“O come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our maker.” (Ps 95:6)
“Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless (barak) the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed (barak) the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the Lord and to the king.” (1Chr 29:20)
“I will bless (barak) the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Ps 34:1)
Introduction:
We’re almost to the end of this series of messages on the 7 Hebrew Words for Praise series. I’ve decided to include the link to the page that’s been a reference guide to me during this series because there’s other scripture references. So, if you should decide to investigate further into these Hebrew Words for Praise…then you can. I have really enjoyed this series. I’ve been much more inspired to challenge you, and I’ve been challenged myself by it. I don’t think I’ve had this much serious fun writing a series since our “Why Read The Bible?” Series.
Anyways, as we work to wrap up this series with the last couple of words…let me just encourage you one more time to take these messages to heart. Think about the challenge in them to let go of our pride and dignity…and stop being so ashamed to be clamorously foolish about praising the One who gave His life so that we could know and be assured of eternal life with Him.
So, let’s see what’s going to come forth from today’s message on “Barak”.
Today’s Message: “Barak”
Oh boy, I feel something brewing on the inside of me already. I think this message may become one of the better ones I’ve written in this entire series. I’m so thankful that God is speaking these things through me, and so that I continue to write only that which He would have me to write…let me just stop and ask Him for the anointing, unction, and supernatural ability that only comes by the anointing of the Holy Spirit to speak that which He would have me to say…that it would impact your lives, that He would give you ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to receive. I ask this in Jesus name…Amen.
So, let’s see what the meaning is, and how to pronounce the word, and go from there.
Barak means “to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration.”
Well, in a way, I’m thankful today because the way we say this word is how we say the President of the United States first name. That’s right it’s pronounced just like it looks…Barak. The ironic thing is that what it means, and what our Barak stands for are two totally different things when it comes to God. Perhaps if President Obama were to be more in line with what Barak means…the direction our country is headed would be entirely different. I am not, however, going to use this as a way to bash the President, but just to suggest that there’s a bit of irony in the fact that Barak means to bless God as an act of adoration, and our Barak is doing everything he can to dishonor God with his pride, arrogance, and unwillingness to bow his knee to God for anything.
Oh, man…where do we go with this message, Lord. I think as Christians we have lost the meaning of this word. It used to be common practice for us to kneel before God, but even I have to admit that it’s something that I do very little of these days. I acknowledge that I have to become more aware of the respect and adoration I am displaying before my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He deserves to have us bow our knees to Him in praise. He deserves us to bow in adoration to Him…and I should also point out that the Bible says one day ever knee will bow and ever tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
Unfortunately some are going to bow in despair as they’re told “away from me I never knew you”. Some are going to bow and it’s going to be too late. Some are going to bow for the first time, and then spend the rest of eternity regretting that they never bowed before Him before that day. I wonder at that day if some are still going to stubbornly resist to bow before Him in the same manner of defiance as they do now. I wonder if they will arrogantly thumb their noses at the God that’s about to sentence them to eternal life in hell for their lifelong rejection of Him and His Son. I wonder if at that moment they will tell God that He doesn’t exist. I wonder what that day is going to be like as all of those who thought us Jesus Freaks that we’re dillusional simpletons who believe in a God that doesn’t exist. I wonder what they’re going to do and say on that day…as they’re cast in the lake of fire for all of eternity.
Friends, let me say this as lovingly as I possibly can. Our 75-100 years of life is going to be a grain of sand in the scope of eternity. A grain of sand. All of the grains of sand in the world are still going to be as a drop of water in all of the water that covers this planet. All of the water that covers this planet is nothing compared to what a mile in our solar system is equal to…and none of it is long enough to measure how long eternity is. The 10,000 years or so our earth has existed is less than 100,000,000,000,000 of a 100,000,000,000,000th of a mila-second in the scope of the measure of time in eternity. There’s no way to measure eternity because it doesn’t begin or end, and it’s not in anyway measureable by the time restraints we have.
What am I saying? I am saying that it would be wise of us to all make sure that before that day comes where we stand before the Lord…to make sure that the first time we bow to Him as Lord isn’t on that day. I would like to challenge all of us to make sure that we take more time to bow our knees in adoration to God, and taht if we do it for no other reason than to bless God we should because He is worthy of that from us. He’s worthy of us never getting up off our knees, but all of us (myself included) need to spend more time on our knees. That’s not really a suggestion, friends. I am being serious here. We need to realize that standing before God is okay, but kneeling before Him is part of that understanding that we should bow the knee in awe of Him…OFTEN.
I know that messages that include the scope of eternity can some times be very difficult to read…they’re hard to write. It’s hard to write that there will be many, many people who will leave this world for the final time in prideful defiance to God thinking that all this stuff us Jesus Freaks talk about as far as God, Heaven, the devil, and hell are not real…but one day all these things are going to be very real to them…and when they are there…it will be too late because they will never…ever get the chance to leave there. There is no escape, no way to get out, or purgatory or anything like that. Once they are in hell…that’s where they will stay for all of the rest of eternity. There will be no more opportunities to accept what Jesus did for them on the Cross. There will be no escape. There will be no pardons or stays of execution…there will only be eternal hell fire…forever. I don’t know if you know this…but forever is a long time, friends.
So, let us be sure that we aren’t too prideful or arrogant to hit our knees now, while we still have the time and opportunity to do so. Let us be sure that we are doing our part to fulfill the great commission. We know there are still going to be many who reject Jesus, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still do our part to minister and reach the ones who will. It’s important that we recognize, like I do, that bowing the knee in adoration to God isn’t something that’s suggested or optional…but required. It’s not just a way to praise God…it’s a way to signify that we are surrendered to Him as our Lord. Just as out stretched hands are a sign of surrender to the Lordship of God…so too is the kneeling before Him.
Let’s remember to take time to bow before Him here, and that way when it’s time to bow before Him for real…it will be something we’re used to doing. Just like the rest of these Hebrew words for praise. If you think the only time we’re going to use these ways to praise God…then you might want to read more about Heaven. You might want to read about the beasts that do nothing else than praise God all day every day…and they have been doing it for all of eternity. We too are going to be praising God all day, every day for the rest of eternity…so why not practice doing it now…Amen!?!
Conclusion:
I never like to write messages like this. It’s hard to think about the fact that millions…if not billions of people are going to be satisfied with the same death penalty that was only really meant for the devil and his angels. However, there’s going to be many, many people who will just as defiantly as Satan reject God and join their god in hell for the rest of eternity. I will not be one of them. I hope you won’t be either. I can think of no better way to close a message like this than to make sure I close it with giving those of you who haven’t yet accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior an opportunity to do so. How can you be assured that you too will spend eternity in Heaven with me, and all of those who chose to bow the knee to the Lord now? How can you be assured that your name will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
There will never be a more important decision to make than this one. I hope that if you don’t know Jesus…you will by the end of this message.
If you don’t visit the link…then please take the time to say this simple prayer. Make sure you say it out loud, and most importantly believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. I hope you will become a “whosoever that’s called upon the name of the Lord” today.
Blessings & Grace to you
Bryan J. Kizer
Christlike Ministries NWA
“My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 16:24 (KJV)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
Introduction:
Today we’re going to talk about one of my favorite topics…the Word of God. I don’t have a long-winded opening because we spent over a month talking about why reading the Bible is important. I would recommend that you take some time to read our messages from the “Why Read The Bible?” series. I enjoyed writing that series…and revisit those messages myself from time to time. It’s important to be familiar with the Word of God…and today’s message from John Piper is about just that…Read Your Bible More and More…and I’m certain this message will challenge me to spend more time reading mine too.
Today’s Message:
Don’t rest on past reading. Read your Bible more and more every year. Read it whether you feel like reading it or not. And pray without ceasing that the joy return and pleasures increase.
It is extremely important…especially in this day and age where there is so much garbage being preached in pulpits throughout American churches. It’s so important that as mentioned in the introduction…the Holy Ghost had us do an entire month-long series on “Why Read The Bible?” to remind us of the importance of reading the Word of God.
So…here we are again with yet another message that we have to talk about reading our Bibles. Friends, we need to know our Bibles. It really is important. It is our only defense against the false doctrines, false gospels, and the growing incompetence of the preachers in our pulpits to preach correctly divided Scripture.
Prayer and the Bible are linked together because they’re our only offensive weapons as Christians. It’s much more productive to pray the Word of God because that’s what the Holy Ghost responds to. God is obligated to respond to His Word…and further He’s obligated to respond to His Word when it’s used in prayer…and it’s prayed in Faith believing and knowing that God is always going to respond to His Word.
So…let’s see what John Piper has to say…and we’ll break down what he says.
Three reasons this is not legalism:
1. You are confessing your lack of desire as sin, and pleading as a helpless child for the desire you long to have. Legalists don’t cry like that. They strut.
2. You are reading out of desperation for the effects of this heavenly medicine. Bible-reading is not a cure for a bad conscience; it’s chemo for your cancer. Legalists feel better because the box is checked. Saints feel better when their blindness lifts, and they see Jesus in the word. Let’s get real. We are desperately sick with worldliness, and only the Holy Spirit, by the word of God, can cure this terminal disease.
3. It is not legalism because only justified people can see the preciousness and power of the Word of God. Legalists trudge with their Bibles on the path toward justification. Saints sit down in the shade of the cross and plead for the blood-bought pleasures.
He gave us three reasons why Bible reading is NOT legalism. So…let’s look at each reason one at a time…Amen!?!
1. You are confessing your lack of desire as sin, and pleading as a helpless child for the desire you long to have. Legalists don’t cry like that. They strut.
Legalists also don’t want you to be passionate and read the Word of God because if you do…then you’ll uncover their lies and deceit. You see, when you take the time to read the Word of God, and really have a strong understanding of the Word…when someone stands up and starts preaching the “do’s and do not’s” of Christianity…and then further proceeds to tell you that if you do this and don’t that then you’re not saved…and you’ll lose your salvation…you know that the reason we can be assured of our standing before God has everything to do with His grace…and very little to do with what we do and don’t do.
