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Sunday 27 November 2011

The Lord’s Prayer - Part 7 - ‘Deliver Us’

The Lord’s Prayer - Part 7 - ‘Deliver Us’ - (Series conclusion)
(CFRA broadcast date: November 27th, 2011 - #654)
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Click on the following link to listen:
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Broadcast Notes:

Yes Lord, deliver us from the ‘evil one’
Deliver us from the power and influence of the ‘evil one’

The ‘evil one’ in scripture is called many things:

·         Adversary            =          A roaring lion - (1 Peter 5:8)
·         Apollyon              =          Destroyer – (Rev. 9:11)
·         Devil
Diabolous            =          Deceiver
·         Lucifer
·         Satan
·         Dragon
·         Serpent

Allow me to be clear on this point
I believe that ‘the devil – the evil one’ is a real being

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Barna Research Group

60% of N. Americans do not believe Satan to be a living being….

The modern world view has made it socially dangerous to admit belief in demonic spiritual powers, but Jesus had no problem talking & confronting Satan’s activity in the world.

Our culture refuses to believe in the real existence of evil while our newspapers are filled with a flood of immorality, violence, drug abuse, and behaviors that destroy human life.

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Let’s recap what we have learned thus far:

1   The Didache

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,

·         The Didache makes it clear that the early Church always
used the Lord’s Prayer in its public worship services and
did not permit unbelievers to join in the praying.

·         The Didache encouraged all believers to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times a day.

The first half of the Lord’s Prayer is directed to God:
·         His Paternity                              Our Father
·         His Person                                 Holy is Your Name
·         His Program                               Your Kingdom Come
·         His Purpose.                              Your Will be done

Now we move to our need for:
·         Provision                                    Give us today our daily bread
·         Pardon                                        Forgive us
·         Protection                                  Lead us
·         Preservation                              Deliver us

Lord, deliver us from the ‘evil one’

1   Before his fall

Ø  Ezekiel 28: 12-17
·         Model of perfection
·         Full of wisdom
·         Perfect in beauty
·         Anointed as a guardian cherub
·         Blameless

2   Why his fall?

·         Wickedness was found in him

Ø  Isaiah 14:12-14
The Five ‘I Wills’

·         I Will ascend to heaven
·         I Will raise my throne above the stars of God
·         I Will sit enthroned on the mount or assembly on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain
·         I Will ascend above the tops of the clouds
·         I Will make myself like the Most High

3   Consequences of his fall
·         Filled with violence
·         Filled with pride due to beauty
·         Corrupted wisdom

4   Satan wants us to fall
Satan hates the church and uses every weapon
available to him to:
·         deceive it
·         defile it
·         divide it
·         disgrace it
·         destroy it.

Guess where his attack is focused?
·         Beauty
·         Wisdom
·         Pride

The Evil One’s focus of attack is on the ‘Youniverse’

The ‘Youniverse’

The focus, today, in the Christian World is on books and sermons that are aimed directly on you:
·         This is Your Day
·         You are the Reason for this Season
·         Become a Better You.
·         It’s Your Time
·         The Me I Want to Be.
·         The Life You’ve always Wanted.

Let me encourage you to pray

Find room in your life to spend time before God

Learn to listen……

And as you come together with your brothers and sisters in the Lord…… 

Pray

Our Father, in Heaven
Holy is Your Name,
Your Kingdom come
Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us our sins as we forgive others who has sinned against us
Lead us not into temptation
Deliver us from the evil one.

Amen
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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

Friday 25 November 2011

Thanksgiving thoughts...

At...
Happy moments, praise God
Difficult moments, seek God
Quiet moments, worship God
Painful moments, trust God
Every moment, thank God
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If you look at what you do not have in life,
you don't have anything.
If you look at what you have in life,
You have everything.
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1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks:
for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus, concerning you.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

‘An Attitude of Gratitude’ – Thanksgiving Message

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! - to our American Friends
      (Originally broadcast on October 9th, 2011, for Canadian Thanksgiving)
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Rev. Donald S. Crisp
'An Attitude of Gratitude'

By Rev. Donald S. Crisp
Pastor of First Baptist Church, Smiths Falls, Ontario 
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Broadcast Notes:

Theme from:

We are now living in the days of ‘entitlement’ or perceived ‘entitlement’……

Giving ‘thanks’ today seems to be a lost art.
Giving ‘thanks’ in good times is easy.
Giving ‘thanks’ all the time is another matter.

Rudyard Kipling lived from 1865 to 1936.
He was English, yet born in Bombay, India.
He wrote poetry and is the author of books like
Captain Courageous, How the Leopard Got His Spots, and The Jungle Books. Who was this man?

Kipling’s writings not only made him famous but also brought him a fortune. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over one hundred dollars a word.”

The reporter reached into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said,
“Here’s a one hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your hundred dollar words.”

Rudyard Kipling looked at the money, put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks!"

What is God’s Will for you life?

He wants us to be:
·         Joyful
·         Prayerful
·         Thankful

What is God’s Will for your life?

