t be happy either.

These killjoys live to find the flaws in others. Joyless people come to church to find fault with people. They are like buzzards flying over the beautiful Arizona desert when all the cacti are in bloom and the sun is setting. (If you’ve ever lived in Arizona you’ll understand the phrase about the Arizona sunsets). So many beautiful things to see, but all the buzzard sees is some dead animal waiting for him to pounce on and devour.

Critical means, “inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily.” A critic is someone who is quick on the flaw. Jesus said that we would be judged by the same strictness or standard we use to judge others (Mt.7:1-5). Critical people condemn those who don’t agree with them, or do or say things differently than themselves. But the point of their criticism is not the problem. Their problem is their spirit; they are bent on finding fault and spreading their findings to others. Don’t let them do that to you. Stay away from these drama queens, and kings!
to read more click here: https://sites.google.com/view/gracehouseclinton/sermons

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Wednesday, May 15th 2024. 

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Sunday, May 12, 2024. A special Mother's Day Message and communion with Russell Bailey.

And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. (Luke 1:46-47)

The NLT says, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” The TPL says, “My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God! My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God!”  The Message Translation says, “I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.”

The word for rejoiced here means to jump for joy. It means to exult and to be exceedingly joyful. David danced when he was bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem (2Sam.6:14). He was leaping and twirling about. What in the world was Mary so joyful about? She was far from what her name means – bitterness. She was deliriously happy, exceedingly happy, jumping for joy happy. She was “Price is Right” happy.

Why is this young virgin, unmarried Hebrew lady so happy? She’s pregnant! “Unmarried – pregnant – happy?” Those words don’t normally go together. “Virgin – pregnant – happy” in those days can only mean one thing. She has been made pregnant by God and her child is the divine and human Son of God! Mary is the Eve of a “new creation.” (2Cor.5:17) From her and her child will come a new race of people. Human race – for sure, but also a divine race! Her descendants through her son Jesus will be partakers of the divine nature and they shall all be called sons of God. “That you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Pet.1:4) We have escaped the corruption of this present world means we don’t have the nature of sinners anymore. We do have unredeemed bodies for sure and that is the cause of our sin problem. It’s what the Bible calls, “the flesh” which is literally our body that is still aligned with this corrupt world. Everything wrong we were in Adam was crucified with Christ (Rm.6:6). That’s why Jesus is called the “last Adam.” (1Cor.15:45). As the first born of the new creation, Jesus is the “second Man.” (1Cor.15:47)

We now have God’s nature, which is holy. Therefore we are called saints. First John 3:1 says, “Now we are children of God.” We are not the “only begotten” as Jesus is, but we have been “born of God.”

Back to Mary. This is her song of praise to God because she has become a mother! Here’s what we can learn from this.  This song is all about mothers and their relationship with God.

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