The more you read the Bible…the more the Holy Ghost teaches you. The more the Holy Ghost teaches you the more solid your foundation in the Word of God becomes. The more the Holy Ghost teaches you the Word…the more you come to understand that the reason we’re the righteousness of God is because we’re in Christ. The reason we can be assured of our salvation and our eternal destination is because we’re in Christ. So…legalists don’t want us reading the Bible for ourselves…because when we do we’ll come to realize that while what the legalists say sounds nice and spiritual and religious…the truth is what they teach is wrong…and it’s them who need to repent for preaching wrongly divided scripture.
2. You are reading out of desperation for the effects of this heavenly medicine. Bible-reading is not a cure for a bad conscience; it’s chemo for your cancer. Legalists feel better because the box is checked. Saints feel better when their blindness lifts, and they see Jesus in the word. Let’s get real. We are desperately sick with worldliness, and only the Holy Spirit, by the word of God, can cure this terminal disease.
I really don’t have anything to add here. I believe that these statements by John Piper are good enough to stand alone, and I really don’t have anything to say that would expound upon what he writes. I do like that he says that Bible-reading is our chemo for our cancer. I love that he says that the more we read the Bible the more the blinders come off, and the more the veil is lifted from our eyes to see the truth…and the truth is everything we have and are is because we’re in Christ. Bible reading is the cure for false doctrine…and I love that John calls is a disease…because it’s very much an epidemic in the body of Christ today. There’s so much false doctrine out there that it seems like false teaching is the norm…and that true and correctly divided scripture is actually abnormal.
3. It is not legalism because only justified people can see the preciousness and power of the Word of God. Legalists trudge with their Bibles on the path toward justification. Saints sit down in the shade of the cross and plead for the blood-bought pleasures.
Friends…Christians are so busy running and striving that they’re all exhausted. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be is it? Why can I say that? Jesus says that we can exchange our burdens and yokes for His because they are light…and He will give us…what…REST. We’re to REST in the finished work of the Cross…but there’s so much teaching out there that what Jesus did on the Cross wasn’t enough to secure our eternal futures in Heaven. There’s so much teaching out there that says that we have to “earn” and “work” for our place in Heaven. I know the scriptures that they will use to pad their arguments and beliefs…but those of us who really have a firm foundation in the Word of God understand why Jesus is such a stumbling block because it’s hard to believe that salvation and eternal life is really as simple as the Bible says it is…and the legalistic religious people cannot believe that it really is so simple…but it is…whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved…there is no other name under Heaven by which we are saved…and when we are saved and born again…we immediately are taken out of the first Adam…and placed in the second Adam. It really IS that simple.
“Do not think you are getting no good from the Bible, merely because you do not see that good day by day. The greatest effects are by no means those which make the most noise, and are most easily observed. The greatest effects are often silent, quiet, and hard to detect at the time they are being produced.
“Think of the influence of the moon upon the earth, and of the air upon the human lungs. Remember how silently the dew falls, and how imperceptibly the grass grows. There may be far more doing than you think in your soul by your Bible-reading.” (J. C. Ryle, Practical Religion, 136)
I have discovered J.C. Ryle thanks to the Social Networks. What an outstanding wealth of truth this man teaches, and he’s quickly becoming on of my favorites from the generation that saw preachers like Smith Wigglesworth, Oswald Chambers, and A.W. Tozer. I’m a huge fan of Mr. Ryle, and I’m glad that something he said is included in this devotion written by someone who I greatly respect today in John Piper.
So lets give heed to Mr. Ryle and never grow weary of the slow, steady, growth that comes from the daily, disciplined, increasing, love affair with reading the Bible.
I don’t know about you…but I love the Word of God. I enjoy reading it, I enjoy teaching it, and I enjoy being educated by it. The Bible is my favorite book. There’s no other book in the world like it. I don’t know about you, but I never grow weary of my love affair with the Word of God…and messages like this only help to fuel the passion for the Word…and also challenges me to spend more time reading the Bible…like Mr. Piper says…whether I want to or not.
It’s food for our souls, friends. It’s full of everything we need to know, and it’s the cure for this epidemic of false teachings and doctrines that have invaded the Body of Christ at an alarming rate these days.
I believe that God is raising up a people who still have a passion and love for His Word. I believe that the days of the super preacher is over…and those who aren’t so well-known…but really love the Bible are being raised up to be a voice. I know a couple of them. They don’t have these large mega-churches…but what they do have is a heart for the Bible…and because they have a heart for the Bible…they have a heart for the things that God has a heart for.
Let me ask you…what do you have a heart for?
Conclusion & Prayer:
Oh…thank God for the Word of God. It’s so important to make sure that we’re taking in a steady diet of the Word of God in our own private devotional time. I never really seem to read it enough, and can admit that I don’t read it enough…but I will most definitely continue to strive towards making sure that I’m rooted and grounded in the Word of God…and I’m challenged to make sure that I’m making it the priority in my life.
Father…how I love Your Word. I know that I can always spend more time reading and studying it, but I thank You for the foundation You’ve given me…the opening statement about making sure that I’m not relying upon past revelation of Your Word only fuels the passion I have to know it more…read it more…and understand that I can always spend more time in Your Word. I ask that You would light a fire and passion in all of our hearts for Your Word that wouldn’t be satisfied or quenched. Please…Lord God…keep our hearts on fire for Your Word…in Jesus’ name…Amen & Amen
“19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” John 20:19-21
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him,“Tend My sheep.”17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-17
Introduction:
Well…we only did one day so far, and I don’t know about you…but I have the exciting thought that this may be one of the best series we’ve done to date. I’ve had a lot of fun, and maybe the most important series may have been the one we did on “Why Read The Bible?”…but I think this one has the potential to be a really good series as well.
Today…we talk about backsliders…and I know that I’m not the only one who has ever been here…and multiple times. I think that it comes from allowing the cares of the world to overtake our desire for the sincere milk and meat of the Word of God on a regular basis. I know that the more important to me the world becomes…the harder it is to get into the Word of God. Pastor Cass of New Life Christian Center often says that one of the devil’s main goals is to “get us busy”.
Why? Because if our minds are on the things and cares of this world…then they’re usually off of the Word of God. The longer our minds are entrenched and busy with the worries and cares of the world the less our focus is upon God…and the less we’re in the Word of God. At least that’s how it works in my life…and then before you know it…it’s been days or some times even weeks since you last got into God’s Word…and before you know it…you’ve developed some carnality in your walk with the Lord…and we all know that to be carnally minded is death…spiritual death.
So…I don’t know about you…but this is one of those messages that I think I’m going to have to read over and over again…and also one of these messages that I need to make sure I’m relying upon the Holy Ghost to speak…and with that in mind we’ll pray…and get into today’s message titled: “A WORD FOR BACKSLIDERS”
Holy Spirit…I thank You for the opportunity to speak to the subject of backsliding today. I ask for Your anointing and supernatural ability to overtake me as I begin to write this message. I ask that You would give me the utterance and unction needed to write a clear, sound, and precise message that will be rooted deeply in the hearts of the readers…and my own heart as I write what You supply me with. I ask that You would take over now…this day…and that we’d all have ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts that are receptive and responsive to what You would have to say to us through this message. I ask this in Jesus’ name…Amen & Amen.
Today’s Message:
How eager Jesus was to restore broken fellowship with his apostles after the resurrection! Surely this is a sign of how eager he is to restore us when we have drifted (or bolted) away.
All the apostles had forsaken him. In the garden, at his most sorrowful hour, “They all left him and fled” (Mark 14:50).
When I think of what John writes here about Jesus being eager to restore the broken fellowship between Him and His disciples it makes me think of His determination to get to the Cross. It makes me think about how the reason He made His way up the mountain was because He was thinking of me. He was thinking that one day I would be one of those who would respond to His eager desire to have restored fellowship with me too.
How easy it is for us when we are wronged to hold on to those hurts and disappointments that come between us and the person who has wronged us. How easy it is to not desire to restore that broken fellowship, but this reminds me of how I felt about my relationship with my parents after spending the better part of a decade in a relationship that was broken…and how little fellowship I had with them through that decade.
It’s also one of the greatest works that God has done in my heart. There was a time when I would hold on to hurt and resentment…and not only did that cause me to break fellowship with many people…but it also caused me to keep the rest of the world at bay as well. Instead of trying to believe that there was a bit of good in everyone…I began to believe that no one (including myself) was trustworthy…and that in the end they were either going to leave me or devastate me emotionally…and therefore what started as holding on to bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness turned into an unwillingness to even allow myself to fellowship with people at all.
Today…I can honestly say that by the grace of God I’ve gone from being unwilling to forgive to almost being too willing and eager to forgive. I also can say that for the most part I am able to quickly let go of offense as the Lord is teaching me about the part of 1 Corinthians 13 that says that “love bears or keeps no record of wrongs done to it.”. That’s hard…friends.
I won’t go into details, but recently there was a bit of a family issue that came about that challenged my very heart upon this matter. Somehow, the Holy Spirit was able to speak through me some thing that I know was from Him because I know that I myself couldn’t have come up with what I said. “One of the hardest things to do is to extend grace to someone who doesn’t deserve it…even when you’re in the right to not extend that grace to that person.” The more devastation a person causes you…the more difficult it is to extend that grace because feelings and emotions are involved…and so extending grace and forgiveness can be extremely difficult.
I used to wonder how Jesus felt about His disciples before He got to them, and I think John paints a pretty good picture to me. He felt a sense of urgency to restore the broken fellowship between Him and His disciples. What an example that is…and how difficult of an example that is to follow. It speaks of the depth of His love for us…and just how valuable each and every single one of us are to Him.
When you read about the rejoicing of the father who had the Prodigal Son return home, and how he ran when he saw his son a far off. How he kissed him, and was so happy that he wanted a big celebration. I know I’ve found myself coming home to God many a time like this…and you know what I’ve also found that God is just as eager after the one hundredth time as He was the very first time…because the whole reason He endured the Cross in the first place…was because He was eager to restore fellowship with us…and have it be the way it was in the beginning when Adam and Eve used to walk with Him in the cool of the day.
Friends…if you ever get to wondering what the perfect will of God is…go back and read the creation story before the fall. God’s desire is for each and every one of us to have the same fellowship with Him as He enjoyed with Adam and Eve before sin entered into the world. That’s what the New Jerusalem and Heaven are going to be like…restored…perfect fellowship with our Father…the way it was meant to be when He created the Garden of Eden…and put Adam and Eve in it.
