Ready--Ps 23:1

Ready Ps 23.1

“Grandma, look at what I found!” The young North Korean girl was so excited. She was holding something she had never seen before. The grandmother looked at it with her failing eyes but could not make out the details. So she called the girl’s mother. Her daughter began to reads the words printed on the well-constructed plastic balloon. “The Lord Jesus loves you. Your brothers and sisters have not forgotten you. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” The grandmother exclaimed, “It’s Scripture! They’ve sent us Bible verses on a balloon! Please keep reading.” The plastic balloon held words of encouragement; It contained a message from Christians in the West and over six hundred Bible verses taking the reader from the creation, to the cross, to the second coming of Jesus Christ. In the last decade, over one hundred thousand of these “Scripture balloons” have been floated into North Korea.

Since it is unlawful to share the Gospel in North Korea, believers in neighboring countries have found a way to get the Gospel in. They share the Gospel and the North Koreans receive it at the risk of their own lives.

How about Seminole County and Wewoka, Oklahoma? Is it legal to share the Gospel here? In most places and cases, the answer is “yes”. Yet most of us are not sharing our faith? Why is that? We’re not bad people, we’ve just bought into a cleverly crafted way of thinking that says, I’m just not quite ready…….

So when will we be ready? When no longer have any unmet needs. Let’s turn to Ps 23 and find out how long that will take.

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. (Ps 23:1)

Do you truly lack nothing? Most of us, when we read that, read it this way: “The Lord has met all my spiritual needs by saving me through the Lord Jesus Christ; however, I still have some physical, mental and emotional needs.”

But, let’s read it one more time. …there is nothing I lack.

If Ps 23:1 is true (AND IT IS) and if we still think we have needs, there must be some secret we’re missing. Turn with me to Phil 4:12.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Ah, there is a secret. So where do we discover that secret? We’ve no farther to look than verse 19 of this very chapter!
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19)

That’s a pretty stunning realization, isn’t it? The Lord Jesus Christ HAS met all your needs; and met them not according to the need but according to HIS GLORIOUS RICHES!

Therefore, all of your needs HAVE BEEN MET. This is the secret of contentment and the foundational truth behind The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

Because you lack nothing, you are ready to share the Gospel right now…

Most of us are thinking, “wait a minute, I’m still not ready”

Not ready because I have some wants and many of those “wants” are noble…

The sobering truth is that what we’re really saying to God is “Lord, you HAVE met all my needs according to Your Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus---BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH!”

Our wants will always hinder us from sharing the Gospel no matter how noble or selfish those wants.

The Lord knows us much better than we know ourselves and He knows exactly what we need. AND HE HAS GIVEN US EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED!

The only question that remains is thisà Will you trust God? Trust Him by releasing all your wants to Him because you are gratefully content that He HAS met all your needs according to His Glorious Riches In Christ Jesus. He IS your Shepherd and there is NOTHING YOU LACK!

There are men and women and boys and girls in your world that are waiting to hear the Gospel from you and in almost all cases, they’ll be grateful to you for sharing no matter what the outcome……….

So the question is---from the Still Small Voice
Do you trust me?

3 Tough Questions for the Church

Those passionate about God and this Church are always asking these questions:
How do we grow this church?
How do we turn members into ministers?
How do we develop church members?

What if instead of How do we grow this church, you asked how do we transform our community?”

What if instead of how do we turn members into ministers, you asked how do we turn members into missionaries?

What if instead of How do we develop church members, you asked how do we develop followers of Jesus?

(adapted from Reggie McNeal)

God's Purpose for Your Life (2 Chron 7:14)

I know two things about you that you don’t know I know:

1. Your life is turning out differently than you expected.

It’s OK that your life is turning out differently that you expected because if you’re a Believer, then God’s plan is always working in your life IF you will allow it to!  Without violating your free will, He is orchestrating circumstances to move you into His perfect plan for your life.  The bottom line question in all things is “do you trust Him?”

2.Deep inside you there’s something that says “my life must matter”.

Whether your life matters or not is totally up to you but its NOT about “trying harder or doing better”; its about understanding this fundamental truth about human nature and spiritual thingsà If you are a Believer, then your “flesh” will always demand that you seek security, comfort, pleasure and ease.  While there’s nothing inherently wrong with these things, they were intended to by BY-PRODUCTS of life, not the PRIME PRODUCT!  If you pursue them as the prime product, then your flesh will always be in control and your life will NEVER matter like it was intended to!  On the other hand, as a Believer, your spirit will always guide you to seek the things that please and honor Christ.

Luke 9:23…"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Matthew 10:38-39à and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

1 Corinthians 15:31 I die every day—I mean that, brothers…

SO----we know that, as a Believer, your life is turning out differently than you expected and that’s happening b/c God knows what’s best and because He wants you to learn to trust Him!

AND----As a Believer, your life WILL matter as long as you life by the spirit and not by the flesh.  Living by the spirit is not a one-time decision; it is a way of life and here’s exactly how you can begin to pursue such a life:

So, how do we need to change if we are to go with God?

