Praise Tabernacle Podcast

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June 15th - Acts 22 - "A Father's Legacy: Standing Boldly in the Spirit" Pastor Dr. Joshua Kennedy & Elder Bruce Woodson | Living in the Spirit Series

📖 In Acts 22, the Apostle Paul boldly shares his personal testimony before a hostile crowd. Despite resistance, he stands firm in his calling and speaks with Spirit-empowered conviction. His courage serves as a model for all who desire to leave a lasting spiritual legacy.

This Father’s Day, join Pastor Dr. Joshua Kennedy and Elder Bruce Woodson as they deliver a timely word on what it means to lead and live with boldness in the Spirit. Be inspired to rise up, live faithfully, and pass on a legacy rooted in truth and courage.

📅 Date: June 15, 2025 📍 Location: 2235 Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

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📖 Acts 20 – "A Life Poured Out" Pastor Joshua Kennedy | Living in the Spirit Series June 1, 2025

Join us for a compelling message from Pastor Joshua Kennedy as we continue our Living in the Spirit series with Acts 20. In this teaching, we witness the Apostle Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders—a heartfelt and powerful moment where he declares that his only aim is to finish the race and complete the task given to him by the Lord Jesus.

This message challenges us to evaluate our own lives: Are we living fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit? Are we holding back, or are we willing to pour ourselves out completely for the mission of Christ?

Discover what it means to live with urgency, purpose, and obedience—empowered by the Spirit to leave nothing behind.

📅 Date: June 1, 2025 📍 Location: 2235 Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

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📖 May 25th – Acts 19 | "Power Encounter: The Real vs. the Imitation" | Living in the Spirit Series | Minister Joel Eugene

Join us for a dynamic message from Minister Joel Eugene as we continue our Living in the Spirit series with Acts 19. Experience the reality of God's power and learn how to discern the genuine work of the Holy Spirit from empty imitations. This is a message about true authority, spiritual boldness, and the undeniable impact of walking in the Spirit.

📅 Date: May 25th 📍 Location: 2235 Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 🌐 Visit Our Website: 👉 https://praisetabernacle.church 📱 Download Our App: 📲 Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/praise-tabernacle/id1632515067 📲 Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplashconsulting.s_6ZRD87 👍 Follow Us on Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/praisetabernacleehthttp://www.facebook.com/praisetabernacleeht 🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more Spirit-led messages every week! 💬 Share this message with someone who needs encouragement today!

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📖 May 18th – Acts 18 | "Strength in the Struggle" | Living in the Spirit Series | Pastor Joshua Kennedy

Join us for a powerful message from Pastor Joshua Kennedy as we continue our Living in the Spirit series with Acts 18. Learn how God equips us to remain faithful where we are and also empowers us when it's time to step into new assignments. Whether you're called to stay or go, the Spirit strengthens you for the mission.

📅 Date: May 18th 📍 Location: 2235 Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 🌐 Visit Our Website: 👉 https://praisetabernacle.church 📱 Download Our App: 📲 Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/praise-tabernacle/id1632515067 📲 Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplashconsulting.s_6zrd87 👍 Follow Us on Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/praisetabernacleehthttp://www.facebook.com/praisetabernacleeht 🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more Spirit-led messages every week! 💬 Share this message with someone who needs encouragement today!

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May 4th – Acts 16 The Spirit-Led Life: Naturally Supernatural Bishop Kyle Searcy

Join us for a powerful message from Bishop Kyle Seacry as we continue our Living in the Spirit series with a deep dive into Acts 16. Learn how the Holy Spirit guides us through unexpected detours to bring about divine appointments that transform lives.

📅 Date: May 4th 📍 Location: 2235 Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 🌐 Visit Our Website: 👉 https://praisetabernacle.church 📱 Download Our App: 📲 Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/praise-tabernacle/id1632515067 📲 Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplashconsulting.s_6zrd87 👍 Follow Us on Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/praisetabernacleehthttp://www.facebook.com/praisetabernacleeht 🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more Spirit-led messages every week! 💬 Share this message with someone who needs encouragement today!

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📖 April 27th - "Led by the Spirit: Unity in Truth and Grace" - Dave Roberts | Living in the Spirit Series |

Join us for a powerful message from Dave Roberts as we continue our Living in the Spirit series with a deep dive into Acts 13. Discover what it means to be Set Apart and Sent by the Holy Spirit and how to walk in your calling.

📅 Date: April 13th 📍 Location: 2235 Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

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April 6th - Acts 12 - Living in the Spirit: "Deliverance and Divine Intervention" - Pastor Joshua

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📖 March 30th, 2025 - "The Spirit Confirms & Expands" | Youth Sunday | Acts 11 | Living in the Spirit Series

In this powerful Youth Sunday message, we are reminded of the boundless nature of God's love and the universal reach of the Gospel. Drawing from Acts 11, we see how the early church broke through cultural and religious barriers through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The story of Peter’s vision and his encounter with Cornelius is pivotal — showing that God's salvation is for all people, regardless of their background. This message challenges us to examine our biases and urges us to step out of our comfort zones to embrace others with God’s heart.

Will we, like Peter, follow the Spirit's call to see beyond appearances and bring the Gospel to all? It’s time to recognize that God's love transcends every human-made division!

📅 Date: March 30, 2025 📍 Location: 2235 Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

🖥️ Join us online or in person! 🌐 Online: praisetabernacle.church 🏡 In-Person: Sundays at 9:00 AM & 10:30 AM 🎈 Children's services offered during the 10:30 AM service!

📖 Key Scripture:

Acts 11:1–18

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Bold Faith, Boundless Spirit: Acts 8 Living in the Spirit Series Key Theme: The Holy Spirit moves beyond boundaries, empowering bold faith to spread the gospel with supernatural power and divine direction. I. Bold Faith in the Face of Persecution (Acts 8:1-8) Acts 1:8 declares that the Holy Spirit will empower believers to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Until Acts 8, the Spirit’s work had been primarily centered in Jerusalem. However, the fulfillment of this promise began unexpectedly—through persecution. Hardship scattered the believers, ultimately expanding the gospel’s reach. The early church had just been established, and with so many new believers, the focus was likely on strengthening the faith community rather than venturing beyond Jerusalem. Yet, God used persecution to advance His kingdom, ensuring that the message of salvation would not remain confined to one city. One of the key figures leading the charge against the church was Saul. Verse 3 describes his relentless mission: “He was going everywhere to destroy the church, dragging out both men and women and throwing them into prison.” Saul was determined to eradicate what he viewed as a dangerous sect. However, despite his violent efforts, the gospel continued to spread. The word “but” in this passage marks a divine reversal—what was meant for harm only fueled the mission of Christ. The scattered believers did not retreat in fear; instead, they boldly proclaimed the gospel, accompanied by signs and wonders. We see this example with Philip, who preached in Samaria, casting our devils, bringing healing, and it says joy came to the city. Their unwavering faith in the face of persecution demonstrates that the power of the Holy Spirit cannot be silenced. What the enemy intended for destruction, God used for multiplication. Application: The Spirit turns obstacles into opportunities. Bold faith steps beyond comfort zones to reach others. II. Boundless Power: The Spirit Cannot Be Bought (Acts 8:9-25) The things of this world can be bought and sold, but the Holy Spirit is not of this world. His power cannot be earned, traded, or purchased—it can only be received by faith. Simon’s Conversion and Misunderstanding Simon, a well-known sorcerer known as the “Great One,” had long captivated the people with his magic. However, when he witnessed Philip operating in true power—miracles, signs, and the undeniable work of the Spirit—he recognized a power far greater than his own. Although he believed in Jesus and was baptized, his understanding of the Holy Spirit remained flawed. Thinking in earthly terms, he offered money to the apostles, hoping to buy the ability to impart the Spirit. The Necessity of the Spirit’s Baptism Philip’s initial message focused on salvation in Christ. He preached repentance and faith in Jesus, and as a result, many, including Simon, believed and were baptized. However, the fullness of the Spirit had yet to be imparted. When the apostles arrived, they discerned this and prayed for the new believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit to operate in the fullness of God’s power. This passage highlights an important truth: while receiving Jesus brings new birth through the Spirit, there is also a second immersion—a baptism in the Spirit—that must be taught and received by faith. This empowerment enables believers to be bold witnesses for Christ, just as Jesus promised in Acts 1:8. Peter’s Rebuke and Simon’s Response Peter rebuked Simon sharply, exposing the corruption in his heart. The power of God is not a commodity to be bought but a gift of grace to be received. Simon’s request revealed that he still viewed power through a worldly lens rather than as a divine gift for God’s purposes. Convicted by Peter’s words, Simon humbled himself and asked for forgiveness. The Right Posture Toward the Spirit’s Power The Holy Spirit is given freely, and we are called to walk in His power by faith—not for personal gain, recognition, or influence, but for the glory of God alone. As Jesus reminds us in John 15, we can do nothing apart from Him. True greatness is found not in possessing power but in surrendering fully to the One who gives it. Application: The Spirit discerns the heart—genuine faith leads to repentance. The gifts of the Spirit are for God’s glory, not personal status. III. Boundless Spirit: The Gospel Reaches the Nations (Acts 8:26-40) The Holy Spirit directs believers to those whose hearts are ready to receive the gospel. God knows who is seeking truth, and He calls us, like Philip, to be faithful evangelists—always prepared, filled with the Word, and sensitive to His leading. Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch demonstrates how divine appointments work. The Spirit led Philip to a man of significant influence, a high official in Ethiopia who was already searching for truth in the Scriptures. Philip’s obedience allowed him to explain the Word correctly, leading the eunuch to salvation and baptism. As evangelists, we must be ready to reap the harvest and plant and water seeds. Some people are prepared to receive Christ immediately, while others need time. As Paul reminds us, “Some plant, others water, but God gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Every soul is precious in God's eyes—whether they go on to influence nations, like the Ethiopian eunuch, or live a quieter life of faith. What seems excellent in the world’s eyes may be insignificant in eternity, and what appears small may be of immense value in God’s kingdom. Our role is not to measure impact but to love unconditionally, trust in God's perfect timing, and faithfully share His truth, knowing He will accomplish His purpose in every life. Call to Action: Pray for boldness, discernment, and obedience to the Spirit’s leading. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w)

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3-2 Holy Spirit Weekend Dr. Rob Reimer

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Challenges of Church Growth Multiplication and Division Acts

Focus Passage: Acts 6:1-5 1. The Importance of Unity in the Church * Acts 6:1: “But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food distribution.” * Growth often brings healthy challenges, and with challenges come opportunities for solutions shaped by God’s wisdom. As leaders, we must remember that the same God who brings increase also provides answers. Rather than succumbing to panic, we are called to seek His guidance with faith, trusting that His hand will resolve difficulties when we ask, seek, and knock. * The tension between the Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews regarding the daily distribution of food underscores the importance of addressing cultural and community-specific needs within the church. This conflict wasn’t just logistical—it revealed the more profound need for sensitivity, understanding, and intentional inclusion. * The Holy Spirit equips us to be witnesses to all people (Acts 1:8), and He also empowers us with grace to bridge cultural differences, relate to diverse perspectives, and find Spirit-led solutions. Unity is not just a goal; the Church needs to embody the fullness of God’s presence. As Jesus prayed in John 17:21, "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you," unity is the key to effective witness and sustained growth. 2. Spirit-Led Delegation and qualifications for leadership. * (Acts 6:2-4).2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” * Every leadership role in the body of Christ should require spirit-filling. Spiritual wisdom is needed to discern God’s will and make decisions according to God’s heart, not man’s. * The Apostles understood their primary responsibility with the early church was prayer and teaching of the Word, especially with the rapid growth, so other vital tasks like assisting widows had to be designated to others who had to be spirit-filled. * In Christ, all we do is go unto Him, in the power of the Spirit. Nothing should be seen as less a duty than something else just because of one’s title. 3. The Power of Spirit-Filled Ministry * Acts 6:5-8 "Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them. So, God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers significantly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too." * The power of God is not reserved for a select few but is available to all believers. As Jesus declared in Mark 16:17, the signs accompanying those who believe in Him include casting out demons, laying hands on the sick, and more. The early church leaders, like Stephen and the others chosen, exemplified the qualifications required for leadership: being full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Without these essential traits, we are unprepared to represent Jesus effectively and bring glory to His name. * Furthermore, the act of elders laying hands on new leaders serves as a vital moment of consecration and empowerment, setting them apart for their God-given role. This practice reinforces the spiritual significance of stepping into leadership with prayerful preparation. * When more believers rise to accept their calling and step into leadership, the Lord multiplies His work. As each vessel contributes to the mission, the Kingdom advances, and the message of God continues to spread powerfully, just as it did in the early church. 4. Opposition to Spirit-Filled Witness * Acts 6:9-14 "But one day, some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, began to debate with Stephen. These were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. Yet, none of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. So they persuaded others to lie about Stephen, claiming, 'We heard him blaspheme Moses and even God.' This stirred up the people, elders, and teachers of religious law. As a result, they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council. The false witnesses testified, 'This man constantly speaks against the holy Temple and the law of Moses. We even heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.'" * No one can stand against the wisdom of God. When we operate as Stephen did—full of faith and the Spirit—we are empowered to answer any question, speak boldly, and remain unmoved by human opposition, aligning ourselves with God's purpose. However, this does not guarantee that others will respond positively. Some hearts are so hardened and consumed by evil that nothing we say or do will move them. * Opposition may come, often in the form of lies, schemes, and attempts to stop us at any cost. But we must remember that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces and principalities of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). Because of this, we should not take persecution personally. Instead, we are called to rejoice when we suffer for Christ's sake. By doing so, we share in the fellowship of His suffering and stand in solidarity with all the saints who have endured before us. 5. A Glimpse of Glory Amid Trials * Acts 6:15: “At this point, everyone in the high council stared at Stephen because his face became as bright as an angel’s.” * Final Charge: We are called to shine like the sun’s rays, reflecting the light of the Son’s presence. When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, no earthly opposition or suffering can diminish the glory of God radiating through us. Stephen’s face, shining like an angel’s, was a testament to his communion with the Lord, even in the face of persecution. * With suffering comes glory! Let us boldly pursue the Lord and His will, keeping our gaze fixed on Him. No matter what happens on earth, we walk in the reality of Heaven. May our lives bear witness to His name, reflecting His light and His love, even in the darkest moments. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w),

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Title: Understanding the Person of the Holy Spirit Series: Living in the Spirit Focus Scripture: Acts 2 Introduction * Acts 2 marks the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to send the Holy Spirit, empowering believers for ministry and revealing the person and work of the Spirit profoundly. This chapter serves as a foundation for understanding the Holy Spirit's role in the life of the church and the believer. * Objective: To explore the Holy Spirit’s identity, nature, and mission as revealed in Acts 2 and how this understanding transforms our daily walk with God. I. The Identity of the Holy Spirit 1. The Holy Spirit as God: * Acts 2:4: "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit..." The Spirit’s divine nature is evident in His ability to fill believers and empower them with supernatural gifts. * The gifts of the Holy Spirit are an extension of the person of the Holy Spirit present within us. * The Holy Spirit is not a force but a person of the Trinity with intellect, will, and emotions - 2. The Promise of the Father: * Acts 2:33 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. * The Spirit fulfills the Old Testament promises * (Joel 2:28-29) - 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. II. The Work of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 1. Empowering Believers: * Acts 2:3-4: 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. * The gift of diverse tongues and interpretation manifested because people of many nations/languages were gathered. * Application: The Spirit equips us for ministry and mission, giving gifts for service (1 Corinthians 12). 2. Revealing God’s Glory: * Acts 2:11: "We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" * The Spirit's work is always centered on glorifying God and revealing His nature to the world. 3. Convicting and Drawing People to Christ: * Acts 2:37: Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” * The Spirit convicts hearts, leading people to repentance and faith (John 16:8). 4. Building Unity in the Church: * Acts 2:44-47: 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[a]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. * The Spirit creates a community of believers through generosity, worship, and fellowship. * The Spirit binds believers together in one body (Ephesians 4:3) - Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. III. Living in the Spirit Today 1. Continual Filling: * The Spirit’s presence in Acts 2 wasn’t a one-time event but the beginning of ongoing empowerment (Ephesians 5:18). 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, * Daily surrender and openness to the Spirit are essential. God’s mercies are fresh and new every day. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, we need fresh manna daily, 2. Boldness in Witnessing: * Acts 2:14-41: Peter’s boldness in proclaiming the Gospel came from the Spirit’s power. * Application: The Spirit emboldens us to share our faith in love and truth. 3. Transformation of Lives: * Acts 2:42-47: 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[a]), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[b]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day, the Lord added those who were being saved to their fellowship. * The Spirit transforms believers, resulting in worship, generosity, and a communal lifestyle. * Personal Reflection: How is the person of the Holy Spirit transforming our hearts, habits, and relationships? Conclusion * Call to Action: * Let’s reflect on our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Are we yielding to His leading, seeking His filling, and walking in His power? * Let’s pray for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit in our lives, just as in Acts 2. * Encouragement: * The same Spirit who moved powerfully at Pentecost is alive and at work today. He longs to empower, guide, and transform each of us into the likeness of Christ.

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Title: "Leadership Passed Down: Moses and Joshua"

Be Fruitful & Multiply Series

Introduction

Moses and Joshua’s relationship offers a powerful biblical example of mentorship and succession. Their dynamic demonstrates the importance of intentionally preparing the next generation to accomplish God’s mission. We are called to leave a legacy—not just to achieve for ourselves but to invest in others, passing on wisdom, faith, and leadership that will continue to impact the world long after we are gone.

I. Moses’ Perspective: The Mentor

Recognizing the Potential in Joshua
Exodus 17:8-13: Exodus 17:8-13: 8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Moses trusts Joshua to lead the Israelites in battle against Amalek.
A mentor recognizes the potential in a disciple and actively creates opportunities for their growth. Success is not a solo endeavor—we can only go as far as our team. If we operate alone, our capacity is limited. For actual multiplication, we must intentionally choose trustworthy individuals who, in turn, will disciple others with integrity. The body of Christ thrives only when all its members function together in unity and purpose. As leaders, our foremost responsibility is to identify the right people, position them effectively, and empower them to carry out the work with excellence.
Teaching Through Example
Exodus 24:13-18: 13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. 14 He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
A mentor invites their disciple into God’s presence and demonstrates spiritual leadership through example. The goal of discipleship is not to draw people closer to themselves but to lead them closer to the Lord. We are not seeking to create replicas of ourselves; we aim to help others become more like Jesus. Discipleship is about more than transferring knowledge—facilitating encounters with God. Transformation happens as we behold the glory of the Lord, and worship is one of the primary ways God reshapes us. The effectiveness of our leadership and the grace we carry depend significantly on our ability to practice and dwell in the presence of God.
Empowering for Leadership
Numbers 27:18-23: 18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[a] and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command, he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command, they will come in.” 22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.
A mentor ensures that their disciple is well-prepared and accepted by others. Effective discipleship results in others recognizing the same wisdom, authority, and grace in our disciples that they see in us. Through Christ, we can impart what He has entrusted to us into the lives of those He places before us. Standing alongside those we have raised affirms our support and signals to others that these individuals are worthy of their trust and leadership. Commissioning is a powerful act that releases God’s anointing and calling upon the individual, inspiring confidence and alignment among those who will follow them.
Releasing with Confidence
Deuteronomy 34:9: 9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit[a] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So, the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

*

Effective discipleship involves entrusting the disciple with opportunities to lead. The more individuals carry what the Lord has imparted, the further His work can reach. However, just as a vessel cannot be filled until it is emptied, disciples must be led to surrender themselves entirely to God. Only then can they be genuinely filled with the Spirit and fully embrace their calling. When we see those we disciple walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and firmly placed in the Lord’s hands, we can confidently trust that they will fulfill their God-given mission.

II. Joshua’s Perspective: The Disciple

Learning Through Service
Exodus 33:11: 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua, son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Time spent alone in God’s presence is the most vital preparation for fulfilling the divine purpose of our lives. As ambassadors of Christ, our primary responsibility is to reflect His character and represent Him to the world. The depth of our impact is directly tied to the depth of our relationship with Him; the more intimately we know Christ, the more effectively we can carry out His mission.
Observing and Emulating
Numbers 11:28-29: 28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
Joshua speaks up and tries to stop leaders who were prophesying; Moses rebukes Joshua, displaying his heart that he wished all of his leaders could prophesy. Joshua may have thought only Moses should be prophesying, for this was the first occurrence of anyone else operating in this gift. Yet Joshua’s perspective did not fit the heart of Moses or God. A disciple learns humility and patience under a mentor's guidance.
Growing in Courage
Joshua 1:6-9: 6 : “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or the left. Then, you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
A disciple must embrace their calling with unwavering confidence and courage, fortified by the preparation and guidance of their mentor. In this passage, God emphasizes three essential principles for spiritual leadership:

a. Obedience to God’s Word: Success comes from diligently knowing, meditating on, and applying God’s instructions. A leader’s strength lies in their alignment with God’s truth.

b. Faithful adherence to mentorship: Joshua is urged to follow Moses’s instructions, recognizing the wisdom passed down through godly mentorship.

c. Dependence on God’s presence: True courage flows from the assurance that the Lord is always with us, empowering and guiding us every step of the way.

Spiritual leaders are not called to rely solely on their abilities but on God’s promises and presence. Time spent alone with the Lord and a commitment to His Word prepares leaders to step boldly into their divine purpose.

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Carrying the Vision Forward
Joshua 24:14-15: 14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
A disciple’s success is measured by their faithfulness and ability to inspire and lead others to follow God wholeheartedly. Spiritual leaders are not focused on drawing people to themselves but on pointing them to the Lord. Joshua sets a powerful example of spiritual leadership by explicitly declaring that his allegiance and that of his household is to the Lord. He challenges the people to make a definitive choice, laying out the stark consequences of serving idols and the blessings of serving God. Leaders must similarly emphasize the urgency and gravity of choosing whom to serve. As disciples of Christ, we are called to lead others toward complete devotion to Jesus, rejecting any allegiance to idols or worldly influences. True discipleship prioritizes Christ as Lord, ensuring that those we guide are rooted in faithfulness to Him alone.

III. Lessons for Modern Discipleship

For Mentors:
Identify and invest in potential leaders.
Walk alongside disciples, modeling a life centered on God.
Empower and release them with faith that God will continue the work through them.
For Disciples:
Serve faithfully in preparation for leadership.
Learn from the mentor’s strengths and weaknesses.
Seek God’s guidance as you step into more significant responsibilities.

Conclusion

The relationship between Moses and Joshua demonstrates the power of discipleship to ensure the continuation of God’s work.
Actual multiplication happens when leaders invest in disciples who, in turn, become leaders themselves.
Challenge: Who are you mentoring, and who is mentoring you in your walk with God?

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Praise Tabernacle

Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor

2235 Ocean Heights

Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com

praisetabernacle.church

(609) 927-4560(w

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Title: Understanding the Person of the Holy Spirit Series: Living in the Spirit Focus Scripture: Acts 2 Introduction * Acts 2 marks the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to send the Holy Spirit, empowering believers for ministry and revealing the person and work of the Spirit profoundly. This chapter serves as a foundation for understanding the Holy Spirit's role in the life of the church and the believer. * Objective: To explore the Holy Spirit’s identity, nature, and mission as revealed in Acts 2 and how this understanding transforms our daily walk with God. I. The Identity of the Holy Spirit 1. The Holy Spirit as God: * Acts 2:4: "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit..." The Spirit’s divine nature is evident in His ability to fill believers and empower them with supernatural gifts. * The gifts of the Holy Spirit are an extension of the person of the Holy Spirit present within us. * The Holy Spirit is not a force but a person of the Trinity with intellect, will, and emotions - 2. The Promise of the Father: * Acts 2:33 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. * The Spirit fulfills the Old Testament promises * (Joel 2:28-29) - 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. II. The Work of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 1. Empowering Believers: * Acts 2:3-4: 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. * The gift of diverse tongues and interpretation manifested because people of many nations/languages were gathered. * Application: The Spirit equips us for ministry and mission, giving gifts for service (1 Corinthians 12). 2. Revealing God’s Glory: * Acts 2:11: "We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" * The Spirit's work is always centered on glorifying God and revealing His nature to the world. 3. Convicting and Drawing People to Christ: * Acts 2:37: Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” * The Spirit convicts hearts, leading people to repentance and faith (John 16:8). 4. Building Unity in the Church: * Acts 2:44-47: 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[a]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. * The Spirit creates a community of believers marked by generosity, worship, and fellowship. * The Spirit binds believers together in one body (Ephesians 4:3) - Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. III. Living in the Spirit Today 1. Continual Filling: * The Spirit’s presence in Acts 2 wasn’t a one-time event but the beginning of ongoing empowerment (Ephesians 5:18). 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, * Daily surrender and openness to the Spirit are essential. God’s mercies are fresh and new every day. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, we need fresh manna daily, 2. Boldness in Witnessing: * Acts 2:14-41: Peter’s boldness in proclaiming the Gospel came from the Spirit’s power. * Application: The Spirit emboldens us to share our faith in love and truth. 3. Transformation of Lives: * Acts 2:42-47: 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[a]), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[b]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. * The Spirit transforms believers, resulting in worship, generosity, and a communal lifestyle. * Personal Reflection: How is the person of the Holy Spirit transforming our hearts, habits, and relationships? Conclusion * Call to Action: * Let’s reflect on our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Are we yielding to His leading, seeking His filling, and walking in His power? * Let’s pray for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit in our lives, just as in Acts 2. * The same Spirit who moved powerfully at Pentecost is alive and at work today. He longs to empower, guide, and transform each of us into the likeness of Christ. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w)

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Introduction: Acts 1 serves as a crucial transition between the Gospels and the early Church, marking Jesus' ascension and the promise of the Holy Spirit. This chapter sets the stage for the Holy Spirit’s transformative work in believers’ lives. In this teaching, we will explore how Acts 1 illustrates the importance of waiting on the Spirit, receiving empowerment, and understanding our role in God’s mission. 1. The Promise of the Holy Spirit Acts 1:1-5 (NLT) 1 In my first book, I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles occasionally, proving to them in many ways that he was alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. 4 Once, when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus instructed His disciples to wait for the promised gift of the Father—the Holy Spirit. This divine empowerment was essential for them to fulfill their calling. In the same way, we are called to begin each day refreshed in the presence of the Lord, receiving the Holy Spirit’s power anew. The Holy Spirit working through the body of Christ is the most significant evidence to the world that Jesus is alive. Just as the children of Israel relied on fresh manna daily in the wilderness, we, too, must seek a daily refilling of the Spirit. Spiritual empowerment is not a one-time event but a continuous renewal, equipping us for God’s purposes. The disciples’ waiting was intentional, involving prayer, scripture reflection, and fellowship. Likewise, we must cultivate a posture of expectation and readiness to receive and move in the Spirit. This waiting is not passive—it is active, filled with anticipation, preparation, and community engagement. As we align ourselves with God’s timing and rely on His grace, we are strengthened to live out our faith and reveal His kingdom to the world. 2. Empowerment for Mission Acts 1:8 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We can only effectively be witnesses for Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit. Without Him, we are the same as any other religion or philosophy; our efforts will always fall short, no matter how well-intentioned. The best we can do on our own will never be enough to transform lives or reveal the glory of God. The Holy Spirit eliminates all barriers—cultural, linguistic, racial, gender and social divisions are dismantled as we walk in His power. Through the Spirit, unity and understanding are supernaturally achieved, enabling us to reach hearts that human efforts cannot. In a world that often turns to gimmicks and strategies for evangelism, God’s way requires only one essential: the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is not our persuasive words or clever methods that make the difference; it is the person of the Holy Spirit working through us. When filled with the Spirit, He bears witness to Christ, using us as His vessels to bring the gospel to life in power and truth. 3. The Ascension and the Promise of His Return Acts 1:9-11 9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Too many so-called disciples are still gazing upward, focused on Christ’s physical return, instead of looking within and moving in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our concern should not be consumed with when Jesus will return but with the pressing reality of a world desperately needing Him. We are called, chosen, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring His presence and message to lost people. Suppose we are not actively witnessing the people around us. In that case, we risk becoming like the disciples’ initial reaction to Jesus’ ascension—so heavenly-minded that we are no earthly good. While the timing of Christ’s return remains unknown, one truth is certain: He is already with us through the Holy Spirit, guiding and equipping us for the work. The Holy Spirit is entirely God, equal with the Father and the Son. We have everything we need in Him—the fullness of God’s power, presence, and purpose. Instead of longing solely for Christ’s physical return, we must embrace the reality of His Spirit dwelling within us. The Spirit empowers us to fulfill the mission of reaching the world for Christ, bringing heaven’s hope to earth until the day He comes again. 4. Community in Prayer Acts 1:12-14 12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile.[c] 13 When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). 14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. As the body of Christ, we are made up of many members, and the unity we cultivate directly impacts the power of the Holy Spirit released among us. The early Church exemplified the transformative power of community and prayer, showing that living in the Spirit is not merely an individual journey but a deeply communal one. Prayer meetings are often the least attended in many churches because we fail to grasp the complete revelation of prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit. When we understand that prayer is not merely offering well-wishes to heaven but entering a space of divine encounter—waiting for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and declaring His prophetic word—prayer will no longer feel optional. Instead, it will become a source of longing and a place of transformation. The continued experience of Pentecost requires us to gather consistently in prayer. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, revival, and prayer are inseparable. Revival is born out of prayer, ignited by the Spirit’s outpouring. To sustain a vibrant, Spirit-filled life as a community, we must commit to praying together with expectation and unity, just as the early Church did. Conclusion In Acts 1, we witness the transformative call to wait, receive, and act. The disciples were not merely instructed to remain in Jerusalem; they were charged to prepare for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to empower them to fulfill the Great Commission. Today, we stand in that same lineage of faith, equipped with the Holy Spirit’s power to carry out God’s mission. This is not a passive calling—it is a charge to be active witnesses for Christ, living lives that reflect His kingdom here and now. The promise of the Spirit is not reserved for a select few; it is for all who believe and are willing to wait, receive, and move in His power. We are empowered for purpose—not to sit idly by but to transform the world through the gospel. The Spirit equips us to cross every barrier, unite across every division, and demonstrate God’s love to a broken and searching world. Christ's ascension and the promise of His return call us to urgency and focus. Instead of staring into the heavens, let us look to the Spirit within us and to the harvest fields around us. Charge: * Wait expectantly in prayer for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Make prayer a priority both individually and as a community. * Walk boldly in the Spirit’s power, knowing that you are equipped to overcome barriers and bring the light of Christ to every dark corner of the world. * Witness actively, sharing the gospel wherever you go, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you in power and truth. Remember, you have been empowered for a divine purpose. Go, therefore, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world longing for His hope and truth. Through word and action, let your life declare that Christ is alive and His kingdom is at hand. -- Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c) --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w),