Now he was raised. What would he say to those who had abandoned him? Three healing things:
1. To Mary at the tomb: “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)
“Brothers!” “Your Father!” “Your God!” I am going now. You will come later. We are, and we will be, together. I forgive you. Our Father forgives you.
2. He finds the apostles, stands among them, and says, “Peace be with you.” He showed them his hands and his side — horrible reminders of what it cost him when they forsook him. And he says again. “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19–21)
“Peace!” Not “Shame!” I forgive you. I take you back. I entrust you with my mission: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
3. To Peter, three times: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” And to his three positive answers, Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15–17)
I have not given up on you, Peter. You are a shepherd of my sheep. Do you recall that I prayed for you? I told you what was coming. I never let you go. My command was a promise: “When you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32)
Let’s see if we can’t take a look at each of these things Jesus said to those who had abandoned Him.
1. To Mary at the tomb: “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)
“Brothers!” “Your Father!” “Your God!” I am going now. You will come later. We are, and we will be, together. I forgive you. Our Father forgives you.
Is anyone else in awe right now of the grace and mercy of our Father? Is anyone else finding comfort right now in the fact that even when we abandon God that He never abandons us? He’s never reached a point where He throws His hands up in disgust, and says: “I’m done with Bryan. He just doesn’t get it, and I’m tired of Bryan abandoning me over and over. He’s just a pathetic loser, and there’s nothing I can do for him anymore. Bryan is on his own.”
First of all…I am extremely thankful that God isn’t like us. Other wise…He’d have done just like I wrote at least ten years ago. However, I am so thankful that God stands ready to forgive me and accept me with open arms every time I come back to Him like the Prodigal Son. Every time I come home…He still runs to me…He still calls to me…and when I come home…He still calls me His.
He’s OUR Father. He’s OUR God. He forgives us. What an important thing to know that we’re forgiven and loved.
2. He finds the apostles, stands among them, and says, “Peace be with you.” He showed them his hands and his side — horrible reminders of what it cost him when they forsook him. And he says again. “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19–21)
“Peace!” Not “Shame!” I forgive you. I take you back. I entrust you with my mission: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
As I believe I’ve shared before one of the most difficult things for me to do was to overcome the guilt and shame and condemnation over my life and the many mistakes (some of them monumental) that I made. I was sharing with my wife this afternoon that it has almost always been easier for me to forgive others and let them off the hook…then it was for me to extend that same forgiveness to myself. I once heard a bone chilling message from Dr. Charles Stanley about how refusing to forgive ourselves for the things we’d done in our lives was…well…pride. The gist of what Dr. Stanley was teaching was that when I stood and refused to forgive myself for what I’d done that I was basically saying that what Jesus endured on the Cross wasn’t enough to forgive me of all of my guilt, shame, condemnation, and sin.
I remember that message made me feel worse at the time. I remember even praying that I was sorry that I couldn’t forgive myself, but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t see myself the way God saw me no matter how hard I tried to. I couldn’t see past my failures, my sin, and it lasted for many years. Over the years since then I can tell you that only by the working of God upon my heart have I been able to let myself off the hook, and forgive myself for the things I’d done so that I could allow God to heal my heart of the guilt and shame that I’d held on to for all those years.
The more I let go of…the more He shared with me how much He loved me…and I believe that one of the things that Pastor Ronnie saw taken off of my shoulders on that day in November of 2010 was the burden of guilt and shame that I had carried. The yoke of that bondage I was under brought me to the point of my need, and just like the old song by Philips, Craig, and Dean says:
Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures to the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy
Mercy came running to me
Mercy came running to me that day in November like never before, and I walked out of The Haven Family Worship Place different from how I’d ever been before. I’m still discovering some of the changes that took place that day, but one of them was that He finally took all of the sin, guilt, and shame I’d felt…and replaced it with His peace. The lyrics of another song come to mind…and I believe it may have been the song playing that day:
Oh how beautiful, are you Lord.
It is Your words, it is Your love.
Oh how glorious, are you Lord.
It is Your power, it was Your cross.
That saved me, and rescued me,
Just a moment there.. set me free!!
That day…that moment on November 15, 2010 was the moment that I was set free from many things…and maybe to a certain degree myself. In that moment…that encounter with Him that changed my life forever…I remembered writing in my journal that I knew God had touched me. I didn’t really know all of what He did…but I knew that He showed up…and that I had an encounter with Him. As I mentioned a moment ago…I am still coming to understand some of the things that happened that day…and truthfully…until I began writing this message…I didn’t understand that some of what Pastor Ronnie saw lifted off of me that day was the decade of guilt and shame and broken heartedness I had felt. I knew I felt lighter…I just didn’t know why…and now I do.
3. To Peter, three times: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” And to his three positive answers, Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15–17)
I have not given up on you, Peter. You are a shepherd of my sheep. Do you recall that I prayed for you? I told you what was coming. I never let you go. My command was a promise: “When you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32)
This encounter that Peter had with Jesus was one of the things that eventually lead me to understand that God was talking to me during one of the many times I had read this passage. I’ve mentioned this in past messages…but I received a reminder earlier this year as Pastor Cass was preaching on the Vision and on the Mandate that he sensed was upon New Life Christian Center. I’ve shared in a few messages that shortly there-after I received the word in my heart from God that my personal theme for 2012 was “Getting Serious About Being Serious With God”.
It was in those messages that the Lord reminded me of the encounter I had with Him, and how He had work for me to do. Shortly after that was the birth and beginning of Christlike Ministries NWA. That was January of this year. I may have mentioned a few times that the first encounter I had with God in regard to this encounter He had with Peter was in January of 2001. That’s right…eleven years had passed…and do you know why God had to remind me?
Because once again I had gotten into a place where I couldn’t see myself the way He saw me, and He even blessed me with a godly woman who He spoke through to encourage me to try to help me to see myself the way He saw me. Even though I had the weight of all my past taken off of me in November of 2010…it was still hard for me not to put my hand to the plow and not look back. It was still difficult to look at myself in the mirror…and see how in the world God could use a broken down guy like me.
However…as He gave me the words to the theme of this year He also reminded me that HE hadn’t given up on me. Once again…it was through the reading of this passage, and another one in the Book of Psalms…Psalm 28:8-9to be exact. Those were the scriptures He spoke to me about the fact that He’d called me to be the Pastor of Christlike Ministries NWA…and that it was time to not only embrace that calling…but to step into it…and get it going. Almost 200 messages and 8 months later…here I am doing what He called me to do. He said if I loved Him then I was to “Feed His Sheep”.
You see, friends…God never lets us go. He promised us in His Word that He would never leave us nor forsake us, and I think that we often lose sight of that promise based upon how we feel about ourselves, and one of the important thing to remember about our walk with God is that it has nothing to do with how we feel…but what He says about us in His Word…and what He says about us in His Word is that He loves us…and that He loved us so much that He gave His life to have the fellowship that was broken between us and Him completely restored.
Friend…I don’t know your situation, but I know the One who does. Maybe you are in a place much like I was when mercy came running to me. Maybe you were like me, and you’d known God for a long time…but the weight of guilt and shame and condemnation has you so weighed down that you don’t know what else to do. Maybe you found yourself in a desperate place much like I was on that day in November. I knew that I needed God to do something. I didn’t know what it was…but I needed Him. I can’t even claim that I was backslidden. I was purely carnal, and I was so weighed down by my broken heart, the weight of my sin, my guilt, and my shame. I knew I needed God to do something…otherwise…I can only imagine what would’ve happened had I carried on without the encounter I had with Him that day.
This message is for you. Jesus is saying these three things to work to heal you today.
1. Our Father forgives you.
2. He wants to give you peace and rest.
3. He loves you and hasn’t given up on you.
Jesus was eager to repair the damage that had been done. Eager to forgive, restore, recommission. If you have forsaken him, let him down, offended him, take heart, he is not less eager to repair things with you. Seek his face. Ask him. Receive his grace.
Conclusion & Prayer:
I don’t know that there is anything more that I can write at this point. I just know that maybe we need to close this message right here…and seek Him together.
Father…I come to You in the name of Jesus. I thank You for Your eagerness to repair and restore the broken fellowship we have with You. Lord, it’s so easy for us to get bogged down with guilt and shame because we see ourselves through our natural eyes…and have such a hard time understanding how it is that You love us so much. Many of us, myself included, have lived a lifetime full of people who have given up on us, and thrown their hands up in disgust to write us off…but You…Lord God…You have never done that over any one of us. You love us with a love that is incomprehensible…and extend to us grace and mercy that is as equally hard to comprehend. I hear You, Lord, speaking to my heart…I hear You saying that even I have gotten to a place where I was having a hard time seeing myself through Your eyes. Lord…I know I forsake You. I know that I let You down and offend You…and maybe I needed to know this as much as anyone else that I’m not immune to feeling like Peter…needing Your peace…needing Your reminder that You love me…You’ve not forsaken me…and most importantly that You will never give up on me…even though I tend to throw my hands up in disgust and give up on myself. Lord…I am so thankful for Your mercy…and I thank You…Lord for such a timely message…and ask You to create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me…and help me to understand that Your forgiveness, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your love aren’t based upon my feelings…but upon Your Word.
I pray for those reading this message today, Lord who may be feeling like they have let You down to the point that they feel like You’ve given up on them. I ask that You would sink this message deep into their hearts…and I pray that You would speak of Your love and forgiveness and mercy and grace to them. I pray that You would remind them that they belong to You…and that there’s nothing that can separate us from Your love…and no one or no thing that can pluck us from the safety of Your Hands.
Lord…remind us of the surety of our salvation…and restore unto us the joy of our salvation. Restore us to a place where we are secure and have that invincible joy that we spoke of in yesterday’s message.
Do a work in our hearts…God. A work that is both inward as we deal with ourselves…and outward as we deal with a world that’s dying and needs to know the love and forgiveness that’s available to us who believe and have called upon the name of Your Son to be saved.
