October 28, 2018

"As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” Genesis 15:12-16

We are reviewing the four promises God gave to His people through Moses when He was about to lead them out of Egypt. These promises are found in Exodus 6:6-7 and are commemorated by the four cups central to the Passover Seder celebration.

Before we begin the inspiring study of each of the four cups I want to establish the faithfulness of God in keeping His promises. Obviously, promises are only as valid as one who makes them. So today I want show you the promise behind these four promises. It is a specific promise made to Abraham that was fulfilled through Moses.

Centuries before God led His people OUT of Egypt He led them INTO Egypt to save them from the great famine that was to come for the next seven years. Remember how God had used Joseph to gain favor with the Pharaoh in Egypt? Remember how Joseph had been sold as a slave into Egypt? God really does work in mysterious ways! 

Just as God promised Abraham but in ways no one could have anticipated He brought His people into Egypt! Not only did God lead them into Egypt to save them but through the grace garnered by Joseph He led them into Goshen, the most fertile region of the land! And He blessed them so abundantly that they began to prosper and multiply until they became a threat to the next Pharaoh and he put them into bondage. Just as God promised!

And after four hundred years of bondage - as promised - God is about to use Moses to lead them out of their miserable bondage! 

To remind you, here are the promises that fulfilled THE promise!

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:6-7

So, not only does this remind us that God DOES keep His promises but it reminds of why it is so important for us to remember that He does - BECAUSE HE WORKS IN SUCH MYSTERIOUS WAYS!

This may be a needed reminder to you today! Remember that God led them into Egypt to provide for them. Remember that it was their prosperity that led them into slavery. And remember that when He led them out He did so with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment - just as He promised Abraham AND Moses!

If you are in bondage today let me remind you that God ALWAYS keeps His promises AND He still has an outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment to lead you to freedom!

October 27, 2018

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:6-7

At FredWes this month we have been unpacking these four powerful promises God made to His people through His servant, Moses.

In these four promises God makes known His passion for His people, His purpose for His people and His plan for their lives and their nation!

We have based this study series around a book by Chris Hodges entitled "The Four Cups". Pastor Hodges founded and leads Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. He is also the head of ARC - (Association of Related Churches) one of the most effective and influential church-planting movements in America.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who may be looking to refine or reshape the focus of your life OR for a church leader wanting a clear and compelling vision for his church.

With that said and before I begin to mine some gold from these four promises let me build a strong foundation under them. They would have no force behind them except for two phrases, one is found at the beginning of verse six and the other is found near the end of verse seven.

What are these phrases?

"I am the Lord" and "I am the Lord your God"!

Promises are only as valid as the one who makes them, right?

Of course!

So, the reason Chris Hodges can write a book about these promises and build a church vision upon them is because GOD made these promises!

The reason we can spend an entire month preaching and studying these promises is because they were made by GOD!

A promise made by an eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing and loving God is a sure thing! A promise made by a God like this is done as soon as it is said! 

God cannot break a promise that He makes! So, whether the promise was made 3,500 years ago or 35 seconds ago it doesn't matter! It is as good as done!

What are you building your life upon?

Is your foundation as sure as the promises of God? 

October 26, 2018

"While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”  Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.  Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.  She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.”  Matthew 9:18-26

“What determines your reality? How do you decide what is real?”

That is a very important question. You need to have a very good answer. Over the next few posts I want to share some examples of people whose faith shaped their reality. They believed what they believed more than they believed what they saw. Christ was more real to them than their circumstances.

Two great examples are shown in these several verses from Matthew 9.

The local synagogue leader – and position of respect and influence in any community – came to Jesus bearing news that was all too real, his beloved daughter laid dead at home. But he made an amazing statement, ““My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”

Wow! Here is a guy who should have been grieving but instead – he was believing! This dad refused to let death have the last word with his daughter. Though there was nothing he could do he knew that Jesus was in town and was convinced that Jesus WAS the Son of God. So his thought process went something like this – Jesus is in town. Jesus in the Messiah come from God. God is the Creator and Giver of life. Therefore, Jesus is connected to the source of life and He should be able to raise my daughter from the dead. THAT was his new reality – his faith in Jesus.

