Archive for July 2009

How to be Wise

13/07/2009 by John Marsden.

James 3:13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.  Wisdom = Practical Knowledge

What good is it if you have knowledge but fail to use it in life? The wisdom that

God provides prepares us to meet the challenges of a walk with him.  How to Relate Wisely to Others…  #1 If Am Wise, I Won’t Compromise My Integrity 

“Wisdom is…first of all pure.” Godly wisdom is not tainted or impure. Earthly

wisdom always possesses a prejudice that keeps it from being ideal.

When being wise in our relationships with others we refuse to change our

lifestyle just to fit in or be accepted.

Why do so many people act different when they want to fit in? Why do so many

feel like they have to be something they are not?How does living the wise life allow you to be who God created? #2 If Am Wise, I Won’t Antagonize Your Anger  

“Wisdom is…peace loving.” Wisdom doesn’t allow peace to just happen; wisdom

searches for ways to bring peace.What makes you angry? Why? 

Romans 12 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in

the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at

peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for

God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the

Lord.—   Living at peace with others is dependant on you not them.  #3 If Am Wise, I Won’t Minimize Your Feelings  

“Wisdom is…considerate.” Wisdom takes the other person into consideration. It

is not selfish or self-centered.

Philippians 2:3-4 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in

humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not

only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. What are some

ways we can put this passage into practice?

#4 If Am Wise, I Won’t Criticize Your Suggestions  

“Wisdom is…submissive.” Submission doesn’t mean wimpy, but willing to give

up getting your way so another can benefit.

We all love to be right and to win an argument, but wisdoms calls us to be

righteous. What’s the difference in righteousness and being right?

When someone has an idea and you criticize it how do you think it makes them

feel?

How to listen to the suggestions of others…

Try to understand their perspective. See where they are coming from without

reading into their statements.

Explain what they said back to them. In order to make sure you’re on the same

page restate their concept.

Don’t make it a right or wrong issue unless it really is one. Give the other person

some room for their ideas.

  

#5 If Am Wise, I Won’t Emphasize Your Mistakes

“Wisdom is…full of mercy and good fruit.” Wisdom is not just merciful, but full of

mercy.

That brings the picture of a mercy that overflows and spills onto those around it.

Don’t you hate it when someone reminds you of something you did wrong a while

back?

Read Hebrews 8:12. What does God do with our sins? Don’t you wish everyone

did that?

How to be wise with the mistakes of others…

Remember that you are not perfect either.

Refuse to keep mental records of the mistakes of your friends and family.

Don’t remind people of times when they messed up.

Think about God’s forgiveness of you and share that same level of forgiveness

with others.  #6 If Am Wise, I Won’t Disguise My Weaknesses  “Wisdom is…genuine and sincere.” Why do so many people work so hard to look strong?

Read 2 Corinthians 12:10. When did Paul say he became strong? How does

weakness turn into strength?

Live an authentic life by…

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

Don’t get caught up with trying to be perfect for the world’s sake.

Don’t select friends who expect you to be like them just to get accepted. 

Fear the Lord

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow

his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. What does it mean to fear the Lord?How is it the beginning of wisdom? Faith in Trials

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously

to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

The context of the verse is that we ask for wisdom when trials come.

Often we just ask for deliverance. Why do we learn more through wise decisions

than through instant deliverance? 

Focus on Jesus

Colossians 2:2b-3 Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and

knowledge. How does wisdom come through knowing Christ?  Have a great day.John

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Taming the Tongue

10/07/2009 by John Marsden.

Why Must I Control My Tongue? 

Sometimes we feel that we have the right to say anything we want any time

we want. However, we have to realize the impact our words can have on

others.

What are some of the negative ways we can use our words? (Gossip, lying, dirty

jokes.)  James 3:3-43When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  

1. My Tongue Directs Where I Go 

A small piece of round metal can be placed in the mouth of a thousand pound

horse make the animal run, trot, jump, or turn.

The Queen Mary is a luxury cruiser with over 3 acres of recreational deck space.

Compared to the size of the vessel the rudder is only a small part of it, yet it

can control exactly where the ship goes.

How does the tongue steer our lives? How can our words determine if we get to

go out with friends or stay home? How have you experienced your tongue

controlling your life?