Let Your Spirit rest fresh upon us tonight…let us sense Your presence in a deeper and more intimate way. Maybe there are some reading today who need to be reminded of what it feels like to be wrapped in Your arms of love…Lord wrap us in Your arms…and whisper Your love for us in our ear that our hearts would melt and break…and forgive us…Lord for all offenses…all disobediences…and all things we have done to sin against You and those in our lives…and mostly…help us to forgive ourselves.
Lord…I love You so much…and I thank You for speaking to us this day. I ask again that You would seal this message upon our hearts, and help us to meditate upon this message for the rest of the day or even the week…until it comes to our hearts that You love us…and that You have never…and will never leave our side…and we give You all the glory, honor, and praise this day…and as always we ask all of these things in the name of Your precious Son…Jesus Christ…Amen & Amen
Mercy came running… Like a prisoner set free…Past all my failures to the point of my need When the sin that I carried…Was all I could see And when I could not reach mercy…Mercy came running to me
Today’s Scripture: “ I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” Psalm 119:59
Introduction:
How fitting it is that we wrap up this series with Psalm 119, and with one last reminder about “Obedience”. I don’t have a long-winded introduction, and I don’t believe that this message is going to be very long-winded neither. It’s been a long journey to get to this 32nd day of this series, and I think we’ve covered a lot of topics, subjects, points, and reasons why reading the Bible is so important…none more important than the one we talked about in our last message…that’s how we encounter and interact with God…every time.
Isn’t that good news? Every single time we read the Bible we are interacting, and having an encounter with God. Like I said, I don’t know about you, but for me that’s the best and only reason I need. It allows me to have a personal interaction and encounter with God every time I read it. That’s a good enough reason for me.
Today, however, we wrap up this series with one last reminder about: “Obedience”.
Today’s Message:
As I began to write the introduction I heard the Holy Spirit simply say that this is the last time in this series to remind not only you…the reader, but me the writer that we need to do what we read. We need to be obedient to the Word of God. Yes, we all know that none of us are going to get 100% when it comes to following the Word of God, but we should always endeavor to be obedient to the Word of God.
For me, as I think about the ministry that I’m called to the greatest thing that I can do for you is to make sure that I’m preaching the Word. That to me is the pinnacle of obedience for all who are in ministry. If you’re preaching anything other than the Word of God…then you aren’t in obedience to the Holy Ghost. Period.
You can be mad at me all you like, but Paul didn’t write: “Preach the Purpose Filled Life by Rick Warren” or “Preach Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen” or “It’s Not About Me by Max Lucado” or anything else did he? No. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:2 (KJV): “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
I don’t know how anyone else feels about that verse right there, but to me that is a commandment not a suggestion. It’s something that’s a good idea. It’s not something that might be a good topic for discussion. No…the Word of God should BE the discussion. It should BE the idea. It should BE the message.
I have written: “No Word of God = No Holy Ghost. No Holy Ghost + No Word of God = No Power” enough times to realize that if I want to have the power of the Holy Ghost in anything whether it’s in my own personal life, in my marriage, in my finances, or in my ministry…then the Word of God is the only access I have to the power of the Holy Ghost.
Listen, the Holy Ghost doesn’t do anything apart from the Word of God. We know that from creation that the Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the deep until God spoke, and then He performed that which God spoke. Do you realize that the Holy Ghost is 100% obedient to the Word of God all the time, and that there is never a time that the Holy Ghost does anything of His own free will?
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” John 16:13 – 14 KJV
Did you see that? “He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak:”. This is Jesus talking about the Holy Ghost. At no time does the Holy Ghost ever speak and act independently of the Word of God.
Do you know that’s how we are supposed to live our lives? We are supposed to live our lives in the exact obedience to the Word of God that the Holy Ghost does. However, unlike the Holy Ghost who is subject and fully submitted to the Word of God…we aren’t. We have free will. We have the ability to decide whether we’re going to obey what we read or not. We have the ability to do like David writes and think upon our ways and turn our feet to His testimonies.
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:2 (KJV)
This to me is what I am now held accountable to as a pastor. I am responsible to be obedient to preaching, teaching, and writing messages that are centered upon the Word of God. If I write about anything else then I am in disobedience to the Word. You know, I’ve said this a few times, and it bears repeating…if it wasn’t for the Word of God…I wouldn’t have anything to write about anyways.
I can promise you this. Without the Word of God I wouldn’t even be able to write like this. Come on, you saw the messages I wrote in the beginning. You can see…I can see how much better a writer I am today then I was when I started. How did this development as a writer come? By obedience to the Word of God. The more I was obedient to the Word of God, and the Holy Ghost the better my ability to write has become.
All of this that Christlike Ministries NWA and Pastor Bryan is about today is because I’ve been obedient to the Word, and to the Holy Ghost. Listen, this isn’t me. I’m not able to write like this. Outside of what I do here for the Lord I am an okay writer, but this…these messages I write on a regular basis…this isn’t me…this isn’t my ability…no this is ability, utterance, and unction that comes solely from the supernatural power of the Holy Ghost.
Do you know why I have this ability, why I have this unction and utterance, why I have this anointing, and why I am able to have the power of the Holy Ghost flow through me and my writing? Because I preach the Word. That’s it.
Here’s reason number two to read the Word of God: The Power of the Holy Ghost. Listen, if you need more than these two reasons as to why we read the Bible…then I don’t believe a 32 day series is going to help you…and I pray that you come to understand that these two reasons here are enough to answer the question Why Read The Bible?
The Word of God is the only guaranteed way to always have personal interaction, and a personal encounter with God.
The Word of God is the only way to have the power of the Holy Ghost in your life.
If you need anymore than those two reasons right there…then I suggest you go back through this entire series, and before you do ask the Holy Ghost to speak to you. My messages are NOTHING without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and the ONLY way I get the inspiration of the Holy Ghost is through the Word of God. I cannot be anymore clear than that.
We read the Word of God because that’s how we encounter God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost on a regular…hopefully daily basis. We read the Bible because that’s how we find out about Jesus, and come to realize that the Bible is Jesus in book-form. We read the Bible because that’s how we get the power of the Holy Ghost to flow in and through our lives.
We read the Bible because not reading the Bible is disobedience to the Word of God, and we all know that disobedience to the Word of God in any form is sin. So…the last and final reason we read the Word of God is because if we don’t read it…it’s sin.
I don’t know about you, but I just named off 4 good reasons why we read the Bible…and I’ll close this series and message by giving you the four reasons:
Four Reasons Why We Read The Bible:
It’s how we have personal interaction and encounters with God
It’s how we learn that the Bible is about Jesus Christ…and how we learn about Jesus.
To turn on the Power of the Holy Ghost in our lives.
Not reading the Bible is a sin.
Points for Pondering:
“ I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” Psalm 119:59
What made David follow God’s laws?
As you reflect upon your life…do you see obedience to the Word of God?
Conclusion & Prayer:
Congratulations! You’ve finished your YouVersion Why Read the Bible? Reading Plan. It’s so fulfilling to complete a worthwhile goal. We trust that you experienced God’s presence in a special way as you engaged with His Word through your plan. Your Friends at YouVersion
Yes. If you have managed to follow along through all 32 messages in this series I’d like to say two things.
First of all, congratulations. I know it’s been a long series, but if you’ve made it from beginning to end that means that you’ve at the very least been committed enough to see this series through to the end. I would like to now encourage you to use the commitment you had to this series…and turn that commitment into a desire for daily reading and studying of the Word of God. If you need to know why…then I’ll refer you back to the four reasons listed above.
Secondly, thank you. I want you to know that I appreciate every person who likes us on Facebook, follows us on Twitter, networks with us on LinkedIn, and reads our messages on WordPress. The whole reason that I’m doing this is because of you, and my desire to help equip you to have a more personal, intimate, and deeper relationship with God. I am thankful for each one of you who follows along with these messages…even the ones who are quietly following us.
This ministry is about the integrity & character of Christ…and that means we will stand upon & up for the Word of God. The Bible will ALWAYS be the ultimate authority over my life, my home, and my ministry…and it’s the foundation upon which this ministry will stand until the day the Lord comes for us. That is my personal promise & pledge to you. This ministry will Preach the Word & be held accountable to the integrity of the Word of God!
Blessings & Grace to you.
Bryan J. Kizer
Pastor & Founder
Christlike Ministries NWA
Let’s pray and wrap up this series shall we.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for all that You’ve had to say to us through the Why Read The Bible series. We admit that we all can spend more time in Your Word, we can all make Your Word more of a priority in our lives, and that we need to be reminded that part of being obedient to Your Word…is…well…reading it. Forgive us, Oh Lord, for taking Your Word for granted, forgive us for not reading Your Word, and forgive us Lord…for not obeying Your Word. We love You and honor You, and we understand that one of the greatest ways that we can prove that we love and honor You is by being obedient…and making sure that daily Bible reading and study isn’t just a part…but the priority in our lives…because in all reality…that’s how we interact and encounter You. In Jesus’ name we pray…Amen & Amen
Today’s Scripture: “66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” Psalm 119:66-67
Introduction:
With two messages to go after this one I’m no longer surprised by the fact that we’re once again back to Psalm 119. I feel like this is going to be a really good message, and I also feel like we may be going on a side journey or two…but that’s all dependent upon the Holy Ghost. I’m excited to see where the Holy Ghost leads us on this message titled: “Following The Word”
Today’s Message:
The first point that’s jumping out at me before we even get into the scripture is the title of today’s message…Following The Word. So…Why Read The Bible? If you don’t then you are not a true follower of Christ. Now, I know that you’re going to immediately ask me how I can say that…and the answer is the same as it always is. If the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…that means the Word isn’t just some book, but it’s Jesus in book form. Listen, I don’t know how many times we can read that verse…and just so you don’t think I’m making this up here is the verse that I constantly refer to here: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (KJV)
Listen, The Word became flesh. So, whenever you hold the Bible in your hands you are holding Jesus in book-form. How’s that for awesome, and maybe eye-opening for some of you. One of the main reasons to read the Bible than is because of this reason here: If Christians are “followers” of Christ…how in the world can you call yourself a Christian if you don’t read your Bible? The most simplistic of points and reasons for reading the Bible is because the Bible is Jesus in book-form. Maybe if more people thought about the Bible that way they would be more interested in reading it on a more regular basis.