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Sermon: The Gift of the Holy Spirit Series: Living in the Spirit  Introduction: The Greatest Gift * The Christmas story is about God’s love demonstrated through the gift of Jesus Christ. * Just as the angels proclaimed the arrival of peace and goodwill to shepherds, God’s ultimate plan was not only to save but also to dwell within us through the Holy Spirit. * Christmas is a time of giving, and through the Holy Spirit, God gives us gifts that transform, empower, and guide us. I. The Holy Spirit: A Promise Fulfilled * Luke 2:11: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” * Jesus’ birth fulfilled the promise of redemption, paving the way for the gift of the Spirit. * The miracle birth of Jesus through the Holy Spirit made the rebirth of mankind possible through the Holy Spirit. * John 14:16-17: Jesus promised His disciples a Helper who would live with and in them, ensuring they were never alone. * Just as the shepherds rejoiced at the news of Christ’s birth, we rejoice in the Spirit’s presence. II. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit comes bearing gifts that enable us to live out the message of Christmas every day. Emanuel, God is with us! He is with us because He is in us when we serve others; we become His hands and feet as the body of Christ to manifest His presence all around us. 1. The Gift of Adoption * Romans 8:15: “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” * Through the Holy Spirit, we are made children of God, part of His family, and heirs of His promises. * This adoption reflects the inclusiveness of the shepherds’ message—available to all who believe. 2. The Gift of Comfort and Peace * John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” * Just as the angels proclaimed peace on earth, the Spirit gives us an internal peace that surpasses all understanding, especially in trials. 3. The Gift of Guidance * John 16:13: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” * The wise men followed a star; today, we follow the Spirit, who illuminates God’s will and guides us in our decisions. 4. The Gift of Power * Acts 1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” * Through the Spirit, we are empowered to live boldly for Him, spreading His message of salvation. 5. The Gift of Transformation * Galatians 5:22-23: The fruit of the Spirit transforms us from within, reflecting Christ in our character. * This inner transformation mirrors the miraculous nature of Christmas—a world forever changed by the Savior’s arrival. III. The Spiritual Gifts in Scripture In addition to these foundational gifts, the Holy Spirit equips us with unique gifts for ministry and service. 1. The Gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) * Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Discernment, Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues. * These gifts demonstrate the Spirit’s power in supernatural ways, enabling us to minister effectively to others. 2. The Gifts for Building the Church (Ephesians 4:7-13) * Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. * These leadership gifts equip the body of Christ for works of service and maturity in faith. 3. The Sevenfold Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3) * The Spirit of the Lord, Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Might, Knowledge, and Fear of the Lord. * These attributes empower us to live godly lives and make decisions that align with God’s will. 4. The Motivational Gifts (Romans 12:3-8) * Prophesying, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leading, and Showing Mercy. * These gifts reflect the diversity of God’s design for His church, allowing every believer to contribute uniquely. IV. Living in the Spirit: A Life of Overflowing Gifts * As we receive these gifts, we are called to share them with others: 1. The Gift of Adoption leads us to welcome others into God’s family. 2. The Gift of Comfort equips us to comfort those in pain. 3. The Gift of Guidance helps us lead others to the truth. 4. The Gift of Power emboldens us to share the gospel. 5. The Spiritual Gifts enable us to build the church and fulfill our unique callings. The Charge: Receiving and Sharing the Gift * The angels’ proclamation of Christ’s birth reminds us that the most incredible gifts bring glory to God and benefit others. * This Christmas, let us celebrate the Holy Spirit—the continuation of God’s gift of Emmanuel, “God with us.” * As we embark on the Living in the Spirit Series, may we embrace His gifts and live a life that reflects His presence.

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Praise Tabernacle

Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor

2235 Ocean Heights

Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com

praisetabernacle.church

(609) 927-4560(w)

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Paul and Timothy: A Legacy of Faithful Discipleship BE FRUITFUL & MULTIPLY SERIES Introduction: * Paul didn’t just teach Timothy but was also deeply invested in his growth, modeling discipleship for generations to follow. 1. Choosing Timothy: The Importance of Recognizing Potential Acts 16:1-3 Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 Timothy was well thought of by the believers[a] in Lystra and Iconium, 3 so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. Paul’s encounter with Timothy offers a powerful model for discipleship. Despite his young age and multicultural background, Timothy’s faithfulness set him apart, showing that dedication to God can transcend cultural boundaries. Paul recognized Timothy's potential and didn’t let his youth, family heritage, or background discourage him from pouring into him. This passage challenges us to ask ourselves if we, too, are attentive to those God places around us, especially young believers. It takes intentionality to see others as God sees them, valuing their present character and future impact. With their openness and unbounded imaginations, young people are especially receptive to guidance. Investing in them is more than an act of mentorship—it’s planting seeds that will grow and bear fruit for generations. True discipleship means walking alongside others, encouraging them, and nurturing their gifts to carry on the legacy of faith. 2. Equipping and Encouraging: Building Confidence and Spiritual Strength 1 Timothy 4:12 - 12 Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 2 Timothy 1:5-7 5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. 6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Paul’s encouragement to Timothy highlights discipleship’s profound impact in empowering others to follow their purpose with confidence and courage. Despite Timothy’s youth, which could have been seen as a barrier, Paul urged him to lead boldly and be an example in his words, actions, love, faith, and purity. This instruction emphasizes the value of affirming young believers’ potential, showing them that their age does not define their faith. Faith is energized not by age but by one’s dedication to God. Paul’s words also reveal the importance of impartation in discipleship. When he laid hands on Timothy, he imparted a spiritual gift, symbolizing that we, too, are entrusted with the authority to pass on what God has placed in us. Our gifts are not meant solely for our benefit; they are to be shared and multiplied through those we disciple, enabling us to extend God’s influence and power through generations. This impartation and encouragement prepare young believers to stand firm and become carriers of the gifts and purposes God has set before them. As disciples, we are called to nurture and remind young believers of their identity in Christ. Our encouragement helps them focus beyond temporary feelings, grounding them in their God-given identity and purpose. Discipleship offers support and shapes their journey to live fully in their calling, equipped with confidence and clarity in Christ. 3. Multiplying the Message: Entrusting the Gospel to Faithful Disciples 2 Timothy 2:2 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. Paul’s instruction to Timothy to invest in “faithful men” who would, in turn, teach others underscores a fundamental principle of discipleship: multiplication. Discipleship is about nurturing personal growth and creating a legacy of faith by equipping others to carry on and expand the mission. The question arises: to whom should we devote most of our time? Paul’s guidance is clear—it should be those who are faithful, teachable and committed to passing on what they receive. By focusing on individuals who show both dedication and reliability, we invest in disciples who will actively share and multiply the truths they’ve learned. This selectivity doesn’t mean neglecting others but reflects a strategic approach to maximizing spiritual impact. The goal of discipleship is to produce generations of faithful leaders who will continue to teach, nurture, and expand the gospel’s reach. Like Paul, we are called to pour deeply into those ready to take on the responsibility of spiritual multiplication, ensuring that what God has entrusted to us will continue to bear fruit in others. 4. Persevering Together in Faith: A Relationship of Mutual Growth  2 Timothy 3:10-14 10 But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, patience, love, and endurance. 11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. 12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. 14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are authentic, for you can trust those who taught you. Those we impact most deeply are the ones who witness not just what we teach but how we live. Faithful followers are drawn to those with a proven patience and resilience track record. Timothy observed all that Paul endured and stood by Paul to the end because of his steadfastness, helping him in his most challenging moments. We can trust these devoted individuals to carry forward our legacy. They take the lessons learned through our words and deeds and pass them on, multiplying the impact for future generations. Call to Action: Look for Timothy’s in your life, or if you’re like Timothy, seek out a Paul’s. I encourage you to step into God’s plan for spiritual multiplication by investing in others as Paul did. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w),

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Jesus and the Disciples Be Fruitful and Multiply Series Introduction: Jesus initiated discipleship intentionally, calling each of His followers to leave behind their old lives and enter a life-changing relationship with Him. This foundational stage of discipleship required deep commitment, consistent teaching, and intentional growth. While much of our discipleship is organic, happening naturally as relationships form and we bear fruit by abiding in Christ, there are also those God places in our lives for a more deliberate approach. For some, this involves regular mentoring sessions; for others, it’s a matter of walking alongside them daily. In both types of relationships, discipleship takes root and grows as we live out the call to invest in others and multiply our faith. Part 1: Calling and Formation 1. The Call to Follow * Scripture: Matthew 4:18-22: The First Disciples 18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him. 21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. * As disciples of Christ, we are fishermen; we are not though called to catch fish and throw them back; we are responsible for teaching the fish we catch to follow us as we follow Jesus. Jesus’ call was personal and radical, requiring an immediate response to leave their nets (their former lives) and follow Him. We are to make it clear what being a disciple requires. Jesus cannot be received as Savior unless He is made Lord. We are leading people into repentance, a turning away from the world, and to turn towards the Lord. For this to transpire, we must get close enough to those we disciple that we know what areas need to be transformed. 2. Learning by Example * Scripture: John 13:12-17 (Jesus washing the disciples' feet) - 12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. * Jesus taught servanthood by example, demonstrating that authentic leadership in His kingdom is marked by humility, sacrifice, and selflessness. In washing His disciples' feet, He showed that greatness is found not in status but in a willingness to serve others, even in the most humble ways. True discipleship requires us to model this Christlike character, inviting others to follow not only our words but our actions as well. As followers of Jesus, our service knows no bounds; we must be willing to do whatever it takes to support those we disciple. No task is too menial, no effort too small. Whether offering a listening ear, meeting a practical need, or providing encouragement, we are called to pour ourselves out for others, reflecting the love and servanthood that Jesus showed. This sacrificial service challenges us to love others deeply and to serve with a genuine heart, embodying the same relentless compassion that Jesus has for us. 3. Teaching Through Parables * Scripture: Matthew 13:10-17 (Purpose of parables) - 10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”m11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even their little understanding will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. 14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’[b]16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it. * Jesus used parables to reveal profound spiritual truths to His disciples, cultivating insight and discernment as they engaged with each story. These parables transformed everyday experiences into windows to deeper truths, helping His followers grasp the kingdom's realities in ways they could understand and apply. In discipleship, we, too, are called to seek wisdom and understanding from Christ, allowing our own perspectives to be transformed to offer guidance that reshapes the worldview of those we disciple. * As we invest in authentic relationships, the Holy Spirit grants us discernment to recognize each person’s unique needs and heart. By listening to God’s guidance in prayer, we can receive inspiration on what to share, including stories, analogies, or personal experiences that will resonate deeply. Just as Jesus’ parables met people where they were, the Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom to communicate effectively, bridging the gap between spiritual truth and personal experience. Through this Spirit-led approach, we become conduits of grace, sharing stories that touch hearts, open minds, and inspire growth in faith. CLOSING: In calling the disciples, Jesus exemplified the essence of relational discipleship: inviting others to journey with Him in words and life-shaping actions. Each moment He spent with them—whether teaching, serving, or praying—was a step in multiplying His mission. As His followers today, we are entrusted with that same mission to make disciples, not as a program but as a way of life. This requires authenticity, a servant’s heart, and a willingness to sacrifice for others’ growth. Jesus’ approach shows us that discipleship is about presence—being fully present with those we lead, recognizing that every interaction can plant seeds of faith, hope, and transformation. The call to "be fruitful and multiply" is to invest ourselves in others, sharing our lives and faith in ways that nurture, inspire, and equip others to grow into their God-given potential. Let us go forth, then, with the courage and commitment of the first disciples, embracing our role as fishers of people, servant leaders, and storytellers of God’s grace. As we follow Jesus' model, may we bear fruit that will last, filling the world with new disciples who walk with Him and carry forward His mission for generations to come? --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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Family Ties

Pastor Steve and Laurie Rahter

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Discipleship/Friendship: Lessons from David and Jonathan  Be Fruitful & Multiply Series Taught by Pastor Josh Introduction: In the life of David and Jonathan, as recorded in 1 Samuel, we find more than a story of friendship; we see a model for discipleship. Their covenant relationship reveals how we can support, empower, and encourage those we disciple. True discipleship goes beyond knowledge transfer—it involves walking alongside others, lifting them when they are down, and helping them step into the fullness of their calling in Christ.

I. Covenant Love and Generosity  1 Samuel 18:3-4 – “And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow, and his belt.” Jonathan's covenant with David represents covenant love, which is sacrificial and empowering. Jonathan's giving David his royal garments and weapons symbolizes friendship and a willingness to help David fulfill his God-given destiny, even at personal cost. True discipleship seeks the growth and success of others, not out of obligation but out of love. Are we willing to give of ourselves—our time, resources, and opportunities—to those we disciple? Just as Jonathan empowered David, we too must desire those we disciple to go further than we ever could.

II. Standing in the Gap  1 Samuel 19:4 – “Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul, his father, and said to him, ‘Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.’” Jonathan interceded for David when Saul sought to harm him, risking his own position and safety. In discipleship, we often stand in the gap for those we lead, defending them when they are vulnerable or under attack. Disciple-makers are called to provide spiritual protection and advocacy, just as Jonathan shielded David from harm. Are we willing to stand up for those we disciple, especially when they cannot defend themselves? Discipleship requires us to step into the gap and protect those in our care, ensuring their well-being as they grow.

III. Loyalty in Adversity  1 Samuel 20:42 – “Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord...’” Loyalty is a cornerstone of discipleship. When David’s life was in danger, Jonathan remained committed to him. Discipleship is tested in moments of adversity, and the true strength of a discipleship relationship is revealed when we remain faithful during difficult times. Are we loyal to those we disciple when challenges arise, or do we distance ourselves? In times of trial, our disciples need our unwavering support more than ever.

IV. The Power of Selflessness  1 Samuel 23:17 – “‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you.’” Jonathan, the rightful heir to the throne, selflessly acknowledged David’s future kingship. He did not let his ambitions hinder David’s calling. Humility is critical in discipleship. We must be willing to step aside, celebrate the successes of others, and help them rise, even if it means sacrificing our desires. Are we secure enough to celebrate the success of those we disciple, even if it means stepping into the background? Discipleship calls for humility, where we prioritize God’s will over our ambitions.

V. Encouragement in the Wilderness  1 Samuel 23:16 – “And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.” During David’s crisis, Jonathan did more than offer comfort; he helped David find strength in God. One of the most crucial aspects of discipleship is pointing people to God as their ultimate source of strength. We are not called to solve all their problems but to direct them back to the One who can. Are we encouraging those we disciple to rely on God, especially during their wilderness seasons? Discipleship isn’t about fixing problems but guiding others toward faith and trust in God.

VI. The Legacy of Discipleship  2 Samuel 9:7 – “‘Don’t be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan…’” Even after Jonathan’s death, David honored their covenant by caring for Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. This reminds us that discipleship is about leaving a legacy. The seeds we plant in others’ lives today can bear fruit for generations, affecting our disciples, their families, and future generations. What kind of legacy are we leaving through our discipleship relationships? True discipleship extends beyond our lifetime, impacting those we disciple and those we will, in turn, influence.

VII. Faithfulness Beyond Circumstances  1 Samuel 20:13 – “‘May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness…’” Jonathan’s relationship with David was rooted in a covenant of faithfulness and kindness despite the complex dynamics with his father, Saul. Discipleship mirrors this steadfastness—it remains faithful regardless of external circumstances. Are we reflecting the faithfulness and kindness of the Lord in our discipleship relationships? True discipleship is grounded in covenant love, unwavering and unchanging, no matter what life brings. Conclusion: David and Jonathan’s relationship teaches us profound lessons about discipleship: covenant love, generosity, advocacy, loyalty, humility, encouragement, legacy, and faithfulness. As we seek to disciple others, may we embody these qualities, helping those we lead step into their God-given calling. Let us pray for the strength to be faithful disciple-makers, leaving a lasting legacy of faith, love, and commitment to Christ. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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10-27th Discipleship Through the Relationship of Naomi & Ruth - Loraine Kennedy

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Title: Be Fruitful and Multiply: Discipleship Through the Generations of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph Series: Be Fruitful & Multiply Speakers: Pastor Josh & Minister Dave Introduction: Discipleship begins with being disciples ourselves and then discipling those in our household. The Lord desires to save households; godly families are the strength of a community. Satan, therefore, wants to destroy the family. It is how we weaken communities and take ground so he can hinder the work of God. The story of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Joseph is about the generational effect of family, the passing on of faith from one generation to the next. 1. Abraham: The Foundation of Faith and God's Covenant Key Scriptures: Genesis 12:1-3 "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.'" Genesis 22:16-18 - This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.” Discipleship Lesson: Abraham is often called the "father of faith" because his relationship with God was built on absolute trust and obedience. Despite not immediately seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises, he faithfully followed God’s direction. Abraham’s story reveals that a foundational aspect of discipleship is faith in action—he heard God’s Word, believed it, and obeyed. Romans 10:17 reminds us that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ." Abraham’s example teaches us that the greatest gift we can pass to others, especially our families, is a legacy of faith. However, faith is not passive. It requires both listening and responding. Abraham’s willingness to leave everything behind, even without knowing where God was leading him, demonstrates his heart posture toward God. For us, this means our hearing is intertwined with the condition of our hearts. If we aren’t hearing from God, we must examine whether unconfessed sin, bitterness, or unforgiveness hinders us. Hebrews 8:10 reminds us that God’s Word is written in our hearts. If our hearts are correct, we will feel convicted when we stray from God’s path. Abraham’s life also shows us the importance of perseverance in discipleship. God’s promises to Abraham were not fulfilled immediately, yet he continued to walk with God through trials and uncertainties. Even when Abraham acted on impulse and created Ishmael, which led to difficult consequences, he remained faithful and did not give up on God’s promise. This teaches us that even in our mistakes, faith involves returning to trust in God’s plans. A powerful example of Abraham’s faith came when he was tested with Isaac, his promised son. Despite the unimaginable difficulty of the situation, Abraham trusted God to provide a solution—even in the face of sacrificing his son. His obedience to God at that moment demonstrated a depth of faith that transcended his understanding, and God, faithful to His nature, provided a ram in place of Isaac. This foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice that God Himself would provide through Jesus Christ. Today, we who walk by faith are the fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham—we are the stars in the sky that were foreshadowed in Genesis, a living testament to the legacy of Abraham’s faith and obedience. Application: As disciples, we must cultivate a heart that listens and responds to God, ensuring our relationship with Him remains clear and unburdened by sin or unforgiveness. Like Abraham, we are called to not only receive God’s blessings but to pass them on, especially to those we lead—whether in our families or communities. Through patience, perseverance, and unwavering trust, we can reflect Abraham’s legacy and disciple others by sharing our faith daily. 2. Isaac: Inheriting and Continuing the Legacy Key Scriptures: Genesis 26:2-5 - The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants,[a] just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” Genesis 26:23-25 - 23 From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, 24 where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.” 25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well. Discipleship Lesson: Isaac inherited the promises given to Abraham, but those promises required him to establish his relationship with God. Just as no one can inherit their parents' faith, we must invite Jesus Christ into our hearts. Isaac’s act of re-digging his father’s wells (Genesis 26:18) symbolizes the discipleship journey: it teaches us that we must uphold and maintain the truths passed down to us while also making faith personal and alive in our lives. When the Lord spoke to Isaac, He reiterated the importance of obedience: "Do what I tell you" (Genesis 26:2-5). This is the essence of following Jesus—hearing His voice and obeying His commands, not our desires. As we disciple others, we must remember that our role is not to mold people into our image but to point them to Christ. Jesus will form them according to His will, shaping them into His likeness. Discipleship isn’t about creating clones of ourselves; it’s about leading people to Christ so they can encounter Him personally and be transformed. God’s promises are multi-generational. Some promises made to previous generations may find fulfillment through us, while others will be fulfilled in future generations. Isaac’s journey shows that inheriting God's blessing requires personal faith, obedience, and a willingness to follow the example. Isaac had to walk in the exact obedience as Abraham to receive the fullness of God’s blessing. Isaac also had a personal encounter with God, and from that encounter, he built an altar to worship the Lord and established a well there (Genesis 26:25). This demonstrates a vital truth: we must seek our encounter with God. Until we know Him intimately, our worship will remain superficial. True worship springs from a personal relationship with God, rooted in a deep spiritual connection. The greatest gift we can offer others is not from our resources but from the deeper places we’ve encountered in the Lord. Jesus speaks of "living water" that flows from within (John 7:38), and as disciples, we are called to pass on that living water—truth and life that come from our relationship with God. Application: In discipling others, we must encourage them to build their relationship with God. Like Isaac, they must "dig their wells" while upholding the foundational truths of their faith. Our role is to guide them to the source of living water—Jesus—so they can draw from Him and pass on that life to others. Only through a personal, living encounter with God can they grow in their faith and fulfill God’s promises. Challenge Question: How are you maintaining and sharing the spiritual legacy entrusted to you? 3. Jacob: Transformation and the Multiplication of a Nation Key Scriptures: Genesis 28:13-15 "At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and He said, 'I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day, I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.'" Genesis 35:9-12 "Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-Aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, saying, 'Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob. From now on, your name will be Israel.' So God renamed him Israel. Then God said, 'I am El-Shaddai—God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! And I will give you the land I once gave Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.'" Discipleship Lesson: Jacob's life illustrates a profound transformation journey—from a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. His story shows us that our flaws do not deter God; He specializes in transforming brokenness into a blessing. Just as Jacob was transformed, we were once deceived, and even deceivers, our lives have been radically changed through God’s grace. Our transformation is living proof of God's power and faithfulness. In Christ, we become brand new creations; "the old has passed away, behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). As disciple-makers, our calling is to help others shed the labels of their past and embrace their true identity in Christ. Discipleship isn’t just about learning biblical facts—it’s about knowing God intimately and experiencing His transforming power firsthand. It’s one thing to know the Word of God but another to know the God of the Word. Jacob’s transformation into Israel didn’t come through head knowledge alone but through a life-changing encounter with God. The name "Paddan-Aram," where Jacob wrestled with God, means "face-to-face," symbolizing that discipleship requires an intimate, ongoing relationship with the Lord. Like Jacob, we must encounter God personally to be changed from the inside out. Christianity without a relationship is no different from works-based religions; it’s our relationship with the living God that sets us apart. God moves powerfully on earth through those who walk with Him. As Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, signifying a new identity and purpose, our lives are transformed as we walk closely with God. The Lord works through us, not just to change our own lives but to impact the world around us. True discipleship is about walking daily with God, allowing His presence to flow through us and multiply His blessings into the lives of others. Application: Just as Jacob had to confront his past and wrestle with God to embrace his new identity, we must do the same in our spiritual journey. As we disciple others, we aim to guide them toward knowing God deeply and personally, helping them embrace their new identity in Christ. When people experience the reality of God for themselves, their lives are transformed, and they, like Jacob, can become a blessing to nations. Challenge Question: How can you encourage others through the transformation process in their spiritual journey? 4. Joseph: Multiplication Through Influence and Suffering Key Scriptures: Genesis 45:4-8 - “Please, come closer," Joseph said to his brothers. So they came closer. And he said again, "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. God sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And He is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt." Genesis 50:19-21: "But Joseph replied, 'Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save many people’s lives. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.' So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them." Discipleship Lesson: Joseph's life is a powerful example of God’s use of suffering to accomplish His greater purposes. He is favored by his father but despised by his brothers. Joseph’s journey from being sold into slavery to becoming the second most powerful man in Egypt is a testament to God’s sovereignty. Even as Joseph endured betrayal, slavery, false accusations, and imprisonment, Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that "the Lord was with him." Despite his circumstances, Joseph found favor wherever he went—whether as Potiphar’s servant, the head of a prison, or ultimately as the governor of Egypt. Joseph’s life reminds us that God works for our good, even in the darkest moments. While Joseph’s early dreams of greatness seemed far removed from his trials, God was weaving together a larger plan. Joseph’s trials became the path that led to the fulfillment of his dreams and, more importantly, to the preservation of his family and the nation during a famine. Joseph’s story also highlights the power of forgiveness. He could have harbored bitterness toward his brothers for their betrayal, but instead, he chose to see God’s hand in his suffering. He acknowledged that though his brothers intended to harm, God used it for good to save many lives. Joseph’s ability to forgive and see the bigger picture enabled him to reconcile with his family and extend grace and provision to them in their time of need. As disciple-makers, we learn from Joseph that our trials are not wasted. Through faithfulness in suffering, we can influence others, as Joseph did—multiplying God’s grace, wisdom, and provision beyond our reach. Joseph's influence was not confined to his family; it extended to an entire nation, and his faithfulness in hardship testified to God's faithfulness and power. Application: Sometimes, discipleship requires enduring hardship with faith and integrity, just as Joseph did. God often uses our most difficult seasons to shape us, not only for our personal growth but for the multiplication of His kingdom. Through perseverance, Joseph’s influence grew beyond his immediate family to impact an entire nation. In the same way, our faithfulness in trials can have a ripple effect, influencing and discipling others through our example of trust in God. Challenge Question: How can your faithfulness in trials disciple and influence others for God’s kingdom? Conclusion: Fruitfulness in Discipleship Across Generations * The lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph show a pattern of discipleship through faithfulness, transformation, and influence. Each generation multiplied the impact of God’s promise through their relationships and encounters with God. * Final Reflection: How can we be intentional about discipling others in a way that multiplies God's influence across generations? -- Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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THE PRIME DIRECTIVE Living a Missional Lifestyle

“Listen, oh Israel, the Lord, our God is the one and only Lord. and you must love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength. The second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12: 29–31 NLT “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5 NASB 1. Love God with all of our hearts. “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the whole earth to strengthen those whose heart is fully committed to him.“ 2 Chronicles 16:9 2. Love God with our whole soul. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Psalms 103:1 NASB1995 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”” John 4:24 3. Love God with all of our minds. Romans 12: 2 says, “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind then you will be able to test and approve what God‘s will is, his good pleasing and perfect will.” 4. Love God with all of our strength. “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” Romans 12:6-8 The Second Commandment In Mark 12:31, Jesus states to, “Love our neighbor as ourselves.” Play video here, please: https://youtu.be/ZDOwQULyp9k?feature=shared “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”” Galatians 5:14 NIV “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 NIV 1. Can we recommit ourselves first and foremost, to loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength? 2. Can we commit ourselves to loving each other as we love ourselves? 3. Can we commit ourselves as we follow this commandment from Jesus, to sharing this wonderful love that we have been blessed with our world?

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Be Fruitful and Multiply - The Call to Disciple Others

Introduction:

In Genesis 1:28, God commands Adam and Eve to "Be fruitful and multiply." This command is often associated with the physical act of bearing children, but it also carries a deeper spiritual meaning that can be applied to the calling of discipleship. As followers of Christ, we are called to make disciples, multiplying the faith in the lives of others. Just as a tree produces fruit that contains seeds to grow new trees, so should our lives bear fruit that plants seeds of faith in others. Scripture Foundation: * Genesis 1:28: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.'" * Matthew 28:19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

John 15:8: "By this, my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples."
The Call to Reproduce Spiritually

In the same way, God’s creation mandate called for the multiplication of people, Jesus' Great Commission calls for the multiplication of disciples. Our spiritual fruit—our character, faith, and love for God—must lead others to faith in Christ. Every believer is tasked with reproducing their spiritual life in others through discipleship.

Application: * Invest time in others—be intentional in forming relationships where spiritual growth can take place.

Look for opportunities to share your faith and invite others into a journey with Christ.
Discipleship as Cultivation

Discipleship, like cultivating a fruitful garden, requires nurturing, time, and attention. As a farmer who tends the soil, waters the seeds, and patiently waits for growth, we must commit to helping others grow in their walk with God. True discipleship is not just about conversions but about fostering spiritual maturity.

Application: * Mentor others by spending time with them in scripture, prayer, and life application.

Encourage those you disciple to remain rooted in Christ (John 15:5).
Multiplication Requires Sacrifice

Fruitfulness in discipleship often requires personal sacrifice. As Jesus modeled in His relationship with the twelve disciples, there is a need for selfless investment in others. This may mean giving up time, energy, and resources to walk alongside others as they grow in their faith.

Application: * Embrace a service mindset, knowing your sacrifice leads to eternal rewards.

Prioritize discipling relationships, understanding their long-term impact on the kingdom of God.
Empowering Others to Multiply

The ultimate goal of discipleship is to create disciples who will go on to disciple others. This is how spiritual multiplication happens. We are not only to make followers of Christ but also to equip them to lead others. The fruit of our discipleship is only complete once it reproduces itself in others.

Application: * Encourage those you disciple to disciple others.

Teach practical ways to share their faith and build up others in their spiritual journey.