Since he believed so strongly in Jesus, Jesus was able to believe in this guy and He arose to follow this fellow home to raise his deceased daughter. But before they made it to the end of the block a woman with a debilitating blood disease took her opportunity to touch the Master’s garment. There is an important reason she reached for the hem of his garment and I recommend you do some research on it.

Matthew reveals what she was thinking as she reached to touch Jesus, ‘She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’” Her affliction was real, but her faith was more real. She had a faith that changed her reality. She came with a disease and went home completely healed.

Jesus and the synagogue leader then sped their way to his home. As Jesus entered the house He saw the evidence of a death – mourners and music. Speaking to them, Jesus ordered them to leave. Mourners are for the dead and this girl was not going to be dead. That caused them to mock Him because they were locked into a different reality than He was.

After the commotion was stilled, Jesus went to where the daughter was laid and He proceeded to raise her back to life in respect to the great faith of her father. The father’s faith became reality. By letting Jesus have the last word, death did not.

So, I ask you, “Does reality shape your faith or does your faith shape reality?”

Vote for Righteousness

^“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

With just a little more than two weeks before the most important Mid-Term election of our lifetimes, I wish we had perfect candidates we could eagerly support. But we don’t. And as Christians responsible to be good citizens we must cast a vote. So, how do we choose between two flawed candidates?

Ultimately, it comes down to a question of which candidate is most closely aligned to the moral values I hold precious? In my opinion, here are the most important moral issues:

Life – Which candidate holds life most precious by opposing abortion and valuing the infirm and elderly?

Character – Which candidate lives a life that most closely represents the spiritual and moral values I hold dear?

Which candidate seems to be the most truthful in what he says and does?

One indicator of a man’s character is to take note of the people who he has chosen to surround himself with.

Marriage and Family – Which candidate can be trusted to defend Biblical marriage and the traditional family?

Trust – Which candidate can be trusted to be a good steward of the massive power of the Presidency?

Philosophy – Which candidate adheres most closely to the conservative philosophy of a smaller, less intrusive government as outlined in the United States Constitution?

Freedom – Which candidate seems to hold the strongest respect toward individual freedoms as outlined in the U. S. Constitution?

Leadership – Which candidate seems to possess the best leadership skills required to execute his Constitutional duties and effectively administer the U. S. Government with all of its offices and agencies? Also, which candidate can best command the confidence of our allies and demand the respect of our enemies on the world stage?

Economy – Which candidate is best able to restore fiscal soundness to the U. S. economy and show the fiscal discipline to bring the debt and deficit under control thereby restoring confidence of investors and entrepreneurs?

Remember, we are not electing a pastor or spiritual leader. We are seeking to choose the better of two flawed men who have been selected by two far from perfect political parties. Since none of us are perfect, we should not expect to be led by a perfect man. However, the one thing that DOES need to be perfect is your judgment!  That will be the result of much prayer and thoughtful consideration of where each candidate stands on issues such as those I have mentioned.

Don't just vote for Republicans or Democrats or Independents. Vote for righteousness.

October 18, 2018

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3

There is something comforting and soothing about the word "home". Home is our favorite place on earth! Rightly so! But, knowing that most of our lives will be lived in eternity it is good to know that he will have an eternal home!

Jesus promised that He would prepare a home for us - a home near His so we can be with Him in His forever place! This week we are going to take a close up look at that marvelous place called "HEAVEN"!

Henry C. Morrison was a great missionary who served the Lord in Africa for over 40 years. On the way back to United States, he began to wonder “will anyone remember us? Will anyone recall who we are? Will anyone meet us at the boat?”

Well, unknown to Henry Morrison and his wife, Teddy Roosevelt, President of U.S., was also on board that ship. He had gone to Africa for a hunting trip. When ship pulled into New York harbor he looked to see if anyone had come to welcome them back home. Thousands of people were there cheering. Bands were playing. There were signs, banners, and billboards everywhere saying, “Welcome Home”. Henry and his wife were so excited about the crowds of people that were there to welcome them home and they went down to get their luggage, came back to the deck of the ship to get off and they realized that the parade of people were already gone. They had come to welcome Teddy Roosevelt.