 
If My people

Please don’t ever take for granted what it means to be “My people” (KJV uses the phrase “my people” 217 times).
Humble themselves

Matt 11:29à Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Pray

Personally (Lord, teach us to PRAY)

Corporately (My Father’s House shall be called a house of PRAYER)

 
Seek my Face

Seek His Hand (intercession for physical/other needs)

Seek His FACE (Phil 3:10)

 
Turn from their wicked ways

 

Isa 59:1-2 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Joel 2:12-13 Even now," declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God…

James 5:16 The effectual fervent prayer of a “CLEAN HEART” availeth much.

 

If we always do what we always did, we’ll always get what we always got!  And up till now, we’ve perhaps been disappointed that our life is turning out differently than we expected.  We found out today that is part of God’s better plan.  His paths are always better AND they teach us to trust Him!

 

If we always do what we always did, we’ll always get what we always got!  And up till now, we’ve perhaps tried to live by the flesh and the spirit.  It will never work.  One of them has to die every day.

 

So let me ask you personally, DO YOU TRUST HIM?  DO YOU TRUST HIM ENOUGH TO LIVE BY HIS SPIRIT?  DO YOU TRUST HIM ENOUGH TO ASK HIM TO CRUCIFY YOUR FLESH EVERY DAY?  DO YOU TRUST HIM ENOUGH TO SURRENDER COMPLETELY TODAY TO SURRENDER COMPLETELY TOMORROW AND EVERY DAY THAT FOLLOWS?

Making a Difference

For the last several months, I’ve experienced a deep desire to pray for revival in the Churches of South Canadian Baptist Association. I would like to invite you to join me in humbling ourselves before our Holy God in earnest, focused, Holy Spirit engaged prayer. Some of our Churches are experiencing significant challenges, others are seeing amazing results while others are relatively unchanged. In each situation, the Holy Spirit is at work accomplishing the Purposes of our Great and Good God.
Praise and criticism are both imposters so we don’t want to assume we fully understand all that is transpiring spiritually. Let us instead, continue to humble ourselves before a Holy God and continue to seek His Face and continue to entreat Him to help us have the courage and willingness to allow Him absolute, unconditional access to our lives.
He is moving powerfully and for that I am deeply grateful and deeply joyful but we also must realize that He often chooses paths for us that (like Job) appear in the short term to be dark and difficult days but will, ultimately, turn out for our Good and His Glory!
Yours Toward A Great Awakening in SCBAOC Churches,
Tim Green

Christian Service

"To know the Word of God, to live the Word of God, to preach the Word, to teach the Word, is the sum of all wisdom, the heart of all Christian service."

—Charles E. Fuller

The Bible

We do not wish to abolish teaching and to make every man his own master, but if the curates will not teach the gospel, the layman must have the Scripture, and read it for himself, taking God for his teacher."—William Tyndale

Vote for James Lankford on August 24, 2010

At the heart of many of the problems facing our country stands an institution under siege. That institution is the American family. The best way to ensure a strong nation is to have strong families. To make this happen, I will join other like-minded men and women in Congress next year to create policies that encourage—not tear-down—our families. Any part of our government structure that has a penalty for marriage must be eliminated.
Forty years ago, if I asked you, “What is a marriage?” you would say, “It is a husband and wife committed to each other for life, of course.” But now every part of the family structure is under attack. Marriage should be defended as an institution between one man and one woman. Words like marriage, family, life and work ethic all have meaning and great significance in our culture.
In 1996, the Defense of Marriage Act legally defined marriage and affirmed each state’s right to protect marriage. Families must continue to be honored and protected.
The most basic principle in our country is the right to life. We must have a culture that promotes life from conception to natural death. Every child should be protected, especially in the womb. Abortion causes the death of a human being and must be stopped as unjust and inhumane. Life begins when a cell is dividing and self-replicating. The difference between a baby in the womb and an adult is time.
States should have freedom from the federal mandates in education. Public schools should be accountable to parents and community for results. No parent should be trapped in a school that chooses not to make the hard choices necessary to educate his or her child. Private and home school families should be honored and protected.
We must have tougher laws, stiffer penalties, and aggressive prosecution of child pornographers and child predators.
James Lankford

Am I Prepared to let God...........

Am I prepared to let God grip me by His power and do a work in me that is worthy of Himself? Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God's idea of what He wants to do for me, and He has to get me into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost I will let Him sanctify me wholly. (Chambers)

Praying for Revival

For the last several months, I’ve experienced a deep desire to pray for revival in the Churches of South Canadian Baptist Association. I would like to invite you to join me in humbling ourselves before our Holy God in earnest, focused, Holy Spirit engaged prayer. Some of our Churches are experiencing significant challenges, others are seeing amazing results while others are relatively unchanged. In each situation, the Holy Spirit is at work accomplishing the Purposes of our Great and Good God.
Praise and criticism are both imposters so we don’t want to assume we fully understand all that is transpiring spiritually. Let us instead, continue to humble ourselves before a Holy God and continue to seek His Face and continue to entreat Him to help us have the courage and willingness to allow Him absolute, unconditional access to our lives.
He is moving powerfully and for that I am deeply grateful and deeply joyful but we also must realize that He often chooses paths for us that (like Job) appear in the short term to be dark and difficult days but will, ultimately, turn out for our Good and His Glory!
Yours Toward A Great Awakening in SCBAOC Churches,
Tim Green