Conclusion: "Be fruitful and multiply" is a charge to believers to participate in multiplying God’s kingdom through intentional discipleship. As we bear spiritual fruit, we plant seeds in others that, by God’s grace, will grow into new followers of Christ, who, in turn, will disciple others. This is how the gospel spreads, how faith communities are built, and how the world is transformed for God’s glory. --

Praise Tabernacle

Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor

2235 Ocean Heights

Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com

praisetabernacle.church

(609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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9-22 Vengeance, Strength, & Deliverance Judges 15 Minister David Roberts

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Caught in the Web: Lessons from Samson's Temptation Love Returned Series Judges 14 LOVING GOD WITH ALL OUR MINDS Temptation itself is not sin; it becomes sin when we act upon it. As a spider's web is designed to ensnare its prey, temptation catches us off guard and leads us into sin. We often don't see the web until it's too late—until we've already been caught. This is evident in the life of Samson, a man called by God to be a judge and deliverer of Israel but who was ensnared by his lust. Judges 14 shows that Samson had a weakness for women, particularly a young Philistine woman who "looked good to him." Instead of seeking God's guidance, he followed his desires, demanding that his parents arrange the marriage despite their pleas. This is a powerful reminder that when we allow our eyes and fleshly desires to lead us, we are not walking in the Spirit but in the flesh. The Consequences of Following the Flesh Samson’s story teaches us the danger of relying on our own strength and desires instead of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our natural inclination, as those born into sin, is to be led by the spirit of lust and self-indulgence. But when we are born again, we are called to be led by the Spirit of Love. This shift in guidance offers us security, knowing we are not navigating life alone but with the wisdom and strength of God. Samson’s misuse of his God-given authority highlights the perils of pride. He used his strength, a gift from God meant for deliverance, to satisfy his vendettas. This is a clear example of how unchecked gifts can lead to destruction. Like a wild stallion, our talents and abilities can run rampant if not surrendered to the Holy Spirit's control. God places authority in our lives to guide and protect us, but when we reject that authority, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the enemy's traps. Wisdom Over Impulse If we base our decisions on what feels or looks good at the moment, we will fall into Satan's deceptions repeatedly. True wisdom discerns beyond the surface and listens to the voice of the Spirit. Judges 14:4-5 reveal that God was still at work despite Samson’s rebellion. This shows us that God's sovereignty can work through even our mistakes, though it doesn't excuse our sins. It’s a reminder that God's ways are higher than ours, and sometimes, we must trust in His plan, even when it doesn’t make sense to us. Samson’s parents may have feared that their son had strayed too far, and in many ways, he had. Yet God still had a plan to use Samson, though it came with devastating consequences. This teaches us that while God's will cannot be thwarted, our disobedience can bring about unnecessary suffering. Samson's story is a stark reminder that we can either align ourselves with God's will and experience His blessings, or we can rebel and suffer under the curse of our own choices. The Illusion of Power Samson's extraordinary strength was a gift from God, as demonstrated when he tore apart a lion with his bare hands (Judges 14:6). However, this display of power should have humbled him and drawn him closer to God, but it did not. Samson continued in his sinful ways, showing us that experiencing God's power is not the same as submitting to His Lordship. It's not enough to recognize God's power; we must yield to it and allow it to transform our lives, or we will bear the weight of our disobedience. As the chapter progresses, Samson becomes entangled in a web of problems from his association with the Philistine woman. The adage holds: "You cannot play with fire and not get burned." Despite his compromised position, the Spirit of the Lord still came upon Samson, enabling him to kill thirty men. This momentary empowerment should not distract us from the broader lesson: God's use of someone in a particular moment does not justify a lifestyle of sin. Consistency in walking with God is what truly matters. The world is full of people who may exhibit moments of godliness but lack a consistent walk with the Lord. The Bible is clear: we cannot serve God and the devil (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). To truly walk in God's strength and purpose, we must fully surrender to Him. There is no middle ground. Samson’s life is a warning of what happens when we live divided between our own desires and God’s will. -- Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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Sunday September 8th Where Does Your Strength Lie? Judges 13 Pastor Steve Rahter

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Loving God With All Our Strength Love Returned Series When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He highlighted the importance of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In the final part of the series, we will focus on what it means to love God with all our strength. This includes our physical actions, efforts, and the use of our resources in a way that honors and glorifies God. 1. Understanding 'Strength' in the Biblical Context In the Old Testament, the word translated as 'strength' comes from the Hebrew word 'meod,' which means 'muchness' or 'abundance.' This concept is echoed in the New Testament, where the Greek word for strength in Mark 12:30 is 'ischus,' which relates to physical power, might, and ability. This continuity implies giving God the best of everything we have—our physical energy, resources, and skills. In The New Testament, The Greek word for strength in Mark 12:30 is "ischus," which relates to physical power, might, and ability. It refers to the physical and practical aspect of loving God through our actions. Colossians 3:23 - “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” 2. Loving God with Physical Actions Work is Worship - Our daily tasks, whether at work, home, or in ministry, are not just chores but opportunities to express our love for God. We intensely worship God when we perform our duties diligently and excellently, recognizing that we are working for the Lord, not human masters. Work is Service - Loving God with our strength also involves serving others. Acts of kindness, charity, and service channel our physical energy toward fulfilling God's commands. 3. Loving God with Our Resources Proverbs 3:9 - “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.” Stewardship: Our finances, possessions, and time can be used to honor God. Loving Him with our strength means being wise stewards, using these resources to advance His kingdom and support others. Sacrificial Giving: Giving sacrificially is a powerful demonstration of loving God with our strength. It shows that we are willing to use what we have for His purposes, even when it costs us something. 4. Loving God in Perseverance Galatians 6:9 - “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Endurance in Faith: Loving God with all our strength also involves perseverance in our faith and commitment to His commands. This includes staying faithful in prayer, worship, and obedience, even when we face challenges and hardships. Spiritual Discipline: Regular prayer, fasting, and Bible study require effort and discipline. By dedicating our time and energy to spiritual growth, we can grow in the grace of perseverance. 5. Practical Applications Daily Surrender: Start each day by committing your strength to God. Pray for His guidance in using your physical and mental energy for His glory. Evaluate Priorities: Reflect on how you use your time, money, and talents. Are there areas where you can better align these with loving God? Serve Actively: Look for opportunities to serve in your community, church, or workplace. Consider how you can use the strength God has given you to help others. Conclusion: Loving God with all our strength means dedicating our physical energy, resources, and actions to His service. It is an active and intentional expression of our love for Him, seen in how we work, serve, give, and persevere in faith. As we grow in this aspect of love, we reflect God’s love more fully in our lives. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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8/25/24 Family Matters Proverbs Love Returned Series Minister David Roberts

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True Happiness Love Returned Series Loving God With All Our Minds Happiness is profoundly impacted by our relationships, especially within our families. Proverbs teaches us that a wise child brings immense joy to their parents, while a foolish child causes grief. This insight reminds us of our actions and character’s significant role in the happiness of those around us. Encouraging words and a cheerful demeanor can uplift those we love and improve their well-being. It’s a call to invest in positive, supportive interactions within our families, cultivating an environment of joy and mutual encouragement. Joy, Gladness, and Health Proverbs highlights that wisdom guides us towards a fulfilling life and affects our health. A cheerful heart, described as “good medicine,” can improve physical and emotional well-being. Worry and a broken spirit, on the other hand, can sap our strength. This reminds us of the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and nurturing our mental and physical health through wisdom and encouragement. Pursuing Wisdom and Obedience Proverbs presents wisdom as more valuable than material wealth. It enriches our lives without bringing sorrow, and the hopes of the godly lead to happiness. By prioritizing wisdom and aligning our lives with God’s principles, we set ourselves on a path to true and lasting joy. The blessings from the Lord gained through knowledge and obedience bring fulfillment and contentment beyond what earthly riches can offer. Happiness and the Well-being of Others Our pursuit of happiness should never come at the expense of others. Proverbs warns against rejoicing in the misfortune of others and highlights the consequences of injustice. True happiness involves empathy and kindness, ensuring our joy does not stem from the downfall of others but from our alignment with God’s justice and love. Closing Reflection True happiness, as outlined in Proverbs, is deeply intertwined with wisdom, obedience to God, and righteous living. It’s found in nurturing loving family relationships, maintaining mental and physical well-being, and ensuring our happiness does not come at the expense of others. We embrace a fulfilling and everlasting joy by aligning our lives with these principles. Prayer Heavenly Father, I thank You for the wisdom found in Your Word. Help me to seek Your guidance in all aspects of my life and to cultivate joy through my relationships and actions. Grant me a cheerful heart and a positive outlook, and may my happiness never come at the expense of others. Align my hopes and desires with Your will, and let Your blessings fill my life with true and lasting joy. In Jesus' name, Amen. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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Embracing Correction - Loving God With All Our Minds Introduction: Today, we delve into a crucial aspect of our spiritual journey - embracing correction and rebuke. This message is part of our "Love Returned Series," where we explore how to love God with all our minds. Let's open our hearts and minds to the wisdom of Proverbs as we learn the importance of correction and how it shapes our lives. I. Understanding Correction and Rebuke Scripture: Proverbs 1:22-27, 6:23, 15:33 In Proverbs 1:22-27, we find a stern warning against rejecting wisdom and correction. It says, "How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?" The passage goes on to describe the consequences of ignoring wisdom – calamity, distress, and disaster. Correction, then, is God's way of steering us away from these pitfalls. Proverbs 6:23 further illuminates this by saying, "For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life." Correction lights our path, helping us to avoid mistakes and learn the way of life. Proverbs 15:33 reminds us that "Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor." Accepting correction requires humility, which in turn brings honor. II. The Benefits of Rebuke and Correction Scripture: Proverbs 9:9, 10:17, 15:5, 15:31, 17:10, 19:25, 25:12, 27:5 Embracing correction brings numerous benefits. Proverbs 9:9 says, "Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning." Correction is a lamp that leads to life (Proverbs 6:23), a path to wisdom (Proverbs 15:5), and a way to grow in understanding and righteousness. When we listen to constructive criticism, we dwell among the wise (Proverbs 15:31). A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes for a fool (Proverbs 17:10). Embracing correction refines us, making us like gold (Proverbs 25:12), and is better than hidden love (Proverbs 27:5). III. Consequences of Despising Rebuke and Correction Scripture: Proverbs 1:22, 11:14, 13:1, 13:18, 15:10, 15:12, 15:32, 19:29, 22:15, 26:3, 29:1 On the flip side, despising correction has dire consequences. Proverbs 1:22 tells us that those who hate knowledge are simpleminded. Rejecting correction leads to poverty and disgrace (Proverbs 13:18), and ultimately, death (Proverbs 15:10). A mocker refuses to listen to correction (Proverbs 13:1), causing them to go astray and harm themselves (Proverbs 15:32). Ignoring correction results in punishment (Proverbs 19:29) and leads to foolishness (Proverbs 22:15). Proverbs 29:1 warns, "Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy." IV. The Fool vs. The Wise Scripture: Proverbs 1:22, 1:24, 9:7, 9:8, 10:17, 12:1, 15:10, 28:23 Proverbs draws a sharp contrast between the fool and the wise. The fool hates knowledge (Proverbs 1:22), mocks correction (Proverbs 9:7), and looks to harm those who correct them (Proverbs 9:8). They don’t listen and go astray (Proverbs 10:17), and it's considered stupid to hate correction (Proverbs 12:1). In contrast, the wise pay attention to counsel and are on the path of life (Proverbs 10:17). They appreciate good advice (Proverbs 20:5) and value criticism over flattery (Proverbs 28:23). V. Correcting Children Scripture: Proverbs 1:23, 1:27, 5:1-2, 13:1, 15:5, 19:18, 23:13-14 God’s wisdom also extends to parenting. Proverbs 1:23 encourages us to instruct our children to help them be wise and avoid calamity. A wise child accepts their parent's discipline (Proverbs 13:1), while a fool despises it (Proverbs 15:5). Discipline is necessary to save our children's lives (Proverbs 19:18, 23:13-14). VI. Administering and Receiving Correction Scripture: Proverbs 3:11-12, 9:10, 16:22, 24:23 As followers of Christ, we must administer correction with love and humility. Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us not to despise the Lord's discipline, for it comes from His love for us. We should correct with wisdom and not waste it on those who scorn it (Proverbs 9:10, 16:22). Avoid favoritism in correction (Proverbs 24:23). Receiving correction should be done with an open heart, recognizing it as coming from the Lord (Proverbs 3:12). We should not reject it, for doing so leads to straying from the right path (Proverbs 10:17). Conclusion: Let us embrace correction and rebuke with humility and love, recognizing it as God's way of guiding us towards wisdom and life. As we grow in understanding, let us remember that true love for God involves loving Him with all our minds, including accepting His correction. May we be like the wise, always eager to learn and grow, and may our lives reflect the light of God's wisdom. Amen. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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A Biblical Mindset on Money: Insights from Proverbs LOVE RETURNED SERIES Introduction: We will delve into the book of Proverbs to understand how we can develop a biblical mindset regarding money. Money is a significant part of our lives, and God's Word offers profound wisdom on handling it rightly. Let's explore the challenges and benefits of Wealth, the dangers of debt and Greed, and the importance of valuing spiritual richness over material Wealth. 1. Challenges of the Rich The rich face many challenges. They are often threatened (13:8) and burdened by superficial friendships (14:20, 19:4). Wealth can bring inner turmoil (15:16) and lead to oppression and bribery, ultimately resulting in Poverty (22:16). Riches can quickly disappear (23:5), leading to stinginess (23:6), dishonesty (28:6), and spiritual danger (30:9). While Wealth can provide comfort, it often brings its own set of problems. Proper security and peace are found not in riches but in a right relationship with God. 2. Plights of the Poor People with low incomes face significant hardships. Laziness and ignoring discipline lead to Poverty (6:10-11, 13:18). They may pretend to be rich (13:7) and be despised by neighbors (14:20). Poverty drives them to desperate measures (18:23) and often leaves them ruled by the rich (22:7). They may pursue unrealistic fantasies (28:19) and make poor financial decisions (21:20, 28:22). Poverty is often tied to actions and attitudes. While external circumstances affect it, diligence, wisdom, and seeking God's provision play crucial roles in overcoming it. 3. Wisdom on Debt and Lending Debt is a trap. It is wise to avoid putting up security for another's debt (6:1-5, 11:15, 17:18) because the borrower becomes a servant to the lender (22:7). Failure to repay can lead to severe consequences (22:26-27). Being in debt places one in a vulnerable position. Scripture encourages us to manage our finances wisely to avoid the pitfalls of debt. 4. Dangers of Greed Greed leads to loss of life (1:19), destruction (10:15), and spiritual ruin (11:4). It fosters ruthlessness (11:16), dishonesty (16:8), false security (18:11), and perpetual dissatisfaction (21:26). Greed disrupts one's entire family (15:27). Greed is a destructive force. Instead, we should cultivate contentment and generosity, trusting God to provide for our needs. 5. Things More Valuable Than Money Proverbs emphasize that wisdom, godliness, a good reputation, honesty, and discernment are far more valuable than riches. Even modest means, if gained righteously, are better than ill-gotten Wealth. True Wealth is found in character and wisdom. These qualities not only bring personal fulfillment but also honor God. 6. Righteous Ways to Gain Wealth God promises to bless those who honor Him with their Wealth (3:9-10). Hard work, generosity, good planning, and trust in the Lord are encouraged (10:4, 11:24, 21:5). Those who help the poor will be rewarded (19:17, 28:27). Wealth gained through righteous means brings true prosperity and blessings. It allows us to bless others, reflecting God's love and provision. Conclusion: Proverbs teaches that our approach to money should be marked by wisdom, generosity, and a focus on spiritual over material Wealth. By trusting in God's provision and following His principles, we can navigate the challenges of Wealth and Poverty, avoiding the snares of Greed and debt. Let us seek a biblical mindset on money, valuing what God values and stewarding His blessings faithfully. Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Please help us to develop a biblical mindset regarding money. Teach us to handle our finances with wisdom, to be generous, and to value spiritual riches over material Wealth. May our lives reflect Your love and provision. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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ANGER (Love Returned Series)

Loving God With All Of Our Minds

What is Anger?

Anger is a powerful emotion that can arise when we feel wronged, hurt, or threatened. In the Bible, it is depicted as a reaction that can lead to both righteous indignation and sinful behavior. The Book of Proverbs offers profound wisdom on understanding, handling, and overcoming anger.

What Actions Lead to Anger?

Proverbs identifies several actions and attitudes that can provoke anger:

Reckless Behavior: "A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless" (Proverbs 14:16). Acting without thought or caution can lead to situations that provoke anger.

Short Temper: "A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated" (Proverbs 14:17). Quick tempers often result in foolish actions that escalate conflicts.

What Actions Allay Anger?

Proverbs also provides practical advice on calming and preventing anger:

Stay Calm: "Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult" (Proverbs 12:16). Remaining calm and not reacting immediately to provocation helps to defuse anger.

Be Cautious and Avoid Danger: "The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure" (Proverbs 14:16). Wisdom and caution help avoid situations that could lead to anger.

Have Understanding: "Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly" (Proverbs 14:29). Patience and understanding are key to managing anger.

Use a Gentle Answer: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Gentle responses can de-escalate potentially volatile situations.

Be Sensible: "A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11). Sensibility and patience help in overlooking minor offenses.

What Are the Fruits of Anger?

The consequences of unchecked anger can be severe:

Foolish Behavior: "Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult" (Proverbs 12:16b).

Quick-Tempered: "Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly" (Proverbs 14:29).

Fighting: "A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel" (Proverbs 15:18).

Ruined Lives: "A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord" (Proverbs 19:3).

Punishment: "A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again" (Proverbs 19:19).

Quarrelsome and Complaining: "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife" (Proverbs 21:19).

Calamity: "Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken" (Proverbs 22:8).

Lack of Self-Control: "Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control" (Proverbs 25:28).

Cruelty and Jealousy: "Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?" (Proverbs 27:4).

Conflict and Strife: "An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins" (Proverbs 29:22).

Murderous Intent: "The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright" (Proverbs 29:10).

Handling Anger and Helping the Angry

Dealing with anger, both in ourselves and others, requires a combination of wisdom, patience, and practical strategies:

Gentle Answers: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Responding gently can prevent escalation.

Cool Temperament: "A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel" (Proverbs 15:18). Patience and a cool demeanor can stop conflicts before they start.

Overlook Wrongs: "A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11). Sometimes, ignoring minor offenses is the wisest course.

Limit Rescue Efforts: "A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again" (Proverbs 19:19). Constantly rescuing someone from the consequences of their anger doesn't help them learn or grow.

Give Gifts: "A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath" (Proverbs 21:14). Thoughtful gestures can help calm tensions.

Avoid Making Friends with the Angry: "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared" (Proverbs 22:24-25). Associating closely with angry individuals can lead to adopting their behavior.

Conclusion

The wisdom of Proverbs teaches us that while anger is a natural emotion, it must be managed with wisdom and patience. By staying calm, using gentle words, and understanding the roots and consequences of anger, we can navigate conflicts and help ourselves and others grow in godly character. Let us strive to apply these biblical principles, seeking peace and understanding in all our interactions.

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Sunday June 9th Pastor Steve Rahter Proverbs - Diligence

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Wisdom Love Returned Series LOVING GOD WILL ALL OF OUR MINDS The purpose of Wisdom? Wisdom, a beacon of light, empowers us to transform our lives into disciplined and successful ones. It guides us to discern what is right,, and fair, illuminating our path with divine clarity. (Proverbs 1:2-4) How do we gain Wisdom? 1. By the fear of the Lord—a reverent acknowledgment that we can do nothing good apart from Him. Therefore, we humbly seek His divine guidance in everything we say. (Proverbs 9:10) 2. We must listen to our parents and other people of authority that the Lord has placed around us. (Proverbs 1:8-9) 3. The Holy Spirit gives counsel to those who acknowledge God. (John 14:26-28) 4. Fools reject advice and correction, don’t wait on the Lord, and think they know it all and can handle life independently. (Proverbs 1:24-32; 13:18) 5. Wisdom must be sought out like hidden treasure. (Proverbs 2:1-4) 6. Planning. (Proverbs 6:6-10) 7. Think before you act, you are cautious and have discretion (Proverbs 13:16, 14:16, 16:22) 8. Walk with the wise. (Proverbs 13:20, 24:6) What does Wisdom Impart? 1. Those who listen to the Lord live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm. (Proverbs 1:33) 2. Knowledge, common sense, and right, just, and fair understanding. (Proverbs 2:6-9, 3:21) 3. Wisdom will save us from evil people and the snares of sin. (Proverbs 2:12 - 19) 4. Integrity and godliness (Proverbs 2:20-21) 5. Direction - (Proverbs 3:5-6, 17) 6. Healing - (Proverbs 3:7-8) 7. Provision & Prosperity - (Proverbs 3:9-10, 16, 16:20) 8. Correction - (Proverbs 3:11-12) 9. Creativity - (Proverbs 3:19-20) 10. Protection, Security - (Proverbs 3:23-26) 11. Long Life - (Proverbs 9:11-12, 15:24) 12. Friends - (Proverbs 11:30) 13. Good Advice, Persuasion, Wise Speech (Proverbs 15:7, 15:21, 16:23 14. Intelligence (Proverbs 18:15) 15. Might & Strength (Proverbs 24:5) --

Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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THE BATTLE OF THE SOUL

Psalm 13

Amid life’s trials and tribulations, it’s common to echo the words of the Psalmist, asking, “How long, O Lord?” In Psalm 13, we see a heartfelt cry of desperation and longing for God’s intervention. As we delve into this passage, let’s reflect on our moments of waiting and how we can find hope and faith in their midst.

The Cry of the Psalmist: The opening verses of Psalm 13 express the raw emotion of the Psalmist as they pour out their heart to God. They feel abandoned, forgotten, and overwhelmed by their circumstances.

Have you ever experienced similar feelings in your own life? Can you recall when you felt abandoned or forgotten by God, and how did you cope with it?

The Psalmist’s “How long?” cry echoes our impatience during waiting times. Whether we’re waiting for healing, restoration, or answers to prayers, the waiting can feel agonizingly long. However, it’s in these moments that our faith is tested and refined.

How do you typically respond to waiting? Do you trust in God’s timing or grow restless and anxious?

Despite the Psalmist’s despair, we see a glimmer of hope in verses 5-6. They trust God’s unfailing love and rejoice in His salvation. Even amid their trials, they praise God and cling to His promises. How can you cultivate a similar attitude of hope and trust in God during your seasons of waiting and difficulty? Remember, just as the Psalmist found hope, so can you.

Psalm 13 concludes with a resolution to trust in God’s steadfast love and to praise Him. This reminds us that we can trust God’s faithfulness and goodness even when we can’t see a way out of our circumstances.

Are there areas in your life where you need to surrender control and trust God more fully?

Psalm 35

In the spiritual journey, the notion that "the Battle is the Lord's" from (1 Samuel 17:47) is often cited as a beacon of faith amid trials. However, it's crucial to discern: Is every battle indeed the Lord's, or do some arise from our actions?

Indeed, not every battle is of divine origin. Some are self-inflicted consequences of straying from God's path, where His hand of discipline is felt instead of His backing. In Psalm 35, David fervently petitions God for victory against his adversaries, demonstrating the immense power of prayer amidst adversity. This powerful tool can turn the tide of any battle when wielded with faith. Yet, sometimes prayers do not seem answered, prompting the question: Why?

The crux lies in our obedience to God. When suffering aligns with our obedience, the battle becomes the Lord's. Conversely, disobedience opens the door for enemy assaults as God withdraws His protective shield. This reality underscores the nexus between obedience and spiritual warfare, emphasizing the repercussions of straying from God's ways.

However, this isn't a sentence of despair but a call to introspection and repentance. Before expecting divine intervention, we must scrutinize our actions.

Acknowledging our faults and realigning with God’s will isn’t a sign of weakness but a potent pathway to victory. Once reconciled with God, even in battles of our making, He steps in, leading us to triumph over adversaries. This is a beacon of hope, a reminder that no struggle is too great when we align with the divine.

In essence, while the Battle is indeed the Lord's in times of obedience, our journey involves acknowledging our faults, repenting, and realigning with His will, thus enabling His divine intervention and ushering us into victory. In the spiritual journey, the notion that "the Battle is the Lord's" from (1 Samuel 17:47) is often cited as a beacon of faith amid trials. However, it's crucial to discern: Is every battle indeed the Lord's, or do some arise from our actions?

Indeed, not every battle is of divine origin. Some are self-inflicted consequences of straying from God's path, where His hand of discipline is felt instead of His backing. In Psalm 35, David fervently petitions God for victory against his adversaries, demonstrating the immense power of prayer amidst adversity. When wielded with faith, this powerful tool can turn the tide of any battle. Yet, sometimes prayers must be answered, prompting the question: Why?

The crux lies in our obedience to God. When suffering aligns with our obedience, the battle becomes the Lord's. Conversely, disobedience opens the door for enemy assaults as God withdraws His protective shield. This reality underscores the nexus between obedience and spiritual warfare, emphasizing the repercussions of straying from God's ways.

However, this isn't a sentence of despair but a call to introspection and repentance. Before expecting divine intervention, we must scrutinize our actions. Acknowledging our faults and realigning with God's will isn't a sign of weakness but a pathway to victory. Once reconciled with God, even in battles of our making, He steps in, leading us to triumph over adversaries.

In essence, while the Battle is indeed the Lord's in times of obedience, our journey involves acknowledging our faults, repenting, and realigning with His will, thus enabling His divine intervention and ushering us into victory.

-- Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

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5-12 Anchored Psalms 6 Lorraine Kennedy

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Restore Us, O Lord

Love Returned Series

Lamentations 5

Often, it takes reaching the depths of exhaustion and despair before we muster the resolve to change. Once we've tasted the richness of God's grace and strayed from its embrace, the stark contrast of a life steeped in sin becomes painfully evident. We find ourselves akin to forsaken wanderers (verse 3), cast onto the unforgiving streets, vulnerable and pleading for redemption.

Deep within, we acknowledge that we ultimately bear responsibility for our circumstances. While we may inherit patterns of transgression from our ancestors (verse 7) and be swayed by external influences, the grace of God empowers us to resist and defy temptation. Shifting blame to our lineage does not extricate us from the snares they've left behind. We must confront our failings (verse 16) head-on to break free.

Our journey may be tumultuous, marked by peaks and valleys, yet the constancy of the Lord remains unwavering (verse 19). Though we may feel forsaken or overlooked in our anguish (verse 20), He patiently awaits our cry for restoration, ready to embrace us again (verse 21). His anger is fleeting, dissipating upon our repentance (verse 22), as our sins are cast into oblivion, and the jubilation of salvation is graciously bestowed upon us again.

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Praise Tabernacle Dr. Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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YET, STILL, I DARE TO HOPE

Love Returned Series

Lamentations 3

As we delve into Lamentations 3 and confront the harsh reality of our existence, we realize that despite being children of God and bearing the kingdom of heaven within us, we remain entrenched in a world marred by sin and suffering.

Our anguish may stem from our transgressions or the wrongdoing of others. Jeremiah, the prophet, bore witness to the suffering of his people, a consequence of their refusal to heed divine warnings. While he could have harbored resentment and turned away, Jeremiah's response mirrored the compassion of the Lord.

The Lord's correction, born out of love, seeks not rejection but restoration. Jeremiah, in solidarity with his people, endured the siege of Jerusalem, grappling with profound despair. He recognized that even amidst this tribulation, the Lord permitted their suffering.

In the depths of his desolation, Jeremiah's proclamation in verses 21-23 resonates: "Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."

Though despair threatened to consume him, Jeremiah clung to the Lord's covenant promises. Through trials, God's mercy prevailed, transforming adversity into a blessing for those who trust Him. Jeremiah admonishes himself to await salvation patiently, relinquishing complaint and embracing discipline. He urges submission, advocating for endurance in the face of adversity and forgiveness in response to injury.

"For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion. Because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow." (vs. 31-33)

Jeremiah implores us to refrain from bitterness, to accept divine correction with grace, and to become instruments of restoration. Our hearts should ache for those trapped in sin's grip, prompting us to extend mercy and guidance toward their redemption. Rather than harboring resentment, we trust in the Lord's justice, knowing He will repay wrongdoing.

In a world steeped in suffering and sin, may we echo Jeremiah's resolve to endure with hope, extend mercy, and embrace the call to restoration.

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4/14/24 It's Never Too Late! Pastor Steve Rahter Lamentations 2

Anger, Justice, Judgment, Mercy

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In the tumultuous voyage of life, we inevitably encounter storms that shake the very foundations of our being. Amidst the struggles, our souls are tested, and our faith is challenged. How do we maintain our love and devotion to the Lord in the throes of despair? The Book of Lamentations serves as a beacon of light in the darkness, offering profound insights into the human experience of suffering and the enduring power of faith.

As we journey through the verses of Lamentations 1, we are confronted with the raw agony of a city laid waste by affliction. Tears flow freely, and trusted companions turn into adversaries, echoing the profound sense of isolation and betrayal that often accompanies suffering. Through these lamentations, we confront the harsh reality of rejection, loneliness, and the devastating consequences of sin.

Yet, amidst the wreckage, there is a glimmer of hope—a recognition of wrongdoing and a plea for divine mercy. We find an opportunity for transformation and redemption in the depths of despair. We can begin the journey toward healing and renewal by embracing humility, seeking forgiveness, and trusting in divine providence.

The devastation described in Lamentations serves not only as a testament to human frailty but also as a poignant reminder of the enduring nature of faith. Even in the darkest of times, there is solace to be found in the unwavering love and compassion of the Divine. As we navigate the storms of life, may we draw strength from the timeless wisdom of Lamentations, steadfast in our belief that the promise of redemption emerges from desolation.