By the way…this here is for those of you who think that I made up the statistics about Christians and there Bibles. This is from Dr. James Merritt of Cross Point Church. This was actually a tweet from him that I read this morning. “Even though 93% of Americans own a Bible, 50% never read it, including 23% of all followers of Christ.”
23% of all “followers of Christ” never read the Bible. That means only 27% of the 50% who do read the Bible are actually really followers of Christ. That’s astonishing to me that 23% of Christians call themselves followers of Christ, and they don’t even do the most basic thing…the don’t even read the Bible they own…and most Christian homes have several Bibles in them. I know that I own 3 Bibles, I have the YouVersion Bible App on my computer and my phone, and I have the E-Sword Bible software available on my computer as well.
How in the world can you claim to be a follower of Christ…and not read the Bible is beyond me. It’s beyond my ability to comprehend. Now I didn’t say that they aren’t believers…but they most certainly are not followers.
Here’s the Holy Ghost right here ready: “IF YOU DON’T READ THE WORD OF GOD ON A REGULAR BASIS YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BLAME GOD FOR THE FACT THAT THERE’S NO POWER IN YOUR LIFE. THE POWER FOR YOUR LIFE IS IN THE WORD OF GOD. NO WORD OF GOD = NO POWER. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE POWER OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE IS TO HAVE THE WORD OF GOD AS A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE. I CAN’T MOVE IN YOUR LIFE APART FROM THE WORD OF GOD. NO WORD OF GOD = NO HOLY GHOST. NO HOLY GHOST + NO WORD OF GOD = NO POWER.”
Come on people…I don’t even for the life of me understand why we had to take 32 days to talk about why we should be reading our Bibles…and when I say reading our Bibles I mean study them. I mean really getting into studying the Bible. Doing like Paul writes and study to show ourselves approved, and searching the scriptures daily. Doing things like meditating upon this book of the law day and night…and making daily Bible study and reading a part of our lives.
Here’s a truth. I love what the Lord just said there because you hear Christians all the time talking about how God hasn’t moved in their lives in a long…long time. You know why? I’ll bet you it’s because you haven’t seriously sat down to read and study your Bible in a long…long time.
Listen to me here…this is personal honesty right here…ready: I can look you square in the eye and tell you that the times when God was dormant in my life were the times that I wasn’t reading His Word on a regular basis…the reverse of that is true. The times when God moved the most in my life were the times…like now…where I am making the Word of God the priority in my life. When I’m reading the Word, hearing the Word, and responding to the Word of God…God moves. I don’t know how many times I have to say this…but I’m getting ready to say it again…the Holy Ghost cannot move in my life without the Word of God. I can pray until I am blue in the face, and until hours and hours have passed, but the Holy Ghost isn’t obligated to do anything according to my words…He is only obligated to respond to God’s Words.
That’s for someone right there. If you would spend more time praying God’s Words than your own then the Holy Ghost would respond. The Holy Ghost is under no obligation to respond to our words, but to the Word of God. When we speak and pray the Word of God…that’s when the Holy Spirit can move and respond.
Well…we’ve gotten all this in just from the title of the message. How about that? I told y’all that I was feeling like this was going to be a good message. Point one of today’s message is really quite simple…if I am not studying my Bible on a daily basis I’m not a follower I am just a believer. Followers of Christ…well…they follow Christ…and they do that by constantly being in His Word…because the Word of God is Jesus in book-form.
The second point I’m sensing the need to get into and this is going to be one of the side journeys is this thing about judgment. David writes: “Teach me good judgment”. I can almost guarantee you that when He sought the Lord for “good judgment” he wasn’t seeking the ability to judge people, but good judgment for the course and things in his life. You know, one of the biggest pet peeves or points of irritation in my heart towards the body of Christ is their willingness to judge someone else’s life. Listen, the only thing Jesus gave us the right to judge people by was the fruit of their lives, and the love that they have for one another. Yet, we see the body of Christ judge people for being enslaved to certain sins, for having a divorce, and for drinking beer.
Can I tell you that the body of Christ has more to hurt me by their judgmental attitude than the world has? I have been judged time and time again because of what the religious people believe is right, and what they think a Christian ought to look like. I have been divorce and re-married. I’m sure there are people who judge me because of that. I have a daughter of whom I barely have ever had contact with, and am behind on my child support payments…and I know of people who judge me for that. I still drink beer…and I know people judge me for that. I am not licensed or ordained as a pastor…and I know I’m judged for that.
Can I tell you what God says about all that? “Judgenot [neither pronouncing judgment nor subjecting to censure], and you will not be judged; do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty; acquit and forgive and release (give up resentment, let it drop), and you will be acquitted and forgiven and released.” Luke 6:37 (AMP)
I realize that not everything I do in my life is the perfect will of God. I also realize that not everything I choose to do in my life is God’s best for me. However, I am perfectly secure in my relationship with God because I know what God has spoken to me, and I also know what God allows and what He doesn’t allow in my life. I have had people tell me that I’m deceived, but the truth is…I know my Master’s voice, and I know that there are certain things that He’s allowing me to do because they have a purpose in my life. I know that I’ve gone through certain things in my life so that I can relate to others. But the biggest thing that I know is that I am forgiven and loved…and one day I am going to stand before God…and be told “Well done.”. That’s the only thing that matters to me.
You can point your finger, look down your nose, and if you choose not to follow me or my ministry for any reason then that’s fine with me. The Lord gave this to me one day…and I’m not sure who this is for, but it’s been brought back to my remembrance…so I’m going to add it here: “ Don’t judge something you don’t understand…when you stand in judgment of God’s call upon someone…you think you know better than Him.”
So, good judgment, friends, isn’t about having good judgment about other people…but having good judgment for our own lives. Listen, I have a very simply philosophy about being judgmental of other people…it’s not my job. Even as a pastor it’s not my job to judge someone’s life. Yes, I can look at things people are doing in their lives and know that it’s not God’s best for them. However, there isn’t one single solitary sin that Jesus didn’t die on the Cross for. There isn’t one sin that isn’t covered and washed away by the Blood of the Lamb. So, who am I to stand in judgment of anyone for anything when my life is just as full of filthy rags as anyone else’s? Who am I to look at the plank in someone else’s eye when I have a huge log in my own?
Yes, I can suggest and encourage people not to do certain things, but I don’t judge people’s lives because it really isn’t my job. It’s my job to serve the Word of God. That’s it. I’m not here to point fingers at someone’s life because the truth is that person could point their finger right back at mine…and in some cases the things I’ve done in my life are worse than the things they have done…so I really have no right to judge anyone’s life. Jesus is very clear about being judgmental. Don’t believe me…let Him say it to you Himself: “Judgenot, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1 (KJV).
I really believe that when Jesus was standing there with all those who brought that woman who was caught in adultery that when Jesus started writing in the sand…He was writing down the sins of those that were in the crowd with stones in their hands. One by one they put down their stones, and the only one who had legal and every right to stone the woman was left…and that was Jesus. He didn’t condemn her, He didn’t judge her, but He forgave her right then and there sending her on her way. Do we do that? No…we stone people knowing that we have sin in our own lives that God is dealing with us on.
You know what? I believe part of the reason people are so willing to look at someone else’s life and judge their lives is because it makes them feel better. They use phrases like…”I can believe they can call themselves a Christian and do ________.” Well, my friend. I can guarantee you that someone is looking at you and your life and thinking the same thing. So…remember that whatever judgment you give out…that same judgment is being used against you…not only by that person…but by God Himself.
I don’t know about you…but knowing that God is going to judge me the same way I judge someone else helps keep me from judging anyone. I know that I am alive and well today because of the grace and mercy of God. I know that I’ve saved, sanctified and redeemed…and going to Heaven. Not because of anything other than the grace and mercy of God. I also know that I’ve done worse things in my life than others…so I have no room or right to judge anyone’s life…but my own. Would you like to know where that is in the Bible? “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” 1 Corinthians 11:31 (KJV)
Finally, the last point in this message is found here. “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” Anyone else other than me ever been here? Before I was afflicted I went astray. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who has ever gone astray from the Lord…am I? Which leads me back to talking about being judgmental for just a second…we all are like sheep who have gone astray. All of us were prodigal sons and daughters at one point in our lives. Remember that when you look at others, and are tempted to judge them for what they do or don’t do. What is it that you do or don’t do that someone else can judge you for?
“But now, I have kept thy Word.”. There’s a direct connection to going astray and not keeping the Word of God. Remember how the other day that there was a question on Facebook posted about the number one issue facing the body of Christ today, and all these people responded with all kinds of different reasons and issues. Do you know why there are so many reasons and issues…they have not kept the Word of God…and do you know why they haven’t kept the Word of God? Because 23% of Christians never even read it.
Can I suggest to you that 27% of Christians reading their Bibles isn’t a very good percentage? Come on, 93% of Americans have at least 1 Bible in their homes…out of that 93% that own Bibles 50% of them never read it, and 23% of the 50% who never read the Bible they have in their homes…are Christians. That leaves 27% of all Christians in America who own a Bible read it. Which brings me back to the stats in the very first message where it was discovered out of 2,000 people surveyed 12% read their Bibles on a daily basis…leaving 88% that barely or hardly or never read it at all.
I got some flack for that. I even had some people question those numbers. I’m not the only one who has them. Dr. James Merritt has no idea who I am other than the fact that I follow him on Twitter. I am sure he has no idea I’m writing this series, and had no idea the statistics I had written in our very first message…but his numbers and the numbers I have are about the same…and the whole point of this is that when you think about the fact that 12% of the 27% who own a Bible read and study it on a daily basis…then you get a really good picture and understanding especially after we’ve been doing this series why the church as a whole has gone a stray…and why the church is so afflicted by so many issues.
Which brings me back to what I’ve been saying throughout this entire series. If you want to fix the issues the church is afflicted with…then get the Word of God back into the pulpits of America. Stop preaching from so and so’s latest book…and start “preaching the Word of God.”.
The implication of what David is writing here when he says: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I have kept thy Word.” is that once David began to keep the Word of God…than those things that he was afflicted by that led him astray…no longer afflicted him…and no longer lead him astray. So, when you put that verse into our lives then it’s possible that we can limit the things that lead us astray by increasing our intake and study of the Word of God…and on a corporate body of Christ level…we can eliminate the things that have led the body of Christ astray by returning the Word of God to the pulpit instead of preaching “The Purpose Filled Life”.