Well, our text say:
·         Rejoice evermore
·         Pray without ceasing
·         In everything gives thanks

This is the Will of God for you, in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle Paul is writing the Church so that they can
get ready for the Return of Christ will require each of us being in God’s Will according to His written Word.

God’s Will for you and me, is to have an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’

That means  - rejoicing – praying – and thanking God
This translates into a life of ‘Thanks-Living’

Remember that ‘Attitude determines Action’ It’s a Choice!

V. 11:  is our ‘Ought To’

Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.’

After reminding us of what we ‘Ought to Do’

Starting in v. 12 until v. 22, Paul lists ‘Sixteen ‘how to’s’

This is in the context of Family
That is:  the Church Family  -  Your Family

1          Respect Leadership          v. 12

We have such a lack of ‘respect’ in our society today.
Lack of respect for our spouses
Lack of respect from our children
Lack of respect for each others

We live in a world of put-downs….
We need to return to the world of encouragement and building each other up.

My point for this message today is that this passage is not just for us as individuals…. but for us as part of the Family of God.

And as part of the Family of God we need to rejoice with the Family and pray without ceasing and give thanks for the Family of God…. for this is God’s Will for us in Christ Jesus.

God gave the Church - leaders

Ephesians 4:11
‘Apostles – Prophets – Evangelists – Shepherds – Teachers’

We have the opportunity to fulfill the first ‘ought to’  that is….. give ‘respect to our Spiritual leaders’…..  given to the Family of God…..  we must apply this principle to our Family Units as well.

Listen to God’s Word

·         Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.                                                 Hebrews 13:7

·         Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.  Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.’
                                                                  Hebrews 13:17

·         The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially, those whose work is preaching and teaching.  Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.  Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that others may take warning.’             1 Timothy 5:17-20

·         I urge you brothers/sisters to submit to such as these and everyone who joins in the work and labors at it.
1 Corinthians 16:16

2          Esteem Leadership           v 13
·         To ‘Honor’

3          Be at Peace                          v 13
As we travel the turbulent waters of life there is peace.

Principle
Where there is depth, there is peace

4          Admonish the idle   v 14
·         To reprove gently but earnestly.
·         To counsel (another) against something to be avoided; caution.
·         To remind of something forgotten or disregarded, as an obligation or a responsibility.

5          Encourage the faint hearted
To encourage a person is not to simply give them a pat on the back and say…. good for you

To encourage in the Biblical context is to ‘encourage forward’
To encourage a brother or sister in The Lord forward in their faith.

We need to encourage our leaders
We need to encourage ‘the idle’ – yes

The fact is sometimes we all get stuck
And we need to encourage and be encouraged to move forward.

6          Help the weak
The best way of helping the weak is by ‘empowering – equipping them’ so that they can move forward…..

7          Be Patient
·         Love is patient

8          See that no one repays evil for evil
Romans 12:9-17

V. 17 says
‘Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

V. 19
Do not take revenge, …. For God says: 
‘It is mine to avenge.  I will repay.’

9          Rejoice Always
Here’s a truth!

When we are not in the centre of God’s Will for our life and we are embracing sin, we loose our Peace and Joy and our Testimony.

When we are in the centre of God’s Will according to His written Word, the Bible…. He blesses us with Peace and Joy our testimony is enriched….. 

Here’s the truth!

If you are ‘respecting’ – ‘Esteeming’ and are at ‘Peace’ with the leadership of the church then you will be able to rejoice.

When you ‘admonish the idle’ – ‘encourage the faint hearted’
- ‘help the weak’ – are ‘patient’ with everyone ‘ and are not repaying evil for evil’ then you will be able to ‘Rejoice’ in the Lord.

10        Pray without ceasing
            Listening to God without ceasing
Constant, consistent, consecrated listening (prayer)

Listen
Prayer is to be focused on ‘listening’ to God without ceasing.
We often think this means to ‘keep talking’ without ceasing.
Not so….  The most important voice in prayer is not yours it’s His.

11        Give Thanks in all circumstances
We are now living in the days of ‘entitlement’ or perceived ‘entitlement’……

Giving ‘thanks’ today seems to be a lost art.
Giving ‘thanks’ in good times is easy.
Giving ‘thanks’ all the time is another matter.
Too often our gratitude is dependent upon the circumstances of life. A beautiful hymn was written by Martin Rinkart during the thirty-year war to help us look beyond our circumstances and see the hand of God.
Rinkart was a pastor in Saxony, Germany as the turbulent years of the war dragged on. For a time he was the only pastor in his town. His pastoral duties caused him to preside at nearly 4500 burials in 1637 alone.
In the context of this sad situation and these unfavorable circumstances he penned the words to the Hymn.  Now Thank We All Our God.                                                                     It is a hymn of unconditional gratitude to God.
“Now thank we all our God
With Heart, hands, and voices
Who wondrous things has done
In whom his world rejoices”
Rejoice Evermore
Pray without ceasing                                                                                                 
In everything give thanks
So what are you thankful for in your life

The Hymn writer wrote:

“Count your many blessings
Name them one by one…..”

