Double Callings – Names.

Abraham:

Genesis 22:11

 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.

Jacob:

Genesis 46:2  

And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied.

Moses:

Exodus 3:4  

When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Samuel:

1 Samuel 3:10  

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Saul:

Acts 9:4  

He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Real servants pay attention

By Rick Warren

Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now. Proverbs 3:28 (TEV)

"Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.” (Proverbs 3:28 TEV)"

Real servants pay attention to needs. Servants are always on the lookout for ways to help others. When they see a need, they seize the moment to meet it, just as the Bible commands us: “Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 GWT).

When God puts someone in need right in front of you, he is giving you the opportunity to grow in servant hood. Notice that God says the needs of your church family are to be given preference, not put at the bottom of your “things to do” list.

We miss many occasions for serving because we lack sensitivity and spontaneity. Great opportunities to serve never last long. They pass quickly, sometimes never to return again. You may only get one chance to serve that person, so take advantage of the moment.

“Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now” (Proverbs 3:28 TEV).

John Wesley was an incredible servant of God. His motto was:

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”

That is greatness. You can begin by looking for small tasks that no one else wants to do. Do these little things as if they were great things, because God is watching.

Form letters to God

By Jon Walker

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

There’s an amusing story of a business executive who, at the end of a long day of travel, climbs into bed at a hotel. As he begins to nod off, he feels something crawling up his legs.

Leaping up and fumbling with the light, he throws back the sheets to discover the bed is full of bugs.

Changing rooms was not enough to satisfy the man’s disgust. When he got home, he wrote a letter of complaint to the hotel’s corporate headquarters.

Weeks later, he received a reply directly from the president of the company:

“We are absolutely appalled that a man of your position and reputation should have had such an experience in one of our hotels. We are deeply, deeply embarrassed, and we assure you that we are working diligently to correct this problem. It will never happen again.”

As he read the reply, the businessman felt great! The hotel management had heard him; they’d committed to making a change; and now every customer would benefit from the businessman’s initiative.

As he folded the letter, a small Post-it® note floated to the floor. Picking it up, the man saw, in a hand-written scrawl, “Send this guy the bug letter.”

Have you been sending “bug letters” to God? Form letters that cover any concerns and commitments between you and the Father; standardized responses to God’s commands, directions, or promptings; a file full of templates that allow you to walk by sight and not by faith?

It’s easy to say you’ll be a more supportive husband and a more attentive father. Will you allow God to lead your transformation, or will you send him a form letter?

It’s easy to say you’ll be a more loving mother and a more encouraging wife. Will you allow God to lead your transformation, or will you reach into the file cabinet for another form letter?

Don’t waste God’s grace, my friend. Let him transform you. Let him teach you to walk by faith and not by form letters or ritual reactions.

So what?

• God is not surprised – God knows the intent of your heart and the truth of your priorities. He knows when you’ve sent him a form letter. His desire is not to condemn you, but to grow you. What form letter to God will you tear up today?

• Be authentic – Speak to God from the depths of your heart. Tell him about your fears, your hurts, your dark places, your sins – and allow him to be your Heavenly Father.

• Jesus is personal – Jesus doesn’t keep you at a distance, thinking of you as just another standard, typical, “templated” believer. He lives in you and guides you, and you access his power through faith: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NASB)

Things to Feed

Enemies

Romans 12:20  

On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Lambs

John 21:15  

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Sheep

John 21:16  

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Flock

1 Timothy 6:9-11  

9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

The Church

2 Timothy 2:22  

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

God's Provision: Faithful Giving

By Rick Warren

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce" (Proverbs 3:9 NLT).

God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help; (2) learn to be content; and (3) practice giving in faith.

There is a universal law called the principle of sowing and reaping. If I sow criticism, I'm going to reap criticism. If I sow generosity, it's going to come back to me, and I'm going to reap generosity.

Every farmer knows this. A farmer has four sacks of seed in his barn and he looks at his empty field. He doesn't complain, "There's no crop! I wish there was a crop!" He just goes out and starts planting seed. When you have a need, plant a seed.

It seems illogical that when I have a need, I should give. That's why it requires faith. God says, "My ways are not your ways."

Why did God set it up that way? Because God is a giver. He is the most generous giver in the universe, and God wants you to learn to be like him. He wants to build character in you.

The Bible says, "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce" (Proverbs 3:9 NLT). This is the principle of tithing. It's the principle that says every time I make one hundred dollars, the first ten dollars goes back to God.

Tithing is an act of worship. We're giving to God. We're saying, "All of it came from you anyway." God says, "Put me first in your life and watch what I do." You may think you can't afford to tithe, but the reality is, you can't afford not to.

           

           

The Best Friend.

 A man may have many acquaintances, but he will have few friends; he may count himself happy if he has one who will be faithful to him in time of trouble. If that person has also been kind to his father before him, he should never be slighted, much less alienated. Real friends are to be retained with great care, and, if need be, with great sacrifice. The wisdom of the world teaches this, and inspiration confirms it.

