Equip

Falling in Love with the Word of God

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” – Psalm 119:11

Do we love God’s Word? Have we fallen in love with it? Do we desire to study it? If not, why? I can tell you from personal experience that I now love the Word of God! I cherish it! I can’t wait to pick it up and study it! However, this did not happen over night! I didn’t just wake up one day thinking to myself, “Oh, how I love to read the Bible!”

It took time, effort and God’s help! The Bible is God’s love letter to us. Reading it reveals that everyone in the world sins and that because of that sin we die. We will be eternally separated from this God who apparently loves us. How do we know he love us? It says so in this love Letter – the Bible. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Wow! God loves us so much that He sent Christ to die for us! Amazing! Unless we read God’s Word how would we ever know about this love that He has for us? Not only does it reveal this love He has for us, but it reveals how we can experience that divine love! “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Believing in Jesus Christ brings us into a loving relationship with God that will change your life forever!

The Bible contains all of that and if you truly believe that Christ died for you then you’ve experience that divine love! Then, for some reason it stops there. We set our Bibles to the side. The very thing that brought us everlasting life! We might pick it up here and there, but we just don’t love spending time in it! That has to change! What does the Bible say? “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) God want us to study His Word! He wants us to be dedicated to the truths He has given us! Why? It’s because reading our Bibles allow us to grow deeper in our relationship with Him! He wants us to know more of Him!

Still don’t think spending time in His Word is important? Check this out! The longest book of the Bible, Psalm 119, contains 176 verses! In those 176 verses you can find at least 172 references to the Word of God! Now what do you think!? In the longest book of the Bible, He placed the longest chapter in the Bible that focuses on the Bible! Think maybe He’s trying to get our attention?

God’s Word is the key to our relationship with Him. If we don’t study it, spend time in it or even care about it, how can we expect to ever fall in love with! Start getting into God’s Word today! Set aside time everyday to read through His Word. I promise that before you know it, you’ll be crazy in love with Him and His Word!

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Who Are We In Christ? – Pt. 2

We Are Secure:

We are free from Condemnation

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:1-2

We are assured that all things work together

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28

We are free from any charges against us

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” - Romans 8:31-34

We cannot be separated from the love of God

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39

We are established, anointed and sealed by God

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²²set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” – 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

We are hidden with Christ

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” – Colossians 3:3

We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10

We have not been given a spirit of fear

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

We are born of God and the evil one cannot touch us

“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.” - 1 John 5:18

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Who Are We In Christ? – Pt. 1

We Are Accepted:

We are God’s children

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” – John 1:12

We are friends of Christ

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” - John 15:15

We have been justified

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” – Romans 5:1

We are united with the Lord (one spirit)

“But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” – 1st Corinthians 6:17

We are bought with a price; We belong to God

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” – 1st Corinthians 6:19-20

We are members of Christ’s body

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” – 1st Corinthians 12:27

We have access to God through the Holy Spirit

“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:18

We have been redeemed and forgiven

“In whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:14

We are complete in Christ

“And you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” - Colossians 2:10

We are heirs of God since we are sons of God

“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba,Father.’ ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” – Galatians 4:6-7

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“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11

Looking at this passage there are three parts to the plans God has for our lives! Knowing and understanding these three things will gives us a clearer picture of the desires God has for each of us.

His plans consist of….

1) Prosperity

2) Protection

3) Purpose

Praise God today for the plans He has for you in life!

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Do You Even Care????

Thousands of children die on a daily basis from lack of good drinking water. More children die on a daily basis from totally preventable diseases. It is estimated that  672,000 people are homeless each night. They have no roof over their heads and they have no food to eat. Many of these homeless people die and no one even notices that they are missing? While that should make you sick let me give you another statistic. Its been said that every 1.8 seconds someone dies. That adds up to about 155,500 people per day. And as hard as it seems to imagine 20-30 people have died in the time it took for you to read this! Depending on whether or not they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior determines where they end up in eternity. Roughly 9 percent of the world’s population are believers! Taking that percentage and applying it to those who die on a daily basis, about 13,995 people die and go to heaven leaving 141,505 dying and going to hell! Does that affect you at all???? Want to see the number for yourself? Go to this link  The Unfinished Task. Blows your mind doesn’t it? Well, if it does then go do something about it. If it doesn’t pay close attention. Matthew 28:18-19a says this, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” And if you look in all the other gospels you’ll find almost the exact same command to go into the world and share the message of Jesus Christ to all you come into contact with! (Mark 16:14-16; Luke 24:45-49; John 20:21) As believers we cannot get out of this responsibility. Every believer is given this challenge and command to share the love of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world! The only way anyone will ever be effective in sharing their faith is if they see the world in which God sees the world. Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God sees the world as lost, bound by sin. Knowing that it was the only way Christ send Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the world! Which, by the way, includes yours and mine! Is that how you see the world? Do you have a heart for the lost and dying. Do you have compassion on those you see everyday? (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41; Mark 6:34) I pray that you do! If you don’t you need to get down on your hands and knees before the Lord and plead with Him to give you a heart for the lost. Don’t do anything else until you’ve completely given yourself to be used by God to reach the lost with the message of the love of Jesus Christ! If you are willing to do that and your willing to follow wherever God leads you, I promise God will use you to do amazing things!

