Fear Not!

June 14, 2013 by

fearnot2Yesterday I posted a new page dealing with a topic that’s very personal to me.  That topic is fear.  I encourage you to read it because lately I’ve come to realize how prevalent and destructive fear and anxiety really are in the life of a believer.

Jesus said in John 10:10 the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  The thief of course is Satan and fear is one of his most powerful weapons.  As long as Satan can keep us worried and afraid then we will never experience the “abundant life” that Jesus promised to us.

Do you want abundant life?  Are you tired of living in fear?  Are there worries and anxieties tugging at your mind even now?  Read this and let’s deal with that fear so that you can start to live the abundant life.

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A Date on the Lawn

June 12, 2013 by

lawndateA rare treat is a day that both my wife and I are not working and neither of us has pressing engagements.  Yesterday was such a day and we took advantage of it.

I first suggested that she allow me to take her out on a lunch date as I am serious about continuing to “date” my spouse but she gently reminded me what an expensive month we’re having and suggested that we just have a day at home together instead.  Undaunted I suggested the Lawn Date as the next best thing.

As we got closer to lunch time I told her I’d like to set up our outdoor table and chairs on the lawn and asked her if she’d like to join me for an outdoor picnic.  She enthusiastically agreed and we both set about preparing for our date.  There’s a little picture of our table and chairs on the lawn at the top of this post and as you can see it was a really nice day to be outside.

We sipped sweat tea and ate chili dogs and talked for a good long while and just enjoyed being in each other’s company and being outside together.  It was sweet and cute and most definitely romantic and I think better than any restaurant lunch could have been.

Proverbs 18:22 says “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord” and yesterday I felt favored indeed.  I genuinely believe that the spouse that God has blessed us with is to be treasured and should be our number one priority as far as earthly relationships and time commitments go.  I don’t always live up to that standard but with God’s help I’m working on it and I soon hope to post a book review of a title that has helped me in that regard.  I’ve read it and found it to be helpful and based on biblical principles and passages and I’ll be sharing the name of that book and more information on it in the coming weeks.

For today I just want to take a moment and be thankful for the wife that God has given me and for the way that she’s blessed my life.  We’re coming up on our 14th wedding anniversary at the end of this month and I’m still learning new things about her and striving to be the kind of mate that she deserves and that God would have me to be.  Thank you, Lord, for the Date on the Lawn.

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My Favorite Kind of Praise

June 10, 2013 by

In my last post I talked about a Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir song that we also sing in my church choir.  “Thou Oh Lord” is a powerful song of praise and proclamation of God’s goodness but it also happens to be a great song in its own right.

The older I get the more I realize how important music is to me as vehicle for praise and as a way to set my thoughts towards worshiping God.  These days I often listen to something inspirational as I eat breakfast and as a way to lead into my Quiet time.  The artists and music styles I choose are varied and diverse but they all have one thing in common.  They all point the listener’s thoughts towards God and knowing Him better.

Good influences are extremely important to the Christian and if we are to practice what Paul wrote about in Colossians 3:2 where he said “Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth” then we need to surround ourselves with things that inspire, bless and teach us more about God and His ways.  Because music is so important and so influential to me I strive to listen to Christian focused music on a daily basis as part of my walk with the Lord.  Doing so greatly blesses me and also shields me from many of the negative ideas and emotions found in popular music today.

That’s not to say that I listen to 100% Christian music, because I don’t.  I just make sure that the secular music that I choose doesn’t distract me with bad language or imagery and ideals that are not pleasing to God.  Fortunately there’s an abundance of good Christian artists out there singing and making music in all kinds of genres.  I encourage you to take a look at the music that you listen to and ask some tough questions about how it is influencing you and if it is promoting a Godly life.  If your music isn’t encouraging you in that way then use the power of the internet and do some searching for some Christian based music in the style that you like or visit your local Christian bookstore where you can often sample various artists’ work and talk to folks who are familiar with the material.

To finish this post up I’m going to post another video that is still completely praiseworthy yet resides in a completely different genre than “Thou Oh Lord”.  This one is loud, fast and completely awesome and I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unbdMFgDEiM

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Thou Oh Lord

June 7, 2013 by

praiseWe sing this song at my church and it has become one of my favorites. It’s not my usual type of music as I lean more towards rock, electronic and folk but the words and presentation are powerful.

