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OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY, 4-21-24

“WE ARE OVERCOMERS, PT. VII,”

ZECH. 4:10 (KJV)

 

Zechariah 4:10 (KJV) 
  10  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

 

There is the propensity in us to think wrong about challenges, opposition, and discouragements while on this faith journey as if they were excuses for the forsaking of the plans and purposes of God for our lives when they are only tests and trials of our resolve to walk by faith, a test of our courage. Opposition tests whether we believe what we say we believe. Zerubbabel and Joshua, along with the returned Jewish exiles, were part of the greatest move of God in that generation and that was the re-establishment of temple worship in Israel that had been cut off during the Babylonian captivity. Restoring temple worship was priority to God as revealed in Haggai 1:1-11 (KJV): 
  1  In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 
  2  Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built. 
  3  Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 
  4  Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? 
  5  Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 
  6  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 
  7  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 
  8  Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. 
  9  Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 
  10  Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. 
  11  And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

Trouble is a sign that you’re a terror to the enemy, it’s the greatest opportunity to learn, and if you were not being attacked by the enemy, it might be a sign that you’re walking with him. The trials of our faith test our resolve to walk by faith or not. Genuine faith will stand the test, weather the storm, and outlast the devil. The enemy attempted to stop Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest from rebuilding the temple, Ezra 4:1-5 (KJV): 
  1  Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; 
  2  Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 
  3  But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. 
  4  Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, 
  5  And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

 

There was also opposition against Nehemiah in rebuilding the walls, Nehemiah 6:1-4 (KJV): 
  1  Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 
  2  That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 
  3  And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? 
  4  Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

 

Nehemiah 4:1-6 (KJV) 
  1  But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 
  2  And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 
  3  Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. 
  4  Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: 
  5  And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. 
  6  So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

 

 

God encouraged Zerubbabel though, Zechariah 4:6 (KJV) 
  6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

 

In both these situations God encouraged His people. God will always encourage His people. He sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest, Ezra 5:1-2 (KJV):
  1  Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. 
  2  Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

 

Nehemiah prayed and was encouraged and they finished the wall for the people had a mind to work, Neh. 4:1-6 (KJV) above. There is a very powerful truth that needs to be pointed out concerning the Jewish exiles who had returned to rebuild the temple and the wall. The Jews that had a mind to work committed their lives to the rebuilding of the temple. It was priority to God, therefore why would it not be priority to His people? Haggai 1:1-15 (KJV) 
  1  In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 
  2  Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built. 
  3  Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 
  4  Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? 
  5  Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 
  6  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 
  7  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 
  8  Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. 
  9  Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 
  10  Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. 
  11  And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands. 
  12  Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD. 
  13  Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. 
  14  And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 
  15  In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

 

 

Their whole concept of God was a mindset that their lives revolved around their worship of Him. Everything that they did revolved around their faith. Their faith system was their life. Their faith was not just something that they did on Sunday. It was more than skin deep, superficial, shallow faith, but was the whole of their existence and the drive behind them rebuilding the walls and the temple. Theirs was the restoration of temple worship which was their life. Their faith revolved around the temple worship. They viewed it as sacred. Then the final thing concerning the rebuilding of the temple was that God encouraged Zerubbabel with the powerful vision of Zechariah 4:1-6 (KJV): 
  1  And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 
  2  And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 
  3  And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4  So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 
  5  Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 
  6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

 

In our text as we have shared in previous messages, after the Lord, by His angel, revealed to Zechariah the prophet a vision of two olive trees supplying oil to the bowl, the oil being symbolic of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s anointing, the bowl being a symbol of Christ. The oil then flows from the bowl to the 7 lamps to keep them lit, which is symbolic of Christ pouring out His Spirit upon the Church, symbolized by the lamps, who then is the light of the world. I also mentioned Church purposely knowing we’re in the Old Testament, but the Church is not the building where we go to worship, but the people of God are the Church, the ekklesia, the called-out ones, Old & New Testament, therefore by the anointing would God raise up those who would put their hands to the plow. Everything supplied in the symbolism in Zech. 4:2, 3, 6, comes from God. Then in v. 6 the angel reveals to Zechariah: “This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” The rebuilding of the temple would not come by any human agency, but by the anointing of the Holy Spirit God would supply whatever was necessary to get the temple built. It would be by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit that He would bring about the rebuilding of Solomon’s temple. The Church today needs the Holy Spirit just like Zerubbabel needed the Holy Spirit and God revealed to Zechariah that it would not be by any human agency but by the anointing, the oil of the Holy Spirit. We too would have crashed landed a long time ago, “but for the oil of the Holy Spirit.” We would have bailed ship too but for the anointing. I would have lost my job, my marriage, my business, my mind, “but for the anointing!” Zerubbabel, Joshua the priest, and the Jewish exiles overcame because of the anointing as will we.