In life the words you use and the way you use them will largely influence your

friends, who you marry, even your occupation. James 3:5-8Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

2. My Tongue Destroys What I Have 

Think about some of the great forest fires in California in the recent years.

 Some of the fires started with a cigarette tossed from a car going down the

interstate. It only took a spark to cause billions in destruction.

Our tongues can cause similar destruction to ourselves and others. The tongue

can corrupt the whole person.

What have you lost because of your tongue? (Friends, parent relationship,

certain privileges.)

We have tamed all kinds of animals, but we can’t tame the tongue. Why is it so

difficult?

Why can’t we just decide to use positive words from here on out?

James says the tongue is a restless evil. The word “restless” is literally

‘unsettled’ or ‘vacillating.’ It is rendered in 1:8 as “unstable.” The picture is of a

snake that is agitated and about to strike sending it’s venom into it’s victim.

This simply speaks of the deadly destructive power of the tongue if it is not

brought under control. Since we cannot do this by ourselves, we must ask God

for his help. I want to share with you a prayer I found: “Dear God, so far today

I’ve done alright, I haven’t gossiped, lost my temper, been nasty, or selfish or

over indulgent. But in a few minutes God, I’m going to get out of bed and from

then on, I’m going to need all the help I can get.” (Owen Bourgaize).   James 3:9-129With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.   3. My Tongues Displays Who I Am  Our words are a dead giveaway to who we are. James uses nature as an example. The fig tree produces figs - period. A water source produces fresh or salt water, but not both. The challenge is that our mouths have the ability to produce contrasting results. We can bless God, or we can curse man. We can be nice to our friends, but mean to our teachers. We can sing a praise song, or tell a dirty joke. James warns, “This ought not be like this.”

Ultimately the mouth reveals the heart. If we are using our words for dual purposes the truth is we really don’t have a relationship with God like we think we do.   Matthew 12:34b-37For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” How does that passage make you feel about your words? 

Realize… The Tongue is Powerful 

The key is learning how to use your words to benefit others and yourself for

God’s glory.  Here are some percentages to use as a rough guideline for How to Use My Tongue to Build Up Christ’s Body 

5% Admonish

Gal. 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should

restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Admonishing is not the right to let people have it. You don’t try to correct

someone out of anger, but out of love. 

15% Challenge

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love

and good deeds.

Spurring means to prod positively; to get someone excited. You spur a horse to

get it moving, but not to draw blood or to hurt it.How can we positively challenge each other in Christ?

80% Encourage

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so

that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.Encouragement is not a random activity, but a daily one.How has someone encouraged you lately? If you want to tame your tongue as I do then let me encourage you to think about some speech therapy. Before you speak something that may be harmful ask yourself these five questions:

First, IS IT TRUE? Is what you’re going to speak the truth? If not, STOP.

 

If it is, second, IS IT NECESSARY? Jesus said you’re going to be judged for every careless word. Bite your tongue more often. There are so many things that we say that are not necessary.

 

Third, IS IT BENEFICIAL? Is what you’re going to say going to build someone up or tear them down? Is going to do good or is going to hurt someone?

 

Fourth, ask yourself, DO I HAVE PERMISSION TO SHARE IT? I’m sure you all know people who you consider friends who you can tell anything to, because you know it will stop there. But we also all know people who are the first to spread that news all over town. Before you speak think about what kind of friend you’re being.

 

Finally, ask yourself, IS MY MOTIVE PURE? Why are you saying what you’re saying? Most of the time our gossip is for selfish purposes. We want something to talk about. We want others to think we’re important. Do you know that need you have to gossip comes from sin. Give it up.

 

Have a grerat day and watch you tongue.

John 

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What is Real Faith?

09/07/2009 by John Marsden.

What is Real Faith?Have you ever seen fake faith? What does it look like?How can you determine if faith is real or not? 

 

James 2:14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  

#1 Real Faith is not just something you SAYRead Matthew 7:21. Just claiming to be representing Jesus is not enough.Read 1 John 2:6. If a person claims to know Jesus what does he have to do?What are some ways Jesus walked?

What evidence of Jesus is there in our lives? How would others know we belong

to him? 

James 2:15-17Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  

#2 Real Faith is not just something you FEEL

It’s possible to talk about faith and even feel like you have faith. It’s a lot like a

bunch of children talking about spending the night in an abandoned house. As

long as they don’t actually go to the property they feel full of confidence. But put

them in there alone and all their courage disappears.Why is our faith dead if there are no actions to back it up?