Sometimes I start my day by listening to this song and then I am assured that whatever problems I might be facing God is bigger and stronger and is going to see me through until the end. Even if this song isn’t your type of music either I encourage you to listen and watch and be encouraged. This is the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing “Thou Oh Lord”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU8J5l1f5IU&rel=0

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The Process of Being a Christian

June 5, 2013 by

walkingI hope and pray that everyone reading this is already a born again believer.  If not, take a few minutes and study what it means to be born again and then come back and read this post.

Once we are born again, how does “being a Christian” really work?  How do we live the Christian life on a daily basis and do as Matthew 5:15 says and give light to those around us?  Thankfully, the answer to those questions is not difficult or hidden but plainly given in God’s Word.

I mentioned in one of my last posts that I was preparing to teach a Sunday School lesson and was drawing inspiration from Colossians and it is there where we will now go to look at this process of being a Christian.  Specifically we will be looking at verses from parts of Chapters 2 and 3 and I will be using the New King James Version.  Here’s the first couple of verses we will be dealing with: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving”  (Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV).

In Chapter 2 verse 6 Paul tells states “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”  This is the first step to the process.  How does one receive Jesus?  By grace through faith; that is the only way. Grace is God’s unmerited favor towards us.  So Paul is telling us that we must continue in our relationship to Christ in the same way that we started.  We can never move away or forget that we are redeemed by God’s grace through our faith in Him.  Every day we need to recall that it is only by God’s grace that we are saved and reaffirm our absolute faith and trust in Him.  Stating “God, I trust you” in your daily prayers and then living like it lays the foundation for the process.

Chapter 2 verse 7 continues this thought with Paul stating “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith” which is what we just discussed in the paragraph above.  As a tree must have good roots to survive and grow so must we have a strong root of faith in Christ to go on to any other part of the process.  Without the strong roots you will not grow and you will not be happy or have peace as a Christian.

The next phrase in verse 7 says “as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving”. Without good teaching you cannot grow in the faith and the process will falter.  You need the instruction of Godly men and women who have gone before you in the faith and you need to study the Bible like it’s your lifeline because in actuality, it is.  Get involved with a local body of believers and attend your local church services as often as you can.  Get a Bible that’s easy to carry around and in a translation that’s easy for you to understand and read.  Look for a devotional book or Bible study guide that you can use in your daily prayer time and stick with it.  Once you are earnestly involved with this step then the praise and thanksgiving from the end of verse 7 will be completely natural to you and your light will start to shine for others to see.  This is step 2 in the process.

So far we’ve discussed preparation in steps 1 and 2 with the foundation being faith by grace and then instruction and learning on top of that foundation.  Now we move on to an action step.  Look at Colossians Chapter 3 verses 1 and 2.  It says “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”  Paul is telling us to actively focus on Godly pursuits, Godly thoughts and Godly actions.  This world will actively try to steal your focus and keep you distracted as you go about your daily life.  But if you have the foundation and teaching from steps 1 and 2 then you can begin to train your mind to focus on Godly things throughout each day.  This doesn’t mean that you are setting your daily responsibilities aside or that you are no longer to be fully in the world.  What it means is that as you are going to school or to work or wherever it is and as you are interacting with a lost world that you are doing it with a Godly mindset that is firmly planted in Him and therefore not easily shaken.

Once you begin to work on this Godly focus then you will begin to see and notice the things that Paul talks about in Colossians 3 verses 12 through 17.  Here Paul says “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

This is the culmination of the process.  Once you have faith then you can be taught.  Once you have been taught you can begin to focus.  And once you begin to focus then God can channel amazing things through you and He will reveal His will for your life to you.  You will experience love, joy and peace such as you have never known before and you will be in a position to help and teach other brothers and sisters in Christ and to give the best kind of hope to a lost world.

I can tell you personally that this process is a very recent discovery for me.  I’ve been a Christian for 32 years and for much of that time I’ve been lazy about learning and unfocused when it comes to my heart and my mind.  Satan has been only too glad to keep me distracted and looking in many wrong areas instead of towards the One I knew was right all along.  If you are reading this I pray it doesn’t take you 32 years to realize how simple the process really is and how easy God’s design for our growth really is.  Or if you’ve been a Christian for far longer than I have and realize that you’ve wasted much time, as I did, then praise the Lord because it’s never too late to start.  God is ready and waiting for you right now and He wants to bless your life.  I promise you, next to salvation, committing yourself to this process is the best decision you will ever make.

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Changes are afoot. Or ahead.

June 3, 2013 by

changesWhat’s up with that post title?  Well, you might as well get used to it.  I’m a fan of bad puns; the cornier the better as far as I’m concerned.  Please feel free to roll your eyes as much as you like.  It’s your internet also.