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NO GREATER LOVE pt. 2 (Resurrection Sunday)

The Resurrection - Triumph over Death

Continuing our exploration in "Love Returned," we turn our attention to the transformative power of Christ's resurrection, as echoed in John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Defying Death: In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we witness the ultimate triumph over death. Despite the darkness of the tomb, Jesus emerged victorious, breaking the chains of sin and death once and for all. His resurrection is a testament to the depth of his love and the power of his sacrifice.

Conquering Fear: The resurrection dispels fear and instills hope in the hearts of believers. Just as Jesus laid down his life for his friends, so does he assure us of new life in him. Through his resurrection, we find courage, strength, and the promise of eternal life.

A New Beginning: The resurrection marks the beginning of a new era characterized by redemption, grace, and restoration. In Christ, we are offered the opportunity for spiritual rebirth and transformation. His resurrection power enables us to live lives of purpose and significance, free from the bondage of sin and death.

Commission to Spread Good News: As recipients of Christ's sacrificial love, we are called to share the Good News of the resurrection with the world. Just as Jesus laid down his life for his friends, so too are we called to lay down our lives for others, sharing Christ's love with all we encounter. Our lives are a testament to the reality of Christ's victory over death, and our words and actions serve as a beacon of hope to those who are lost and searching.

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, may we be reminded of the incomparable love that led him to lay down his life for us. May we live our lives in light of this incredible truth, knowing that there is truly no greater love in Christ.

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3/24/24 Youth Sunday

Love and the Heart Loving God & Others

1 John 4 & 5

Minister Joel Eugene

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LOVING OTHERS

LOVE RETURNED SERIES

1 Peter 4, 1 John 3

Loving God inherently involves loving others. It's not enough to claim devotion to God while harboring hatred for our fellow humans. As 1 John 4:20 asserts, if we fail to love those we can see, how can we claim to love God, whom we cannot see?

1 Peter 4 offers guidance for navigating adversity, with verse 8 as a poignant reminder:

"Above all, maintain fervent love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins."

This fervent love requires deep compassion, even towards those who may mistreat us. While it's effortless to love those who treat us kindly, true love is demonstrated in our ability to extend it to those who do not reciprocate.

Understanding that "love covers a multitude of sins" doesn't mean overlooking wrongdoing, but rather, it signifies love's capacity to forgive and persevere despite flaws. Through Christ, we find the strength to forgive and continue loving unconditionally while safeguarding ourselves from harm.

John's insight in 1 John 3 delves deeper into the transformative power of divine love:

"Those born of God do not habitually engage in sin, for God's nature abides in them; they cannot continue in sin because they are born of God. Thus, we discern the children of God from the children of the devil: those who practice righteousness and extend love to others belong to God."

The love of God empowers us to resist the allure of sin and exemplify righteousness. Our love for others becomes the litmus test of our allegiance to God as we move from harboring hate or ill intentions towards others to selflessly sacrificing for their well-being—the ultimate demonstration of God’s love.

In a world rife with discord and adversity, we are called to embody the transformative power of love. We stand charged to love fervently, not just those who reciprocate, but especially those who may oppose or mistreat us. Let our love be a shield covering many sins, forgiving even when difficult, and persevering through trials.

Our actions must echo the truth of our faith: to love is to abide in God, to reject hate, and to extend compassion without bounds. As we navigate life's challenges, let us be known not by our words alone but by our unwavering commitment to love.

Thus, the Holy Spirit gives us this charge: let love be our guiding light, our strength in adversity, and our testimony to the transformative grace of God. For in love, we find our most authentic expression of humanity, and in love, we reflect the very image of our Creator."

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Hometown Memories Rahter Song of Solomon 8:5-14

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"Embraced by Love:

Insights from Song of Solomon 7-8:4.”

Solomon's profound love for his bride illustrates God's love for us. Just as Solomon cherishes every aspect of his beloved, God delights in every detail of our being. His love is not based on our performance or achievements but flows freely, embracing us.

Even when we struggle with self-doubt or insecurity, God's love remains constant and unwavering. It's a love that surpasses understanding, reaching into the depths of our souls and lifting us up with its boundless grace.

Like Solomon's complete acceptance of his bride, flaws, and all, God embraces us with a love that knows no bounds. He sees past our shortcomings and imperfections, seeing instead the beauty and potential within us.

Understanding the depth of God's love can be a humbling yet liberating experience. Instead of dwelling on our flaws or comparing ourselves to others, we are called to embrace who we are, knowing that we are deeply loved by the Creator of the universe.

When we surrender our fears and insecurities to God, we open ourselves to His transformative power. His love can heal our wounds, mend our brokenness, and empower us to live fully as the individuals He created us to be.

So, instead of being consumed by self-criticism or negativity, let us choose gratitude and thanksgiving, knowing that we are loved beyond measure. As we trust in God's plan for our lives, we can rest assured that He continually works for our good, shaping us into vessels of His unfailing love and grace.

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Echoes of Love Rekindles the Heart Song of Solomon 6 Dave Roberts

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The Garden of Love

Song of Solomon 5

Verse: Song of Solomon 5:1 (NIV) "I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk."

In the sacred garden of our hearts, God desires to dwell. Just as the Lover in Song of Solomon joyfully enters the garden of his beloved, God longs to enter the garden of our hearts. What does it mean for our hearts to be His garden?

Cultivating the Soil of Surrender: To be God's garden is to surrender the soil of our hearts to Him. Just as a gardener tends to the earth, we must allow God to cultivate our hearts with the richness of His Word and the water of His Spirit. Surrendering means letting go of the weeds of doubt, fear, and self-reliance, allowing His love to take root deeply within us.
Blooming in Love and Obedience: A garden blooms with an array of vibrant flowers, each unique and beautiful. Similarly, our hearts, when surrendered to God, blossom in love and obedience. Loving God with all our heart means obeying His commands, aligning our will with His, and allowing the fragrance of His love to emanate from our lives.
Nourished by His Presence: In the garden of our hearts, God desires to feast with us. As we spend time in His presence, partaking in the richness of His Word and the sweetness of communion with Him, our souls are nourished. It is in the quiet moments of prayer and reflection that the garden of our hearts becomes a place of intimacy with our Heavenly Lover.
Guarding Against Intruders: A well-tended garden requires protection from intruders who seek to harm its beauty. In the same way, we must guard our hearts against the influences that threaten to choke out the love of God. Guard against bitterness, unforgiveness, and worldly distractions, ensuring that the garden of your heart remains a sacred space for God's dwelling.

As we reflect on Song of Solomon 5, let us invite God into the garden of our hearts. Let us surrender, bloom in love and obedience, be nourished by His presence, and guard against anything that hinders our intimate relationship with Him. May our hearts be a fragrant offering, a beautiful garden where the love of God thrives abundantly.

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Pastor Steve and Laurie Rahter

Song of Solomon 4

"A Blessed Example"

Themes - Devotion, faithfulness, encouragement, example

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2/4/24 The Divine Game of Seek: Navigating Seasons of Withdrawal and Renewed Devotion Joshua Kennedy Song of Solomon 3:1-11

In the intricate dance of divine devotion, our connection with the Lord mirrors the essence of a profound game – a celestial hide-and-go-seek. In the sacred echoes of Song of Solomon 3:1-11, we discover seasons when the Almighty purposefully withdraws, not to abandon us but to kindle within us a fervent pursuit.

As a father revels in the joy of his children seeking him in a game of hide and go seek, so does the Creator delight in our relentless pursuit. The Lord does not conceal Himself where He cannot be found; instead, He hides where we ardently seek and can discover Him. It is a divine invitation to engage intimately, a deliberate act to stir our hearts to seek Him with passion and persistence.

Much like the pain of separation experienced when distanced from loved ones, the Lord's withdrawal serves a purpose. It is a poignant reminder of our constant need for Him. Just as a returning father embraces his family with overwhelming joy, the reunion with our heavenly Father is filled with boundless love and affection. Though challenging, these periods of divine concealment cultivate a profound appreciation for the subtle nuances of His presence in our lives – the fragrance of His grace and expressions of His love.

In these moments of perceived distance, we are summoned to draw nearer to the divine, recognizing our role as the crown of the Lord, designed to reflect His glory. It is a challenging yet necessary journey, compelling us to respond with unwavering surrender in all seasons of life, uttering sincerely, "Lord, Have Your Way!" Through the game of hide and go seek, we learn to discern His presence and witness His works with heightened awareness, forging a more profound connection that transcends the fleeting nature of earthly trials.

Praise Tabernacle 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. EHT, NJ 08234 (609) 402-8869

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1/28/24 Dear Solomon Song of Solomon 2:8-17 Pastor Steve Rahter

Key topics - Longing, Intimacy, Obstacles

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Do you recall the exhilaration of falling headlong into the enchanting embrace of love, that sacred moment when intimacy became an indelible part of your story?

"Awakened Love," as depicted in the Song of Solomon, transcends the ordinary, revealing a divine tapestry woven with threads of passion and spiritual connection. These verses explore the profound parallels between human love and the intimate relationship the Lord desires with His beloved, the church.

Verse 1:15: “How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves.”

Doves, ancient symbols of lovemaking, signify a profound bond found in the gaze shared during intimacy. In the same way, the Lord yearns for us to perceive His gaze upon us, acknowledging our beauty and the depth of His love.

Verses 1:16-17: “How handsome you are, my beloved, And so delightful! Indeed, our bed is luxuriant! The beams of our house are cedars, Our rafters, junipers.”

In this exchange, Solomon and the Shulamite woman mirror the reciprocal nature of love. It is a dance, a symphony of words and affections. Similarly, our adoration towards the Lord, expressed through praise and worship, creates an intimate space where we encounter His manifest presence.

Verses 2:1-2 “I am the rose of Sharon, The lily of the valleys.” “Like a lily among the thorns, So is my darling among the young women.”

The bride and groom’s dialogue continues, emphasizing the uniqueness of their relationship. Similarly, our connection with the Lord is exclusive, marked by the divine nature He bestows upon us. We are the apple tree in a barren forest, producing fruit through His love.

Verses 2:3-6 “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the young men.” ... “His left hand is under my head, And his right-hand embraces me.”

As the couple exchanges words of admiration, we recognize our exceptional status among God's creation. His love sustains us, refreshing us like raisin cakes and apples. His love produces the fruit of His divine nature within us.

Verse 2:7: “Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, That you will not disturb or awaken my love Until she pleases.

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1/14/23 A Model of Love Pastor Steve & Laurie Rahter Song of Solomon 1:1-14 Love Returned Series Song of Solomon 1:1-14Song of Solomon 1:1-14Song of Solomon 1:1-14

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1/7/23 Love Returned Pastor Joshua Kennedy and Deone Braithwaite

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From Glory to Glory 12/31/23 Joel Eugine 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18

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THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT BE STRONG SERIES

Ephesians 6:17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

I am a big football fan. My favorite teams have a strong defense, yet if their offense is not good, they usually do not win. If the offense is poor, the team will spend most of the game on defense, and eventually, the defense will wear out, and the opponent will score. In football, the helmet is the most essential part of the uniform, protecting the head. The sport is controversial because of the number of people having concussions, and so new helmets have been designed for better protection.

As Christians, our helmet is salvation; our opponent will attack us with lies, but because we are saved, we are protected through our faith in Jesus Christ. We once had no helmet, so the enemy would get in our heads, and we could do nothing about it. In Christ, we have authority over the enemy. He is a defeated foe, so we don’t have to listen when he tries to get in our heads. The Bible says we can cast down imaginations (2 Cor. 10:5), we can resist the enemy by submitting to God, and he will flee from us (James 4:7). To submit to God means to stand on the Truth of His Word against the darts of lies he has thrown at us. It is not just our helmet on our heads to protect us from harm; we have a sword to drive the enemy back and put him in his place. We have already won; the game is over; the devil should not even be on the field. Our battle is not to win or lose but to enforce our victory in Christ.

Even though we have much more defensive gear than offensive weapons, all we need is the Sword, for the enemy cannot stand against Truth. The enemy works through people, but as we learned in Ephesians 6:12, we don’t fight flesh with flesh, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Truth, when spoken goes into the heart of man as seen in Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

The key to staying strong in the Spirit is praying in the Spirit, as verse 18 says on every occasion. We are not just praying for ourselves but, as the rest of the verse says, for all believers everywhere. Speaking in tongues is a heavenly language; it is praying the perfect will of God. This gift has been given to us to remain strong in the Lord. We can become quickly weary (Isaiah 40:31) and want to give up; tongues keep us built up, and the gift empowers us for effective ministry. Only through the Holy Spirit can God touch people, so we must be continuously filled with the Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues to be agents of God on earth.

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Embracing the Shield of Faith: Triumph over Every Fiery Attack of the Evil One

Eph. 6:16 Minister David Roberts

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Sunday December 10th Guard Your Heart Ephesians 6:14 Pastor Steve Rahter Key words: Truth, Righteousness, Armor

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Dave Roberts Date: November 26, 2023 Standing in the full armor Eph 6:13

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Walking in the Shoes of Peace BE STRONG Series Ephesians 6:15 Ephesians 6:15 (NLT): For shoes, put on the peace from the Good News to be fully prepared. In a world searching for peace, where nations yearn for safety and families ache for security, the call to put on the shoes of peace echoes through the ages. The current landscape, marred by conflicts in places like Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine, unveils the stark reality that many innocent lives are disrupted, homes are shattered, and the fabric of peace is torn asunder. It prompts us to reflect on the fragility of the tranquility we often take for granted. Yet, in Ecclesiastes' timeless wisdom, the Scriptures remind us that there will be times of war and peace. The peace mentioned here is not the absence of conflict on a geopolitical scale; instead, it is the profound and unwavering peace that stems from the Good News of Jesus Christ. It encompasses the forgiveness of sins, the promise of eternal life, the divine nature we are clothed in, and the continuous experience of God's favor and grace. It is a peace that transcends circumstances and is accessible to believers at all times and places. To put on this peace is knowing the Good News intimately and standing firm in its promises, even when the world may suggest otherwise. Philippians 4:6-9 provides a roadmap for embracing this transformative peace: Philippians 4:6-9 (NLT): 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, correct, pure, lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice everything you learned and received from me—everything you heard and saw me doing. Then, the God of peace will be with you. In these verses, we find the practical steps to envelop ourselves in the peace that surpasses understanding. By replacing worry with prayer, expressing gratitude, and fixing our thoughts on the virtues that align with God's nature, we are not merely spectators to peace but active participants in its embodiment. In standing in the principles of the Good News, we truly put on the shoes of peace, ensuring that we are prepared for life's challenges and bearers of the peace that emanates from the Gospel of Christ. -- Praise Tabernacle Joshua Kennedy, Pastor 2235 Ocean Heights Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234 pastorjosh@praisetabernacle.com praisetabernacle.church (609) 927-4560(w), (609) 402-8869(c)

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ARE YOU BEATING THE AIR? Be Strong Series Ephesians 6:12 Do you ever feel you are battling problems beyond what is visible? Well, according to Ephesians 6:12, you are! Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Our natural response to opposition is to see our enemies as physical people that we visibly see. Born-again believers are awakened to the spiritual, invisible world, so we see resistance differently from those spiritually blind. If someone started ”Beating the Air” fighting invisible beings, they would be considered mentally ill. 1 Cor. 9:26 Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly or fight like a boxer beating the air. So, what is spiritual warfare? 2 Cor. 2:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, We learn here that our battle, more than anything, is with the mind over thoughts. It is a fight between Truth and lies. Only the Lord can change man’s heart; through prayer, new thoughts can be formed in people’s minds. The weapons God has given us are not guns or missiles but Words of Truth, the sword of the Spirit. Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: It shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. In every battle, we need a Word from God, a strategy from heaven; once received and spoken out, the Lord’s army, His angelic host, goes forth to accomplish it. The victory may be delayed, and in this period, our faith is not to waver but to continue to persist in prayer, standing on the Truth, until the battle is won. Our Spirit-directed prayers cannot be defeated; they are bullets that will hit the target and go into people’s minds and change their hearts. We must stop fighting like the world, becoming easily insulted, and taking people’s words and actions so personally. But instead, take the higher ground and be people of prayer who know how to fight effectively.

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Pastor Steve

Date: Sunday, November 12th

Speaker: Pastor Steve Rahter

Sermon Title: Battle-Tested Armor

Scripture: Ephesians 6:11

Key topics: Temptation, Spiritual Armor, Satan

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STRONG & MIGHTY Ephesians 6:10 Be Strong Series Ephesians 6:10 “final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” The word of prophetic direction the Lord gave me for Praise in 2023 was “Be Strong.” We have gone through some very trying times, yet as it says in James 1:2-4 we can “count it all joy for it has produced endurance, which leads to perfection.” The more endurance one has, the stronger they are. The Lord desires His children to stand strong in the face of adversity and to continue to advance His Kingdom forward. Ephesians 6:10-18 are the verses that bring forth the meaning of “Be Strong” in the Lord. This strength is not physical; it doesn’t come from self-effort. This is a supernatural spiritual strength by being clothed in Christ with spiritual armor. Endurance, from a world’s terminology, means what one can handle. From spiritual terminology, endurance is the grace to remain strong in Christ no matter what. We can only be strong in the Lord if we first must humble ourselves and acknowledge that we are weak apart from Him. 2 Cor. 12:9-11 “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. We must go to God to receive His strength. Psalm 16:11 says, “In the presence of the Lord is the fullness of joy, and Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” We receive this strength by trusting in the Lord. Isaiah 40:31: “But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” To be strong in the Lord is for the individual; the mighty power is what He does through us for others. Isaiah 11:2: “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” The Seven Fold Spirit includes might. The Spirit of Might manifests the Holy Spirit revealed when God wants to show Himself strength. He always wants to do this during the establishment of an ordained work so it will be apparent that He is its source and sustainer. We welcome Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Might when we need to see perpetual progress and ongoing victories. Creating and establishing something new always takes courage, and the Spirit of Might is in our lives to help us be brave. Ephesians 6:10-18 is the end of the letter, the final charge Paul is giving the church. We are at the end of 2023, and the Lord’s command is to BE STRONG IN HIM AND THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT, for Daniel 11:32, says, "But those who know their God will be strong and do great exploits." 2024 is a year for more incredible exploits.

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Fix your eyes on Jesus

Youth Sunday, October 29th

Joel Eugene

Hebrews 12

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GOD MAKES YOU STRONG Romans 16 Gone Fishing Series Fishing isn’t an easy profession. There are no set workdays; the hours are endless, with often little results. The weather can often be a problem; you must wait for days and weeks for the conditions to change. Likewise, fishing for souls is not for the faint at heart. We must be on the job 24/7; there is no break from being a living witness. Some missionaries like Hudson Taylor didn’t see any conversions for years. We might think we have caught a fish, and just as they are about to be pulled into the boat, we lose them. Yet, we cannot change professions; if we are going to keep following Jesus, it means fishing for souls. When a fisherman finally gets a big one, they are so thrilled that they forget all the difficulty leading up to it. There is no more incredible feeling than leading someone into eternal life, seeing their chains come off, and being transformed before our eyes. Here, in the final part of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he gives greetings to all his friends as the custom of the time. Interestingly, considering some denominations’ beliefs regarding women, 40% of those he mentioned were women who, for the most part, were ministry leaders. We can only go as far as our team; Paul had such incredible reach because of the vast team that he established on his mission trips. A team is only as strong as they are connected. Paul communicated through these letters to keep his team strong and His reach far. Paul’s final instruction to the church in Rome is to watch out for people who cause division by teaching contrary to what Paul had taught them. He encourages them that the God of peace will crush Satan's attempts to hinder the work. We live in a culture where issues are neglected because of the fear of confrontation; we don’t want to offend. We are not of this world; we serve the King In His Kingdom and are, therefore, to do things His way. As Spiritual Leaders, we are to guard the sheep and be willing to do whatever is necessary to maintain the unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3). Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good for in the right time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” This is written because it is easy to become weary, to want to give up. We have to keep our eye on the promise of the harvest. The key, as it says in Romans 16:25, “Now all Glory to God, who can make you strong.....” Isaiah 41:10 says to wait on the Lord, and He will renew our strength. Ephesians 6:10-12 says to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might, to put on the whole armor of God….. We learn here that the key to being good fishermen is strength. God makes us strong, but we must wait on Him and let Him clothe us in his strength. This is a good end to the Gone Fishing series and a good introduction to our next series, which will be “BE STRONG.”

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Sunday, October 15, 2023 Selfless Servants Romans 15 Minister David Roberts Gone Fishing Series

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There are no two humans alike; even twins have different personalities. Each person has been given a level of faith. Our faith comes from God! Who are we to try to make people fit into any religious box? Jesus has set us free, so we should be enjoying our freedom. Yet, as we learn in Romans 14, our freedom should not be at the cost of someone else stumbling. What we believe as our freedom might disagree with someone else’s freedom, and we are not to superimpose ourselves on them.

Some Believers tend to be more legalistic, such as with what they eat and when they gather to worship. For others, they don’t make what they eat a big deal or what day they worship; they ask God to bless all food and are willing to worship the Lord together on any day. Romans 14:3-4 says to not look down on each other or condemn. We are to honor each other’s beliefs in these minor issues. The Lord will judge and approve what is acceptable. If someone is doing something to honor the Lord, who are we to question it?

The Lord commands us to live in a way that does not cause others to stumble. Our freedom can only go as far as whether it respects those around us. Believers can be divided by pity issues, just like a dysfunctional family. We don’t want to lead people out of sin and into church dysfunction. We want new believers to join a family full of people who love Jesus and each other unconditionally. Each person must follow their conviction and yet consider other people’s convictions. If another believer is distressed by what we eat, we have caused them to stumble and will be judged by God.

The kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink but a life of goodness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (vs. 17). Let us evolve to the higher life where we don’t get so easily tripped by one another’s opinions and preferences. Let’s have an eternal focus, our minds set on the King and His kingdom.

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Sunday, October 1st, 2023

Pay What You Owe!

Pastor Steve Rahter

Romans 13

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September 17th, 2023 The Depth of His Riches Romans 11 Minister Dave Roberts

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Living Sacrifices Gone Fishing Series Romans 12

Soldiers, firemen, Police Officers, Parents, and anyone who sacrifices themselves for others are highly admired. The call to Christians goes beyond offering ourselves when the need arises to become living sacrifices. The Levitical system in the Old Testament was a temporary way for the people of Israel to be made right with God. Sacrificing animals was only a shadow, a foretaste to lead to the ultimate sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, where our sins are forgiven, and our hearts are changed through the work of the Holy Spirit. When the sacrifices were presented correctly, God responded by sending fire to consume them. Considering all Jesus has done for us, we present ourselves to Him as living sacrifices (12:1), and He responds by baptizing us with Fire. As we present ourselves to God daily, we are transformed, and worldly behaviors and customs are removed and replaced with the knowledge of His good, pleasing, and perfect will (12:2). Those privileged in the world are full of pride and use their authority to take advantage of others. God’s children humbly acknowledge that their power is not of themselves or for themselves (12:3). We have gifts from the Holy Spirit as different members of the body of Christ to serve each other well (12:4-5). These motivational gifts include the ability to prophesy, serve, teach, encourage, give, lead, and be kind (12:6-8). All believers are to walk in these attributes, but some have a special grace with a particular gift that comes with their specific assignment to serve Christ’s body and witness to the world. The gifts will move us into ministry, but they won’t be fully received if we don’t have character. People will know if we are pretending and not genuine with love in our acts of service (12:9-10). It is possible to be gifted without character, for God’s “gifts and calling are without repentance (Romans 11:29).” Yet i t is the fruit of the Spirit that draws people to the person of God, where they can be transformed. People may get healed and delivered through our gifts, but they only change if they are drawn into a relationship with the Lord. The character of God is seen in our lifestyle of doing good, loving and honoring others, working hard, serving enthusiastically, rejoicing with hope, being patient during trouble, helping those in need, practicing hospitality, blessing those that persecute, being happy with those that are happy, weeping with those that week, living in harmony with others, not looking down on others, never paying back evil, doing all possible to live in peace with everyone, never taking revenge, helping our enemies, and conquering evil with good (12:11-21).

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God's Kindness Gone Fishing Series Romans 11:1-24 The average person does not come to the Lord through us preaching hellfire and brimstone; they come through acts of kindness. We live in a mean and cruel world. When we consistently show people kindness, we gain their hearts, and they become open to our message. Family members often become very resistant, where we can't convince them with words, but if we can maintain our changed attitude and approach in life, it will eventually be hard for them to deny. It seemed that God had rejected the Israelites for rejecting His Son. The church's history shows many believers have been deceived to think so, but that is not the case, as presented in Romans 11. The Lord allowed judgment to fall on the children of Israel, where they were taken into captivity numerous times in the OT, but it was always for them to learn their lesson and eventually be restored. The Lord never changes, He loves the nation of Israel and always will, and it is promised that just as there was a remnant of prophets who did not bow down to Baal, there is and will be a remnant of Jewish people that put their faith in Jesus Christ. We may need to separate ourselves from those we love for a period because of their hostility towards us, but it is not that we have rejected them. We trust the Lord to continue drawing our entire households and friends to salvation. Paul focused his ministry on Gentiles but always tried to reach Jews first in every city he visited. People don't like feeling rejected, but as children of God, we are not to become bitter but rather to continue to show God's grace-His undeserved kindness. There is no greater power than love; it reaps coals on the heads of those who curse us, eventually causing them to open their hearts to God. They may remain asleep for an extended period as described in Romans 11:7-8; they may stumble and fall seemingly beyond recovery; it is the consequences of their disobedience. Yet, the blessings of God will make them jealous, and they will eventually humble themselves and accept the incredible mercy of God. We are beyond grateful to be grafted into the olive branch as children of Abraham, children of faith, but let us not be hostile towards those who have been cut off. God is both kind and severe. He judges and also shows mercy. Our job is to hate sin but love the sinner, to draw people back, not push them away. As it says in verse 24, just as God grafted us into his cultivated tree, he will graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. Let us never give up on our loved ones; we may have to keep our distance for a while, but never too far away where we cannot be reached when they change their heart and seek us out. Let us stand on the promises of salvation for both the nation of Israel and are lost Gentile family and friends.

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September, 3rd 2023

Beautiful Feet

Romas 10

Gone Fishing Series

Pastor Steve Rahter

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   Sunday, August 13th

Control

Gone Fishing Series

Romans 8:1-17

 Humankind has an innate desire to be in control. As children become adolescents, they long to be free of their parent's control. Students can't wait to graduate from school to be free of their teacher's control. Many employees would much rather work independently so they are not under their bosses' control. We see this longing in Janet Jackson's song "Control:"

 "When I was seventeen, I did what people told me

Did what my father said

And let my mother mold me

But that was a long ago

I'm in control, never gonna stop

Control, to get what I want

Control, I like to have a lot

Control, now I'm all grown up"

 Maybe we think we will be in control with enough money and power, but really, are we? All this fight for control is vanity, as we learn in Ecclesiastes. The problem with control is we cannot control sin. Romans 8 breaks down the problem with our sinful nature and leads us to the only way to experience freedom from it.

 Romans 8:1-2 says because we "belong to Christ Jesus, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of sin that leads to death." I cannot control my sinful nature without Holy Spirit. I have to let the Spirit control me and restrain sin. I must come to a place of surrendering my will, my control, to the Lord.

 No matter how much I know right from wrong, I cannot do right within my power. The law cannot help me; it can only lead me to the One who can.

 Just because I have the Holy Spirit doesn't mean I am instantly changed. I must choose daily in each circumstance to be led by Holy Spirit. To be led by the Spirit, I must think about things that please God. If I focus on sinful things, sin will control me. If I focus on spiritual things, Holy Spirit will direct me. What dominates our mind dominates our life.

 There is no condemnation in Christ and no excuses for living in sin. In the world, we can say when we do wrong, "I couldn't help it," but that is not true in Christ. Romans 8:12 says, "We have no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do." It says in verse 13 that through the Holy Spirit, we put to death our sinful nature.

 Our divine nature includes the fruit of self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). We give our control to Christ, but He, in return, gives us the power to control ourselves so that we can live free of sin, which is what it means to be truly in CONTROL.

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August 6th

Pastor Steve Rahter

Romans 7

Title - Til Death Do Us Part

Key words - Vows, Marriage, Mosaic Law, Bondage, Freedom, Grace

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July 30, 2023
Fan Your Flame
2 Timothy 1:1-12
Youth Sunday
Minister Joel & Arelis Eugene

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July 23, 2023
CAN I GET AWAY WITH IT?
Gone Fishing Series
Romans 6
Pastor Joshua Kennedy

None of us like to suffer the consequences of our bad choices. We cover up, shift blame, and make excuses to get away with it. If we are caught, we still try to find a way to resolve things to move on without the negative effects. Paul asks the Romans, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" He also answers, "By no means! Grace is not a get-out of the consequences of a sin card. It is empowerment by Holy Spirit to overcome sin. As it says in verses three and four, we have been baptized into His death, raised from the dead, to live a new life. We have no excuses; we don't have to sin, but if we sin, we have an advocate; we confess our sins, and Jesus, as it says in 1 John 1:9-10, "He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanses us from unrighteousness." We don't fess up because we fear the effect it will have. The good news is Jesus doesn't condemn us. He forgives and also cleanses us. Therefore why would we let there be a wall between us and God? Grace is there not to cover our sins but again to release forgiveness and cleansing so we can be transformed. We were all great sinners who gave ourselves fully to the evil desires within us; let's turn the table and now offer ourselves to God and be a slave to righteousness rather than sin (vs. 18). The benefits of holiness so outweigh the wages of sin.

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July, 15th 2023
Death by one Life in ONE!
Gone Fishing Series
Romans 5:18
David Roberts

Death by one

Life in ONE!

Death by one

Life in ONE!