How have we said to people “be warmed and filled” but we haven’t helped

them?

A preacher told a story about him and a group of guys studying this passage on

the coldest night of the year back in college. Someone in the group said, “Why

don’t we stop talking about it and do something.” It shocked them. They had

never thought about DOING anything. So they all went to their rooms and got all

the blankets they could. Then they went to nearby government housing and

handed them out to those who had no heat. He admitted that they felt like they

had great faith during their Bible study, but the action proved it. 

James 2:18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  

#3 Real Faith is not just something you THINK

The statement “You have faith; I have deeds” come from the concept of “You

live your life; I’ll live mine.” Our society has a problem with not letting people

live their own lives. As long as something isn’t illegal most people don’t have a

problem with it. James is saying the way you think about faith is critical. It’s not

a matter of opinion or a matter of discussion.How could a person show their faith without deeds?How can a person show their faith by their deeds? 

 

 

 

 

James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.

 #4 Real Faith is not just something you BELIEVE

Belief can come in two forms:

1. Intellectually agreement. 2. Action agreement.

James is talking about the later.

Satan believes in Jesus intellectually. He knows Jesus is the Son of God and has

even confessed it. The demons have confessed it. However, they have not put

the trust of their existence into His hands. They believe in Him, but despise Him.How can Christians believe, but not have real faith? 

 

It all comes down to this… 

#5 Real Faith is something you DOExamples: Abraham & Rahab 

Contrast:       Abraham                 Rahab                   Male                       Female                   Jew                        Gentile                   Patriarch                 Prostitute  

James points out that everyone is included when it comes to faith. From those who were part of the original promise (the descendants of Abraham). To those who came into the promise through grace (the descendants of Rahab). 

James 2:20-26You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

 

James is Saying…  

It’s not faith OR works There is not option here. You do not get to choose which approach you want. 

It’s not faith AND works It’s not a combination for salvation of 1 part faith and 1 part works. 

It’s faith THAT works Because of our belief and trust in Christ our works come as a result of our faith. If there are no works there is no real faith.

How do actions make our faith complete?

It is often said: 

If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you? 

What evidence is there in your life that you belong to Jesus?

If we were to interview your friends about your walk with God what would they

say?

How are others impacted by a faith that works?

Have a great day full of faith and good works.

John

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How to Live by Faith

08/07/2009 by John Marsden.

There’s a lot of confusion about faith and works. Some people say it’s all about faith and works don’t matter at all. Others say that as long as we work hard enough we can get some eternal credit for it. To make matters worse some have pitted Paul & James against each other to make their points. Paul wrote in

Ephesians 2:8-9 “It’s by grace you have been saved, through faith…not by works.” James wrote in James 2:17 “Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.”  So whose right? Paul or James? Think about it this way… Paul was writing about legalism, while James wrote about laziness. The Ephesians wanted to work for their salvation, James’ readers did not want to work at all. Paul was writing about earning, while James wrote about evidence. The Ephesians wanted to be able to claim their works contributed to their salvation, while James wanted to get across the proof of faith that works provides. Paul was writing about inclusion, while James wrote about exclusion. The Ephesians wanted to feel they were included in a select group, while James warns about the seriousness of not having works that prove their faith. 

Ephesians 2:8-108For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  

How does this passage compare grace, faith, and works?

Why is there a warning about boasting? What would we brag about?Why are we created for good works if works are not important? 

Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.  

The Galatians were placing higher spirituality on circumcision.

Faith, what you really believe has to demonstrate itself through your thoughts,

words and actions.

Show your faith by what you do and have a great day.

John

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How to Treat People Right

07/07/2009 by John Marsden.

I. The Principle: Faith and Favoritism are Incompatible.v.

1 “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.”Notice that James addresses his reader as brothers. These people are saved, born again, and Spirit filled. He speaks to them as one in the family with love and affection. The words he speaks may be hard and sometimes cutting, but they are spoken with love and compassion. They are spoken out of a heart of concern for their spiritual growth and welfare. James calls them his brothers because he wants to explain to them how they should treat other people.We need to look at some areas of discrimination.