That being said, because I am learning as I go with this website please understand that this current version of Matthew515.com is very early and will likely undergo many changes in the coming days, weeks and months.  Don’t be surprised if you load up the page one day to find that it looks completely different.

I will be experimenting with various themes and color combinations and I will be incorporating some pictures and additional graphics and page functions. At the same time I will try not to mess with the content too much although the location of the links may change.  Please be patient while I learn and feel free to comment and suggest if you so desire.  As always your prayer support is always appreciated and God Bless you for your time.

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What are you carrying?

June 3, 2013 by

carrying

I hope and pray that you are a born again Christian living every day in step with the Lord.  I hope you are carrying love, joy and peace and sharing them with everyone around you.

But what if that doesn’t describe you?  What if you are carrying anxiety and worry?  What if you are carrying guilt and shame?  What if your daily experience is one of struggling with addiction and sin that is so pervasive and smothering that you can’t ever see a way out?  What then?

Praise God, you have hope!  I am here to tell you that God is able and is ready and waiting to deliver you, to strengthen and encourage you and to get you through whatever it is that you face.  Philippians 4:19 says “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  Every need that you have God has a provision and a plan for!  John 8:32 says “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  Do you want to be free of it?  Then get to know the truth.

The truth is Jesus.  He is the only author of truth and to get to know Him you must immerse yourself in His book and in talking to Him.  Cry out to God, let Him hear you and do not hold back.  And when you’ve been completely open and honest with Him then spend some time reading from His book.  Find a translation and a size that you can easily carry around with you and that you understand.  A good Bible is an overlooked treasure in these modern times and I promise you that it is one of the best investments that you will ever make.

Once you begin to really read and study God’s Word then He can start to speak to you through His Holy Spirit and you will find that you are beginning to develop “spiritual ears”.  That is, as you free your mind from the worries of this world and concentrate on your Heavenly Father and His Word then you will find yourself able to communicate with God as never before.  Then the answer to whatever it is that you’ve been carrying will come and you will find that you are trading your burden of anxiety, guilt, shame, addiction and anger for love, joy and perfect peace.

This process will be quick for some and for others it may take quite some time.  God’s provision always arrives at the perfect time but not always right when we want it.  He sees and knows us better than we know ourselves (He is our creator!) and all He requires is that we put our trust and faith in Him.  God is waiting to work and move in your life.  Give Him whatever it is that you are carrying and then get ready to be amazed.

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Sunday School starts right here

May 31, 2013 by

sundayschoolI’ve been asked to teach in the adult Sunday School class on Sunday morning of this coming week. This is not my normal class but the regular teacher can’t be there this week and has asked me to fill in and bring my class along with me.

This of course has introduced the problem (opportunity!) of what do I teach.  Our two classes don’t use the same curriculum and both classes are in the middle of topical studies that would be rather difficult to just jump into the middle of and have it all be relevant and interesting to the other class.  So I’m not going to use either curriculum but will instead do something completely different.

This brings me to my point.  How do I prepare a single lesson for an age group that I don’t normally teach and have it be relevant to all who are listening?

I start with God’s Word.  I’ve always been rather free form with my quiet time and bible study and will flip between books and chapters within the same week and just read.  God’s Word is amazing in that I never fail to find inspiration, strength, encouragement and wisdom within it’s pages and often God reveals new truths to me in passages that I’ve read many times before.  Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (NKJV)  Because the Word is alive and because we have the Holy Spirit as our guide the time and effort that we put into studying the Bible always, always produces fruit.  I cannot overstate that.

Here’s the exciting part.  If you find something in God’s Word that excites and inspires you and you have the ability to read the Bible out loud and explain why it excites and inspires you then you have the basis for a really good Sunday School lesson or group Bible study.  God will use your passion for His Word to excite and inspire other believers.  You could be the catalyst that God uses to bring someone to redemption, to renewed dedication and to a deeper and more abiding love for God and his Word.

And if none of that happens then at the very worst you have learned something and grown in your walk as a believer.  I truly believe that as a Sunday School teacher I have learned and benefited more from my study and preparation time than any of my pupils.  Remember when I said that time and effort put into Bible study always produces fruit?  Well get ready because much of that fruit will be produced in you and will be visible to others.

Matthew 5:15 is the inspiration for this Blog but in the very next verse Jesus says “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  In other words that fruit that others can see in you will bring glory to God.  There is no downside here.