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July 9th 2023

Title: Undeserved Privilege

Speakers: Pastor Josh

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Topics: faith, grace, trials, endurance, character, trials, confidence

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Sunday, July 2nd Righteousness and Eternity Romans 4 Pastor Steve Rahter Topics- righteousness, eternal life, faith, forgiveness

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June 25th, 2023

Just Believe

Romans 3:21-31

Gone Fishing Series

Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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June 18th, 2023

In the Same Boat

Romans 3:1-20

Gone Fishing Series

Bruce Woodson

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June 11th, 2023
It's a Matter of the Heart
Romans 2:17-29
Gone Fishing Series
Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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June 4th, 2023 Good News, Bad News Gone Fishing Series Romans 2:1-16 Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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May 28th, 2023

Righteous by Faith

Gone Fishing Series

Pastor Steve Rahter

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May 21st, 2023

Good News

Romans 1 : 1-17

Gone Fishing Series

Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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May 7th, 2023

Fisher of Men

Luke 5: 1-11

Gone Fishing Series

Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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Sunday, April 30, 2023

Nature Of True Virtue and Power

1 Peter 1:1 -11 & Philippians 4:8

Joel Eugene

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Sunday, April 23, 2023 Handling Anger Psalm 4 Pastor Steve Rahter and Minister David Roberts A message on Psalm 4 about Handling Anger taught by Steve Rahter and Guest David Roberts

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April 16th

Pastor Joshua

Praise Your Way Through

Psalm 150

Testimony by Joel Eugene

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April 9th 2023 Coming Home Psalm 84 Getting Through What Your Going Through Message by Pastor Josh.

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April 2nd, 2023 Forgiven Psalm 32 Getting Through What You're Going Through Message by Pastor Josh.

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Get What Your Going Through Series

Sunday, March 26th, 2023

Full of Worship Psalm 145

Pastor Steve Rahter

A message on Psalm 145 about Being Worshipful taught by Pastor Steve Rahter

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Sunday, February 26th, 2023 Getting Unstuck Psalm 119 Getting Through What You're Going Through Series Pastor Steve Rahter

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Sunday, February 19th. 2023 Tested to Testify Psalms 66 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Testimony by Sharon White

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Sunday, February, 12, 2023 Overcoming Fear Psalm 141 Pastor Steve Rahter

David Roberts

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2/5/2023 Be Anxious For Nothing Psalm 13 Pastor Emeritus Roger Perry

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Sunday, January 29, 2003 Joel Eugene Youth Sunday Wait On The Lord Jeremiah 17:6-17 Psalms 125 Isaiah 40:31

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Sunday, January 22, 2023

Pastor Joshua Kennedy will be speaking on Psalm 51 Feeling Guilty with a Testimony by Eddie Aponte

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Sunday, January 15th, 2023 The Danger of Envy Psalms 73 Pastor Steve Rahter Testimony from Art Drummond

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Wrestling With Our Feelings Psalms 31 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Guest Yonnie Colleuori Sunday, January 8th , 2023

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The Conquering King Pslams 46 Sunday, January 1, 2023 Pastor Steve and Laurie Rahter

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A Friend of God Psalms 8 Getting Through What You're Going Through Series Sunday, December 18th, 2022 Pastor Steve Rahter

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Why Me? Psalms 6 Getting Through What You're Going Through Sunday, December 11, 2022 Pastor Joshua Kennedy & Juanita Winfield Patterson

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Search the Scriptures Psalm 22
Getting Through What You Are Going Through Series
Sunday December 4, 2022
Pastor Steve Rahter and David Roberts

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Prayers Unheard Psalms 88
Getting Through What You Are Going Through
Sunday, November 28, 2022
Message by Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Testimony by Dana Cressman

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Sunday, November 20th , 2022

The King Is on The Altar

Psalm 55

Getting Through What You're Going Through Series

Lori Holman

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The King is on the Throne
Psalms 2
Getting Through What You're Going Through
Sunday, November 13th, 2022

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World Changing People
Join the movement as we bring unity to our local churches!
Guest Speaker: Dr. Leon Van Rooyen

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Join the movement as we bring unity to our local churches!
Guest Speaker: Dr. Leon Van Rooyen

11/4/22

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Surrender Sacrifice & Service
Youth Service
Pastor Joel Eugene
Date: Sunday, Oct. 30 rd, 2022

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"Who Are You Standing Around?" Psalm 1

Getting Through What You Are Going Through Series

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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Crucified Resurrected
Speaker: Josh Kennedy
Series: Be Whole Series
Date: Sunday, Oct. 16th, 2022

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Heart Wellness (Luke 18-19) Speaker: Liz Rich Series: Be Whole Series

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Sunday, October 2nd, 2022
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Betrayal & Rejection
Be Whole Series
Luke 22

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Forgive and Be Forgiven
Luke 21 & 23, Be Whole Series
Sunday, September 25th, 2022
Pastor Stephen Rahter

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Who Do You Think You Are?
Luke 20 Be Whole Series
Sunday, September 18th, 2022
Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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Your Dream to Destiny
Sunday, September 11th, 2022
John Kelly
Convenor of the International of Apostolic Leaders

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Mercy & Forgiveness (Luke 17) Pastor Steve Rahter
Sunday, September 4th, 2022
Pastor Steve Rahter
Be Whole Series

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Be Faithful (Luke 16)
Sunday, August 28th, 2022
Praise Family Summer Reunion Service
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Be Whole Series

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Lost and Found

Be Whole Series
Luke 15
Pastor Steve Rahter

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Be Humble
Be Whole Series
Luke 14
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Davis Roberts

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Be Humble
Be Whole Series
Luke 14
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Davis Roberts

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Untwisted
Be Whole Series
Luke 13
Pastor Steve Rahter

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Worship in Spirit And in Truth
A Life Of Worship Series
John Chapter 4
Sunday, July 31, 2022
Joel Eugene

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Apostle Josh and Elder Deone

Detach

Be Whole Series, Luke 12

Sunday, June 24, 2022

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Life of Esther
God @ Work Series
Esther 1-10
07/17/22
Reverend Laurie Rahter

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Like A Good Neighbor
Be Whole Series
Luke 11
07/10/22
Apostle Joshua Kennedy
Aaron & Jennifersara Vaughan

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Like A Good Neighbor
Be Whole Series
Luke 10
07/02/22
Pastor Steve Rahter

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Sign On The Line
Be Whole Series
Luke 9
06/26/22
Pastor Steve Rahter

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Be Whole Series
Luke 8
06/19/22
Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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Dr. Stephen Rahter Don't Put GOD in a Box

Be Whole Series, Luke 7

Sunday, June 12, 2022

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The Blessing
Be Whole Series
Luke 6
Apostle Josh
Sunday, June 5th, 2022

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From the Inside Out Luke 5 Be Whole Series
Sunday, May 22nd, 2022
Pastor Steve Rahter

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The Spirit-Filled Life
Be Whole Series - Luke 4
Apostle Joshua- Sunday, May 15th 2022

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Pam Clark brings today's Mother's Day message at Praise Tabernacle in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, May 8, 2022.

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Be Whole Series

Luke 3

Rev. Stephen Rahter

Sunday May 1 2022

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Stephen: A Heart of Honor GOD@Work Series
Sunday, April 24th, 2022
Stephen Davey

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Of First Importance, Resurrection Sunday

Easter Sunday Service

Dr. Pastor Stephen Rahter

April 17, 2022

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Redeemer - Nehemiah

God @ Work Series

Apostle Joshua Kennedy

April 10, 2022

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God @ Work Series

Sunday, April 3rd, 2022

Dr. Stephen Rather

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Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus GOD @ Work Series
Sunday, March 27th, 2022
Pastor Stephen Rahter

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Daniel GOD@Work Series
Sunday, March 20th, 2022
Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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Hezekiah God @ Work Series
Dr. Steve Rahter
March 13, 2022

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Solomon God @ Work Series

Sunday March 6, 2022

Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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Jonathan GOD@ Work Series
Sunday, February 27th, 2022
Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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God @ Work Series - King Saul
Dr. Stephen Rahter
Sunday, February 20th, 2022
www.praisetabernacle.church

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Abraham GOD @ Work Series
Roger Perry
Sunday, Feb.13th, 2022

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Samson "Consequences of SIN"
GOD @ Work Series
Apostle Joshua Kennedy Sunday, February 3, 2022

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Samuel God @ work series DR. Stephen Rather

Sunday, January 30th, 2022

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Rahab & Deborah God @ Work Series
Rev. Laurie Rahter
Jan. 16th, 2022
praisetabernacle.com

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Get Ready, Get Set, Let's Go!
God @ Work Series - JOSHUA
Apostle Josh, Sunday, Jan. 9th, 2022
praisetabernacle.com

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Face to Face- Moses GOD @Work Series
Sunday January 2nd, 2022 Pastor Steve Rahter

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Born of the Spirit! I Am Whole Series Luke 1-2
Sunday December 26th, 2021 Apostle Josh

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Being Favored - The Life of Joseph
God @ Work Series
Apostle Josh
December 19th, 2021

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Life of David God@ Work Series
Sunday, December 12th, 2021
Missionary Dave Stabler

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12/5 The Life of Isaac- Pastor Steven Rahter

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Playing Favorties - Apostle Josh

Jacob

God @ Work Series

November 28, 2021

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PBI Week 2 Apostolic Expansion Monday, November 15th, 2021 Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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Delivered to Deliver GOD @ Work Series
Pastor Steve Rahter
Sunday, November 21st, 2021

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PBI Week 1 Apostolic Expansion
Monday, November 15th, 2021
Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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How's Your Walk? ABEL & ENOCH GOD at Work Series Sunday, November 14th, 2021
Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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PBI Week 2 David Roberts Faith in Action From a hearer to a doer!

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PBI Week 1 David Roberts Faith in Action From a hearer to a doer!

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Apostle Joshua Kennedy

The Beginning

God@Work Series

(Genesis 1-2)

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How Now Shall We Live

October 10, 2021

(Titus: 1, 2, and 3)

Issue Series Apostle Josh

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PBI A Tale of Three Kings Pastor Andrew Surace Week 4

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No End to Grace 2Timothy 3-4 (Issues Series)
Dr Stephen Rahter
Sunday, October 3, 2021
praisetabernacle.com

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PBI Week 3 Pastor Andrew Surace

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Be Strong (2 Timothy 2)
Sunday, Sep. 26th, 2021
Issues Series
Apostle Josh

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PBI A Tale of Three Kings Pastor Andrew Surace Week 2

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Timid No More 2 Timothy 1 Issue Series

Pastor Steve Rahter

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PBI Andrew Surace Tale of Three Kings Week 1

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The Root 1 Timothy 6 (Issue Series)
Apostle Joshua Kennedy & Guest Pastor Jose Perez for Cuba.
Sunday 9-12-22

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Table Talk Series Pastor Steve Rahter with Guest Joe Dimeglio

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1 Timothy 4-5 Issues Series Pastor Steve Rahter More Like Jesus

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Sunday Aug. 29, 2021
Joel Eugene
Faith A Way Of Life Habakkuk 2:4

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8/25/21
Table Talk Summer Series Pastor Joshua Kennedy with And and Don

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1 Timothy 2-3
Issues Series
Joshua Kennedy
Sunday Aug. 22nd, 2021

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Table Talk - Apostle Josh w/ Pastor Jonathan Gonzalez
They will be discussing the topic "Reset"
From Colossians 3-4

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Reset (Col. 3-4) Apostle Joshua Kennedy Issues

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8/4/2021
Table Talk Summer Series
Pastor Steve Rahter with Guest James Barclay

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Jesus Plus Nothing (Col. 2)
Dr. Stephen Rahter
Issues Series
Sunday, Aug. 1st, 2021

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7/28/2021
Table Talk Pastor Steve Rahter with Guest Delores Eigenmann

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7/25/2021 Bearing Fruit Apostle Joshua Kennedy Issue Series Col. 1

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Table Talk Summer Series
Pastor Steve Rahter With Guest Le Borden
Table Talk Summer Series
7/21/21 - 6:30pm Service

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7/18/2021 Peace In The Storm Issue Series Pastor Steve Rahter

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7/11/2021
Apostle Joshua Kennedy
Waiting Running
Issue Series Phil. 3

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Table Talk with Apostle Joshua Kennedy Guest the Davey Family

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Run Issues Series Phil. 2 Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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6/27/2021
Suffering as Serving
Issue Series Phil. 1
Pastor Steve Rahter

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06/23/2021
Table Talk with Apostle Josh Kennedy with Guest Les & Yvonne Parr

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06/20/2021
Living in the Light EPH. 6
Issue Series
Pastor Emeritud Rodger Perry

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6/16/2021
PBI Courageous Leadership
Pastor Steve Rahter

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Submit To Who? Ephesians 5 Issues Series Pastor Steve and Laurie Rahter

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6/9/21
PBI Courageous Leadership Pastor Steve Rahter
Week 3

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Are You Growing? Ephesians 4 Issues Series Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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Courageous Leadership - Chapters 3-4
Instructor: Apostle Josh
Date: Wednesday, June 2nd
Time: 6:30pm
For More Information: praisebibleinstitute.org

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05/30/2021
After God's Heart
Kingdom Expansion Series
Minister Joel Eugene

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5/26/21
PBI Courageous Leadership
Pastor Steve Rahter

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05/23/2021
Mystery Solved
Eph. 3
Issues Series
Pastor Steve Rahter

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5/19/21
PBI Week 7
Developing Your Prophetic Gifting
Linda Hart

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05/16/2021
Walking Through Uncertainty Plan
Issues Series
Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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05/12/2021
PBI Week 6
Developing Your Prophetic Gifting
Linda Hart

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05/08/21
Hidden Treasure
Issues Series
Romans 16
Barbara Perry

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05/05/2021
PBI Week 3
Developing Your Prophetic Gifting
Linda Hart

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05/02/21 Use Me, Lord! Issues Series (Roman 15) Pastor Steve Rahter

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4/28/21
PBI Week 3
Developing Your Prophetic Gifting
Barbara Perry

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4/25/21
No IOU's
Issues Series Roman 13
Pastor Steve Rahter

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4/21/2021
PBI Developing Your Prophetic Gifting
Barbara Perry

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04/18/2021
Why Are You Making That An Issue?
Romans 14
Issues Series
Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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11/14/2021
PBI Week 1
Developing Your Prophetic Gifting
Barbara Perry

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4/11/2021
In & Through
Issue Series
Roman 12
Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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04/7/2021
Table Talk
Apostle Josh with Guest Aaron & Jennifersara Vaughan

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Never Rejected Romans 11 Pastor Steve Rahter

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PBI Living With Loss And Disappointments

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3/28/21
Apostle Joshua Kennedy
Salvation Sandwich (Romans 10)
Issues Series

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3/24/2021
PBI Living With Loss And Disappointments Week 3
Joe Bolona

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03/21/2021
Pastor Steve Rahter
The Chosen
Roman 9
Issues Series

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03/17/21
PBI Week 2
Living With Loss And Disappointments
Joseph Bolona

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03/14/21
Apostle Joshua Kennedy
The Higher Life
Romans 8
Issues Series

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03/10/21
PBI
Living With Loss And Disappointments
Joseph Bolona

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02/07/21
Wedding Invitation (Romans 7)
Steve & Laurie Rahter
Issues Series

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Week 5

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A Night to Honor Israel with Victor Styrsky

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Instruments Issues Series (Romans 6) Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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PBI Missionary Church Emerging

John Henry YWAM/Converge

Week 4

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02/21/21
Grace Abounds
Romans 5
Issues Series
Pastor Steve Rahter

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PBI Week 3
Missionary Church Emerging
John Henry
YWAM/Converge

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2/14/2021
Accepted Issues Series
Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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PBI Week 2
Missionary Church Emerging
John Henry
YWAM/Converge

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02/07/21
Pastor Roger Perry
Issue Series
Roman 3

Grace & Mercy

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PBI Week 1
Missionary Church Emerging
John Henry
YWAM/Converge

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01/31/2021 Expanding The Kingdom of God Within

The Kingdom Expansion Series - Minister Joel Eugene (Youth Service)

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PBI Week 4 Liz Rich "Healthy Living: Spirit, Soul, & Body"

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Have you Been Pardon? Romans: 2-1 Issues Series Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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PBI Week 3 Liz Rich "Healthy Living: Spirit, Soul, & Body"

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Consequences of Unrighteousness Romans 1 Pastor Steve Rahter

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PBI Week 2 Liz Rich "Healthy Living: Spirit, Soul, & Body"

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1/10/20 Apostle Joshua Kennedy Revelation 21 - 22 Intimacy Series

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PBI Week 1 Liz Rich Healthy Living: Spirit, Soul, & Body

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The Throne Room Laurie Rahter Revelations 4 - 5 Intimacy

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There is a WAR Pastor Steve Rahter From Revelations 12 - 20 Intimacy Series

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11/20/20
Apostle Joshua Kennedy
Intimacy Series
From Revelations 6 - 11

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Table Talk with Apostle Joshua & Guest Diane Fowler

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Intimacy Series Revelation 1 Apostle Joshua Kennedy The Revelation of Jesus Christ

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Table Talk Pastor Steve Rahter and Guest Donovan The Rewards for Overcoming

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Revelation 2 and 3 "The Rewards of Overcoming" Pastor Steve Rahter

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Table Talk with Joel & Arelis Eugene with Praise Youth as guest

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11/30/20 PBI Victorious Living Gwen Mouliet

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11/29/20 Work While It Is Day Minister Joel Eugene

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11/29/20 Work While It Is Day Minister Joel Eugene

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11/25/20 Table Talk Pastor Steve With Guest Glenis Acosta

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11/24/20 Victorious Living PBI Week 4 Gwen Mouliert

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11/22/20 Dr. Leon Van Rooyen Reset

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Praise Bible Institute Graduation 2020

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11/16/20 PBI Week 3 Victorious Living Gwen Mouliert

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11/11/2020 Table Talk Apostle Josh with Guest Jeff Wolfe & Linda Hart

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11/9/20 PBI week 2 Gwen Mouliert Victorious Living

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11/4/20 Table Talk Apostle Josh with Guest Denetria Reynolds

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11/1/20 Apostle Josh and Loraine Kennedy Intimacy Series What's Love Got To Do With It? 1 John 3-4

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Welcome to tonight's Table Talk hosted by Pastor Steve Rahter and his guest is Barry Blackman.

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PBI Week 3 Lifestyle Discipleship Apostle Joshua Kennedy

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10/25/20 Pastor Steve Rahter Intimacy Series Dear John 1 John 1-2

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PBI Week 2 Lifestyle Discipleship

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10/18/2020 Apostle Josh Kennedy Intimacy Series Reassured, Reestablished John 21

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10/11/2020 Pastor Roger Perry Intimacy Series Resurrection Struggles John 20

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PBI Week 4 Apostle Joshua Kennedy 5Q

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10/4/2020 Apostle Josh and Loraine Kennedy Intimacy Series Shared Suffering John 19

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09/30/2020 Table Talk Pastor Steve Rahter guest Dr. Ralph Morrisey

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PBI week 3 Apostle Joshua Kennedy 5Q

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09/27/20 Pastor Steve Rahter Intimacy Series John 19 Son of the Father

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09/23/20 Table Talk Apostle Joshua Kennedy guest Delores Eigenmann

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PBI The Jesus Mission Activating 5Q Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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9/13/20 Dr. Stephen Rahter Intimacy Series Scars John 16

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9/9/2020 Table Talk Apostle Joshua Kennedy with Guest Pastor Andy Surace

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9/6/2020
Apostle Joshua Kennedy
The Return
Intimacy Series John 15

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9/2/20 Joel Eugene with guest Bill & Terry Shimmel

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8/30/20 Vision Series Joel Eugene God's Purpose Man's Desires

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8/26/20
Table Talk with Pastor Steve Rahter and Guest Diane Fowler

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8/23/2020 Pastor Steve Rahter Intimacy Series John 14 The Forgotten God

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8/18/20 Table Talk Apostle Josh Kennedy guest Jai Hannah

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8/16/2020
Apostle Joshua Kennedy
Intimacy Series John 13
Defined by Love

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Table Talk : Laurie Rahter with Guest Diane Johnson

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08/05/2020 Table Talk Pastor Steve Rahter with Guest Pastor Jonathan

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08/08/2020 Laurie Rahter Intimacy Series Leave Her Alone

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Come back from the Dead John 11 Pastor Steve Rahter

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Table Talk Apostle Josh W/ Guest Overseer Kevin Ragland

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07/26/2020
The Voice John 10
Intimacy Series
Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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07/22/2020
Table Talk
Apostle Josh w/ Guest Henry Davis

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Intimacy Series John 9 Henry Davis God in Human Form

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July 15
Table Talk with Pastor Joshua Kennedy and Guest Kellee Roberts

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Freedom John 8
Intimacy Series
Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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Table Talk Pastor Steve Rahter with Guest Karen Oliver 07/08/2020 John 7 "Working past the polarization"

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Intimacy Series
John 7
The Polarizing Presence of Jesus

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Intimacy Series (John 3)
Pastor Steve Rahter
www.praisetabernacle.com

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04/29/2020 Cleaning House

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04/29/2020
Cleaning House Series
" Deep Cleaning"

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04/26/2020 Be Generous Issues Series

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03/15/2020
Pastor Roger Perry
Issues Series
2 Corinthians 1

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03/08/2020
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issues Series
Galatians 6
Pull Up not Push Down

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PBI Week 3 Joshua Kennedy Multiethnic Conversations

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Pbi Week 2 Joshua Kennedy Multiethnic Conversations

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03/01/2020 Pastor Steve Rahter Issues Series Galatians 5

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PBI Week 1 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Multiethnic Conversations

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02/23/2020 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Issues Series Galatians 4 No Addition in the Equation

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02/16/2020
Pastor Steve Rahter
Issues Series
Galatians 3

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PBI Week 7
Joel Eugene
Principles & Power of Vision
To watch The Land Called TOMORROW by Cindy Trimm visit Click to watch

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PBI Week 6 Joel Eugene Principles & Power of Vision

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02/09/2020
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issues Series
Deadman Walking
Galatians 2

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PBI Week 5

Joel Eugene
Principles & Power of Vision

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02/02/2020
Pastor Joe Bolona
Issues Series
Galatians 1

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PBI Week 4 Joel Eugene Principles & Power of Vision

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01/28/2020 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Issues Series Flush the Flesh 1 Corinthians 16

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PBI Week 3 Joel Eugene Principles & Power of Vision

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01/19/20
Pastor Jonathan Gonzalez
Issues Series
Great Grace
1 Corinthians 15

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PBI Week 2 Joel Eugene Principles & Power of Vision

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01/12/2020
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issue Series 1
Corinthians 14

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PBI Week 1
Joel Eugene
Principles & Power of Vision

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12/29/2019 Liz Rich Mountain of Business Economy

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12/22/2019 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Issues Series 1 Corinthians 12 Gift Givers Issue Remover

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12/15/2019 Pastor Steve Rahter Issues Series Controlled Freedom 1 Corinthians 9 11

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PBI Week 2 Andrew Surace Leadership Secrets of David

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12/08/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issues Series
Controlled Freedom
1 Corinthians 8-10

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12/01/2019 Pastor Steve Rahter Issues Series 1 Corinthians 7

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PBI Week 1 Andrew Surace Leadership Secrets of David

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11/24/2019
Joel Eugene
Youth Sunday
Knowing The Time Of Your Visitation
Luke 19 41 44

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PBI Week 4
Gwen Mouliert
Blessing in Obedience Lesson
One Footsteps of Faith Lesson
Two The blood speaks

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11/17/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issues Series
How Dare You! 1 Corinthians 6

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11/10/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Issues Series
1Corinthians 5

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PBI Week 3 Gwen Mouliert Blessing in Obedience

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11/03/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issue Series
Self-Importance 1 Corinthians 4

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PBI Week 2 Gwen Mouliert Blessing in Obedience

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10/27/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Issues Series
1 Corinthians 3

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PBI Week 1 Gwen Mouliert Blessing in Obedience

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10/20/2019
Pastor Joe Bolona
Issues Series
1 Corinthians 2

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PBI Week 3
Karen & Garth Hanselman
Intercession Strongholds & Principalities

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10/13/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issues Series
Divisions 1 Corinthians 1

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PBI Week 2 Garth Hanselman Intercession Strongholds & Principalities

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10/06/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Issues Series
2 Thessalonians 2 -3

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PBI Week 1
Karen Hanselman
Intercession Strongholds & Principalities

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09/25/2019
Dr. Leon Van Rooyen
Doctrine of Works

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09/29/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Great Commission Sunday
It Starts In The Home

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09/22/2019
Jonathan Gonzalez
Answering the 3 W's

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PBI Week 3 Deliverance Marcie McAnney

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PBI Week 2 Deliverance Marcie McAnney

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09/15/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issues Series
Is Your Faith Flourishing?

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PBI Week 1 Deliverance Marcie McAnney

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09/08/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Issues Series
Thess 4:13- 5:28

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09/01/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Love Covers
Issues Series

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08/25/2019
Joel Eugene
Youth Sunday
Living in His Presence Walking in His Will

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08/18/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Issues Series
1 Thessalonians 2

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08/11/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Issue Series
1 Thessalonians 1

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08/04/2019
Les Parr

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07/28/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Advance Series
Acts 28

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07/21/2019
Joshua Kennedy
Advance Series
Acts 27
Shipwreck Survivor

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07/14/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Advance Series
Acts 26

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07/07/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Advance Series Acts 25
Reaching the Peak

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06/30/2019
Maria Castillo

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06/23/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Advance Series
Acts 24

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06/16/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Take Courage Act 23
Advance Series

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PBI Week 2
Pastor Antonio Gandy
Prophetic Evangelism

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06/09/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Advance Series
Acts 22

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PBI Week 1
Pastor Antonio Gandy
Prophetic Evangelism

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06/02/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Advance Series
Acts 21

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05/26/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Advance Series
Acts 20

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05/19/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Enforcing His Reign

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PBI Week 3
Pastor Steve Rahter
Effective Teaching Closing Message Preparation

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05/12/2019
Pastor Steve & Laurie Rahter
Acts 18: 24 -- 19:7

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PBI Week 1 Part 2
Gwen Mouliert
Effective Teaching
Message Preparation

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PBI Week 1
Gwen Mouliert
Effective Teaching
1 Search 2 Pray 3 Meditate 4 Listen

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05/04/2019
PBI
Craig Fasler
Answering the Call

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05/05/2019
Craig Fasler
Acts 18 1-23

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PBI Week 3
Les Tomlinson
Walking in the Supernatural

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04/28/2019
Joel Eugene
Youth Sunday
Are you In the System?

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04/21/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
To Know Him (Advance Series)
Acts 17

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PBI Week 2 Les Tomlinson Walking in the Supernatural

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04/19/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Is Evangelism East or Hard?

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04/07/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Advancing Through Conflict
Advance Series Acts 15

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Pbi Week 1 Les Tomlinson Walking in the Supernatural

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PBI Week 3 Pam Clark Culture of Honor

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03/31/2019 Missions Sunday

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PBI Week 2 Pam Clark Culture of Honor

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03/03/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Advance Series
Acts 1:8 Church

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02/13/2019
Joel Eugene
PBI Kingdom Identity Week 1

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02/10/2019
Jonathan Gonzalez
Along the Way Acts 8
Advance Series

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02/17/2019
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Timing is Everything Acts 9
Advance Series

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PBI Week 4 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Apostolic Centers

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PBI Week 2 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Apostolic Centers

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02/03/2019
Roger Perry & Joshua Kennedy
Acts 6 & 7
Advance Series

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PBI Week 1 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Apostolic Centers

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01/27/2019
Pastor Steve Rahter
Advance Series
Acts 5

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01/20/2019
Pastor Joshua
Advance Series Acts 4

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PBI Week 3
Pastor Walter Nistorenko
Understanding the Role of the Apostolic in the Local Church

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PBI Week 2 Pastor Walter Nistorenko Understanding the Role of the Apostolic in the Local Church

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01/06/2019
Joshua Kennedy
Holy Spirit Lead Advance Series
Acts 1-2

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PBI Week 1
Joshua Kennedy
Understanding the Role of the Apostolic in the Local Church

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12/30/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Joshua 21 24
CrossOver Series

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12/23/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Jesus Our City of Refuge
Joshua 20
CrossOver Series

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PBI Week 3 Pastor Antonio Gandy Kingdom Mindset

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12/16/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Joshua 15 - 19
OverCome Series

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12/12/2018
Norma Blacksmith

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12/09/2018
Joshua Kennedy
Possessing the Land
Joshua 11 - 14
CrossOver Series

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PBI Week 2 Pastor Antonio Gandy Kingdom Mindset

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PBI Week 1
Pastor Antonio Gandy
Kingdom Mindset

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12/02/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Joshua 10

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PBI Week 3
Gwen Mouliert
Destroying the Works of the Enemy

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11/25/2018
Youth Service
The Dead Bones Are Coming Alive!

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PBI Week 2
Gwen Mouliert
Destroying the Works of the Enemy

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PBI Week 1
Gwen Mouliert
Destroying the Works of the Enemy

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11/18/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Never Assume Anything
CrossOver Series Joshua 9

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11/11/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Joshua 8

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11/06/2018
Dee Eigenmann
Darkness and the Light

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PBI Week 3
11/05/2018
Dan & Marcy McAnney
Unity Transforms Community

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11/04/2018
Dr. Leon Rooyen

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PBI Week 2
10/22/2018
Dan & Marcy McAnney
Unity Transforms Community

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10/28/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
CrossOver Series
Message: Robber & Thieves Joshua 7

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PBI Week 1
10/22/2018
Dan & Marcy McAnney
Unity Transforms Community

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10/21/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
CrossOver Series
Message: Pulling Down Walls!