Here’s some personal honesty here from me on this point. The things that so easily beset me no longer easily beset me now that I’ve been writing these messages because they make me have to be in the Word of God on a daily basis. The more I am in the Word of God on a daily basis the less the things that held me astray are able to keep me astray because the Word of God is working to remove those things from me and my life.
I’m going to close this message by saying that the way that the things that so easily used to beset me aren’t being removed from my life because of people who stand in judgment pointing a finger at me who wonder how I can call myself a Christian and a pastor…and do those things…but by the Word of God confronting me with the issues and things that have me afflicted…and it’s then as the Word of God shine it’s light upon those things that I can take them to the Lord…and seek His help in overcoming them.
You see…judging someone’s life isn’t going to help them, but hurt them…and we all know what Jesus warned when it came to hurting His little ones. So…instead of thinking that good judgment involves you being better able to judge what someone else is doing…that’s not what good judgment is for…it’s about being better able to judge what’s going on in your own life…so that you can bring the things that have you afflicted can be brought to the Lord so that by His mercy, grace, and Word…you can overcome.
We overcome how? By the Blood of the Lamb…and the Word of our testimony. Stop judging…it’s not your job…Amen!?!
Points for Pondering:
“66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” Psalm 119:66-67
What makes the Psalmist follow God’s Word?
Have you ever felt like God was disciplining you? When?
Conclusion & Prayer:
So, we covered three points in today’s message “Following The Word”. I think the point I liked the most was the one we made in the beginning. I believe that you can be a believer without reading and studying the Word of God on a daily basis, but I don’t believe that you can be a follower of Christ without reading and studying the Word of God on a daily basis.
So…I guess there is a third question for you to consider: Are you a believer or a follower?
Lord, I know what I want my answer to be. I want to be a follower which means I have to be rooted and grounded in Your Word. I think You, Lord for the many afflictions that You have delivered me from through the study and walking out of Your Word. I pray that Your Word would continue to shine it’s light upon areas and afflictions that beset me so that I can one day like David be able to say “But now, I keep thy Word.”. I pray for those who are reading this message that You would do the same in their lives, and help them to develop and maintain more of a passion and fire for Your Word…and deliver them of their afflictions as they have more of Your Word shine it’s light upon their lives. Help us, Lord, to not judge others lives, but to pray for them instead…and love them. Forgive us for being finger pointers, and judging others lives when we have so many things that we should be judging in our own. Teach us, like David writes good judgment…and help us, Lord to know that doesn’t mean good judgment of others lives, but our own. Most of all, Lord…help us to really come to the understanding that Your Word is Jesus in book-form. Maybe if we understood and looked at the Bible that way instead of being just another book…it might stir something in us to be more diligent to spend time in Your Word knowing that when we read and follow Your Word…then we’re following Christ. We love You Lord, and ask these things in Jesus’ name…Amen & Amen
Today’s Scripture: “ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8
Introduction:
We’re now one more week away from completing this series, and what a way to begin the last seven messages! Why Read The Bible? Because that’s how God guide us. That’s what we read in today’s verse isn’t it? I don’t have a long-winded introduction for this message because God gave the introduction for me through Psalm 32:8. So, let’s get right into today’s message.
By the way, if you have made it all the way through all 25 messages so far…good work! I hope that these messages have helped you to understand just how important to us the Word of God is…and today’s message is about to further drive home just how important God’s Word is to us, and why we need to read our Bibles.
Today’s Message:
One of the greatest reasons that we need to read the Bible is because this is how God’s guidance comes to us. You know, everyone is waiting for God to speak to them through the burning bush, but the truth of the matter is the majority of the time the greatest way that God is going to speak to us He’s already provided us…He’s going to speak to us through what He’s already spoken…His Word.
I am convinced that what the body of Christ needs to do is stop looking to pastor so and so to speak a word to them, but look to the Bible to see what God’s already said to them. I think a lot of times people are looking for the man of God to take the place of the Word of God…but really the man of God doesn’t always have anything more to go on than what the Word of God already says.
Listen, I’ve had men of God speak things over me that as soon as they were done I heard God say…”I did not say that.”. Specifically, I remember a day when someone had laid hands on me and prayed that I was going to ‘do the work of an evangelist”, and I swear to you on everything I know that’s holy…God said: “That’s not from me.”. Listen, all pastors can “do the work of an evangelist”. Anyone who is a born-again spirit-filled believer in Jesus Christ can and should “do the work of an evangelist’. Even Paul writes in Romans that all can do the work of an evangelist, but not all are evangelists. All can prophesy, but not all are prophets. All can teach, but not all are teachers.
Remember in Ephesians 4:12 Paul writes that God called SOME to be prophets, apostles, pastors, evangelists, and teachers? I sense a short side-journey here…are you ready? I am convinced that one of the problems in the Body of Christ is that we have a lot of self anointed and self-appointed people in positions of authority in the Body of Christ that God did not place there. Let me say that again. There are some people preaching from pulpits that are not called to be preachers. There are some who call themselves pastors that are not called to be pastors. They are self-appointed and self-anointed. Paul said that the Holy Spirit places people in their offices in the body of Christ as HE desires…not us.
Let me give you an example. I recently had someone applaud me because I wrote on another Social Network site, and even in my biography that God called me to this ministry. In response to them I said that I didn’t wake up one morning and say to myself: “I’m going to be the pastor of Christlike Ministries NWA.” No…what happened is one day I heard the Lord say to me: “Bryan, I have called you to be the pastor of Christlike Ministries NWA”
Now, what’s significant here are two things. One, that the Lord called me into this ministry. He gave me the name, the scriptures, and not until this year He gave me the mission and vision for this ministry. God gave me all of that…I didn’t call myself into ministry, and I didn’t anoint myself. Two, God called me a pastor. He showed me the position in His Body that I was to have, and when He did that there wasn’t any question about what I was supposed to do or what my role in the body of Christ was. Let me be as clear as I can be…I didn’t call myself nor did I anoint myself as a pastor…God did. In both cases…now we’re coming back to today’s message…God spoke those things to me through His Word…I didn’t anoint myself as a minister. I didn’t anoint myself with a ministry…God did.
I had read Jesus’ encounter with Peter a hundred times, but one day when I read the encounter with Peter…God spoke and made those verses personal. Every time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, and Peter responded: “Lord, You know that I love You.” Jesus said: “Feed My Sheep”. One day when I read that encounter it went from the encounter being between Jesus and Peter to being between me and God. I understood that God was asking me if I loved Him, and as I responded by saying yes…He said “Feed My Sheep”. Do you want to know something else? This is another little side-note that I sense the Lord taking me down now for some of you preachers who have gotten into pride over the size of your congregations.
Preacher, I’m going to share something with you that the Lord told me that burst my pride balloon immediately. He said:
The sheep I entrust to your care are not your sheep they are Mine. I have called you to feed MY sheep, and therefore the people who I draw to Your ministry aren’t Yours they are mine.
I’m not sure who that was for, but I know that I was lead to write that for someone. I know I’m not writing that to myself because I am grateful for every person who likes or follows Christlike Ministries NWA, and I can honestly say that I never consider anyone who decides to follow Christlike Ministries NWA mine. Everyone of you is God’s, and it’s a privilege to be able to know that God’s entrusted me to equip you or encourage you or instruct you.
Okay, back to the message. Like I said. I didn’t one day wake up and anoint and call myself to be pastor of Christlike Ministries NWA. God anointed me as a pastor when I was reading a devotional book one morning on the Psalms and Proverbs. The reading for January 13, 2011 was “The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His “anointed one”. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.” Psalm 28:8-9 NIV.
Now most people probably wouldn’t get that from those two verses, but I did. As I began to study those two verses out, I already understood what “be their shepherd” meant because pastors are shepherd’s to their flock. Christians are referred to often as “sheep”, and sheep need a “shepherd”…and that’s what pastor’s are. Many times you’ll hear that pastor’s have a “shepherd’s heart”…and there’s a difference. See, shepherd’s have a relationship with their flock of sheep.
God owns the farm, God owns the sheep, but those of us who are called to “Feed My Sheep” are called to be “shepherds”. See, there it is again. I cannot ever look at the people who follow my ministry as mine…they aren’t mine. They belong to God. You belong to God, and if you follow this ministry I thank God for you…but you aren’t my sheep you’re His. You belong to Him. I am responsible and accountable to tending, shepherding, carrying, and instructing you. That’s all. I have no right of ownership to you because you don’t belong to me or Christlike Ministries NWA…you belong to God.
So, when it comes to receiving God’s guidance. Sure. Sometimes you’ll get a word of knowledge from someone. For instance, God spoke through Pastor Stephen Robbins that I would one day use my writing ability for the advancement of God’s Kingdom. However, when it comes to specific guidance and direction for my life and my ministry God spoke to me through His Word…and that’s what the Psalmist is getting at here.
So, if you’re needing God’s guidance…instead of looking for the burning bush or consulting the man of God…try consulting Him and the Word of God. Listen, I promise you that God is big enough to not only speak His will to you, but show it to you in His Word. However, I want you to understand something…and maybe this will help a lot of you who are on the fence about serving God…and wondering why it’s taking so long for God’s call upon your life to materialize.
God called me into ministry in January of 2001…specifically around or about January 13, 2001. I can’t remember exactly when, but I believe it was also during 2001 when God spoke directly to me through His Word in Jesus’ encounter with Peter at the end of the Gospel of John. On January 13, 2011, is when I read Psalm 28:8-9 NIV to come to the understanding that I am called to be Pastor Bryan J. Kizer of Christlike Ministries NWA. God gave me the theme and message: 2012 – GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT BEING SERIOUS WITH GOD in February of this year. Christlike Ministries NWA was launched for good on January 1, 2012.
It took God ten years to get me to the place where He was able to trust me to become a pastor. It took God eleven years to get me from the conception to the birth of Christlike Ministries NWA. So, I sense that maybe some of you are wondering why it’s taking so long for you to get to a place where you’re ready, willing, and able to embrace the call of God upon your life.