 

 

 

 

OUTLINE FOR BIBLE STUDY MONDAY, 4-22-24

“PILLARS OF THE FAITH,”

ROM. 1:16 (KJV)

 

Romans 1:16 (KJV) 
 16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

 

 

In this next study I want to introduce a word that’s a pillar of the faith in its own rights because it encompasses all of what involves our salvation and that is the word “salvation.” The Greek word for salvation is soteria and means “deliverance, preservation, salvation.” Salvation is used in the New Testament (a) Of material and temporal deliverance from danger from apprehension, (1) national, Luke 1:68-71 (KJV): 
 68  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 
 69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 
 70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 
 71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us.

(2) personal, as from the sea, Acts 27:34 (KJV) 
 34  Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you; The flood,  Hebrews 11:7 (KJV) 
 7  By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

(b) The spiritual and eternal deliverance granted immediately by God to those who accept His conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus, in whom alone it is to be obtained, Acts 4:12 (KJV): 12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, and upon confession of Him as Lord, Romans 10:9-10 (KJV): 9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, for this purpose the gospel is the saving instrument, Romans 1:16 (KJV): 16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

(c) Of the present experience of God’s power to deliver from the bondage of sin, Philippians 2:12-13 (KJV): 12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, where the special, though not the entire, reference is to the maintenance of peace and harmony,  1 Peter 1:9 (KJV): 9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls; This present experience on the part of believers is virtually equivalent to sanctification; for this purpose, God is able to make them wise, 2 Timothy 3:15 (KJV): 
 15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus; They are not to neglect it, Hebrews 2:3 (KJV): 3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.

(d) Of the future deliverance of believers at the Parousia of Christ for His saints, a salvation which is the object of their confident hope, Romans 13:11 (KJV): 
 11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:8-9 (KJV) 
 8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 
 9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Salvation is assured to them, as being deliverance from the wrath of God destined to be executed upon the ungodly at the end of this age, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (KJV) 
 10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV) 
 13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

 

(e) Of the deliverance of the nation of Israel at the second advent of Christ at the time of “the epiphany (or shing forth) of His Parousia,” Revelation 12:10 (KJV) 
 10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 

 

(f) Inclusively, to sum up all the blessings bestowed by God on men in Christ through the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV): 2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

 

Hebrews 5:9 (KJV) 
 9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

 

 

1 Peter 1:9 (KJV) 
 9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.  

 

 

(g) Occasionally, as standing virtually for the Savior, Luke 19:9-10 (KJV): 
 9  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

 

 

(h) In ascriptions of praise to God, Revelation 7:10 (KJV): 10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, and as that which it is His prerogative to bestow, Revelation 19:1 (KJV): 1  And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY MESSAGE, 5-15-22
“THE SHIFTING OF GOD, PT. II,”
1 COR. 14:33, 40 (NLT)
 
Holy Bible, New Living Translation
 
1Co 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches. 7
 
Holy Bible, New Living Translation
 
1Co 14:40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
 
Shifting defined (Webster’s New World Dictionary) – To change the arrangement of (gears). To change direction, position, etc.

Order defined – from <G5021> (tasso); regular arrangement, i.e. (in time) fixed succession (of rank or character), official dignity :- order.
 