Appearance –We discriminate often because of appearance. Beauty is everything in our world. If you’re good looking person, you’ve got it made. If you’re plain, tough luck! We judge people on their appearance — how they look, how they dress. The Good News says, “Never treat anybody in a different way according to their outward appearance.”How do you judge people? Do you judge them immediately by how they look? If somebody has long hair and a beard do you walk up to them and say, “Jesus saves and shaves”. Do you judge them immediately? Even Christians get caught up in this dress for power, dress for success, dress to be cool. We’re so concerned with what’s in and what’s out, what’s hot and what’s not.

Ancestry –We judge people according to their race, their nationality, their ethnic background. I heard about a black man who went to a church in the south of America and was trying to get in. They were full of bigots and they wouldn’t let him in. He went to the pastor and told him. The pastor said, “You just need to pray about it.” About three weeks later the pastor saw him and asked, “Did you talk to the Lord about it?” The man said, “Yes, and God said, `Don’t worry, I’ve been trying to get in that church 20 years and I still can’t get in.’” 

Age –You’re too young - You’re too Old!

Achievement –Our society gushes over winners and forgets the losers. One minute you’re a hero and the next minute you’re a zero.

Affluence –We judge people by their wealth — whether they’re rich or poor — their economic status. What attitude do you have toward people who make more money than you do? What attitude do you have toward people who make less money than you do?James is telling us today that one way You can Treat people right is stop showing Favoritism, stop being partial. In the eyes of God there are no Big I’s and Little You’s.

The Problem: Favoritism James says there are three problems with favoritism.

1. Favoritism is unchristian.If you want to be like Jesus you can’t play favorites. “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.” Faith and favoritism are incompatible — we’re a family. This word “favoritism” is used only four times in the Bible. Every other time it’s referring to God and it says, God does not play favorites.Romans 2:11 “God does not show favoritism” Jesus treated everybody with dignity. Peter had to learn this lesson before he went to Cornelius. God loves everybody. If there is one place in the world where there shouldn’t be any kind of discrimination it ought to be the church. There is discrimination everywhere else in the world. But there ought to be one place no matter who you are or what your background is that you’re welcome.

2. Favoritism is unreasonable.v. 5-7 he says it’s illogical, it doesn’t make sense — in the first place, he says, God has chosen the poor, “Has not God chosen the poor to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom?” He’s not saying that it’s good to be poor and bad to be rich. He’s not saying that only the poor will be saved. Everybody in this room is rich compared to the majority of the world. It doesn’t make any difference to God. Aren’t you glad God doesn’t check your wallet before He saves you? Aren’t you glad your salvation isn’t based on your savings account? Wealth in itself does not deserve any special treatment. Maybe the person got it dishonestly. Your value is not based on your valuables. Don’t confuse your net worth with your self worth.It’s illogical, he says. Don’t confuse where you get your self worth from. God chooses the poor. He doesn’t expect them to be wealthy in order to be saved. On top of this, he says, the rich could care less about you. Why worry about catering to them. “Is it not the rich exploiting you.” In New Testament times it was the Roman nobility who were feeding the Christians to the lions. It was the upper crust (a bunch of crumbs held together by their own dough) that were persecuting the Christians, judging the Christians, insulting the Christians, throwing the Christians to the lions. James says, “Why are you worried about impressing them. They’re certainly not worried about impressing you. They’re doing the opposite.”

3. Favoritism is unlovingThen he gives his primary reason in v. 8. That’s why you shouldn’t do it. “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ you’re doing right.” Why is it called the royal law? Because if we obeyed that one we wouldn’t need all of the rest. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 “All the law is summed up in one sentence, `Love your neighbor as yourself’.” If I play favorites I’m being unloving.The Bible says that how we relate to other people shows how much we really love God. I John 4;20 “If a man says he loves God and hates his brother he’s lying. How can you love God whom you haven’t seen if you don’t love your brother whom you have seen?” How I relate to you proves how much I love God. Favoritism is unloving.We don’t know how to love unconditionally. All we know is how to show favoritism.v. 9 “If you show favoritism you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” How many laws do you have to break to be a lawbreaker? One. How many crimes do you have to commit to become a criminal? One. How many links do you have to break to break a chain? One. Have you ever been in a china shop that has the sign “You break it, you’ve bought it.” They don’t care if it’s broken in one place or into a thousand pieces, if you broke it you bought it.James is saying, people think favoritism is such a small sin. He says if you break God’s rule, you break God’s rule. Be careful it’s serious business.v. 11 “For who said, `Do not commit adultery’ also said `Do not murder’. If you don’t commit adultery but you do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” What is he saying? He’s illustrating his point about being unloving. If I come to your house and say, “I really respect you a whole lot. The way I’m going to prove how much I love you is I’m not going to commit adultery with your wife. However, I reserve the right if you tick me off I’ll murder you.” Are you going to thank me for that? Will you appreciate my love? How absurd! It’s ridiculous! “I don’t drink, smoke, curse, or run around with girls that do. What’s God care that I’m partial to certain kinds of people?” God says it’s all the same! It’s all important.v. 12 “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom because judgment without mercy will not be shown to anyone who has been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Love treats people with mercy. Love gives people what they need, not what they deserve. James is probably thinking about his half brother Jesus who said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”That’s the problem. It’s unchristian, it’s unreasonable, it’s unloving to show favoritism — to be a snob. How do you treat people?