Colossians chapters 2 through 4 have been particularly exciting to me this week.  I can’t wait to share what God has shown me and I pray that the Holy Spirit would speak and work through me.

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Whose light is this?

May 29, 2013 by

whoselightNot mine, that’s for sure.  My light is insufficient for much of anything.  My light doesn’t even provide enough light for me to see by, much less anyone else.  My light flickers and fades and is prone to go out when I need it the most.  Cue the violins; it’s getting dark in here!

That’s why I’ve decided to upgrade.  God has offered to provide me the light of his son, Jesus Christ for the small price of my absolute faith in Him.  With God’s light I never need worry about sudden power outages, energy shortages or any other crises which may come along.  God’s light   in me is a renewable energy source and provides vast supplies of love, joy and peace.  Included in the package is an eternal home in Heaven and a “share the light” plan in which all lives touched by God’s light are enriched and strengthened.

Some call this “salvation” and it is indeed salvation from many things of which I will discuss in the future.  But it’s so much more than that.  It is life abundant.  It is perfect peace which does indeed pass all human understanding.  It is joy most certainly in the good times but also in the darkest of times.

For possessing God’s light does not mean that we are exempt from dark times but it does mean that we always have the strength and the grace to get through them to the other side.  And in doing so we share God’s light with those around us who so desperately need it.

So remember, if you already have God’s light in you then please, share it with someone around you who needs it.  Or, if you are someone who’s tired of stumbling around in darkness, tired of internal power failures at the worst times and ready for an upgrade then talk to me.  God’s light is a family plan with plenty of room for you!

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Three Complimentary Doctrines Part 3 – Guest Post by Jeff Perry

April 1, 2013 by

doctrine, faith, bibleFor the last two weeks Guest Blogger Jeff Perry has blessed us with his wisdom, insight and teaching on the three complimentary doctrines of the Holy Spirit, Predestination and Free Will.  This is the third and final part of Jeff’s article and I am sure you will join me in thanking God for Jeff’s faithfulness and in asking for the Lord’s continued favor in Jeff’s life.  Jeff’s conclusion is below.

God created mankind with the ability to reason and respond.  Genesis 13:11 “So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan…” Webster’s dictionary defines will as, “The power of making a reasoned choice or decision or of controlling one’s own action.”  Free will is the unrestricted ability to respond.

Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”   The Bible stresses that the moral responsibility for moral actions rest squarely with free moral agents and not with God.  God is not responsible for someone’s ignorance or passivity to what has been revealed by God through nature, special revelation and conscience.

One problem people see with the doctrine of free will is that it looks contradictory to the doctrine of predestination.  To answer this question Dr. Harold Willimington states, “No one has ever demonstrated a contradiction between predestination and free choice.”  Most conservatives and Grace Churches but not all, including Baptists, Presbyterian and Reformed churches suppress this doctrine and elevate predestination, over mankind’s free will.

What does the Bible teach?  Let us look at 4 important accounts where both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man are both present.

1. The cross was both predetermined (Revelation 13:8) and freely chosen (John 18:11).

2. Jesus’ betrayal was both necessary (Luke 24:7) and freely chosen (Matthew 26:46).

3. Joseph’s enslavement was both intended by his brothers and by God.

4. Lastly, salvation is both chosen by God (Grace) and chosen by us (Repentance).  In John 6:37 we see both play out, “All that the Father gives Me (Predetermined) will come to Me (Free Will).

In conclusion, we have defined what a doctrine is, why it is important, and we looked at three key Christian doctrines.  Can we as Christians reject a doctrine?  Absolutely, Scripture teaches us in 1 Timothy 6: 4-6, “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,  and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”

We can reject man made doctrines.  If the Bible doesn’t teach it, it is not a sound doctrine.  If there is a verse that discredits a portion of the doctrine, Scripture is right and the theory needs to be rendered.  If lying is not an attribute of God (Titus 1:2) then we can trust what He has said through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 19:7 “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.”

Secondly, we must always remember doctrine is not Salvitic (does not bring salvation).  We are people of the book because of the Person the book points us toward, Jesus.  Jesus himself proclaimed, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.  These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.”

Jesus is the crimson thread that is woven into the tapestry of His Word.  Someone can memorize the entire Old and New Testament and it merits nothing in the eyes of God.  Salvation is only received thought believing in His Son Jesus Christ by faith.  Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

I am so thankful for Jeff’s piece.  It came at exactly the right time and I am confident that God will use it to further His kingdom and instruct His saints in righteousness.  I thank the Lord for you, Jeff Perry, and may God Bless you. – Matt

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