Henry Morrison went to his hotel room with a heavy heart. As he sat there on the bed, he asked his wife, “Honey, I just don’t get it…for 40 years we poured our lives into ministry and service. And yet we come back to America and not a single soul comes to welcome us home!”

His wife came and sat down next to her husband, she put her hand on his shoulder, and comforted him with words that he would never forget, “Henry, you have forgotten something, you’re not home yet!”And may that be of comfort to you. It does not matter what takes place in this life, your reward is in heaven. Always remember, “You’re not home yet.”

Heaven will be the ultimate eternal place that believers can call home! That place is being prepared for you right now! One day you will receive a royal, "Welcome home!"

Walking By Faith Means...

"We walk by faith, not by sight" II Corinthians 5:7

This is a very simple sentence and it sounds relatively easy doesn’t it?

Walking by faith implies trust on something known but unseen.

It brings to mind a time Barbara and I were driving the Blue Ridge Parkway in the late afternoon just before dusk. As the sun dropped lower and the air cooled, fog began developing. We were near Boone, NC and were trying to get to US 421 and get down the mountain before the fog became too thick. It was a nice plan but it didn’t happen. So heavy was the fog that I could not see more than ten feet ahead on the roadway. I didn’t know it I had room to pull off to the right side. Sometimes there is room on the shoulder and sometimes there is a several hundred-foot drop off so I did not want to risk that. All I was able to make out the center line so I slowed down and focused on hugging the center line. Literally, I was driving by faith in the center line rather than by sight. To this day I do not know how far we drove before we got out of the fog but it seemed like one hundred miles. Pavement never looked so good!

What does it mean to “walk by faith and not by sight”?

Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Walking by faith means pleasing God!

God is pleased by our obedience and He is pleased by our dependence upon His Word. When you live to please yourself or you choose to do what you want rather than do what pleases God you are not walking in faith.

Walking by faith means proving God!

God is pleased when we believe what the Word says about Him and live for Him. He wants to be known and He delights in us actively seeking to know Him. Pursuing Him is evidence that we believe He exists. Three ways to believe He exists are: 1) His Creation, 2) His Christ and 3) Changed lives! Allowing Him to change our life is the greatest proof!

Walking by faith means pursuing God!

Like the line on the Parkway in the fog, faith fixes a focus on God and follows Him. Faith earnestly seeks God to know Him, to be known by Him and to make Him known. Faith keeps pursuing God even when life is hard to figure and God is hard to find.

Are you walking by faith?

Are you living to please God?

Are you living proof of God’s existence?

Are you pursuing God passionately?

October 16, 2018

..........and to godliness, mutual affection......" II Peter 1:7

"Mutual affection" or "brotherly love" is the soil in which seeds of fellowship and discipleship sprout and grow. It should not be a surprise that this great virtue should be included in this description of spiritual maturity.

This love is a frequent theme of the New Testament writers in their admonitions for spiritual maturity. I have listed several of them in this post.

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35

Not only is loving one another a command. Not only is it a sign that we are a Christian. It is also a sign that we are saved.

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." I John 3:14-16

The love Jesus is talking about here is an act of the will. It represents not so much an involuntary response to conditions, as it does a deliberate choice, a calculated set of the mind. Love is not an emotion. It’s a policy.

Aristotle said, "a man cannot expect to be loved unless he is deserving of love." But the kind of love that Jesus teaches us to have says: "I love you -- with no strings attached." It is a love that is the result of being devoted to one another.

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Rom 12:10  (NIV)

This kind of love should be nurtured so that it will grow.

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you." 1Thes 3:12  (NIV)

Paul’s admonition to the church is that brotherly love is a given. It is a part of Christian living.  It is a lesson that God himself teaches us.

"But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." 1 Thes. 4:9

Paul’s description of love in I Corinthians is not just for marriages. It is the Bible description for real love.

When we truly love others, No laws will need to govern our behavior or conduct, for love goes above and beyond any law.

"The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Gal 5:14-15 (NIV)"

 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:" 1 Pet 1:22

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John 15:12-14

"These things I command you, that ye love one another." John 15:17

"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." I Jn 3:10-12

You've got to love it!