III. THE PRESCRIPTION: HOW TO TREAT PEOPLE RIGHT

How do you have a loving church? There was an article in the paper that said, “A loving connection in church growth. More people are drawn to caring facilities scholarly studies says.” It’s talking about how the churches that love grow. “On the basis of a survey of people from congregations in different denominations they measured their `love quotient’. The institute reports growing churches are more loving to each other and to visitors than declining churches. Loving churches attract more people regardless of their theology, denomination or location.” Most churches that are growing today have learned how to love. A church that loves people is a church that grows. Typically in analyzing reasons for growth in a church the focus in the past has been on such factors as pastoral leadership, attractiveness of facilities, location, liberal or conservative theology, evangelical fervor. But there is increasing evidence that none of these influences a church’s growth or decline as significantly as how much love and acceptance people experience when they attend.” It’s love that reaches people. You don’t argue people into the kingdom of heaven. You love them into the kingdom of heaven.How do you do that? Three steps:

1. Accept everybody.Have you ever been in a church of spiritual snobs? “We got it and you don’t.” Do you know why people have a hard time accepting others? They confuse acceptance with approval. There’s a big difference between acceptance and approval. You can accept somebody without approving of his life style. He may be doing something totally contrary to the word of God, but you can accept him as a person without approving of the sin he’s involved in.“Accept one another just as Christ accepted you.” Romans 15:7. That’s a start — acceptance. At Calvary Church, Prestatyn we are trying to cultivate an attitude of acceptance. The church is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints where they dress up for dress parade. Some people go to church to close their eyes, others go to eye their clothes. If you’re perfect, you don’t belong here. This is a church where people are growing. This is a church for people who don’t have it all together. We have every kind of background you can imagine in this church. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been. It matters where you are now and do you know Jesus. If you want to grow up more and more like Him every day you’re welcome here. In the essentials we have unity. Jesus is Lord. The Bible is God’s word. In the non essentials we have liberty and in all things we have charity. Acceptance is the key.Some of you are not going to like Heaven because it’s not exclusive enough. If we can’t learn to get along together here on the earth, what makes us think we’ll get along together in heaven? Accept everybody.

2. Appreciate everybody.This goes a little bit further than acceptance. Philippians 2:35 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. Each of you should look not only to your own interest but also the interest of others.” Appreciate everybody. Find something you can like, not just accept. Tell them so.

With some people this may require a little creativity. You may have to look a little while. Maybe you just need to value them for their uniqueness.

3. Affirm everybody.Give everybody a lift whenever you can. I Thes. 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up.” When people stumble, don’t criticize, sympathize. Be an encourager not a complainer, not a condemner, a critical person, not a judger. You can encourage people just by smiling at them. What is God saying in James? The church that accepts, appreciates and affirms people is the church that God blesses. Absolutely nothing can stop the church that’s filled with love. Nothing. It doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires an all out effort by each of us. Everybody needs to contribute to the atmosphere of the church. Everybody here contributes to the atmosphere of the church either negatively or positively. Would people come back to this church just because of you? Are you a greeter, a smiler? There are two kinds of pillars in the church: One that holds the church up and caterpillars that walk in and out. Together we need to make a commitment that this church will receive people unconditionally. We don’t expect people to act like believers until they are believers. Love draws outside people in. I want our church to have a reputation for love. I believe that God is just waiting for a church that will love people unconditionally. He can use that kind of church to spark a spiritual awakening in this valley that all the forces of hell couldn’t stop. It would change the climate of this community for Christ. Nothing can stop a loving church.