Listen, to be truthful to you, I’ve known since probably 1999 that I was supposed to do something with my life for God, and I had a little taste of what serving God would be like. However, I wasn’t ready to hear and embrace that call…I ran from it because I saw myself the way the world did, and I saw myself as inadequate and unworthy to be able to fulfill the call of God upon my life. So, in all reality I’ve known since 1999 that I was to serve God, but it wasn’t until 2001 when I clearly heard from God and understood that He indeed was calling me.
However, that was in 2001, and I still wasn’t fully able to embrace the call. I wasn’t mature enough as a believer, and I certainly didn’t have much of a foundation. So, if you’ve followed along in my messages you’d know that I was incarcerated in the Kenosha County Jail in 2001. Which was significant because I spent that entire year being instructed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God, and like I’d mentioned it was during that year that I’d had the Lord speak to me about “feeding His sheep”, but 10 years passed between knowing I was called, and being anywhere near ready to embrace that call.
Even back in January of 2011 when the Lord again spoke to me through His Word that I was going to be Pastor Bryan of Christlike Ministries. I was still not fully ready to embrace the call of God upon my life, but that’s when He’d begun to use my wife to encourage me to believe in me until I could see myself the way He saw me. In January of this year, through messages preached by Pastor Cass Hill of New Life Christian Center, and later the theme for 2012 the Lord gave me: 2012 – GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT BEING SERIOUS WITH GOD…that’s when I began to mature, grow up, and embrace the call of God on my life.
Now, over 150 messages later…I’m walking in the vocation in which He called me. I am Pastor Bryan J. Kizer of Christlike Ministries NWA. I didn’t call myself, I didn’t anoint myself, and I didn’t have some burning bush experience. What I had was a slow methodical pushing and pulling from God until He gave me a Holy Ghost kick in the butt from Pastor Cass Hill of New Life Christian Center.
“Why Read The Bible?”…if I never read the Bible I would never be where I am today because I would’ve never heard and received God’s Guidance for my life through His Word. That’s why we read the Bible…because that’s the main way that God is going to lead us, guide us, speak to us, and mold us into the image of His Son…Amen?
“ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” I am where I am today because I finally got out-of-the-way, and allowed God to do exactly what He said He’d do for me in His Word. What about you?
Points for Pondering:
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8
How does God feel about us?
Can you see areas in which the promises in this verse came true in your life?
Where? When? How?
Conclusion & Prayer:
Well, glory to God. We have six days left in this series after today. I would again like to give a word of encouragement and congratulations to those of you who have managed to follow along. However, what’s much more important to me isn’t that you’ve followed along, but rediscovered your own passion for the Word of God. Maybe until you began to follow along with this series you didn’t know why the Bible was so important…and you didn’t have any passion for the Word at all. The bottom line, friends, is that what’s most important to me isn’t that you’re following Christlike Ministries NWA, but that you’re making a firm commitment to follow after the heart of God.
How do we do that? By being committed to reading and studying His Word.
Father God, thank You as always for Your Word. Thank You for practical ways to illustrate Your Word. Thank You that I can use my life to illustrate what You’ve done in my life, and I pray, Lord for those reading along that You would do a work in them and their lives. Lord for those who have never had a passion for Your Word…I pray that You’d light a fire in their hearts that cannot be put out. For those who have rediscovered a passion for Your Word, I pray that You would fan the flames of their hearts, and that the fire in their hearts for Your Word would burn hotter and more intense than ever before, and for those who are already on fire and have a passion for Your Word, I pray that You would give us greater wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of Your Word…and also that You’d fan the flames in our hearts as well…and let the intensity of the fire and passion in our hearts drive us always to the Cross that we would remain on fire, but humble. Lord, lead us and guide us…allow us greater discernment to know when and where You are…and we love You. We give You all honor, all glory, and all praise. We thank You so much for the Word of God for it is a lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path, and ammunition for the spiritual battles that are before us. In Jesus’ name we glorify You God…Amen & Amen.
I just recently watched this message by Donnie Swaggart. I didn’t realize the first time I watched that this message was preached in 2004, but I believe that these messages were somewhat prophetic because while he was preaching that they were in the beginning of “The Great Apostasy”…I believe that we are now today IN the days of The Great Apostasy. I believe that we’ve gone and strayed further from the Word of God, and listening again to this message while drawing to a conclusion our series on “Why Read The Bible?”…it further drives home the point that there is a direct relation to the decline of the moral fabric of the church and the turning away from the Word of God.
Look at the scriptures that were referenced in this message:
“ Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.” Jeremiah 2:11 (NKJV)
“Thus says the Lord: Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it.” Jeremiah 6:16 (NKJV)
“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
I would like to encourage you to give this message a listen, and take a moment afterwards to reflect upon what was preached. I know that what’s preached in this message is harsh, and there’s a lot of strong preaching here. However, I believe that we need to do like is written in Jeremiah 6:16 (NKJV) and 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV).
This is Part 1 of 2–The Old Path’s preached by Donnie Swaggart in 2004
This is Part 2 of 2–The Old Path’s preached by Donnie Swaggart in 2004
Conclusion & Prayer:
I submit to you that not only was Donnie Swaggart right then, but he’s right now. As I think of what he preached in light of what we’ve been talking about in the “Why Read The Bible?” series…I can’t help but to think that this is a right on time word to drive home the point and importance of reading the Word of God.
We need a revival of the Word of God, and it’s got to start with us. We have to know about the “Greed Gospel”, and some of the other doctrines that are invading the body of Christ because the modern-day apostles don’t believe the old way of doing church just won’t work anymore. I’m blessed to attend a church with a pastor that still believes in the ways of the Old Paths…and that they are just as valid today as the were in the old days.
So, join me in humbling ourselves to seek His face…and also taking a stand for the Old Paths. By the way, Christlike Ministries NWA still believes in the Old Paths, and we don’t believe that there is a need for at “new way to do church”.
Oh Lord, how far we have fallen. As in the days of Jeremiah, we are living in the midst of this apostasy, and the only thing I know to do is humble myself and seek Your face, Lord. I ask that You would always keep the Old Paths before this ministry, and help us to withstand whatever persecution comes our way. I love You Lord, and I love Your Ways, Your Word, and I am so thankful that You have given us the way for the church to succeed. There isn’t some new path needed…but a return…a return to the old ways of doing church. In Jesus’ name…Amen & Amen.
Today’s Scripture: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39
Intro:
I am having so much fun writing messages for this series. I feel like I’m getting some really good revelation myself, and I hope that I’m passing that on to you. I hope that what we do here at Christlike Ministries NWA is helping you, and I really hope that above all it’s helping you to develop a strong & intimate relationship with God.
We have been talking about “Why Read The Bible” for about a week and a half now, and so far I believe the messages have been really good. Today’s message relates again to the Scriptures having something to do with testifying about Jesus…again bringing us back to what we learned on Day 2…the Bible is about Jesus…and the more we read it and apply it…the more we become conformed to His Image as our ministry verse Romans 8:29 tells us we can be.
So, let’s see what we can learn about the importance of Reading the Bible from today’s message…Eternal Life.
Message:
“These are they which testify of Me.”. Almost any time we read something from the Gospel’s during this series we find Jesus saying something like this. Once again referring to the point that the Bible’s main point, main character, and main theme is simply this…Jesus Christ.
He is the point, He is the purpose, and He is the main reason for the Bible being written…and therefore should also be the main reason for the Bible being read, spoken, taught or preached. The Holy Spirit cannot even testify about Jesus without the Word of God. So…when you hear Christian preachers talk about the Bible being irrelevant to today’s world…then what they are really doing is denying Jesus Christ. They are saying that Jesus Christ is irrelevant to the world, and the very fact that they say this proves only one thing…they are preaching from the wrong spirit.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. – 1 John 4:1-6
Friends, we really do need to be diligent to be very careful where we and who we submit ourselves to when it comes to our churches and our pastors. Any pastor who stands in a pulpit and says that the Word of God isn’t relevant to today’s world…according to 1 John 4:1-6they are of the spirit of the Antichrist, and we ought to run out of that place as fast as we possibly can.
How can I say that? What does the Word of God say? “These are they which testify of Me.”. What are the “these are they”? The Scriptures. The Word of God testifies of Jesus Christ because the Word of God IS Jesus Christ. How many times to I have to write “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NKJV).
The Word became flesh…These are they which testify of Me. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” How can we read these verses, and then turn around to say to a lost and dying world that is on it’s way to hell that the Bible is irrelevant to today’s world. Preacher…the Word of God is the ONLY thing that can save this world. Not your books, not some sermon you downloaded off the internet, and certainly not your opinion. If you don’t believe that the Word of God is valid and capable of doing that which it’s set out to do…then please do the rest of us who actually do “Preach the Word”…and leave the pulpit.
There are millions of people going to hell because they believe the Bible is irrelevant, and that the next Rick Warren book is going to save their souls from an eternal life of hell and torment and separation from God. You may believe and preach that Jesus Christ isn’t the only way to Heaven, and if that’s your message then you also need to get out of the pulpit because you’re going straight to hell with them. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, and know that if Jesus Christ were walking the earth today He may come in turning over your tables, ripping up and burning your novels…and some of you He may even eject from your churches because you are such an offense to Him.
You grieve the Holy Spirit. You offend God, and all the books your selling won’t matter because you cannot use one dime of that money to buy your way out of an eternal life in hell. You need to repent, and come back to the Cross. You need to stop denying Christ, and being ashamed of the Bible. Listen, preacher, if you’re ashamed of the Bible it’s just like being ashamed of Jesus because Jesus IS the Bible.
Oh, God that we would fall on our faces and turn from our wickedness. God forgive us for turning our backs upon Your Word, and denying Your Son. Oh Father, I ask You on behalf of those who are preaching in pulpits around the country and possibly the world that are denying that the Bible has any relevance to today’s society. God forgive us. I plead the Blood of Jesus over these pastors and preachers who would rather preach from someone else’s novel then do what Paul said an Preach Your Word. Draw us back to a place where we are hungry for Your Word, and where preachers return to the Old Paths…and if those that are in pulpits now won’t do it…then I pray in Jesus’ name that You’d raise up mighty men and women of God who will preach the Word…who aren’t ashamed of the Gospel…and who aren’t ashamed of Your Word. Lord…I ask this in Jesus’ name…in Jesus’ name…Amen & Amen.