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Dare to Be Daniel

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” - Daniel 6:10

What is your spiritual life like? As believers were are to spend time in the Word of God and in prayer! However, most Christians (not just students) hardly spend anytime with God on a regular basis. We give so many excuses for not having time with God. Such as: Too busy, too much to do around the house, homework and my job gets in the way. Whatever your excuse is I’m sure it doesn’t compare to what Daniel COULD have used for an excuse.

While serving as a governor under king Darius, Daniel was doing well for himself because God was with him. Darius seeing that Daniel was so distinguished thought about placing Daniel over the whole realm (v.3). Because of this the other governors began to plan a way to get Daniel into trouble. However, because Daniel was a man of God they couldn’t find anything wrong! So, they divised a plan to trap Daniel. Knowing that Daniel would only worship the One True God, they convinced king Darius to make a decree that forbid anyone to worship another god except the king!  Even though disobedience to the decree to worship the king was punishable by death Daniel still spent time in prayer to God. If anyone knows the story about Daniel you know that because he did not quite spending time with his Lord he was thrown into the lion’s den where God closed the mouths of the lions to keep them from eating Daniel. All Daniel would have to do was stop praying to God and he wouldn’t have even been in danger, but Daniel knew the importance in spending time alone with God and because of his faithfulness God spared his life.

So, here is the question…..Do you really have an excuse not to spend time alone with God? I don’t think so and neither did Daniel. If we are faithful in the little things we can be rest assured that God is faithful in the bigger things. This weeks challenge is to encourage you to set time aside to spend it with God. Not setting time aside just once, but making it a habit. It will change your life. Actually, it may even save your life!

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CHRISTMAS!!!!

During this time of year everyone rushes out to get their last minute gifts. Families have dinner after dinner with each other and then the big day comes! December 25th! Little kids (and some adults) can barely contain their excitement as they literally fall down the stairs to get to the tree that holds underneath it all the glorious goodies that were placed there the night before! Present after present is opened until there is nothing left except a sea of wrapping paper for mom and dad to clean! Oh the joys of Christmas! Unfortunately, that is were it ends for most people. Christ is never mentioned. The Bible is never opened…..The world doesn’t hear about a Savior’s birth! The true focus of Christmas is lost.

It was probably a night just like any other night. There were some shepherds out in some fields making sure that their flocks were safe and sound. Then all of a sudden there was an angel and they were surround by the glory of the Lord! The angel spoke and said,

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

What a message the angel brought to the shepherds! The angel’s message wasn’t about xbox or the new ipod. It wasn’t about the Christmas sales at Wal-mart. No, it was about a Savior! It was about a baby that would one day take the sins of the world upon His shoulders and die a horrific death so that any who put their trust in Him would not die, but have eternal life! (John 3:16) Jesus Christ came so that we might have life! WOW! God saw that man had a need of a Savior so He sent His Son to be that Savior!

This Christmas instead of getting caught up in all the hype, focus of the true reason why we celebrate Christmas! Give God some time in your busy schedule to think about what He did for us and thank Him for sending a Savior to free us from our sins!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

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WORSHIP

For the month of December our Sunday school class will be looking at worship. We will be looking at what it is and our part in it. The word worship comes from two old English words that mean “to declare worth” or “to attribute worth.”  When we worship we are to recognize God’s worth. The question is, “How do we do that?” Worship is a highly debated topic, especially when it comes to the morning worship service and music. Putting congregational differences aside there is one thing that all believers can agree on. 1st Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” That’s just it! Worship is everything we do to glorify God. So many times our worship stops as we walk out the front doors of our churches. Instead, we should leave church refueled and ready to worship God in every aspect of our lives! Can we do this??? Of course we can! The next time you sit down to eat you can simple thank God and praise Him for the fact that you have food to eat and fresh clean water to drink! Is that worship? Yes! When you play basketball and you show sportsmanship and respect to the opponent and referees is that worship? Yes! All we do is an act of worship if we keep our focus on bringing glory and honor to God! This week I challenge you not to stop your worship when the pastor gets done preaching, but to continue in an attitude of worship throughout the week! I think you’ll be surprised by the impact that it will make upon your life and the lives of others!

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power…” – Revelation 4:11