Galatians 3:26-27 “For now we are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. We are no longer Jews or Greek or slave or free men or even men or women.” We’re all the same. There is no distinction in the body of Christ. We are Christians. We are one in Christ Jesus.”

Have a great day.

John

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How to Be Blessed by the Bible

06/07/2009 by John Marsden.

James 1:19-21 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  

#1 I Must Receive God’s Word (19-21) 

The word of God is to be planted in the heart of every believer. However, the soil

of the heart has to be receptive or it falls on a hard heart and can’t take root.  In order to receive God words more effectively we need to do two things… 

1. Tune In.

Be quick to listen. Why is it so tough to listen? Why do we want to talk all the

time? 

2. Tune Out.Be slow to speak. Slow to get angry.

Get rid of all filth. In the Greek the word filth comes from the same word as ear

wax. We are encourage to get rid of anything that clogs our ears from hearing

God. What prevents us from hearing God?  Read James 1:22-2522Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.  #2 I Must Reflect on God’s Word (22-25) Home improvement shows tell people to put a mirror beside their door so they can look at themselves one more time before leaving the house. Even after looking in a mirror you can step outside and immediately have doubts about your appearance.Why are we so worried about what we look like?

Why is it so easy to forget our appearance even after just looking into the

mirror?How is it possible to do this spiritually? The picture James paints about “looking intently” means a person stoops into the mirror for a serious look. It’s not a glance, but a gaze. We need to do more than quickly peer into the Bible we need to reflect on it; to think seriously about what we are reading; to meditate on the word. The mirror of God’s word has three purposes… 

1. Examination. The word lets us see ourselves.

Haven’t you read the word and immediately felt convicted? It’s amazing how God

can hit us in the very areas we have tried to cover up.  

 2. Inspiration.  The word lets us see God.

Our misconceptions about God can make it hard to serve him faithfully. However,

we discover his true nature through the Bible and it makes us want to serve him.How does God’s word inspire you to serve him? 

 3. Transformation.  The Father didn’t give us his word just for information, but for transformation.Read 2 Cor. 3:18. Who are we being transformed into?

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “When the child of God looks into the word of God he

sees the Son of God and is transformed by the Spirit of God to share in the glory

of God!”

God’s ultimate goal is to transform us into the image of Christ for the glory of

the Father. How should that impact your daily walk?

 James 1:26-27 26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. #3 I Must Respond to God’s Word (26-27) James give us a spiritual “to do list.” Earlier he wrote about the way we are deceived when we listen to the word, but don’t obey it. Here are three ways to do what the words says and be blessed. 1. A Controlled Mouth.
What does it mean to keep a tight reign on our mouth?How does not keeping a reign on our mouths make our religion worthless?What are some of the ways we misuse our mouths? 

2. A Caring Heart.

James mentions specifically the orphans and widows. What other groups of

people should we be caring for?What gets in the way of caring for others properly? 

3. A Clean Mind.

One of the best ways to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world is by

keeping our thoughts pure.

What are the easiest ways for our thoughts to get polluted? (movies, internet,

email forwards, etc.)

What can you do to protect your mind from mental SPAM?

Have a great day

John 

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Triumph over Temptation

06/07/2009 by John Marsden.

Triumph over Temptation

1 Corinthians 10
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 

How does this verse help you face temptation? “I can withstand anything except temptation.” ~ Oscar Wild.

God gives us clear instructions about temptation and the way to handle it… 

James 1
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. 

Five Ways to “Be”come Triumphant Over Temptation 

 

1. Be Realistic 

“when tempted”  James 1:13 

James makes it clear that temptation is not an “if,” but a “when.”When are you most likely to be tempted? 

“common to man” 1 Cor 10:13 

Sometimes we can feel like our struggle is different or harder than what other

people face. Actually, we all get hit with similar temptations. How does knowing the temptations are “common” give you strength?

Think about the number of people who have faced your struggle and been

victorious.How could they help you win over sin?  

“tempted in everyway as we are” Hebrews 4:15 

When thinking of Jesus the thoughts of sinless and pure come to mind, but

Tempted often doesn’t. We feel he didn’t wrestle with the decision to stay

faithful.However, the word says he was tempted in “everyway.”How does Jesus’ triumph over temptation strengthen you?What if Jesus had given in? 