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PBI Week 3 10/15/2018 Authentic Christianity

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PBI Week 2 10082018 Authentic Christianity

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10/07/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Joshua 4 -5
CrossOver Series

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PBI Week 1
10/01/2018
Authentic Christianity

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09/30/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Great Commission Sunday
Religion

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09/26/2018
Pastor Joe Bolona
Faith Part 3

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PBI Week 3
09/24/2018
Dr Andrew Surace
Kingdom Relationships

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09/23/2018
40th Anniversary
Pastor Messages

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09/18/2018
Pastor Joe Bolona
Faith Part 2

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PBI Week 2 09/17/2018 Dr Andrew Surace Kingdom Relationships

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09/16/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Cross Over Series
Joshua 1 1 -9

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09/12/2018
PastorJoe Bolona
Series Faith Pastor

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PBI Week 1
09/10/2018
Dr. Andrew Surace
Kingdom Relationships

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09/09/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
1 John Series
2 John and 3 John

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09/02/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: 1 John 5 Believeth
1 John Series

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08/26/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: 1 John 4 Test the Spirits
1 John Series

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08/19/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Youth Service Rebuild
Nehemiah 1 - 6

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08/12/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
1 John Series
1 John 3

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07/29/2018
Lance & Kim
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
7 Mountains Series

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08072018 Pastor Steve Rahter Love One Another 1 John Series

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07/22/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
1 John Series
1 John 1

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07/18/2018
Pastor David Stabler
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 40

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07/08/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 36 -39

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07/01/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 35

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06/24/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 34

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06/17/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 33

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06/10/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 32

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06/04/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 30 - 31 Work & Rest

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05/27/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 28-29

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Save changes PBI Week 3 Les Tomlinson Ministering Prophetically

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05/13/2018
Steve Rahter Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 24

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05/20/2018
Joshua Kennedy
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 25 -27

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PBI Week 2 Les Tomlinson Ministering Prophetically

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Apostle John Kelly Launching 05052018

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05/06/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Movement of God's People Series
Forward Together, Exodus 23

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PBI Week 1 Les Tomlinson Ministering Prophetically

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04/29/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Great Commision Series
Laying The Foundation

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PBI Week 3 Liz Rich Walking in God's Financial Freedom and Favor

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04/22/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 22

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PBI Week 2
Liz Rich
Walking in God's Financial Freedom and Favor

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04/15/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Exodus 21
Movement of God's People Series

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PBI Week 1 Liz Rich Walking in God's Financial Freedom and Favor

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04/08/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Exodus 20
Movement of God's People

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04/01/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Exodus 19
Movement of God's People Series

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03/25/2018
Youth Pastor Jonathan Gonzalez

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PBI Week 5
Pastor Dan McCanney
Five Fold Activation Teacher

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PBI Week 4 Pastor Garth Hanselman Five Fold Activation - Pastor

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03/18/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: Exodus 18
Movement of God's People Series

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PBI Week 3
Evangelist Craig Faisler
Five Fold Activation - Evangelist

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03/11/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Exodus 17 True Contentment
Movement of God's People Series

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03/04/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 16

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PBI Week 2
Prophet Les Tomlinson
Five Fold Activation - Prophet

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02/25/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Exodus 15
Movement of God's People Series

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PBI Week 1
Joshua Kennedy
Five Fold Activation -Apostle

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PBI Week 3
Breaking the Spirit of Lethargy
Pastor Garth Hanselman

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02/11/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Exodus 14
Movement of God's People Series

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02/11/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Exodus 13
Movement of God's People Series

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02/04/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message Exodus 12
Series: Movement of God's People

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PBI Week 2
Breaking the Spirit of Lethargy
Pastor Garth Hanselman

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PBI Week 1
Breaking the Spirit of Lethargy
Pastor Garth Hanselman

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01/28/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Final Blow Exodus 11
Movement of God's People Series

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PBI Week 3 Joshua Kennedy Seven Mountain Strategy Introduction

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01/2/12018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: Exodus 10
Movement of God's People Series

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PBI Week 2
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Seven Mountain Strategy Introduction

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01/14/2018
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Full Surrender Exodus 9
Movement of God's People Series

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PBI Week 1 Joshua Kennedy Seven Mountain Strategy Introduction

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12/31/2017 S
Pastor Steve Rahter & Joshua Kennedy
Q&A Sunday

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12/24/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message Authentic vs Counterfeit
Movement of God's People Series Exodus 7

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01/07/2018
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: Would You Rather
Movement of God's People Series
Exodus 8

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PBI Week 6 Pam Clark School of the Supernatural

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12/17/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: Exodus 6
Series: Movement of God's People

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PBI Week 5 Pam Clark School of the Supernatural

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Week 4 Pam Clark School of the Supernatural

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12/10/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Press on
Series: Movement of God's people

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12/03/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: Exodus 4
Movement of God's People Series

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PBI Week 3 Pam Clark School of the Supernatural

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PBI Week 2
Pam Clark
School of the Supernatural

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PBI Week 1
Pam Clark
School of the Supernatural

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11/26/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Exodus 3 Consumed with Fire
Movement of God's People Series

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11/19/2017
Youth PastorJonathan Gonzales
Message: Contend

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11/12/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message Exodus 2
Movement of God's People Series

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11/06/2017
PBI Week 6
Pastor Steve Rahter
Biblical Counseling

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11/05/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Movement of God's People Series
Delivered From Oppression Exodus 1

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10/30/2017
PBI Week 5
Steve Rahter
Biblical Counseling

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10/29/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter & Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Q&A Sunday

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10/23/2017
PBI Week 4
Steve Rahter
Biblical Counseling

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10/16/2017
PBI Week 3
Steve Rahter
Biblical Counseling

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10/09/2017
PBI Week 2
Steve Rahter
Biblical Counseling

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10/22/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Power Series
Message: Mark 16

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10/08/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Power Series
Message: Mark 15

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10/02/2017
PBI Week 1
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: What is Biblical Counseling?

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09/25/2017
Tom Douglas
PBI week 3
Lifestyle Evangelism

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09/24/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Power Series
Message: Mark 13

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10/01/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Power Series
Message: Mark 14

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09/17/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Power Series
Message: Mark 12

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09/11/2017
PBI week 1
Series: Lifestyle Evangelism
Pastor Tom Douglas

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09/10/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Power Series
Message: Mark 11

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09/03/207
Power Series
Message: Mark 10
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Pastor Garth Hanselmann

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0827/2017
Power Series
Message: Mark 9
Pastor Steve Rahter

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08/20/2017
Power Series
Message: Mark 8
Pastor Joshua Kennedy

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08/13/2017
Power Series
Message: Mark 7
Pastor Steve Rahter

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08/06/2017
Power Series Mark
6:30 -56
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Pastor James Barclay

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07/30/017
Steve Rahter & Joshua Kennedy
Q&A Sunday

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07/23/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Power Series
Message: Mark 6 :1 - 32

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07/16/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Power Series
Message: Mark 5

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07/04/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Power Series
Message: Mark 4

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07/02/2017
Power Series
Message Mark 3
Henry Davis, Joshua Kennedy

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Power Series Mark 1

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06/11/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: Obadiah

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05/29/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Series Philippian 3

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06/04/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Series Overcoming
Message: Unrest and Discontentment

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Week 2 Garth Hanselman Victory Enforcement Spiritual Warfare

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05/21/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Over comer Series
Message: Overcoming Selfishness Philippians 2

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Week1 Gatrh Hanselman
Victory Enforcement Spiritual Warfare

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05/14/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Overcoming Series
Message: Bad Attitudes Philippians 1

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05/07/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy and David Off
Message: Overcoming Lethargy
Series: James 5:7-20

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04/30/2017

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04/07/2017

Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Series: Overcoming

Message: Pride

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Ladies of Praise

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04/02/2017 Steve Rahter Overcoming the Tongue James 3

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03/25/2017 Joshua Kennedy Overcoming Discrimination James 2

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03/19/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: Over Coming Temptation
Series: James

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03/12/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message:How Committed Are You Leviticus 27
Series: Life in Christ Series Audio

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Matt Burris - Revelation + Application = Revelation

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03/05/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Series: Life In Christ
Message: Leviticus

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02/26/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Each One Reach One
Life In Christ Series

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02/19/2017 Leviticus 24 Life in Christ Series

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02/15/2017

Do You Have A Heart Condition

Denetria Reynolds

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02/12/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Celebrate, Jesus Celebrate
Series: (Life in Christ Series) Lev. 23

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02/08/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Search For Meaning
Series: (Ecclesiastes 10-12)

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02/06/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Session Ten Women In Ministry Apostolic Churches

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02/06/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Session Nine Accountability and Authority

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02/01/2017 Joshua Kennedy Search For Meaning

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01/25/2017

Message:Living In The Rest of God

Apostolic Prophetic Service

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01/22/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: The Must Not"s, The Must Have"s, The Anointing.
Series: Life In Christ

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01/18/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Living In Light of Eternity

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Session 4 The Apostle As A Father

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Session 3 Warfare and The Apostolic Ministry Audio

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01/15/2017

Pastor Steve Rahter

Message: Leviticus 20

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01/11/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message Learning Contentment Searching For Meaning
Series Ecc 5:9 - 6:12

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PBI Session 1 Joshua Kennedy Implementing a Prophetic Mandate

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PBI Session 2 Joshua Kennedy The Strategy of Global Dominion

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01/08/2017
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Series: Leviticus 19
Message: Like My Father

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01/04/2016
Stephen Davey
Series: Impact
Message: You

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01/01/2017
Pastor Steve Rahter
Message: Leviticus 18

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12/28/2016 Perfection, Completion, Fulfillment. Word for 2017

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12/18/2016
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Series: Life in Christ
Message: It is Finished

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12/14/2016
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Series: Ecclesiastes 4
Message: Search For Meaning Series

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12/09/2016 DR Leon Van Rooyen The Leadership Challenge Audio

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11/20/2016 Steve Rather LEVITICUS 12

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11/27/2016
PastorJoshua Kennedy
Message: Spiritual Leprosy
Series: Life in Christ

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11/16/2016
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message: Ecclesiastes 3
Searching For Meaning

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Les & Yvonne Parr

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11/06/2016
Pastor Joshua Kennedy
Message:To Eat or Not to Eat (Levitcus 11)
Series: Life in Christ

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11/02/2016
Pastor:Joshua Kennedy
Message: Ecclesiastes 2 Search For Meaning.

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10/30/2016 Q&A Sunday Audio

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10/26/2016 Prophetic Service

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10/23/2016
Steve Rahter
Message: Leviticus 10
Series: Life in Christ

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10/16/2016

Pastor Joshua Kennedy

Message:Leviticus 9

Series: (Life in Christ Series)

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10/12/2016

Stephen Davey

EvangeLife pt. 2

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10/08/2016
Pastor: Steve Rahter
Series: Life in Christ
Message: Leviticus 8

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10/05/2016

Pastor Joshua Kennedy

Series: Understanding Intimacy With Christ

Message: Song of Solomon 8

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10/02/2016

Pastor Joshua Kennedy

Message: O Come To The Altar, Leviticus 7

Series: Life in Christ

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09/25/2016
Steve Rather
Series: Life in Christ
Message: Leviticus 6

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9/21/2016 Pastor Joshua Kennedy Message: Song of Solomon 6:1 - 7:9 Series: Understanding Intimacy with Christ.

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09/09/2016

Pastor Joshua Kennedy

Message: Guiltless Leviticus 5

Series: Life in Christ

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09/14/2016
Stephen Davey
Series: EvangeLIFE

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Speaker: Steve Rahter, Pastor
Series: Life in Christ
Main Passage of Reading: Leviticus 4
Date: 9/11/2016

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Speaker: Joshua Kennedy, Pastor
Series: Understanding Intimacy with Christ
Main Passage of Reading: Song of Solomon 5
Date: 9/7/2016

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Speaker: Joshua Kennedy, Pastor Series: Understanding Intimacy With Christ Date: 8/31/16

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08/28/2016 Steve Rahter Leviticus 2 Audio

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08/21/2016 Joshua Kennedy Life In Christ Series Living Sacrifice Leviticus 1 Audio

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08172016 The Man Upstairs Pastor Sam-Abel Gbinsay Audio

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08142016 Steve Rahter Colossians 4 Audio

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08102016 Joshua Kennedy Understanding Intimacy With Christ Song of Solomon 3 audio

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08/07/2016 Joshua Kennedy Collossian 3 Out with the old in with the new Audio

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08/03/2016 Joshua Kennedy Understanding Intimacy With Christ, Song of Solomon 2

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07/24/2016 Steve Rahter Colossians audio

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04/29/2016 Jan Schuler Is Love Enough Audio

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04/20/2016 Dr. Leon van Rooyen Audio

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04/13/2016 Sam- Abel Gbinsay Audio

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04/17/2016 Jonathan Gonzalez Nothing can Separate Us From The Love of God Audio

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04/10/2016 Steve Rahter 2 Thessalonians 3 Audio

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02/24/2016 Joshua Kennedy Kingdom Grace The King and His Kingdom Audio

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03/30/2016 Joshua Kennedy Knowing the Heart of God Series Psalms 131 140 Audio

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03/26/2016 A Portrait of Our Saviour Audio

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03/20/2016 Joshua Kennedy King and His King The Heart of the King Audio

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David and Rebecca Stabler have been serving in YWAM (Youth with a Mission) for over 20 years, when they followed God's call on their lives. They have been on staff at YWAM Orlando since 2009. David grew up in Southern New Jersey. Rebecca is originally from Switzerland and met David in Haiti while serving with YWAM. They have three beautiful children- Martina, Noah and Tiffany.
They have served the Lord in many nations. David is passionate about seeing people know God through His Word as well as helping them understand the times that we live in today. Rebecca loves her work raising their kids and being a support and encouragement to David, and she also loves to invest in people through discipleship.
YWAM Orlando is a 200+ acre training complex with a dedicated staff of over 90. They are well known for their dedication to equipping everyday men and women and launching them into the mission field!

http://www.ywamorlando.com/

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David and Rebecca Stabler have been serving in YWAM (Youth with a Mission) for over 20 years, when they followed God's call on their lives. They have been on staff at YWAM Orlando since 2009. David grew up in Southern New Jersey. Rebecca is originally from Switzerland and met David in Haiti while serving with YWAM. They have three beautiful children- Martina, Noah and Tiffany.
They have served the Lord in many nations. David is passionate about seeing people know God through His Word as well as helping them understand the times that we live in today. Rebecca loves her work raising their kids and being a support and encouragement to David, and she also loves to invest in people through discipleship.
YWAM Orlando is a 200+ acre training complex with a dedicated staff of over 90. They are well known for their dedication to equipping everyday men and women and launching them into the mission field!

http://www.ywamorlando.com/

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About Angel Morano
Angel is a graduate of “Word of Faith” Satellite Bible Collage out of Dallas, Texas, and a graduate of “Victory Bible College” located in New Castle, Delaware. She is also a licensed and ordained itinerate minister who ministers internationally and is founder of Spirit Life Ministries. She has also ministered at revival meetings in Guatemala as she is a conference speaker and teacher at various Biblical education venues as well as ministers in churches and retreats. She is also an Elder at The Church of Grace & Peace in Toms River, NJ. Angel also carries a strong prophetic anointing and as the spirit leads at times a psalmist anointing. She and her husband, Bob, reside in Brick, NJ.

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Sunday May 11th

(Mother’s Day)

Matthew 10:1-15

Mom's Laundry Rules

Do not put your pajamas in with the dirty clothes after only one night. It is a scientific fact that you do not get dirty while you sleep. Pajamas can be worn many times before they smell bad enough to warrant being thrown in with the dirty clothes.

Exception: You may put pajamas in the dirty clothes if you throw up on them

Unroll your socks before putting them in with the dirty clothes. Otherwise, I will start washing and drying them in their original rolled up little balls.

Clean clothes can be easily removed from the closet by gently lifting up on the hanger and pulling it towards you. The clean item can now be removed from the hanger for wearing. The wrong way to remove clean clothes is to YANK on one corner of the garment. This causes the hanger to go flying around the closet, scratching the wall and becoming impossibly entangled with the neighboring hangers.

Special note: This makes Mom want to choke someone. So far, she has been able to refrain from this action.

Once you have made the decision to put something in with the dirty clothes, do not later decide that you, for some reason, now need to retrieve the item by digging through the clothes baskets, leaving behind a mess that looks like a small tornado just whirled through the laundry room.

Check your pockets before you put dirty clothes in the laundry room. Have you ever tried to pick tiny pieces of white paper off an entire load of dark clothes? No? I thought not! But the next time this occurs, you will have the pleasure of this experience.

Special note: In the future, all money found in any pocket becomes the property of the laundry-doer, and that most assuredly will be Mom, who hopes to be able to save up for a Caribbean cruise, which she will go on alone. She has heard that you don't have to do laundry while you are on a cruise!

When clean clothes miraculously appear on your bed or chair, graciously thank the saintly person who lovingly placed them there and PUT THEM AWAY!

When you decide to try something on and decide that it will not make the fashion statement you were looking for that particular day, think twice before you make the decision that it is easier to throw the item in with the dirty clothes rather than hanging it back up. Goodwill would love to have these items. Their fashion standards are not as high as yours.

Starting today, you will be required to do at least one load of your own laundry per week. Instructions will be provided. Mom feels that the joy of this household chore should be shared, and she has been very selfish about this in the past. She also feels that this is a necessary life skill, and without it, you may never want to leave home. This would not be in the best interest of Mom’s sanity.

As we take a look at the opening verses of Matthew chapter 10, we find Jesus giving “Motherly” advice to His “children”, the disciples:

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

We might say that it was finally time for the disciples to “grow up” and learn to do some laundry.

Jesus actually tells them that, as servants of God, they are not only going to do their own laundry - they are called to help clean up the unclean spirits and diseases in others’ lives as well.

2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

Do you think Jesus ever called one of His apostles by a different apostle’s name? I think any mother with more than two kids has done this at least once, and Jesus had TWELVE guys to keep track of!

Keep in mind that Matthew identifies them as apostles, not just disciples. The word apostle means an authorized representative who is sent out to carry a message. And that is exactly what Jesus is sending them to do.

Let’s take a quick moment to identify each of the twelve men:

Matthew says “The first, Simon, who is called Peter”. And Peter was certainly first among them.

Peter is mentioned in the gospels more times than the eleven others combined. He became the undisputed leader despite his shortcomings.

Andrew – Peter’s brother and the one who introduced Peter to Jesus
John – who wrote a gospel, three New Testament letters, and the book of Revelation. He called himself “the disciple who Jesus loved.”
James – John’s brother and the first of the disciples to become a martyr.
Phillip – who said things like “how are we going to feed all of these people? It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”” and “Lord, show us the father and we will be satisfied.”
Nathaniel – Jesus called him “an Israelite in whom there is no falsehood” He also said this before he met Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Matthew – the former tax collector and writer of the book we are studying. I think he deserves credit for listing himself seventh instead of first!
Thomas – who unfortunately earned the nickname “doubting Thomas” when he didn’t believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead.
James number two – also known as “the son of Alphaeus or “James the Less” (Little Jimmy!)
Thaddaeus (who was also referred to as Judas, but not Judas Iscariot) – who said exactly one thing that’s recorded in the gospels – “Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
Simon the Zealot – the Zealots were Jews who wanted to fight back with force to drive the Romans out of Israel. It must’ve been confusing for him when Jesus kept saying things like “Love your enemies”!
Judas Iscariot – Matthew calls him “the one who betrayed Jesus” which he was. He also stole money from the purse that was used to give to the poor. Other than that he was probably a really nice guy!

So Jesus has hand-picked this interesting group, and now He gives them specific instructions about how to get all this dirty laundry cleaned up:

5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying,

‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.

So the first instruction is about WHERE to go, and where NOT to go. Jesus has already healed the servant of a Gentile Centurion in chapter 8, but the focus of this mission for the disciples was to go to their fellow Israelites, because the message they were sent with was ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’ and the Jews were the chosen heirs of the kingdom. Paul later says that this was in accordance with God’s plan “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)

The second part of their instructions is to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Why does that sound so familiar? Oh yeah, THAT’S what Jesus just did in chapters 8 & 9! He’s saying, “You watched me do it, now YOU go do it!” And just in case you think these instructions were just for THEM, keep in mind that in Mark 16, verses 17 and 18 Jesus says that “these signs will accompany those who believe…In my name they will drive out demons” and “they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Now Jesus adds a few practical details about preparing for the journey:

Freely you received, freely give. 9 Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

Jesus reminds the apostles, “You freely received the good news of the kingdom, now freely give the good news to others.” The message of God’s forgiveness, which allows us to enter His kingdom, was given to us freely; so to either try to sell the message, or to HIDE the message and keep it to ourselves, misses the whole point. Jesus also reminds us that if we are simply obedient to follow His instructions, God will provide for our needs along the way.

God’s provision will most likely come through the generosity of those that we are ministering to, but we also need to recognize that not everyone is going to be receptive to the message, so Jesus tells the apostles this:

11 And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. 12 As you enter the house, give it your greeting.

I think we should stop for a moment and look at those words, “whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it.”

When I think about that, I can’t help but ask myself this simple question: “If some stranger came to my neighborhood and asked ‘who is WORTHY in this area” would my neighbors point to my house?

And I’m not saying it would be because of any great worthiness of my own, but am I shining the light of Jesus in such a way that HIS worthiness is seen in my life and my home?

Then Jesus says:

13 If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. 14 Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Shaking off the dust from your feet was something that the Jewish people did after they traveled through Gentile areas. Now these were all Jewish towns that the disciples were being sent to, BUT…

If they rejected the gospel, that would make them spiritually no different from the Gentiles. And as spiritual Gentiles they would be no different when it comes to God’s judgment than pagan cities like Sodom and Gomorrah!

Because most of Israel did harden their hearts against the Gospel, the message of the kingdom would then be opened up the Gentiles, which resulted in this very ironic episode in Acts 13:44-51

“The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. 46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us,

‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles,
That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

50 But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.”

What did Paul and Barnabas do? “They shook off the dust from their feet”! That’s exactly what Jesus said to do when people reject the truth.

It was always God’s plan to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, but the good news had to be offered to the Jewish people first. That’s why this encounter between Jesus and a Gentile mother in Mark chapter 7 seems so shocking to us at first:

25 But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered and said to Him,

“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” 29 And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.

The shocking language that Jesus uses is that the people of Israel are God’s “children” who need to be fed with the Gospel first, and this Gentile woman and her daughter are essentially “dogs” who would have to wait their turn until the children had eaten. But the amazing thing is that this mother ACCEPTS that role, and simply asks for a few of the “crumbs” of God’s mercy that would fall from the table of Israel’s children.

Let me tell you something; one CRUMB from God’s table will satisfy you more than a whole plate full of what the world wants to feed you!

But there’s even better news:

Now that the fullness of the Gospel has come, we are no longer shut out from the table. This is what the Song of Solomon chapter 2, verse 4 says “He brings me to the banquet hall, and everyone can see how much he loves me.”

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Sunday May 4th 05/06/2014

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Sunday May 4th – Matthew 9:18-38

A man is asleep in bed when he hears a knock on the front door.

He wakes up and looks at his clock, and it's three in the morning. He thinks, "I'm not getting out of bed at this time of night." So he rolls over and goes back to sleep.

Then, a louder knock follows.

His wife says "Aren't you going to answer that?"

So he drags himself out of bed and goes downstairs. He opens the door and there is stranger standing at the door. It doesn't take the homeowner long to realize the man is drunk.

"Hi there," slurs the stranger. "Can you give me a push?"

"No, get lost. It's three AM. I was in bed!" The man slams the door. He goes back up to bed and tells his wife what happened and she says, "That wasn't very nice of you. Remember that night we broke down in the pouring rain on the way to pick the kids up from the baby sitter and you had to knock on that man's house to get the car started again? What would have happened if he'd told us to get lost?"

"But the guy was drunk," says the husband.

"It doesn't matter," says the wife. "He needs our help and it would be the Christian thing to help him."

So the husband gets out of bed again, gets dressed, and goes back downstairs.

He opens the door, and shouts, "Hey, do you still need a push??"

And he hears a voice cry out, "Yeah."

So he looks out into the street for a car and shouts, "Where are you?"

And the stranger says, "I'm over here, on your porch swing."

The simple fact is…sometimes we need to wake up, even when we don’t want to! And here in the remaining verses of Matthew chapter 9 we see some folks who are ready to wake up and some who aren’t. (Starting in verse 18)

While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

It’s fairly likely that this synagogue official, whose name the Gospel of Mark tells us is Jairus, wasn’t a follower of Jesus. In fact he was probably opposed to Jesus’ ministry because Jesus was opposed to the established religious authorities. We could say that this situation forced Jairus to swallow his pride and approach a man whose ministry and teaching he had been taught not to believe in. This was a wake-up call for Jairus. His daughter’s life depended on Jesus being more than who Jairus once thought He was. He takes a drastic step of faith and asks Jesus to touch her and raise her from the dead. Jesus follows him without hesitation, but along the way someone else has a wake-up call!

20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21 for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.” 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

This woman knew that by Jewish religious law she was considered unclean because of her bleeding. She also knew that it was considered improper for any woman to touch the hem of a man’s prayer shawl.

But she’s tired of being told what she can and can’t do by people who can’t help her!

She wakes up to the reality that it’s going to take some desperate, drastic faith on her part to go beyond what is considered acceptable and instead just do what is necessary - and as a result she is healed.

Even though society tells this woman she’s not the kind of person who should be around other people; that she should just go off on her own and continue to SUFFER, she’s going to reach out and touch the hem of Jesus’ cloak anyway.

Even though the world tells Jairus that it’s too late, that his daughter is past the point of healing; even though the religious leaders have told him that Jesus is a sinner and isn’t sent by God, he’s going to come to Jesus anyway.

23 When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 This news spread throughout all that land.

Jesus asserts that what the people are calling death for this little girl is only sleep.

They laugh at Him for saying so, but then He proves that He has the power to wake the even the dead. This isn’t the only time this happens. In John 11:11-14 Jesus says,

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.” 12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead” Then Jesus goes and raises Lazarus from his “sleep”.

In 1st Thessalonians 4:13-16 the Apostle Paul uses the same words as well:

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

Both the story of the Jairus’ daughter and the story of the woman with the hemorrhage illustrate the role of faith in the kingdom of God. Faith is a wake-up call!

2nd Corinthians 5:7 says “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” The amazing thing to realize is that “walking by sight”, or believing what our natural senses tell us, is the equivalent of being asleep! It’s only through faith that our eyes are truly opened and we are awakened to what God is REALLY doing!

That same truth appears in the encounter of the blind men.

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.”30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

Let’s face it…these men had no CHOICE but to walk by faith; they COULDN’T walk by sight!

Jesus puts it to them very simply. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.”

So there is clearly an element of faith at work in these three healings we’ve looked at. But this next example gives us a little bit of balance in our understanding of the relationship between God’s power and our faith.

32 As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. 33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

What’s different between this healing and the others? In this case there is no evidence of the demon-possessed man showing any faith at all, but he still gets healed. Why is that significant? I believe we need to be reminded that although our faith has a role in what God is doing – He is not LIMITED by our faith. He is sovereign and can show His power when and where He chooses to.

Now if you need an example of some folks who TRULY needed a wake-up call, look at verse 34:

But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

Although Matthew doesn’t mention it, the Gospel of Mark tells us that it was that very accusation that Jesus called the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

When God is moving and you’re saying it’s the devil, you need a wake-up call!

The fact is, many people were asleep to what Jesus was doing, but Jesus was walking through the world wide awake, and what He saw caused Him to be moved with compassion.

35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

Why were the people wandering aimlessly, like sheep without a shepherd? It was because those who were supposed to be leading them were ASLEEP! God brought this charge against the shepherds of Israel in Ezekiel 34:8

“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because “My flock has become a prey,

My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock.”

God has compassion on the sheep, even as Jesus does here in Matthew chapter 9. Ezekiel continues in verses 11-15

For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.12 As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God.

God promises to BE the shepherd that the people are lacking.

And Jesus says in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

But how does Jesus do that? He actually does it through US! We are called to be co-laborers with Jesus in caring for His sheep.

So the last piece of this wake-up puzzle is to ask “do WE need a wake-up call?” In verses 37 and 38 Jesus answers “possibly so.”

37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Jesus’ statement that the harvest is “plentiful” indicates that the number of lost souls in this world is abundant. I’m sure most of us could think of plenty of people in our families, our neighborhoods and our workplaces that don’t have a relationship with Jesus. The emphasis here is on the need for workers to spread the gospel. But keep this thought in mind; If the laborers are “few”, then I shouldn’t be expecting some other laborer with extra time on his hands to come along and reach out to the “harvest” of lost people God has placed in MY life!

Listen to how this commentary puts it:

“The “laborers” are not angels sent to gather the lost for judgment, but disciples who imitate Jesus by proclaiming the coming of His kingdom. Jesus commands His disciples to pray for God to send workers. No one can do the work of the harvest without being equipped for it by God.”

In closing, let’s remember Isaiah’s response when God was looking for someone to carry His message.

In Isaiah 6:8 God asks a question:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”

And Isaiah doesn’t wait for someone else to come along. He says:

Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

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Matthew 8:1-17

Several weeks ago we read these opening words from Matthew chapter 5: “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain”. That was the start of the Sermon on the Mount. Now, three chapters later, Jesus finally comes back down the mountain.

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Back in chapter 4, verse 23, we read this:

“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”

So the earthly ministry of Jesus is summed up with these three action verbs - teaching, proclaiming, and healing.

For the last three chapters Jesus has been teaching and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. The last few verses of chapter 7 were “28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”

Jesus’ teaching was filled with authority; now He is going to focus on healing as a demonstration of that same authority.

The first healing that Jesus performs is cleansing a man of leprosy. Fortunately for us, leprosy as a disease has been pretty much eradicated, but back then it was a horrible disfiguring disease for which the only cure was a miracle.