 If we rise into a higher sphere, it is mach more so. There we have one Friend—the Friend of sinners, who in infinite condescension has called us friends, and has shown that greatest of all love-laying down his life for his friends. To him we must cleave in life and death. To forsake him would be horrible ingratitude.

Descriptive Title: “Thine own friend and thy father’s friend.”

1.         “Friend”: implies kindness, attachment, and help

 2.        “Father’s friend”; one who has been faithful, unchanging, patient, wise, and tried, and this in the experience of our own father, on whose judgment we can depend.

3.         “Thine own friend,” with whom you have enjoyed converse, in whom you can safely place confidence, with whom you have common objects, to whom you have made private revelations.

4.         Do not forget the other side of friendship: thou must be a friend to him whom thou callest thy friend. “He that hath friends must shew himself friendly.”

In all these points our Lord Jesus is the best example of a friend, and it is well for us” “This is my beloved, and this is my friend.”

Suggestive advice: “Forsake not.”

1.         What it does not suggest. It gives no kind of hint that he will ever forsake us. Hath he not said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee?

 2.        In what sense can we forsake him? Alas, some professed friends of Jesus become traitors, others follow afar off, grow cold, turn to the world, lose fellowship, do not defend his cause etc.,

3.         What are the signs of this forsaking? They can be seen in the heart, heard in the conversation, marked in the absence of zeal and liberality, and at length detected in actual sins.

Consequent Resolve:  I will cleave to him.

Let us cling to Jesus.

In faith, resting alone with him.= In creed, accepting his every teaching.= In confession, declaring our loyalty to him.= In practice, following with him.= In love, abiding in fellowship with him.

What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and grief’s to bear!

What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!

No shortage of sinners

By John Fischer

Eugene Debs, who ran for president of the United States as a third party candidate in 1912, had this to say while campaigning:

 “As long as there is a lower class, I am in it.

As long as there is a criminal element, I'm of it.

As long as there is a soul in prison, I am not free.”

 Obviously he didn’t get elected since none of us has ever heard of him, but I believe there is a lot of truth in thinking this way about our place in the world.

 The Apostle Paul had something very similar to say in a letter to a new church:

 “When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ … When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can ... When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone ...” (1 Corinthians 9:20-22)

 Both these men are talking about relating to people by identifying with them through finding something shared in common.

 Christians have traditionally been really good at not thinking this way and in fact, creating and maintaining quite the opposite – a distance from those around us who aren't Christians. When it comes to dealing with “common sinners” we have a tendency to be more like the Pharisees than like Jesus. A Pharisee once judged Jesus for allowing a woman of the streets to bathe his feet in perfume mixed with the tears of her sorrowful life. The Pharisee had already distanced himself from the woman because of her sin and was shocked that Jesus, as a teacher, did not do the same. He even thought to himself that Jesus wouldn't let her touch him if he knew what kind of woman she was. Jesus, in the meantime, was busy understanding her, including her sins, which were no problem for him since he was to take them to the cross for her, and in doing so, forgive her. (Luke 7:36-50)

 Why is it so hard for us to identify with sinners and so easy to judge them when we, too, are guilty? We must stop this distancing of ourselves from sinners and start looking for common ground like Paul and, yes, even like Mr. Debs.

 I really do like his campaign slogan. We would all be more compassionate and more merciful if we would take it on.

“As long as there is a lower class, I am in it.

As long as there is a criminal element, I'm of it.

As long as there is a soul in prison, I am not free.”

 And I'm adding one more thing:

 And as long as there is a sinner, I am one too, bringing good news of Christ’s forgiveness to others like me who need it.

Are we yet despisers of wisdom?

Solomon, having showed how dangerous it is to hearken to the temptations of Satan, here declares how dangerous it is not to hearken to the calls of God. Christ himself is Wisdom, is Wisdoms. Three sorts of persons are here called by Him:

1. Simple ones. Sinners are fond of their simple notions of good and evil, their simple prejudices against the ways of God, and flatter themselves in their wickedness.

2. Scorners. Proud, jovial people that make a jest of everything. Scoffers at religion, that runs down everything sacred and serious.

3. Fools. Those are the worst of fools that hate to be taught, and have a rooted dislike to serious godliness. The precept is plain; Turn you at my reproof. We do not make a right use of reproofs, if we do not turn from evil to that which is good. The promises are very encouraging. Men cannot turn by any power of their own; but God answers, Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you. Special grace is needful to sincere conversion. But that grace shall never be denied to any who seek it. The love of Christ, and the promises mingled with his reproofs, surely should have the attention of every one. It may well be asked, how long men mean to proceed in such a perilous path, when the uncertainty of life and the consequences of dying without Christ are considered? Now sinners live at ease, and set sorrow at defiance; but their calamity will come. Now God is ready to hear their prayers; but then they shall cry in vain.