Shifting, or another word that we may use is changing, is a part of life. We’re constantly shifting, and changing as we go through life, especially if you’re set on accomplishing something, being an achiever, bettering yourself, educating yourself, excelling on your job, your business, etc. We are constantly shifting and rearranging in our environment. Biblically, one of the greatest shifts was when the Lord was transitioning His people from the Old Testament Law under Moses, to grace and truth under the New Covenant through Christ. The Jewish people truly were challenged in making that shift as witnessed by the preaching of Dea. Stephen in Acts 7: 51-53 (KJV): 51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52  Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53  Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. Since Adam’s sin there have been divine shiftings to the order of God. The flood, the Egyptian exodus, the Jewish diaspora, the Law of Moses, the New Covenant, and to this day, God’s divine shifting and rearranging to His order is going on in the earth. We may not call it divine shifting, we may not recognize it as divine shifting, nevertheless, divine shifting it is. With His people, the Jews, God had to reveal to them that divine shifting was happening in their generation, Matt. 9:14-17 (KJV): 14  Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15  And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 16  No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17  Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Jesus was revealing to His disciples that while He was with them there was no need for the outward religious formality of fasting, which was a type of mourning, when His ministry was the answer to the dilemma of man and the fulfillment of all that the law pointed to. He drew an analogy between Himself and the bridegroom of a marriage feast. While the wedding party was with the bridegroom it was a time of celebration. So too, the disciples were to celebrate the divine shifting of God in their generation as God was preparing His bride, the Church, for their wedding feast future. Also, to further reveal the divine shifting of God in that day, the Lord explains that no one would attempt to sew new pieces of clothing to old clothing because the new would take away from the old creating a worse situation. So also putting new wine into old bottles, since the violence of the fermentation would burst the old bottles, therefore you must put new wine into new bottles, and the new bottles would be viable enough to stretch with the fermentation. These have been interpreted as you can’t mix Judaism with the gospel message of grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that the gospel message will not mix with the old unregenerated mindset, but the message of grace can only mix with that spirit and mind that has been born again. The focus being that there was a divine shifting and in order for the people of God to flow with the divine shifting of God they had to shift as well.
 
WE’RE CONSTANTLY SHIFTING
The Amplified Bible
 
Ro 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
Change moves us out of our comfort zone. Most people do not like change for that reason. Comfort is an enemy to change. Shifting is changing and changing is shifting. Just like the gears in a transmission when a vehicle gets to a certain speed, in order that that vehicle ride smoothly and flow with the faster speed, that transmission must shift. If it does not shift, it may get you to your destination but it will take much longer, not to mention, you could burn up your engine or transmission or both trying to run a faster speed in a gear that was not designed to run at faster speeds for long periods of time. The transmission shifts in order that you travel smoothly at faster speeds. It’s less wear and tear on the engine, transmission, and burns less gas when shifting to the proper gear. The vehicle runs smoother. Life is a series of shiftings and changes throughout, and if we are to flow smoothly in life then we must be able to shift with it. For instance, if I’m expanding in my business then I must also shift mentally to accept more responsibilities, possibly hiring more people to cover the extra business now coming in, be prepared for more hours working during the transition, perhaps training to learn how better to handle the expansion, and everything that comes with growth. You’ve got to make that shift to keep up. When a person desires to become, lets say, a doctor, then they invest into a College tuition in order that they shift their education to receive the learning for that field. As we go through life we’re constantly shifting and changing to accommodate for our destinies, and purposes that we have been placed on this planet for, and our choices. As Rom. 12:2 above reveals, that God is shifting and changing our thinking to be able to flow with His will, purposes and plans for our lives. The Jewish people struggled with shifting with the plans and purposes of God. Men, as a whole, have struggled with shifting with His will as well. There were those though, that God always had reserved to Himself, who were always able to make that shift with Him so that when He moved they moved. When He stopped, they stopped. When God said now, they moved. When God said not now, they didn’t move. As the fire by night and the cloud by day led the Israelites in days of old, His remnant was always able to shift with His will. The Lord recorded many of these in Heb. 11, the hall of faith and a commentary on their faith, Heb. 11: 13-16 (NIV): Heb 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; i  they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. j  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. k  Heb 11:14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. Heb 11:15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. l  Heb 11:16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. m  Therefore God is not ashamed n  to be called their God, o  for he has prepared a city p  for them. In this year of 2022, the shifting continues. Let us be that remnant that shifts with Him. 


OUTLINE FOR BIBLE STUDY MONDAY, 5-9-22
“KINGDOM VISION, KINGDOM GIVING,”
PR. 29:18 (NKJV)
 
Proverbs 29:18 (NKJV)
18  Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.
 