Lord I thank you for:
1     You
2     Your love, forgiveness, compassion and mercy
3     Jesus
4     The Cross
5     My Salvation
6     You lead, guide and provide
7     Giving me purpose in my life
8     My wife, Tricia
9     My daughters
10   Grandchildren
11   The Ministry that you have called me to
12   That I am never alone
13   My friends
14   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(Broadcast closed with prayer.)

To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:
 http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/4759/good_news_647_oct9.mp3
 

Sunday 20 November 2011

The Lord’s Prayer - Part 6 – ‘Lead Us!’

Click on the following link to listen to this week’s broadcast (Aired Nov. 20th, 2011):
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Broadcast Notes:

Biblical Principle:
A Faith that cannot be tested cannot be ‘trusted’

Let’s recap what we have learned thus far:

1   The Didache

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,

·         The Didache makes it clear that the early Church always
used the Lord’s Prayer in its public worship services and
did not permit unbelievers to join in the praying.

·         The Didache encouraged all believers to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times a day.

The first half of the Lord’s Prayer is directed to God-
·         His Paternity                              Our Father
·         His Person                                 Holy is Your Name
·         His Program                               Your Kingdom Come
·         His Purpose.                              Your Will be done

Now we move to our need for
·         Provision                                    Give us today our daily bread
·         Pardon                                        Forgive us
·         Protection                                  Lead us
·         Preservation                              Deliver us

1   Lead us Not in Temptation

Does the ‘word’ temptation always mean to tempt us to do evil?

·         God does not tempt us to do evil

‘When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. 
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone;  but each one is tempted when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.’                    James 1:13, 14

Ø  The Devil made me do it?
Ø  I wanted to do it?
Ø  God did not condone me doing it!

2   The word ‘Temptation’ also mean ‘testing’ or ‘trial’

The Fact is:
You and I are going to be tested.

Gen. 2:11
‘God tested Abraham’

Job 23:10
‘When He has tested me I will come forth as gold’

1 Timothy 3:10
‘They must first be tested’
Referring to the Office of Deacon

Jesus was tested as well
Matthew 4:1-11                     Heb. 4:14,15

Notice that the test was about ‘faithfulness’
The attack was focused on his ‘identity’

Let’s talk about ‘trials’

‘Consider it pure joy ….when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of our faith develops perseverance’ 
James 1:2,3

‘Blessed 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.’ 
James 1:12

The word ‘persevere’ in the Bible means to take whatever trial you are going through and use it as a platform to bring glory to God.

A Faith that cannot be tested cannot be ‘trusted’

Adam and Eve
(Adam’s bride)

The first Adam plunged us into sin
The  2nd Adam, Jesus Christ delivered us from sin.

The Church is the Bride of Christ we are in fact the 2nd Eve

Abraham had to be tested before he could be trusted
Abraham and Isaac

Sarah died age 127
Abraham died 175

3   A ‘Truth Lesson’

The Bible says that:
Satan is a deceiver
Satan is the ‘father of lies’
John 8:44

Satan masquerades as an angel of ‘light’
2 Cor. 11:14

Here’s the truth for our generation

·         not all light is truth
·         Don’t lie to yourself

Even our spiritual leaders are prone to fall.

Billly Graham said:
‘75% of our finest leaders have fallen to sexual sin

We all fall when we lose focus, when we allow ourselves to get distracted. 

Six Lies that we tell ourselves and open
The Door for Temptation’s Trap:
1 Corinthians 10:12, 13

Ø  It couldn’t happen to me
Ø  I’m the only one
Ø  God’s abandoned me
Ø  I didn’t have a choice
Ø  It’s not my fault
Ø  The devil made me do it

Sodom is a picture of Sin
Lot
·         He saw                    Gen. 13:10
·         Moved close           Gen. 13:12
·         Moved into             Gen. 14:12
·         It moved into him   Gen. 19:1

4   Know who you are and where you are going.

If you haven’t entered into God’s Will and God’s Plan for your life then let me ask you this question.

Do you know who you are and where you are going?

Remember in Satan’s attack and time of tempting Jesus
Satan attacked his ‘faithfulness’ to God’s Word and His very ‘identity’

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte , North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor.

Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, 'We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you.' So he agreed.. 

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, 

'I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. 

Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. 

It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him.
He still couldn't find it.

The conductor said,
'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are.
We all know who you are.
I'm sure you bought a ticket. 
Don't worry about it.'

Einstein nodded appreciatively.

The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.

The conductor rushed back and said,
'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry,
I know who you are No problem.
You don't need a ticket. 
I'm sure you bought one.'

Einstein looked at him and said,
'Young man, I too, know who I am.
What I don't know is where I'm going.''
 

Having said that Billy Graham continued,
'See the suit I'm wearing?
It's a brand new suit. 
My children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age.

I used to be a bit more fastidious.
So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion.

You know what that occasion is?
This is the suit in which I'll be buried.

But when you hear I'm dead,
I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing.
I want you to remember this:

I not only know who I am ..
I also know where I'm going.'
 
So again, my friends, do you know where you are going?

(Broadcast closed with prayer.)

To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

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Next week – we will conclude this series on the Lord’s Prayer
as we focus on ‘Deliver Us’ from ‘the evil one