Are we yet despisers of wisdom? Let us hearken diligently, and obey the Lord Jesus, that we may enjoy peace of conscience and confidence in God; be free from evil, in life, in death, and forever. -- -- -- (Proverbs 1: 20:33)

A Christian must believe that…

Man is a Sinner fallen from original righteousness and a high, intelligent and responsible place as head of the present creation. Apart from God’s redemption grace is lost. Man is not the unfortunate victim of environment, one who through self-culture can make good.

Romans 3:23-25

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—

Hebrews 1:1-3

1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Hebrews 7:25

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Give More and Live With An Attitude of Gratitude

By Rick Warren

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion ... your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)

"When you let go of what's in your hand, it's now empty to receive greater blessings from God."

What an amazing verse! God makes you rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion, which will result in thanksgiving to God.

God doesn't bless you so you can be greedy; he blesses you so you can be generous. You give away and God gives back to you so you can give more away and he can give more back to you and on and on and on. God doesn't give you things so you can pile them up. When you let go of what's in your hand, it's now empty to receive greater blessings from God.

But as I've said before, God's giving to you is based on your attitude. That's why it's so important to live with an attitude of gratitude. The Bible says, "This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God" (2 Corinthians 9:12 NIV).

When you give, you are performing a service. To serve and to give is the same thing. It's two actions of love. You can't love without serving and giving. And the best part is this: your service leads to expressions of thanksgiving to God.

Take a moment to pray and express your gratitude to God.

Words of Comfort.

Isaiah 59:1 

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

John 14:19 

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

Ephesians 1:7

 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

Acts 4:12 

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Psalms 121:5 

The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

Psalms 121:7-8

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

1 Peter 5:7 

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Real Relationships Comes Through Your Differences

By Tom Holladay

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV)

"God made you different so you can complement each other, complete each other, and strengthen each other."

(Tom Holladay is a teaching pastor at Saddleback Church and author of The Relationship Principles of Jesus.)

It’s easy to talk about relationships when everything is going great, but what do you do when things are headed in the wrong direction? How do you turn around a relationship?

God created love in relationships and made us to live in relationship with each other. His advice and direction for relationships can make a real difference. This week I will take you through five specific things from God’s Word that you can do to begin to turn things around in your relationships.

One of our greatest frustrations is when we don’t see things the way someone else sees them. Differences can be a cause of great delight at times, but they can also cause a lot of agony.

You need to realize that God has made you different and then thank him for your differences.

From the very beginning of the Bible, God created us differently, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 NIV). Men and women are different physically, but also in the way we work, think, shop, even watch TV – we do everything differently. And we should rejoice in those differences.

If two people agree on everything, one of them isn’t necessary in that relationship. The fact is that God has put you in a relationship – be it marriage or a good friendship – where you probably look at life differently from each other or have different backgrounds. Because of that, you each bring things to the relationship that could not be there otherwise.

God made you different so you can complement each other, complete each other, and strengthen each other.

As today’s verse says, “Accept one another then just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7 NIV). When you accept each other for your differences, it not only helps your relationship, it brings praise to God. Why? Because you’re accepting the fact that God made you different so you can learn from each other and grow in relationship to each other.

That’s the starting point for turning your relationships around – thank God for your differences.

Salvation

Believers – Pray to be granted:

Psalms 85:7 

Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.

Psalms 106:4 

Remember me, O LORD, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people: O visits me with thy salvation;

Psalms 119:41 

Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.

Believers – Pray for a joyful sense of:

Psalms 51:12 

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Believers – Evidence, by works:

Hebrews 6:9-10

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Believers – Ascribe to God:

Psalms 25:5 

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Isaiah 12:2 

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Effects of the fall – Man Became:

Mortal, imperfect and weak

Job 4:17-21

17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

18 If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error,

19 how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth!

20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever.

21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’

Psalms 39:4-5  

4 “Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath.

Psalms 103:14-15  

14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;

Matthew 6:27  

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Galatians 6:3

 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Sinners by birth and practice

Psalms 51:5  

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Anger: Reflect Before You Respond

By Rick Warren

"A rebel shouts in anger; a wise man holds his temper in and cools it" (Proverbs 29:11 TLB).

 When you're angry, don't respond impulsively. Delay is a great tool in controlling anger. I'm not saying delay indefinitely, or even beyond a day; the Bible says don't go to sleep when you're angry. I'm talking about delaying it for five minutes.

When you start to get ticked off, you take 'time out' for a few minutes. Give yourself some time to stop, reflect and think it through. If you don't stop and think, you are likely to do the wrong thing. You need to reflect before you respond.

When we get angry, we need to get in the habit of stepping back, waiting a few minutes, and looking at the situation from God's point of view. Notice the Bible says a wise man lets his anger cool down (Proverbs 29:11). So 'cool it' is a Biblical term! A modern translation might be: "The wise man waits and chills out." Thomas Jefferson, the author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, said, "When angry, count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred."

While you're cooling down, ask yourself three questions to help you understand why you are angry:

- Why am I angry?

- What do I really want?

- How can I get it?

Understanding the reason for your anger will give you greater patience and, perhaps, even the ability to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11).