Without a vision of where we want to go, where we want to be in the future, and a picture in our minds of that destination, giving will also be affected because the question is what are we sowing toward? What are we sowing into? What are we sowing for? That’s why casting the vision for any visionary is so important. The focus from the start of my ministry here at CCC has been the same, “Building Lives Through The Message of Christ.” Of course I understand that there’s more to vision than just a slogan, but from the beginning I have based whatever we do in ministry around building the people. The people are the vision from the standpoint of encouraging faith, the Word, a personal relationship with the Lord, walking in love, excellence and integrity, walking in the Spirit, and from the cradle to the grave, providing Biblical based activities, teachings, ministries, worship services, Bible studies, etc., for the spiritual upbuilding of God’s people. Vision, as it relates to the Church, must be centered around the Word of God, the Bible. The message of Christ must be the center of attraction. Having vision drives everything else that will be necessary for bringing the vision to pass. Vision is the drive, the engine, the pusher and puller, the motivation, the fire, the pick-me-up, the lightning rod, that will buoy us until the vision is brought to pass. Vision is everything that it will take to make it happen.
 
CATCHING THE VISION
Catching the vision, or getting people to buy into the vision and taking ownership of the vision themselves is key to getting people to sow into the vision of their own resources. In order that that may happen there are 3 things that are foremost to get others to catch the vision. 1. For Christians, first and foremost, did that visionary hear from God on the direction that he wants to go, 2. What’s in it for those that he’s asking to accept the vision, and 3. How will that vision impact the immediate world around them and those they love. So let’s take these one at a time and I will give my view on each.
 

  1. Did the visionary hear from God on the direction that he wants to go?

I know that God called me into ministry as I have shared many times to the Partners of CCC. I believe that God led me out to Calvary and that the vision that I have shared with the Partners of CCC is what God has placed in my heart long before I ever came to Calvary. I’m doing what God called me to do, whether it would have been at Calvary or wherever the Lord would have sent me. It just so happens to be Calvary Christian Center. Therefore, the answer to #1 is yes, I heard from God on the direction that I am headed in the ministry.
 

  1. What’s in the vision for those that I’m asking to accept it?

Building a ministry that our children’s children will be blessed by. If God is with us, and I believe He is, then the vision for our personal lives will be intertwined with the vision for the ministry and that these will be a testimony to our faith, that we believed God and brought the vision for our personal lives and for the ministry to pass. Our children will be inspired by our faith and in turn do greater things in their generation all to the glory of God. And then finally, the greatest blessing will be that we obeyed God and glorified Him in order that His will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Amen!
 

  1. How will that vision impact the immediate world around them and those they love?

Our light will shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven, Matt. 5: 13-16 (KJV):
 
Matthew 5:13-16 (KJV)
13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
 

We will have fulfilled our commission as the Church, and preached the gospel to a dying world, Matt. 28:18-20 (KJV):
 
Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)
18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.       

And we will have been the witness that God called us to be to the world in these last days, Acts 1:8 (KJV):
 
Acts 1:8 (KJV)
8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
 
As our text reveals, without a vision the people cast off restraint, discipline, limits, restrictions, guidelines, laws, and the character necessary to bring the vision to pass.
 
Habakkuk 2:2-4 (KJV)
2  And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4  Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. 

OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY MESSAGE, 5-8-22
“THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE,”
EPH. 6:1-4 (KJV); PR. 31:10, 25-31 (KJV)
 
Ephesians 6:1-4 (KJV)
1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
 
Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)
10  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
 
Proverbs 31:25-31 (KJV)
25  Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26  She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27  She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28  Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31  Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
 
 
Today is a very special day for so many since we celebrate the givers of life, our Mothers. The blessedness of honoring our parents is witnessed in our text, Eph. 6:1, the first commandment with a promise, that if we obey this commandment of honoring and obeying our parents, the results are longevity of life. We’ll receive much of that longevity just by the wisdom of their advice. Divine providence though, dictates longevity of life to those who will obey God’s Word, and honor their parents. Today, though, we celebrate a Mother’s love.
 
A VIRTUOUS WOMAN
As we celebrate today, my own memories of my Mother are nothing but a Pr. 31 Mother. My Mother is all that Pr. 31 says about a woman of God. As a young man growing up with my 3 brothers Vincent, Terry, and Chris, and my 2 sisters, Carol, and Denise, my brothers and I would play in the woods for hours at a time. We would play army, build make-shift tents, with our dogs, whom we loved being with. We would eat the berries, grapes, and enjoyed one another’s companhy and adventurous ideas. But if we got a whiff of Mama’s fried chicken cooking, then it was time to go, and we would be on our way home to eat. Times were so innocent then. We didn’t think much of politics, racism, or what was going on around the world. We were just enjoying each other and enjoying life. As we got older, we all went off into the military. Vince & myself joined the Army, Terry, the Marines, & Chris, the Air Force. When we would come home, Mama would fix whatever each one of our favorite dishes were. My favorite was her pot roast. It was so tender, when a fork got close to it, the meat would just separate. It was delicious. On Sundays, after Sunday dinner, we would all watch whatever football game was playing, and before it was over, the football game was watching us. We’d all fall asleep. But these are the memories that I have of my childhood and youth growing up to adulthood. I always have fond memories of my Mama and how she is a Pr. 31 Mother. 
 