According to the Law of Moses the key to identifying whether a skin disease was “unclean” was whether the skin seemed to be rotting away, The person afflicted with a serious skin disease behaved was excluded from the camp, essentially banished from society to live in the fringe areas with other lepers. This was not only to protect the health of the rest of the people, but because the presence of God was in the camp and anything unclean had to be separated from the presence of God. Numbers 5:1-4 says; Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a dead person. 3 You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.” 4 The sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp; just as the Lord had spoken to Moses, thus the sons of Israel did.

This exclusion from the community was a complete separation, even from close family members, because

touching a leper also made the person who touched them temporarily unclean, even though that person didn’t actually have the disease.

Leviticus 15:7says “Also whoever touches the person with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening.”

That’s what makes Jesus’ choice to TOUCH this leper so incredible, because the moment Jesus touched him, Jesus could have been declared UNCLEAN! But of course Jesus is acting with AUTHORITY, so in this case the leper becomes clean rather than Jesus becoming unclean.

His command to the leper to keep silent may seem surprising to us, but it was apparently meant to prevent a crowd of miracle seekers from gathering and hindering Jesus from continuing on His main mission.

The account of this same miracle in Mark 1:40-45 gives us a little more detail as to why this was a reason for concern:

“And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44 and He said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere”.

Rather than running out and blabbing about his healing, Jesus wanted the leper to go and be seen the priest, because by showing himself to the priest, the cleansed leper would be able to rejoin Jewish society.

Leviticus 14:2-3 says “This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest, 3 and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper”.

Now Jesus demonstrates an even greater level of healing authority:

5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” 7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.

Centurions were Roman military officers in charge of one hundred soldiers. They weren’t generally liked by the people of Israel but according to Luke’s account of this miracle in Luke 7, this centurion was different from most, causing some of the Jewish elders to speak on his behalf:

4 When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5 for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.”

Jesus actually uses the faith of this centurion, who is obviously a Gentile, to prophesy that the gospel will be extended past Israel to reach the Gentiles.

When Jesus says in verse 11 that “many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” He is making a reference to the messianic banquet described in Isaiah 25:6–9

“The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;
A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,
And refined, aged wine.
7 And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,
Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death for all time,
And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces,
And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth;
For the Lord has spoken.
9 And it will be said in that day,
“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”.

In these same verses, Jesus also points out that the people of Israel will harden their hearts towards the gospel while the Gentiles are embracing it.

It’s the same thing that the Apostle Paul talks about in Romans 9:30–32

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.”

Because the people of Israel try to pursue righteousness by their own works they don’t obtain it, but the Gentiles, who know they deserve only condemnation, seek God for His mercy and therefore they obtain it.

The final individual healing miracle in this section is one that was a little closer to home:

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him.

Luke’s account in chapter 4 adds a few details:

38 Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her. 39 And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them.

One of the interesting things about Luke’s account is that he says Jesus left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Archeologists have actually found the site of Simon Peter’s house in Capernaum and it was right next door to the synagogue! Luke, who was a doctor, also mentions that she had a “High” fever, and that Jesus “rebuked” the fever, showing again that He was operating with authority.

After these three individual healings, Jesus begins to bring forth the authority of heaven against all sorts of infirmities:

16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”

This is a quote from Isaiah 53:4-5

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.”

When it says that Jesus bore our “griefs”, that represents our sins AND our physical suffering as well. I like the wording of verse 5 that says “The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him”.

Our “well-being” – Jesus wants us to BE WELL, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. And He has the AUTHORITY to MAKE us well!

Here’s one last thought from these healings that I want you to consider: Does Jesus want to make YOU well?

In other words, you may accept that fact that Jesus saves, heals and delivers people, but are you certain that He wants to save, heal and deliver YOU?

Because sometimes we feel as though we aren’t WORTHY of what Jesus wants to give us, so we RULE OUT from our lives the possibility of receiving the very things that Jesus is desiring to bless us with!

So think about this: In Jewish society, three groups of people that were considered the least valuable, the least important, the least worthy of ANYTHING, were lepers, Romans, and women.

And who does Jesus come to bring divine healing to as he demonstrates the authority of the Kingdom of God? He chooses a leper, a Roman, and a woman!

Let me assure you today that you are NOT disqualified from receiving ANY of the things that God wants to pour into your life, no matter who you are or what kind of background you have, or how much other people look down on you, GOD wants to bless you today, and more than that, He wants to USE you to be a blessing to others!

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www.praisetabernacle.com

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 0823

Matthew 8:18-34

The CEO of a large company was interviewing people for the important job of financial director.

One candidate - Charles - seemed ideally qualified. Charles had attended a top level college. He was a certified public accountant. He had a Masters degree in business. He knew finances inside and out, backwards and forwards. He seemed to be the exact person they were looking for.

“Charles,” said the CEO, “we've decided to offer you the job. And since you're so highly qualified we're going to start you off on a higher salary than the one we had advertised. We'll pay you $2000 a week!”

“Thank you very much, sir” replied Charles. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m going to be making $6000 a month!”

So maybe Charles didn’t have what it takes to be a financial director after all. Here, in this next section of Matthew chapter 8, we encounter two people who don’t seem to have what it takes to become a disciple of Jesus:

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19 Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Someone described this scribe as “jumping on the Jesus bandwagon”. He was all excited about the healings that Jesus was performing and the crowds that He was attracting. He figured maybe some of this fame and fortune would rub off on him if he just hung around with Jesus long enough. But Jesus gives the scribe a rude awakening. He essentially says, “I’m homeless. If you’re planning on following me you might end up homeless too. Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”

That’s a question that we ALL should ask ourselves before pledging to follow Jesus wherever He leads, because He already told us where He’s leading us – He’s leading us to a cross, a place of self-sacrifice!

German theologian Dietrich Bonhoffer, who was executed by the Nazis, wrote this:

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without discipline, Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross. Grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.

When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."

This is the same challenge that Jesus put forth in Luke 14:25-33 when He explained the need for each of us to “count the cost” before choosing to follow Him:

Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

Don’t those statements shock you? We’re supposed to be willing to hate our own families and our own lives and to give up EVERYTHING in order to qualify as a true disciple of Jesus! Who meets those criteria?

Notice that Jesus said those things to “large crowds (who) were going along with Him.”

That’s similar to the verse we started off with today: “Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.”

What’s that all about? Did Jesus not like crowds? Did He not want lots of followers? The point is that Jesus DID want followers. But He wanted to make sure that those who were following Him clearly understood what that would mean for their lives. As we’ve been learning in our monthly men’s meeting, what Jesus WASN’T looking for was just a bunch of FANS, people who admire Him but don’t want to serve Him!

Next we see another example of a man who isn’t willing to meet the shockingly high qualifications of discipleship:

21 Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

One commentary said this: “These events show the radical commitment Jesus demands of disciples. Honoring one’s parents by providing a proper burial was a strict obligation in Jewish society, but Jesus demands a greater allegiance to Himself.”

There is another possible interpretation of those verses as well. Some scholars think that the man’s father was still alive, and that he was basically saying to Jesus “I’m gonna hang around here till my Dad passes away, then I’ll catch up with you later!” One writer put it this way, “He wanted to wait until he received his inheritance. He wanted a commitment that demanded no risk.”

Keep this in perspective. In verse 20 Jesus says “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

This title “the Son of Man” is how Jesus refers to Himself when He predicts his suffering and death. In Chapter 17 verses 22 and 23 He tells his disciples:

“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him.”

So the essentially question for any follower isn’t just “who are you following?” – it’s “where is he leading you?”

Jesus is making no secret of where following Him will lead. In Luke 9:23 He spells it out in the clearest terms: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

Did you catch the sequence of events there? First, DENY YOURSELF! Second, TAKE UP YOUR CROSS. Third, FOLLOW ME! Don’t kid yourself into thinking that you’re doing the third thing if you haven’t already done the first two!

In Luke’ version of these same events from Matthew chapter 8, Jesus adds this comment in chapter 9 verse 62 “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Don’t look back. If you’ve decided to be a follower of Jesus, then count the cost up front, before you make that commitment, so that once you’ve put your hand to the plow of serving Him, you won’t be looking over your shoulder, thinking twice.

Of course Jesus came to be the Son of Man, the sacrifice for the sins of the world, but He was also the Son of God, who created the world. And because of that He has power OVER the world, as these next events demonstrate:

23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Apparently the weather conditions around Sea of Galilee can create some pretty intense storms, with waves up to fifteen feet high! The power that Jesus displays in calming the storm with only His words causes the disciples to ask “What kind of a man is this?” They knew Jesus as a man. They followed Him everywhere. But they also knew from the Psalms that only God can control the seas and the storms:

Psalm 65:7 says that God “stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves,”

Psalm 89:9 “You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.”

Psalm 107:24-29 “They have seen the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
Which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in their misery.
27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken man,
And were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
29 He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.”

These disciples knew that those scriptures were talking about GOD’S power over the waters and the storms, and now here was Jesus, a MAN, calming the storm right before their very eyes! When Jesus asks them “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith” - He is essentially saying, “Don’t you know who I AM?”

That’s always going to be the defining line for whether we are walking in faith or not. If our focus is on the wind and the waves of life’s storms, then maybe we’ve forgotten just who it is that we’re following and what kind of power he possesses!

In these final verses Jesus shows His power extends not just to the natural world, but also to the SUPER-natural world:

28 When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

The demons inside these men complain that it is not yet “the time”, knowing that on the Day of Judgment they will be cast into the abyss, or lake of fire. In Matthew 25:41 Jesus says that on the Day of Judgment “He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels”

But Jesus is already breaking the powers of darkness now! He isn’t going to wait until the final judgment to set men free! In chapter 12 verse 28 He says: “I cast out demons by the Spirit of God.”

The thing I want you to pay attention to in these remaining verses is the difference between how the demons react to Jesus and how the townspeople react to Jesus:

30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. 31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” 32 And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.33 The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region.

It’s interesting that Jesus permits the demons to enter into the pigs. Maybe that was because the Day of Judgment had not yet arrived and He had to send the demons somewhere in order to set the men free. What’s even more interesting is the fact that the demons recognized Jesus’ power and authority and they “entreated” or begged for His permission to go into the pigs. Of course this makes the pigs freak out and commit suicide, but I think Jesus wasn’t primarily concerned about the pigs. He was concerned about these two human beings!

By contrast, the townspeople apparently cared more about their pigs than the two human beings!

Instead of recognizing Jesus’ authority, they kick him out of town!

It’s as if they’re saying, “Listen, you can’t just come here setting people free if you’re going to mess with our pigs in the process!”

To bring these verses full circle, we can clearly see that these folks don’t meet the qualifications to be disciples of Jesus because they don’t want to be involved with Him if it’s going to COST them something!

So let me ask you a question – what are your pigs?

In other words, what is keeping you back from following Jesus completely? At what point do you look at Jesus and say “I think you’d better just leave now, because you’re starting to mess with my pigs!”

Is it your time? Is it your money? Is it your relationships? Is it that favorite sin that you aren’t ready to let go of?

Because whatever it is, we MUST face the truth that Jesus put forth back in verse 33; “none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all (this is) his own.”

The bottom line question will always come back to this: “Are those pigs really worth more to you than Jesus?” Because you can’t have both.

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Sunday March 23rd

Matthew 7:13-29

Billy Graham told of a time early in his ministry when he arrived in a small town to preach. Wanting to mail a letter, he asked a young boy where the post office was. When the boy told him, Billy Graham thanked him and said, "If you will come to church tonight, I will tell you how you can get to Heaven." The little boy thought about it for a moment and said, "No, thank you, sir, I don’t think I will be there.”

Billy Graham was surprised and asked “Why not?”

The boy replied, “How are you going to tell me how to get to heaven when you don’t even know how to get to the post office!"

In this second half of Matthew chapter 7 Jesus makes several significant statements about how to get to heaven. The first one is found in verses 13 and 14:

13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

It’s very popular in our culture today to say that all roads, all religions, eventually lead to heaven.

The spiritual journey is often pictured as a mountain, with heaven on top of the mountain, and every religion finding its own unique path up the mountain, but with all of the paths ending up at the same destination. The basic philosophy is that "If all roads ultimately lead to the same place it makes no real difference which road we take."

But what does the bible say about the path to heaven?

The key to entering heaven is being RESTORED to a right relationship with God. Sin has separated us from God and the only way that our fellowship with God can be restored is for that sin to be removed. Does any other religion provide for the forgiveness of my sins?

2nd Corinthians 5:21 says "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ"

Philippians 3:9 says "Now that I belong to Christ, I am right with God, and this being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him"

Acts 4:12 says "There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them"

And of course Jesus said in John 14:6
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Of course some people question whether God is fair in allowing such a narrow gate and a narrow road.

Is it wrong for God to be so specific about the path to salvation?

Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

It’s not as though God WANTS people to choose the path that leads to destruction!

1st Timothy 2:4 says "This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth"

So why don’t more people choose the narrow gate? Maybe, as Jesus says, they can’t find it. If you can’t find something it may be because you’re looking in the wrong place or looking for the wrong thing! If people are looking to fulfill their own selfish desires, they won’t necessarily be looking towards a path that requires sacrifice; that requires laying down my life and picking up my cross each day! The simple reality is that the way of the cross is hard.

In Acts 14:22 the Apostle Paul says that ““Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” As Jesus now goes on to warn about “false prophets” He may be including teachers who deny that the way of Christ is narrow and requires sacrifice.

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.

The bible quite often uses the analogy of sheep to represent those who follow after Jesus and the analogy of wolves to represent those who would mislead or devour the flock:

In Matthew 10:16 Jesus gave this warning to His disciples, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

Ezekiel 22:27 says this about false religious leaders, “Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravaging the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.”

Paul also warned in Acts 20:29 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.”

What does Jesus mean when He says that these wolves will be wearing sheep’s clothing? He is saying that the WORDS of the false prophets may be attractive or appealing and might even seem biblical. The only way to find out for sure whether you’re encountering a fellow sheep or a wolf is to look at their fruits. If they are truly of God then we should see evidence of the fruit of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”

Here are some of the false fruits that are mentioned in the New Testament:

Controversial doctrines:

1st Timothy 1:3 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.”

Creating division:

1 Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Weakening other’s faith:

2nd Timothy 2:18 describes “men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.”

Destructive heresies

2nd Peter 2:1 says, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”

When Jesus uses the example of fruit trees, He is making it clear that His followers won’t be identified by the words from their lips but by the evidence of their actions. He goes on to amplify this point in verses 21-23

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Those tend to be seen as scary verses because we all call Jesus Lord. And here is Jesus saying “Not everyone who calls Me Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven”! In fact, the doubling of a person’s name, like saying “Lord, Lord”, was considered an expression of intimacy. Jesus is clearly saying that claims of intimacy don’t make the difference; good works don’t make the difference; even miraculous works don’t make the difference; only doing the will of the Father makes the difference between those who SAY they are believers and those who really are.

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

If you tie this analogy back to the two roads, it’s essentially the same point; one road leads to destruction and one foundation leads to destruction. One path leads to life and one foundation can survive the storms!

Jesus IS the path, and Jesus IS the solid rock that can keep us safe through the storms of life.

When the people heard these teachings, they knew this was radically different from all of the other teaching they had ever heard.

28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

The scribes and the Pharisees taught by quoting from what previous teachers had said, using that as their source of authority. Jesus taught directly from His own authority. He didn’t need to quote from anyone else.

If we recognize that Jesus is the only true authority concerning who gets into heaven and how they get there, then we must accept the reality that there is no such thing as “all roads lead up the same mountain”. In fact, Jesus narrows the choices down to 2 roads, 2 gates, 2 kinds of trees, and 2 types of foundations to build your house on. There aren’t 10 paths, or 5 paths, or even 3 paths; there are only two. You’re either headed in the right direction or the wrong direction. The wonderful thing about God’s grace is that He is continually trying to put us back on the one and only path that leads to him!

In the 1929 Rose Bowl game, Georgia Tech was playing the University of California. In the first half a University of California player named Roy Riegals recovered a fumble. But in his confusion he ran in the wrong direction. In fact, he ran 65 yards in the wrong direction, until one of his teammates caught up to him and tackled him just short of their own end zone! During half-time everyone wondered what the U of C coach would do. Would he bench Roy for the rest of the game? As the men sat in the locker room, Roy was in the corner, his face in his hands, crying like a baby. Finally the coach looked at the team and said, "Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second half...and that includes you Roy." The players on both teams would tell you that they’d never seen a man play football with as much intensity as Roy Riegals did in that second half!

Many of us have spent many years running in the wrong direction, but God gives us the same chance as that coach gave to Roy – get back in the game and turn things around in the right direction! And we should take that opportunity and play out the rest of our lives with PASSION, and INTENSITY, and APPRECIATION for the second chance we’ve been given, because there’s more at stake for us than the outcome of a football game. Our eternal destiny was changed because God made a way for us to have a second chance!

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Steve Rahter

www.praisetabernacle.com

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 0823

Sunday March 9th

Matthew 6:19-34

I heard a story about a man who was running down the hallway of the hospital in his hospital gown just before his scheduled operation.

The receptionist at the desk asked him, "Sir, what's the matter?"

He said, "I changed my mind. My nurse just said, 'It's a very simple operation. Stop worrying. I'm sure it will go just fine."

"Well sir, she was just trying to comfort you, what's wrong with that?"

"She wasn't talking to me. She was talking to the doctor!”

Worry – it seems there’s always something to be worried about.

A ninety-nine year old woman received a visit from a church member at her nursing home.

"How are you feeling today?" the visitor asked.

"Oh," the old lady said, "I'm just worried sick!"

"What are you worried about?" the visitor asked. "You look rather well and healthy today. Are they taking good care of you here?"

"Oh, yes, they're taking very good care of me."

"Are you in any pain?"

"No, I'm not in any pain at all."

"Well then, what are you worried about?"

The old lady leaned back in her rocking chair, breathed a heavy sigh, and said. "Every friend I ever had has already died and gone on to heaven and I’m still here. I'm worried that they all think I ended up in hell."

What are we supposed to do about worry? Jesus is going to address that very question as we continue our study of The Sermon on the Mount. (Starting in verse 19)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Somebody once referred to those three verses as “The Sermon on the AMOUNT!”

We can mistakenly think that life has two categories: spiritual things, and material things.
But Jesus is saying that there is no such distinction. As a matter of fact, our attitude toward material things is probably an accurate indicator of the true spiritual condition of our hearts.

That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Someone put it this way, “look at your checkbook and it will tell you where you are spiritually.”

The issue isn’t really about the money, it’s about the heart. So many times people misquote 1st Timothy 6:10 and say that “Money is the root of all evil” but the verse actually says that “The LOVE of money is the root of all sorts of evil”. And then it adds this:

“And some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
The point is, there’s actually nothing wrong with owning things. The important question is always going to be, do I own my possessions, or do they own me?

In fact, just a few verses further, in 1st Timothy 6:17, Paul says, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

So God gives us things to ENJOY, but He doesn’t want us to build our lives around those things. We should build our lives around Him!

In Luke 12:15 Jesus gives this warning:
“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

That’s why the real issue that Jesus is expressing here in verse 19 is “Do not store up” earthly treasures! That doesn’t mean you can’t have a savings account or leave an inheritance for your children. The issue is “How much is enough?” or will we ever have “ENOUGH”?

Proverbs 30:15 says “The leech has two daughters, “Give,” and “Give.”
There are three things that will not be satisfied,
Four that will not say, “Enough”

In the next verses Jesus points out that the real problem is found in how we see things. The problem starts with our eyes.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

One commentary says “The good eye looks to God as its “master” and fills the person with the “light” of God’s will. The bad eye looks to “treasures on earth” and sees only the “darkness” of greed and self-interest. A person’s whole life will be determined by the kind of “light” their “eye” lets in.”

Verse 24 sums up the choice. We can’t have one good eye and one bad eye!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

At first glance this seems to be a repetitive or redundant sentence. Jesus seems to be saying the same thing twice. But why?

I believe it’s because the choice works BOTH ways: If I choose the things that the world offers, money, fame, and power, then I’ll grow cold towards God. But if I “cling” to God, if I “devote” myself to God, then the things of the world will lose their power to entice me.

It’s like the old song says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

So Jesus should be my all in all, my sole supplier of joy, peace, and contentment.

Which brings us back to the topic of worry:

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

“Each day has enough trouble of its own.” That’s definitely a true statement. And we know it’s true, that’s why we worry! Someone wrote this about worry:

“If we woke up tomorrow morning and stopped long enough to think of all the bad things that could happen to us during the day, I wonder how many would get out of bed anyway? If you think about things that way, life becomes almost unbearable.

There are a lot of “what ifs”, or variables in our lives that can be sources of concern. Will my car make it to work? Will I get sick? Will I get fired? Will I have an accident? Will I make it home again safely? Will my home be here when I come back? What about my kids, my spouse, my finances, my whatever? Does that give you enough to worry about or should I go on? The list of things that we can worry about is endless – but if you dwell on the “what ifs”, that worry will drive you into a state of panic.”

One thing that is hard to understand about God’s commandments is that when He says “Thou shalt not” He isn’t trying to be a cosmic kill-joy.

God knows what’s good for us and what’s hurtful to us. When He says “Don’t commit adultery” it’s because He knows how destructive that sin is. When He says “Don’t worry” it’s for the same reason; He knows how destructive and pointless it is to worry!

In verse 27 Jesus sums up the futility of worrying:

“Who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

He gives us those two beautiful examples – birds don’t worry, flowers don’t worry – and God takes care of THEM!

And then Jesus gives us the antidote, the cure for worry:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.”

That instruction is directly connected to Jesus’ earlier statement that “No one can serve two masters.”

If God is our master, we have nothing to worry about. If the world is our master, then we probably SHOULD be worried!

When Jesus says to “seek first” God’s kingdom and His righteousness, He isn’t using the word “First” as if to imply that after we seek God we can then go ahead and seek other stuff (second, third, and fourth). He’s challenging us to make God’s kingdom, and our relationship with Him, the highest, all-encompassing priority in our lives! When we do that, we find out that worry is inconsistent with this priority, because worry indicates doubt about the sovereignty or the goodness of God.

I can’t live a life that is completely sold-out and surrendered to God AND be worried at the same time. I can’t serve THOSE two masters, God and worry!

It’s like the story of the young man who answered a want ad for a business job. He was interviewed by the man who ran the small business that he had started by himself.
“I need someone to do my worrying for me,” the man said. “I worry about a lot of things, but I don’t want to have to worry about money. Your job will be to take all the money worries off my back.”
“I see,” the young man said. “And how much does the job pay?”
The owner said, “I’ll start you at eighty thousand dollars a year.”
“Eighty thousand dollars! How can such a small company afford to pay a salary like that?”
“That,” the owner said, “is your worry.”

When we make Jesus the Lord of our lives, HE takes all of our worries and handles them FOR us!

That’s why Peter says in 1 Peter 5:7

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.”

I will readily admit that I worry. I worry about my family, I worry about my finances, and I worry about many of YOU! But I’m trying to learn to walk in obedience to what God is telling us here. I want to operate in the truth of Isaiah 41:10
“So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.”

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Steve Rahter

www.praisetabernacle.com

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 0823

Sunday March 2nd

Matthew 6:1-18

As we wrapped up chapter 5 last week, Jesus was explaining what it would look like to be “perfect” or “mature” disciples. Here in chapter 6 He continues to explain what our goals for maturity should be.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

So for starters Jesus says "Don't do things like the hypocrites do." The word hypocrite is actually the same word for "actor." A hypocrite is someone who acts religiously -- who does all the outward actions of religious behavior but doesn't have the proper inner attitude. Jesus is saying “don’t just be an actor – someone who is acting religious but is really a fake.”

The Pharisees were constantly showing off their religiosity. They would make a big public display of their prayer life, their giving to the poor, and when they were fasting they would draw attention to that fact by covering themselves with ashes and looking hungry. The Pharisees were basically show-offs. Jesus warns us to “beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them.” That’s the real issue: doing religious-looking things in order to be noticed and praised. The Pharisees wanted their religious acts to be seen in order to receive glory. That phrase, “do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing” is an Aramaic expression that means “keep it quiet.” Giving, prayer, and fasting are all supposed to be done quietly so that our heavenly Father, who sees the things that we do in private, will be the one who rewards us. Jesus says this is true not just of our giving, but every area of our spiritual life, including prayer.

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Does this mean that we should never pray out loud in front of other people, even in church? I don’t think that’s the case, because Jesus prayed publicly many times, but if we look through the Gospels we’ll also see many references to Jesus praying privately, with no one else around, including:

Matthew 14:23:After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

Matthew 26:36: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

Mark 1:35: In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.

Luke 5:16: But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

Luke 6:12: It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

So Jesus modeled both public and private prayer for us. Both have value, but the point is that if we’re praying in public just so people will be impressed, then the prayer has no value in God’s eyes.

In verses seven and 8 Jesus gives another “don’t” when it comes to prayer:

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

The concept of repetitive prayer is found in many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. But God intended prayer to be a conversation, not a monologue. He doesn’t need you to repeat the same words over and over as if your chances of getting an answer increase every time you say the words. Jesus points out the simple reality that our heavenly Father already KNOWS what we need – He doesn’t need us to remind Him over and over – He just wants us to talk with Him and spend time with Him.

So after giving us a few lessons about what prayer SHOULDN’T look like, Jesus demonstrates what true prayer SHOULD look like:

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

Notice in verse 9 that Jesus says to “Pray in this way”, not “Pray these exact words”. Even the Lord’s Prayer can become pointless if we’re just repeating the words mindlessly without really meaning them. That’s how I used to pray my “penance” prayers when I came out of the confessional!

In showing us a new way to pray, Jesus established the basis for the relationship between Christians and God as a Father-child relationship! God is our Father.

That was a revolutionary concept that Jesus was bringing forth when He spoke the words:

“Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.”

This opening verse tells us that prayer is basically a conversation with our Dad. In fact, the word that Jesus uses for Father is “ABBA” which means “DADDY”. It was the word that little children used.

So we can talk to our Dad, the one who created, directs, and sustains the universe!

The other significant word in this opening verse is “hallowed” which essentially means “holy”, and points out that God is separate from His creation, over all of creation, and perfect in every way. So even though He’s our Dad, we should still come to Him in an attitude of worship and reverence, recognizing His power and position in the universe.

The words of verse 10 say, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” God has a perfect will, a perfect plan for this world. As we pray we are submitting our lives to accomplish His will. Philippians 3:20 explains why “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” As citizens of heaven we fall under heaven’s jurisdiction, so we need to follow the instructions of heaven’s king– just like everyone else does in heaven. Then things will be on earth as they are in heaven.

And as citizens we are allowed to ask the king for the things we need. “Give us this day our daily bread” (verse 11). The Greek word translated “daily” is found only here in this prayer, no where else. It has been understood to mean “daily necessities”.

This means we bring our financial needs, our relationship needs, our food, shelter, health needs – directly to God.

We must remember, however, to distinguish between needs and wants. Philippians 4:19 promises that “my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”, but that isn’t a promise to give us everything we want. Some of the things we think we want aren’t actually good for us, and God knows what is best.

In fact one of the reasons why God wants us to bring our requests to Him is so that we can learn the difference between what’s important in life, and what’s not important. When we see His answers to our prayers we find out what His will is, and then we can learn to pray more effectively in line with His will.

Verse 12 is crucial. Jesus instructs us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

1 John 1:8-9 tells us “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

But, Jesus connects another issue to God’s forgiveness: our forgiveness of others who have sinned against us! If we’re asking God to forgive OUR sins, we have no right to hold anger, bitterness, grudges, or vindictiveness against them.

Because again that would make us what…hypocrites. And how can we expect God to forgive us if we don’t forgive others?

In Case you don’t think this is a major issue in Jesus’ mind, just jump down to verses 14 and 15, which put a rather strong exclamation point on this:

14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

In chapter 18, verses 23-35, Jesus tells this parable as a reminder of what He taught us to pray here in the Lord’s Prayer:

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

The simplest thing I can say to you regarding the issue of forgiveness is this: If you don’t intend to forgive others then don’t even bother asking for God’s forgiveness, or at least don’t pray “forgive me AS (or in the same way as) I intend to forgive those who have hurt me.” Because God will DEFINITELY answer that prayer by NOT forgiving you AS you have NOT forgiven others!

In verse 13 Jesus said to pray, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.

James 1:13-15 says “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

God never “leads us into temptation”. We are tempted to sin by the world, our own sinful nature, and Satan.

What we are really asking for is that God would not ALLOW us to lead OURSELVES into temptation, but would instead deliver us from the evil that constantly surrounds us. When we pray this way we humbly acknowledge that we are weak, and need God’s strength and guidance to survive through the temptations we face.

1 Corinthians 10:13 also adds this about temptation:

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

So we’re all in the same boat when it comes to temptation, and we all need God’s way of escape to lead us OUT of danger.

Jesus ends His teaching about prayer by saying, “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen”. So we start out our prayer time with praise and we come back to praise as we end our prayers.

Maybe it would better to say that we
“pause” in our time of prayer because our prayers really shouldn’t “end” since 1st Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.”

And why would we really WANT to stop praying? We have a Father who loves us and enjoys our company, and wants to pour out blessings on us!

The final verses we’ll look at today are simply an additional warning against hypocrisy in regard to fasting:

16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Let me just gently put this into context with this modern day example. There is currently a lot of interest in something called “The Daniel Plan”. It’s a type of diet, or fast, developed by Rick Warren, who is the author of the best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Life”, along with Dr. Oz and a few other folks. Here’s what their website says:

“The Daniel Plan is not just another diet. It's a lifestyle based on the biblical story of Daniel, who forsook the king's rich food in order to honor God's best for him and his friends. Those who ate simple foods and drank water instead of gorging on rich foods and wine looked better, and healthier.