Let that be the cry and prayer of our hearts friends and followers of Christlike Ministries NWA. Friends, I implore you to make time for daily reading of the Bible, and to make sure that you are attending good, solid churches that have the Bible as it’s foundation and authority. It’s the only way we are going to get this great nation of ours turned around…it’s to come back to the Word of God.
We can find out about eternal life by reading the Scriptures. We find a little about Heaven in the book of John and chapter 14. We find out more about the third heaven and what it’s going to be like after the Great White Throne Judgment in the book of Revelation. We kind of know by looking at the garden of Eden what Heaven is going to be like. All of us will have the privilege, and ability to talk and walk with God in the garden in the cool of the day. Our bodies will be perfect, the weather will always be perfect, and we will be perfect. What an awesome thing to think about that this life is as bad as it is going to get for us that believed and called upon the name of the Lord to be saved.
I urge you to agree with me, and make that prayer I just wrote a prayer of your own. We need a Word of God revival…that’s what’s going to bring about revival in the church. Three things we need to return to in the pulpits and ministries of the body of Christ are these…
The Word of God
The Holy Spirit
The Cross
If we can restore those things to the church…then there will such a power surge that the devil and hell will shake which such fury they won’t know what hit them…the devil is terrified of a church that is full of the Word of God, on fire with the Holy Ghost, and always keeps the Cross before them. There’s power in the blood, there’s power in the Holy Ghost, and there’s power in the Word of God…the power to usher into Eternal Life with Jesus Christ.
Study Questions:
What about the Scriptures gives eternal life?
How have the Scriptures been pointing you to Jesus?
Conclusion & Prayer:
Well, we couldn’t get passed “these are they which testify of Me”. I think it’s important to make sure that we’re fully aware and have the full understanding that this book that so many preachers feel is no longer relevant to the world in which we live…isn’t just a book. It’s Alive & Powerful, and it’s the ONLY book like it. There isn’t another book anywhere that’s quite like our Living Word of God…and I can assure you that this ministry will not ever compromise that point. We are a Bible believing, Bible reading, Bible teaching and Bible preaching ministry…and there’s never a time where we thought the Bible just isn’t relevant to minister to the needs of this lost and dying and going to hell world…we, in fact, believe the exact opposite…that it’s the only thing that has the ability to save this world…and that’s why we will never stray from it…Amen?
Lord, we again ask You to forgive us for turning away from Your Word for other means. We know Your Word is alive, powerful, and still very much relevant to the needs of this world today. We ask again that You’d raise up preachers and teachers who still believe in The Old Rugged Cross, still believe in the power & fire of the Holy Ghost, and still are unashamed to Preach the Word. I ask God, for a Word of God revival in this world, and that Your name and Your Word would once again be magnified, and be the authority and cornerstone of every American church and family…and eventually once again in our government. In Jesus’ name….Amen & Amen.
Today’s Scripture: “25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27
Introduction:
Five days into this study, and we’ve discovered a few things about the book called the Holy Bible. On day one, we discovered that the Word of God is profitable, and $11 billion dollars cheaper than all those self-help books. On day two, we learned that one of the biggest reasons we need to read the Bible is because that’s how we find out about Jesus. Who He is. What He did. Why He came. The Holy Bible is really a book that’s all about Jesus. On the third day, we were reminded that the Word of God is alive and powerful, and that it is the only offensive weapon when we are wearing the full Armor of God. Yesterday, we read that the Bible really is a manual for how to live life. We can look in the Bible, and find answers for any and every area of our lives.
Today, we get to something that’s closely related to what we’re talking about at New Life Christian Center with Pastor Cass Hill is a series of messages on Family Ties. I believe one of the greatest things that threatens the fabric of homes in the United States of America is the lack of Bible reading within the homes. We’d rather watch television, play video games, and do whatever else than sit and have a time of family Bible Devotional time…and I am freely admitting that I am just as guilty. So, I am preaching this message to myself as we look at day 5 of “Why Read The Bible?”…let’s see about the “Cleansing of God’s Word”.
Today’s Message:
As I was writing the introduction, I had the Holy Spirit drop in my heart the direction this message needs to go. Who knows sometimes it’s okay to let the Holy Spirit speak and have His way? So, I want to take a moment to pray and invite the Holy Spirit to speak what He wants and do what He wants in this message.
Holy Spirit, I thank You for the prompting You have given me about what direction this message needs to go. I yield myself to You, and ask You Holy Spirit to give us all ears to hear what it is that You would have to say to us through this message. I pray that it would be clear, concise, and direct. I pray for the utterance and unction that You, Holy Spirit, supply me with now supernaturally, and that I would speak only of the oracles of You. Sink this message deep within my heart, and the hearts of those who will read this message. I ask Holy Spirit that You would take over now, and speak…in Jesus’ name…Amen & Amen.
So, as I was writing the introduction I barely got through the last paragraph when I described what’s at the root of the moral decline within the family today, and I readily admitted that I am just as much at fault as anyone else. Has anyone ever heard the phrase: “The family that prays together…stays together?”. Well, in addition to praying together as a family, and I mean for more than just saying grace at meals…and yes…I am speaking this to myself as well…we also need to study the Bible together as a family. I don’t care if we take 15 minutes to do a devotional and 5 minutes to pray…it needs to be done…and when those two things are done…we will see a revival of reconciling families all over the nation.
The Bible used to be the cornerstone of every ministry, every church, every family, every classroom, and even the government. However, since the government has worked to remove the Word of God from every last institution they possibly can…we as the body of Christ have gotten the idea that it’s okay to remove it from the most important institution altogether…the family.
23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Mark 3:23 – 27
Listen, if you want to know where the nations moral decay is coming from you don’t start at the top, and work your way down. You start with the smallest part, and work your way up. We have no right to blame the government for something that we could have prevented ourselves by remaining steadfast in the apostle’s doctrine. If we’d have continued to study to show ourselves approved, and searched the scriptures daily there wouldn’t be all this garbage going on in this nation today.
Do you think we’d see the filth we see on television if every America family that was Bible believing would have continued to make the Word of God the cornerstone of our families? It used to be that you couldn’t even hear a cuss word on television, and now you have prime time television shows with “R” ratings because of language, sexual content, and violence. Do you think that we would see the kind of video games we see today? How about pornographic websites? Can you see where I am going? Had the Bible continued to be the main cornerstone of Christian families then perhaps they wouldn’t be so weak and willing to turn the other cheek.
Yes, we do have to be peacemakers, but Paul also teaches us to earnestly contend for the faith. Have we done that as the body of Christ? NO. Why? Because we don’t value the Word of God anymore. We have made the Word of God a decorative piece on our coffee tables. Some of us even have that great big family Bible that sits on the coffee table out there to pretend and portray that this house is the Lord’s house…but is it really?
I can guarantee you that unless they are really good housekeepers (like my wife is) then you’ll see at least an inch of dust, and a nice little ring of dust if you were to pick that sucker up. Do you know what you do when you’re in a house like that? Find an excuse to leave! Well, I take it back. Share with them The Gospel Soul-Winning Script, and if they reject you…RUN! If it looks like they haven’t picked up that Bible even to dust…the get out of there because I can guarantee you that God is not the head of that home.
I am convicted myself. I am supposed to be the spiritual leader of my home, and I’ve spent all this time writing messages about the importance of the Word of God…and I don’t even have a mandatory family Bible devotional time in my house. My wife even got us a devotional book, and we’ve put it away. For what? For the sake of television or whatever? Shame on me. I admit that I need to change that immediately in my home. I can’t proclaim to the world; “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Like Joshua did (Joshua 24:15).
So, this message is probably far, far away from where the YouVersion writers of this devotional series intended it to go, but that’s why we have the Holy Ghost. Some times He has something to say that supersedes anything we might have ready or thought we would say.
The bottom line of today’s message is simple, friends. We need to restore the Word of God to it’s rightful place in our homes. If the Family Ties of our homes is to be strengthened to a point of being unbreakable then we must return to the Word of God. It must be a priority both in our personal lives, and in our family. Turn off the television, cell phones, and everything else for a half an hour. Turn on some worship music, take a moment to open up in prayer, find a devotional to read, and then close in another prayer…and then go on about your evening. I’m pretty sure that for the most part that can be done in a half hour or so.
I know that I am convicted that I need to start that in my home…and I hope that this will encourage you to start doing it in yours as well.
Interactive Study Questions:
Now, I realize that we didn’t come anywhere close to writing about what I’m sure was intended to be written about Ephesians 5:25-27. But, we can say something about it here before we get into the questions. I guess we can tie in the title of this message to the way the message came out. The tie in is this. If we want to cleanse the moral fabric of this great nation of ours then we need to start at the family level, and the best way to cleanse the home is by making sure that our homes are a house that serves the Lord. That our homes don’t have Bibles as decorative pieces, but that they’re being read and studied from in our homes. That includes making sure our homes have worship music playing, and that they are also homes of prayer.
Here’s today’s Interactive Study Questions:
What is the role of the Bible in this passage?
How do you think the Bible could be used to present you without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish?
Conclusion & Prayer:
My friends, I’m challenging you and myself…starting in June to make sure that we are having some sort of family devotional time with worship, prayer, and a Bible Devotional reading. If you need help, I have a simple study guide that I can mail you, or you can go to RBC Ministries and sign up to have the Our Daily Bread Bible Devotional mailed to your home. They’re even online now so you don’t even need to have a paper copy mailed to you.
I know that I’m accepting the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and am going to start doing the very same thing beginning on June 1.
Lord, forgive us…forgive me. We have made Your Word into a conversation piece of decoration instead of edification, education, and enrichment. We have made Your Word a dust collector, and have allowed it to become of none effect…and we ask You…Lord…to forgive us. Give us a hunger, passion, and desire for Your Holy Word that we have never had before…help us to be bold where there is fear, and get an established routine of Bible Study, Worship, and Prayer into our home lives. Help us, Lord God, to overcome the temptations to put it off. Oh Lord, we love You. We give You glory, and we thank You for speaking to us this day. Give us receptive hearts, ears to hear, and minds that comprehend all that was said…and help us to have the commitment to put it into practice. In Jesus’ name…Amen & Amen.