HONORING OUR PARENTS
As we celebrate Mothers today, we celebrate every time they were there for every important event of our lives, how they loved us through the years, unconditionally, always there, always understanding, always seeing the best in us. Mothers are the gift of God to us. The greatest way that children can honor their Mothers is to listen to what their Mothers are telling them. God’s love can be seen through a Mother’s love. He loves us unconditionally, always there for us, always believing in us and seeing the best in us. Those of us who are blessed to have our Mothers with us should love on them and plant their flowers on them while we have them with us. I truly thank God for my Mother, and all of the sunshine she has brought into my life and continues to bring in my life and I say to her and to all of the Mothers today, happy Mothers Day, and may the Lord bless you to see many many more. 

OUTLINE FOR BIBLE STUDY MONDAY, 5-2-22
“KINGDOM VISION, KINGDOM GIVING,”
MATT. 13:44-46 (KJV)
 
Matthew 13:44-46 (KJV)
44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
 
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure & the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price are awesome analogies between them and the kingdom. As in the parable of the hidden treasure, when the man discovered the hidden treasure in the field, understanding the value of it, and then selling all that he had to purchase that field, so is the Believer who, when he discovers God’s plan of salvation, he then seeks the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all the other things needful in this life God would supply, understanding the value of his salvation in eternity. As in the parable of the pearl of great price when the merchant, searching for a good pearl, discovers a pearl of great price and realizing it’s value, sold all that he had and bought it, again, realizing it’s value, the same with the Believer, who when discovers God’s plan of salvation, sells out to God, putting Him first in his life from that day forward.

 
THE VALUE OF THE KINGDOM

The kingdom is called that because it is where the King has dominion. That King is Jesus Christ. He is Lord. Both of these parables start out with the following: “The kingdom of Heaven is like unto,” therefore it’s drawing an analogy between how we value the kingdom and how the man who found the hidden treasure valued that treasure, and how the merchant man valued the pearl of great price. In both parables the men demonstrated how they valued these by making them priority to have in both their lives. They sold all that they had to purchase them. In other words, it meant more to them to have than all of their possessions.

 
THE KINGDOM

Is that now what the Word teaches us about the kingdom of Heaven? No doubt scripture clearly teaches us that the kingdom must be priority in the lives of Believers, Matt. 6:33 (KJV), and that these possessions on earth are not to take priority over the kingdom, Matt. 19:16-29 (KJV):
 
Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
 
Matthew 19:16-29 (KJV)
16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
 
I personally don’t think that the focus was so much on the young man’s possessions, but to reveal his heart condition, because later in the chapter when Peter mentioned to the Lord that he and the other disciples had left all to follow Him, Jesus replied that they would receive a hundredfold more possessions, and in the life to come, eternal life. The focus was to make the kingdom priority and this is what scripture teaches. Here lies the power of prayer. In prayer, God will reveal our true selves to us because prayer is so much more than petitioning God, but is a time of getting into His Presence and letting the Holy Spirit reveal to us those things that shouldn’t be and trusting those matters to God, and He, in turn, strengthens us, empowers us, leads us and guides us into all truth. It’s the matters of the heart that is the central focus of these passages and where we are, as it relates to these. Our hearts must be pure before God if the kingdom is to be first. A God-first mentality is taught throughout His Word without which we would surely end up as the young man who’s possessions had him more than he had them.
 
 
WHAT IS THE KINGDOM WORTH TO US?
 