 

2. Be Responsible 

Amazingly people will often blame God for their temptation and even for their sin…“God wouldn’t let me feel this way if it was wrong.”“We love each other and God brought us together so sex before marriage isn’twrong.”“God would take away this temptation if it were really wrong.” 

Here’s what the word says… 

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; James 1:13 

God does not tempt anyone. However, he does test our faith at times. What’s

the difference?Ultimately we are responsible for the temptation. It’ not God’s fault it’s ourweakness. 

 

3. Be Ready 

14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14-15 

“Dragged away” literally means “to snare in a trap”.“Enticed” literally means “lured by bait” 

God wants us to be enlightened by the process of temptation so we can fight it… 

The bait is dropped. Satan strategically puts the right kind of bait out. You don’t

catch carp and catfish with the same bait. Likewise, people are caught with

different bait. Why?

Attracted to the bait. Something attractive to us hits our eyes and creates a

hunger for it. Bite the bait. If we don’t fight the temptation we will fall to it.Hooked and fried. The final step is death. Sin without forgiveness brings spiritualdeath.  

How can knowing that four step process help protect you? 

 

4. Be Refocused  

16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father James 1:16-17a. 

Triumph over temptation can come when we refocus on the right mindset. We must realize that only the good and perfect things come from God. We also need to refocus by getting our mind off sin and on to holiness. 

Here are four areas to refocus on when tempted… 

God. Read a favorite passage of scripture or spend time in prayer. Truth. Satan’s primary tool is deception. He’ll make us think the sin we want to

commit won’t hurt anyone or won’t affect us. Realign your mind with what you

know to be true so you can see the lies in front of you.People. Think about your parents, friends, and others to get your mind off sin. Serving. Search for ways to help others.  

 

5. Be Reborn 

“He wants us to be his own special people, so he sent his true message to give us new birth.” (James 1:18 CEV) 

There’s no defense against temptation without rebirth. Jesus said, “Unless you

are born again you cannot enter the kingdom.”

How can we keep that reborn freshness even if we have been part of the

kingdom for years? 

Are you ready to take the way of escape?

Have a great day.

John 

 

 

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How to Handle Your Problems

05/07/2009 by John Marsden.

HOW TO HANDLE YOUR PROBLEMS Wouldn’t it be great if God showed us some ways to help us face the challenges of life and the tests of faith? Well, He has… 

Request:

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  

We need to ask for the wisdom needed to survive trials and make the right

decisions.

How often do we blame God for our problems rather than asking Him

to give us wisdom? 

Resolve:

James 1:6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  

When we ask we need to be bold and not wimpy.Why should the person with the attitude of verse 6 not expect to get anything from God? 

Why would God use the example of a wave to illustrate instability?               

Can you think about a time when you were like a wave with God?

Relax:

James 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  

There’s no need to get uptight because God is finishing His work through our

trials. He wants to get us to the point of not lacking anything. That means we

can handle the tough times and the easy times. 

Rejoice:

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…  Why should trials be considered pure joy?How is the joy from a trial different from the joy of a good experience. 

There is a promise to give you hope

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Have a great day.

John 

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How to Profit from your Problems

01/07/2009 by John Marsden.

How to Profit from your Problems.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings. 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. 9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.  

FOUR FACTS OF LIFE YOU NEED TO KNOW 

1. Problems are Inevitable“…whenever you face trials” Why can’t we just avoid problems?                                           Why do they come? How many of our problems are caused by our own actions? How many by the action of others?                 Do you believe the fall of Genesis 3 is the reason for all our problems today? How? 

2. Problems are Unpredictable“…when you face trials”                                                                                          Even if we can’t avoid all our challenges wouldn’t it be great if we could at least predict them?                                        What are some problems we can predict? How does the unpredictability of trails make us depend more on God? 

3. Problems are Various“…trials of many kinds” In a single day we could face the problem of not passing a test to the death of a family member.What was your worst day ever? Was it filled with many different problems or one major problem?              How does a variety of problems help shape us in Christ more than facing the same problem over and over? 

4. Problems are Purposeful“…to make you complete”  Emphasize the fact that God can use everything good and bad in our lives to draw us to Him.The final result is to make us complete in Him. That literally means that we lack nothing; we become perfect because of Him.      

Have a great day

John

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