So, what is the kingdom worth to us? What kind of question is that? Everyone’s probably thinking, the kingdom of Heaven is priceless. Well, of course it is. It’s worth more than anything our little finite minds can think of. I’ll put it another way, in a more personal way. What is the kingdom worth to you? How valuable is the kingdom to you? How valuable is my salvation, my relationship with God, His Holy Spirit, His Word, eternal life and all that makes up the revelation of the kingdom given to us by the Word of God? What is more precious to us than the message of the kingdom and it’s reality in our lives? Is there anything that has our hearts more than God? These are the questions we all should ask ourselves periodically and be honest to ourselves because God already knows. He won’t be anything but first in our lives, Ex. 20:1-6 (KJV):
 
Exodus 20:1-6 (KJV)
1  And God spake all these words, saying,
2  I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

OUTLINE FOR SUNDAY MESSAGE, 5-1-22
“THE SHIFTING OF GOD,”
1 COR. 14:33, 40 (NLT)
 
Holy Bible, New Living Translation
 
1Co 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches. 7
 
Holy Bible, New Living Translation
 
1Co 14:40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
 
Shifting defined – To change the arrangement of (gears). To change direction, position, etc.
Order defined – from <G5021> (tasso); regular arrangement, i.e. (in time) fixed succession (of rank or character), official dignity :- order.
 
As we have already taught in our message on the theme for 2022, that 20 is the symbol of divine order and 2 is an emblem of unity, for instance, as the husband and wife are one. Our God is the God of order and we are His people, a people of order, 1 Cor. 14:33. Order is the life of the Believer. Whatever is out of order in our lives, as we walk by faith and not by sight, He brings in order. He’s bringing order in marriage relationships, relationships that have been fractured between parents and children, relationships between the saints with other saints, order in our Churches, our land, in our personal lives, our finances, in our relationship with Him, our relationship with others, loved ones, and all that is out of His order, He’s bringing in order to His glory. When we find ourselves in the order or God He’ll work all things together for our good, Rom. 8:28 (NLT): Ro 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together 11 for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.   
 
In Rom. 8:28 we have a promise from God that He will work all things together for our good, even those things beyond our understanding. Man is intrinsically sinful and from Genesis to Revelation always unstable apart from God. It is a mystery to how much God is involved in the everyday affairs of men, but one thing is for sure, the One who spoke the worlds into existence, that spun the stars into the sky, and breathe the breath of life into the man He created, is in control. Even when we think He’s not, God is still in control. When King Solomon had completed the building of the temple and dedicated it and prayed to God, the Lord responded to Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chron. 7:12-16 (KJV): 12  And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
13  If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
16  For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
This land needs healing, this country needs healing, people need healing. The Body of Christ is in the best position to affect that change as seen in 2 Chron. 7:12-16, through the power of prayer. God will bring order out of our chaos when we turn to Him trusting His wisdom above our own, understanding that God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, and we’re finite in ourselves. We trust Him to bring order to our land, order to our personal lives, order to our Churches, that the Kingdom of God be established in the earth.
 
When God led the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, He led them in a cloud by day and a fire by night, Ex. 13:17-22 (KJV):   
17  And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
18  But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
19  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
20  And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
 
Wherever the cloud moved the people of God moved with the glory cloud. The same with the fire by night. Whenever these picked up and moved then the people moved with them. To be more precise, they moved when God moved. We too, the people of God today, must move with the glory cloud. The cloud by day and the fire by night for the people of God today is the Word of God, Ps. 119:105 (KJV):
105
 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
 
The Word of God is our cloud by day and our fire by night. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and our Guide. He will lead us into all truth. Faith in His Word will accommodate the necessary shifting and rearranging to His divine order. That order that the enemy have attempted to disrupt since the beginning of man’s sojourn on the earth and what has been the desire of the Father from the foundation of the world. That order is found in the Word of God and has not changed though much has changed in the world. Order comes to our lives when we walk by faith. With the order of God comes the blessings of God upon the lives of His people, 2 Chron. 7:14 (KJV); Josh. 1:8 (KJV); 1 Jn. 5:14, 15 (KJV); Mk. 11:22-24 (KJV).
 
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)
14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
 
Joshua 1:8 (KJV)
8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
 
1 John 5:14-15 (KJV)
14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
 
 
 Mark 11:22-24 (KJV)
22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
The challenge for many Christians is the battle between our spirit man and our carnal man so that, if not careful, we’ll lean towards the scriptures that we like and shun the scriptures that shine light on our sinfulness, but that’s exactly the purpose of the Word. The Word illuminates the path ahead for us and reveals our wrongs and the devices of the enemy. God’s Word is His salvation plan revealed to us. Therefore we’ll always be shifting from one level of faith to the next level as we mature in the things of God. One thing is for sure, there is a shifting going on, and will always be going on, in the kingdom and we should welcome any shifting that aligns us more with the order of God.

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