The diet emphasizes eating fresh, organic and unprocessed foods. Meals are heavy on fruits and vegetables and light on meat.”

As you can imagine, I’m all for that plan – it’s both biblical AND practical.

The reason I’m mentioning it in this context is that I think Jesus would probably be in favor of it too – but what He WOULDN’T be in favor of is posting to everyone on FaceBook that you’re doing the Daniel fast or how great you’re doing on it!

I think what Jesus is saying here in verses 16-18 is that if everyone KNOWS that you’re fasting and tells you how awesome you are and how proud of you they are…well, that’s great, but God’s not impressed.

If you want God to be blessed by your fast, keep it between you and Him. Jesus said, “don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing”

Maybe we could also add, “don’t let your FaceBook friends know what your stomach is doing”!

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Steve Rahter

www.praisetabernacle.com

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

http://www.praisetabernacle.com/sermon-blog.html

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Sunday February 16th

Matthew 5:1-16

A lady by the name of Gladys Dunn moved to a new town and she decided to visit the church near her new home.

She loved the beautiful sanctuary and the powerful worship, but the sermon just went on and on and on. She looked around, and saw that many people in the congregation were actually nodding off.

Finally, when it was over, she turned to sleepy-looking gentleman next to her, extended her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Gladys Dunn."

He replied, "I’m Glad it’s done too! I thought it would never end."

Jesus begins a sermon here in chapter 5 that will last all the way through chapters 6 and 7, a total of 107 verses. We refer to this as the Sermon on the Mount.

There is a similar, but shorter, 30 verse version known as the sermon on the plain recorded in Luke 6.

Starting in chapter 5, verse 1 we read:

When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This first section of the Sermon on the Mount is sometimes called the beatitudes. The verses all begin with the words “blessed are”. This word translated as “blessed” means much more than just “happy.” It indicates a state of spiritual well-being that results from choosing to live for God.

That’s the same as what Psalm 1:1-3 says

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

The kind of people that Jesus refers to as “blessed” are those who are “poor in spirit.”

Why would poverty be seen as a blessing? The reality of being “poor in spirit” is simply that people with a greater understanding of their own spiritual need are more likely to depend on God alone and not rely on their own goodness. That’s what puts them in a position to receive greater blessings.

The Apostle Paul points out the same principle in Romans 9:30-32

“What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works.”

Do you see what Paul is saying? Those who know that Jesus is the ONLY source of true righteousness will attain it by faith, but those who believe that they are capable of righteousness on their own will NEVER attain it. So acknowledging our spiritual poverty brings about great blessings.

Then Jesus continues:

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

This blessing includes all types of mourning and grieving, but in the context of the entire Sermon on the Mount it put a special emphasis on people who are mourning and grieving over their sinfulness.

5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

This verse, which refers to those that are gentle or “Meek” is most likely a reflection of Psalm 37:11 “But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”

Don’t confuse the concept of meekness with weakness. Spiritual meekness is simply an attitude of humility and submission to the will of God. Meekness actually makes us incredibly strong, because we are relying on God’s power, not our own.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Righteousness, mercy, and purity are three qualities that we should be longing for. Our hunger and thirst should be like what David described in Psalm 42:1

As a deer thirsts for streams of water,
so I thirst for you, God.

Verse 8 is somewhat hard to grasp because since God is a spirit, He is technically invisible.

1 Tim 6:13-16 says “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

There’s a doxology that goes, “unto the king immortal, invisible, the only wise God”.

But as believers, through our pure hearts we will “see” God through faith, because we walk by faith, not by sight. And ultimately we WILL see Him, face to face.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Although the term “peacemaker” is usually used to mean making peace between people or groups of people who are fighting, it can also have a deeper meaning of helping others to find peace with God through salvation.

Then in verses 10 through 12, we find ways to be blessed that we might not necessarily be looking for:

10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

So why will people persecute us and treat us badly? Jesus says it will be “because of Me”. In other words, when we TELL others about Jesus, some of them won’t exactly appreciate what we have to say, but that doesn’t change the fact that we are CALLED to tell others about Jesus. That’s what He emphasizes in verse 13.

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

In Biblical times, salt wasn’t just a seasoning, it was a preservative. There was no type of refrigeration, so food would be coated in salt to keep it from rotting. As Jesus’ disciples we are supposed to preserve and protect Godly values against the influences of the rotten world’s corruption.

Once again we need to understand that this corrupt world doesn’t necessarily WANT to see Godliness preserved, so they may react negatively towards our “salt”. But Jesus warns us that if we lose our ability to preserve Godliness in our OWN lives, then we’ve basically lost our “saltiness” and we really can no longer serve God’s purposes in the world around us.

Verses 14-16 make the same point, but with a different analogy:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor doesanyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

That’s similar to what Isaiah 60:1-3 says

“Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 “For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you
And His glory will appear upon you.
3 “Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Just as salt works to stop decay, light works to stop darkness. Jesus declares that he is “the light of the world” in John 8:12 and again in John 9:5.

Jesus brings light to those in darkness. Do you remember the verse from Matthew 4:16? “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light,
And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,
Upon them a Light dawned.”

The light that accompanies Jesus’ kingdom is not just carried by his disciples; WE are the light!

Ephesians 5:8 says “you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.”

Philippians 2:15 says “prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.”

Jesus said that if salt loses its flavor it “is no longer good for anything”. In the same way, light is supposed to shine, and “a city on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl”.

Since we’re called to be the light of the world, our purpose is completely lost if we keep our faith hidden. Our testimony and our good works are supposed to reflect the light of God. Then those who see our godly actions will glorify not us but our Father in heaven. Interestingly, the term “Father” is used here by Matthew for the very first time. Jesus is introducing the special relationship that exists between believers and God. When we’re walking AS God’s children, THAT’S when His light is shining through us.

Living the kingdom life automatically produces good deeds because they flow from a changed life. The metaphors of salt and light used here by Jesus show us that that the presence of the kingdom of God within us should produce changed lives. If no change is occurring; if we’re still the same people we used to be; if there is no “saltiness” in our lives and essentially “taste” the same as the rest of the world; if our “light” is so dim that it’s barely distinguishable from the darkness around us, then Jesus might have to wonder if we’ve really embraced the kingdom, and if we’ve really made God our Father.

Let me close today with this simply quote from Jefferson Bethke’s poem “Why I hate Religion but love Jesus” “if grace is water, then the church should be an ocean
It's not a museum for good people, it's a ho

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Sunday February 2nd

Matthew 3 (Baptism)

We actually don’t know very much about Jesus’ childhood years. Luke chapter 2 tells us about Jesus being dedicated, and then says in verse 40 “The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

Luke also includes the story of Jesus in the temple at 12 years old, teaching the elders of Israel. He ends that story by saying in verse 52 “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

That’s about all we have, and Matthew certainly doesn’t add anything – he jumps directly from Jesus as an infant to Jesus as a 30 year old man, about to be baptized by His second-cousin John the Baptist.

Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The call to repentance would be issued by both John the Baptist and Jesus. In Matthew 4:17 we will see this:

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

So what exactly is repentance? It’s not just sorrow for our sins but a definite decision to change, to turn away from our sins and turn toward a life of obedience. The call to “Repent” was similar the Old Testament call to the Nation of Israel to “return” to faithfulness to their covenant with God. Repenting doesn’t mean punishing yourself, being depressed, or feeling remorse. As we will see in chapter 27 verse 3, even Judas was sorrowful and distressed about what he had done – “Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders” - but he didn’t repent.

Besides calling the people to repent, John the Baptist also introduces the concept of kingdom of heaven, which will be the central theme of Jesus’ teaching. The kingdom of heaven, or the reign of God, is what the Old Testament prophets had anticipated. John the Baptist and Jesus were proclaiming that the time of waiting was over and the King had come.

From the very beginning, God had wanted the people of Israel to seek HIM as their king, but in 1st Samuel 8:4-7 the people of Israel reject God as their king by asking for an earthly king instead.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing wasdispleasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.”

In some ways the call to repentance is simply a call to allow God to return to His rightful place in our lives. That’s why we not only call Jesus our savior, we call him our LORD!

Then Matthew ties the appearance of John the Baptist into a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy:

3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!’”

This is a quotation of Isaiah 40:3

A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

So let’s look at this interesting character, John the Baptist.

4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Sounds a bit eccentric, doesn’t he?

5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

I love John’s lack of political correctness! He sees snakes and he CALLS them snakes!

The term “the wrath to come” refers to the Old Testament promise of the coming of the Lord in judgment.

Psalm 96:13 says “the Lord…He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.

Malachi 3:2 says “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

So what’s John’s warning for those who want to escape judgment? He goes right back to repentance.

8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

John says that not only is the kingdom of God at hand, so is His judgment. In that sense, John was correct, but what he didn’t know was that Jesus’ wasn’t there tobring judgment, He was there to TAKE the judgment for sins upon Himself!

John then reminds the people that He’s only a warm-up act for the Messiah:

11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John points out that water baptism serves a purpose. That’s why we continue to baptize people today. But there is also a Holy Spirit baptism that releases God’s power and His fire in our lives!

13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15 But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

John didn’t feel right to baptizing Jesus because he recognized that Jesus had no sins to repent for. But Jesus says that, in order for “all righteousness” to be fulfilled, He had to be identified with the people as the bearer of their sins.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says that “(God) made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus’ death on the cross would be His true “baptism”! In Luke 12:50 Jesus says “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”

Then he permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

The appearance of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of the Father from heaven confirm Jesus’ identity in fulfillment of these two scriptures:

Isaiah 42:1

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.

Psalm 2:7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.

The Holy Spirit’s appearance in the form of a dove reminds us the original creation in Genesis 1:2 “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.”

That original creation was ruined by sin, but this reappearance of the Spirit hovering over Jesus points to the beginning of the new creation.

That’s why 2 Corinthians 5:17 says
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

And that’s what we’re proclaiming as we celebrate these baptisms this morning

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Joshua Kennedy

www.praisetabernacle.com

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

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Joshua Kennedy

www.praisetabernacle.com

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

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Sunday January 26th

Matthew 1:18-2:23

Even though we’re almost at the end of January, we’re going to take a look today at Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth. And I think that’s just fine since the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 7th and the Feast of the 3 wise men was on January 6th. So here’s what Matthew has to say, starting in chapter 1 verse 18:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Someone said that we could sum up those verses as “Jesus' Dad hears from Jesus' Father”! Joseph was Jesus’ legal father, his earthly Dad, but not His literal or actual father. God alone is Jesus’ true father.

We actually don’t know much about Joseph. In all of gospels put together there is not one single quote from Joseph. We never hear him speak a word. But the man knew how to LISTEN! And that alone made Joseph the right man for God’s plan. Not only would he listen, he would OBEY!

Notice that Matthew only records Joseph’s encounter with the angel, not Mary’s. Mary’s visit from the angel is found in Luke’s gospel. Matthew also doesn’t mention the journey to Bethlehem, the manger, or the shepherds. Those details are also found in Luke. But Matthew adds this record of Jesus’ other visitors in chapter 2:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Some people have referred to the magi, or wise men, as “The most famous trio to ever attend a baby shower.”

Someone also referred to their journey as “The Original Star Trek!” The wise men actually didn’t follow the star all the way to Bethlehem, like the song We Three Kings would lead us to think. The bible simply says that they saw the star of the Messiah in the east and that it caused them to seek out the new King of the Jews. So they went to Jewish capital, Jerusalem.

Of course, the first stop they made in Jerusalem was to see King Herod. They figured “surely the current king will be able to tell us where to find the NEW king!”

Herod IS able to pinpoint the town of Bethlehem when his scribes look it up in the book of the prophet Micah.

But of course he’s not too thrilled to learn that he’s going to be replaced, so he asks the Magi to report back to him after they find the child so that he can go and “Worship” him. Thankfully God speaks to them in a dream to return home by a different route and to bypass Herod.

As they begin their journey toward Bethlehem the star actually reappears and it directs them right to where Jesus is staying. Notice it says “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother”. The fact that Jesus and Mary were in a house rather than a cattle stall shows that they probably didn’t arrive on the actual day of Jesus’ birth, but some time after.

When the wise men finally do come to Jesus, they bring three gifts: Gold, which is a gift for royalty, a gift for a king. Incense, which was for divinity, a gift you give to a God. And myrrh, which is a funeral gift, a spice used for burial. Their gifts show that they understood a lot about the Messiah. They knew He would be not only a king, but God himself, and that the reason he had come was to die.

You might think these gifts were just an amazing coincidence, but they’re not. God actually set up these events years in advance.

Nine months before all of this, God sent angels to tell Joseph and Mary about the birth of His Son. On Christmas night, God sent angels to communicate with shepherds about the birth of His Son. Hundreds of years before Christmas, God sent the prophet Daniel to Babylon to teach their wise men to watch for a certain star and when they see it, to respond by bringing gifts to celebrate the birth of His Son.
Ultimately these Magi were looking for “Messiah the Prince” spoken of by Daniel’s in his prophecy.

Daniel 9:25 shows why they were watching for the star and looking for the Messiah at this particular time in history:

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be
seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the
street shall be built again, and the wall, even in
troublous times.”

To do the math, we have 7 weeks, “threescore weeks” which means 60, and 2 weeks, so in total
it would be 69 “weeks” from King Cyrus’ decree to allow a group of Jewish men to go back to Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild the city walls until Messiah the Prince would arrive.

Prophetically 1 week is equal to 7 years, so 69 weeks times seven years for each week would total 483 years.

The wise men already had the exact date of Cyrus’ decree so they kept track of those 483 years and therefore they knew the time was at hand for Daniel’s prophecy to be fulfilled. So now they came looking for the newborn king who would fulfill that prophecy.

God had communicated to the wise men that the Messiah would be both a king and a God, and that He would come to die. Through a combination of Daniel’s prophecy, the Hebrew Scriptures, and the appearance of a certain star, these wise men seemingly knew more about the coming of the Messiah than the Jewish leaders did.

Someone summed up the situation this way:

“The magi were seeking the King; Herod was opposing the King; and the Jewish priests were ignoring the King.”

So the Magi came and brought their presents and then returned home. But their visit had accidentally put the young Messiah in danger, because Herod was now aware that his rival has arrived. However, God has already made provision to protect His Son.

13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”

14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she refused to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”

Mathew is focusing his Gospel towards his fellow Jewish citizens, so he goes out of his way to show all of the fulfilled Old Testament scripture that applies to Jesus as the promised Messiah. Matthew quotes from Hosea 11:1 “Out of Egypt I called My Son” and from Jeremiah 31:15 to describe the weeping of the mothers whose sons were slaughtered by Herod’s soldiers.

The fact that Herod ordered the killing of all male children “from two years old and under” is another indication that the visit from the wise men didn’t happen on Christmas day, but sometime after. I think maybe they saw the star for the first time on the day that Jesus was born, but finally visited him after traveling all the way from their county to Israel.

Then Joseph has two more dreams, which is how Jesus ends up back in Nazareth:

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

In God’s awesome, perfect plan, EVERYTHING has significance! He allows Daniel to be taken into Babylon so that many years later these wise men will honor the birth of the Messiah. He has angels speak over and over to Joseph through dreams to bring Jesus just where He wants him.

And where does God want His Son raised? In Galilee, some remote, insignificant region of Israel, and in Nazareth, a town that was looked down upon even by other Israelites.

Look at John 7:52: They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” And again in John 1:46: Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” God went out of His way to select the least of the least as a place for Jesus to grow up, so that the wisdom of the world would be overturned by the foolishness of God. He chose to make humility an essential part of who Jesus would be, and who WE must be if we intend to follow Him!

Things haven’t really changed that much since these events unfolded over 2000 years ago. I think we could sum it up this way:

“The Wise Still Seek Him, The World Still Hates Him, And God Still Saves Those Who Come To Him!”

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Sunday January 19th

Matthew 1:1-17

The gospel of Matthew has been described as “a book written by a Jewish man to his Jewish countrymen about the Jewish Messiah”, and that fact is established from the very first verse:

“The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:”

To our modern minds, a genealogy, or list of someone’s ancestors, can seem pointless or boring, and we might even be tempted to skip over it so that we can get to the more interesting parts of the story. But we need to understand the importance of lineage to the Jewish people, and especially the lineage of the promised Messiah.

If a man came along who did great miracles and taught wonderful truths and raised the dead and controlled the wind and the waves with his voice, but he WASN’T descended from Abraham, through Isaac, and then from David, then there was still NO WAY he could be the Messiah, based upon everything that God had already spoken prophetically.

In his opening verse, Matthew is clearly establishing that Jesus DOES have the credentials to qualify as the Messiah because he IS a descendant of Abraham and David. Then Matthew spells it all out in more detail to drive home his point:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of David the king.

Just in case you missed this in the onslaught of names, this list of ancestors isn’t exactly a who’s who of perfect people! One commentary put it this way: “Jesus’ genealogy reminds us that God often does the unexpected and chooses the unlikely.”

For starters, Jewish genealogies hardly EVER mentioned the women in someone’s lineage, only the men. Matthew will list a total of five women, and the three mentioned so far have quite interesting backgrounds. Tamar was Judah’s daughter-in-law. Her story is found Genesis 38.

Her husband Er, Jacob’s son, was so evil that God killed him. Judah asked his second son to raise a family with Tamar, but he refused, so Judah promised Tamar that she could marry his youngest son after he got old enough. Then time went by and Judah never kept his promise, so Tamar disguised herself and Jacob, thinking she was a prostitute, got her pregnant with twin boys. One of them, Perez, is in the lineage of Jesus.

Then we have Rahab. Tamar might have been mistaken for a prostitute, but Rahab WAS a prostitute! In Joshua Chapter 2 she helps two Israelite spies escape from Jericho and as a reward they spare her life when the city is conquered. Her son Boaz ends up marrying Ruth.

Now Ruth was a lovely, virtuous woman (she even has a book in the bible named after her) but she had one little strike against her. Ruth was a Moabite, and Moabites were subject to a special curse in Deuteronomy 23:3–5 “No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the Lord; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the Lord, 4 because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.”

So Ruth technically wasn’t allowed to enter the tabernacle, but she WAS allowed to be David’s grandmother! And now Matthew will continue listing Jesus’ ancestors, from David on down:

David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

So let’s look at this next batch of family members:

David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. That’s AFTER David had an affair with Bathsheba and then had Uriah killed to cover up his adultery!
Rehoboam was Solomon’s son. He was such a terrible ruler that the nation of Israel ended up splitting into two separate kingdoms.
Rehoboam’s son Abijah, according to 1 Kings 15, “walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord.”
The same was true of Ahaz. “Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had done. 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before the sons of Israel.” (2 Kings 16:2-3)
And again, here is what 2 kings 21:1-3 says about Manasseh: “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.”
By the time Jeconiah because king, God was pretty fed up with the disobedience of the nation of Judah, so He removed his protection from them and allowed the Babylonians to take them into captivity. But of course God is rich in mercy, and his plan to send a savior continued even during the time of captivity:

12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. 14 Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

So it was a pretty bumpy road, with quite a few odd characters, but God accomplished His ultimate plan to bring forth the promised Messiah through the line of Abraham, Isaac, Judah, and David. To show that God knew exactly what He was doing, despite man’s unfaithfulness, Matthew points out the mathematical precision of the genealogy:

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Remember that Matthew is establishing for Jewish readers that Jesus is truly the promised Messiah. “Messiah” is the Hebrew word for “anointed” The Old Testament prophets foretold the coming of the righteous Servant of the Lord (Is. 42:1–9), who will be a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:18, 19), a priest like Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4), and a king like David, who was anointed by Samuel to be Israel’s king. The word Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, which also means “anointed.” Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one!

Luke 3:23–38 has a similar but slightly different genealogy because Luke traces Jesus’ ancestors all the way back to Adam rather than just to Abraham. Luke also mentions only the men, not the women. But both Matthew and Luke emphasize that Jesus was a direct descendent of Abraham, through David.

Personally, I think that Matthew’s genealogy is a more encouraging list as far acknowledging and showing the sins, faults, and failures that were part of the lives of so many people who were used by God to accomplish His salvation plan.

Why does that matter?

Look at what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are.”

You see, it doesn’t matter if you, or your parents, or your grandparents, or your great-grandparents had flaws, even BIG flaws! God can still use you!

In fact, Paul is saying that it’s actually MORE LIKELY that God will use you if you come from a messed-up broken background!

Who is God choosing to accomplish His purposes:

The foolish things of the world and the weak things of the world and the base things of the world and the despised, the things that are not!

Let me ask you a question, “the things that are not WHAT?”

The things that are not wise, the things that are not strong, the things that are not mighty, the things that are not noble, the things that are considered worthless and incapable and unattractive by the world’s standards; THESE are the ones that God has chosen!

WE are the ones that God has chosen! Because when the wise and the strong and the mighty and the noble ones succeed in life, THEY get the recognition, THEY get the credit, THEY get the glory.

But when the weak are MADE strong, when the foolish are MADE wise, when the unrighteous are MADE righteous, GOD gets the recognition, GOD gets the credit, and GOD gets the glory, because there was NO WAY we could have possibly turned around our lives without HIS help!

THAT, my friends is what we mean by a TESTIMONY!

I once was lost but now I’m found. And I didn’t find myself, someone FOUND me!

I once was blind but now I see. And I couldn’t cure my blindness by myself, someone had to open my eyes!

I once was weak, but now I’m strong,

I once was bound up, powerless in my addictions, but now I’ve been SET FREE!

What I used to think was my own wisdom was nothing more than the world’s foolishness! But now I know TRUE wisdom, which is only found through faith in Christ, my Messiah, my anointed one, my savior.

And if you see ANYTHING good in me today, give Him ALL the glory, because it was not by might or power of my own that these changes have come, but only by the power of the Spirit, the grace of God, and the blood of the lamb!

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Sunday January 12th

Job 38-42

So now we are nearing the end of the book of Job. We’ve seen terrible tragedy come into Job’s life and we’ve listened to Job’s three friends try to explain to Job WHY these things happened. They all agreed that Job MUST have deserved these terrible things because God is FAIR and it would be UNFAIR to let bad things happen to good people. Job defended himself each time against their accusations, but at some point he started drifting into a sort of self-righteous “I can do no wrong” attitude. Then a young man, Elihu, came along and said basically, “Job, you don’t know even the tiniest fraction about who God is and how He operates! You’d be better off praising God instead of questioning Him!”

Before Job even has a chance to argue back against Elihu, an interesting thing happens in Chapter 38Verse 1:

“And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:

“Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?
Pull yourself together, Job!
Up on your feet! Stand tall!
I have some questions for you,
and I want some straight answers.

Where were you when I created the earth?
Tell me, since you know so much!
Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that!
Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?
How was its foundation poured,
and who set the cornerstone
while the morning stars sang in chorus
and all the angels shouted praise?

Who took charge of the ocean
when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?
That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds,
and tucked it in safely at night.
And said, ‘Stay here, this is your place’.

Have you ever ordered the Morning to, ‘Get up’?
As the sun brings everything to light,
the cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked--
they’re caught in the very act!

Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things,
explored the caves of the deep ocean?
Do you know the first thing about death? Do you have one clue regarding death’s mysteries?

Do you have any idea how large this earth is?
Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer.

Do you know where Light comes from and where Darkness lives so you can take them by the hand
and lead them home when they get lost?

Why, of course you know that.
You’ve known them all your life!

Have you ever traveled to where snow is made,
where hail is stockpiled?
Can you find your way to where lightning is launched, the place from which the wind blows?

Who do you suppose carves canyons
for the downpours of rain, and charts
the route of thunderstorms?
And who do you think is the father of rain and dew,
ice and frost?
You don’t for a minute imagine
these marvels of weather just happen, do you?

Do you know the first thing about the sky’s constellations and how they affect things on Earth?

Can you get the attention of the clouds,
and commission a shower of rain?
Can you take charge of the lightning bolts
and have them report to you for orders?

Can you teach the lioness to stalk her prey
and satisfy the appetite of her cubs?
And who sets out food for the ravens
when their young cry to God,
fluttering about because they have no food?

Who do you think set the wild donkey free,
opened the corral gates and let him go?
I gave him the whole wilderness to roam in.
He grazes freely through the hills.

Are you the one who gave the horse his shimmering mane?
Was it through your know-how that the hawk learned to fly?
Did you command the eagle’s flight?

Now what do you have to say for yourself?
Are you going to haul me, the Mighty One, into court and press charges?

Job Answers God Job answered:

“I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me.
I should never have opened my mouth!
I’ve talked too much, way too much.
I’m ready to shut up and listen.”

God’s Second Set of Questions I have some more questions for you,
and I want answers.

Do you presume to tell me what I’m doing wrong?
Are you calling me a sinner so you can be a saint?
Do you have an arm like my arm?
Can you shout in thunder the way I can?
Go ahead, show your stuff.
Let’s see what you’re made of, what you can do.
Unleash your outrage.
Target the arrogant and bring them to their knees.
Stop the wicked in their tracks!

I’ll gladly step aside and hand things over to you--
you can surely save yourself with no help from me!

Look at the beast, Behemoth. I created him as well as you.
Just look at the strength of his back,
the powerful muscles of his belly.
His skeleton is made of steel,
every bone in his body hard as steel.
He’s the most magnificent of all my creatures,
but I still lead him around like a lamb!

Or can you pull in the sea beast, Leviathan, with your fishing pole?
Can you lasso him with a rope,
or snag him with an anchor?
Will you play with him as if he were your pet goldfish?
If you so much as lay a hand on him,
you won’t live to tell the story.
What hope would you have with such a creature?
Why, one look at him would do you in!
If you can’t hold your own against him,
how, then, do you expect to stand up to me?
Who could confront me and get by with it?
I’m in charge of all this—I run this universe!

42 Job answered God:

“I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything.
Nothing and no one can upset your plans.
You asked, ‘who is this person ignorantly second-guessing my purposes?’
I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me.
I made small talk about wonders way over my head.
You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking.
Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’
I admit I once lived by rumors of you;
but now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!
I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!

God Restores Job After God had finished addressing Job, he turned to Eliphaz and said,

“I’ve had it with you and your two friends. I’m fed up! You haven’t been honest either with me or about me—not the way my friend Job has. So here’s what you must do. Take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my friend Job. Sacrifice a burnt offering on your own behalf. My friend Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer. He will ask me not to treat you as you deserve for talking nonsense about me, and for not being honest with me, as he has.”

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar did what God commanded. And God accepted Job’s prayer.

After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—and then doubled it! All his brothers and sisters and friends came to his house and celebrated. Each of them brought generous housewarming gifts.

12-15 God blessed Job’s later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand teams of oxen, and one thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first daughter Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Dark-eyes. There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job’s daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance.

16-17 Job lived on another 140 years, living to see his children and grandchildren—four generations of them! Then he died—an old man, a full life.

It’s certainly comforting to see Job not only restored to what he once had, but actually receiving DOUBLE for what he had lost!

Keep in mind that Job maintained his faithfulness to God, and NEVER cursed God as Satan claimed he would, even in the midst of the worst of it.

Keep in mind also that Job really never does find out WHY all of this happened. There is no indication that Job was ever given the details of Satan’s accusations against him, or the fact that God had ALLOWED Satan to test him.

God vindicates Job be clearly rebuking the three friends who wanted to blame all of Job’s misfortune on his sinfulness, which definitely was not the reason. But ultimately Job learned that we have to simply trust God no matter WHAT is going on around us.

Although these words were not yet written, Job came to understand, by living them out, the truth of these words from Romans 8:28

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

There’s another important element to Job’s story that we need to remember when struggles and difficulties have entered our lives. The biblical truth is found inPsalm 30:5

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

There are going to be hard times in all of our lives. I wish that wasn’t true, but it is. Jesus said “In this world you WILL have tribulation.” But he also said “be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world”! (John 16:33)

Job was an overcomer. And in that way he was a foreshadower of Jesus, who overcame the cross and overcame death itself. Hebrews 12:1-3 reminds us:

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

As we run this race of life, we have Job as our witness, we have Jesus as our witness, we have hundreds of thousands of faithful believers watching us, cheering for us, and saying “you can overcome temptation and hardship and trials! We did it, and you can too!”

That’s why John wrote these words to us in his first letter:

1 John 2:13 I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.

1 John 2:14 I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.

1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

As Pastor Bob Sorge explained, God could have done a worse thing to Job than allowing Satan to attack him twice…“God Could Have Left Job Alone”!

Then Job would have never known God in the deep, true way that he did as a result of his tragedy.

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

www.praisetabernacle.com Joshua Kennedy

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Sunday January 5th

Job 32-37

In 1st Timothy 4:12 the Apostle Paul reminds young Timothy that even those who are in their youth can have something valuable to offer. He says:

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

As the whirlwind conversation/argument between Job and his three old friends finally comes to an end Chapter 32 starts with these words:

“Job’s three friends now fell silent because Job wouldn’t admit to an ounce of guilt.”

As we talked about before, Job was a righteous man, but his attitude with his old friends had started to drift into self-righteousness. And this didn’t sit well at all with a young man named Elihu who had been standing by watching the whole thing unfold. Here’s what we find out as Chapter 32 continues:

Then Elihu lost his temper. He blazed out in anger against Job for pitting his righteousness against God’s. He was also angry with Job’s three friends because they had not proved Job wrong.

Elihu had waited while they spoke because they were all older than him. But when he saw that the three other men had exhausted their arguments, he exploded with pent-up anger.

This is what Elihu said:

“I’m a young man,
and you’re all old and more experienced.
That’s why I kept quiet.
I kept thinking, ‘The longer you live, the wiser you become.’
But I guess I was wrong--
getting old doesn’t guarantee good sense.
So I’ve decided to speak!
I’m going to tell you exactly what I think.

Do you three have anything else to say?
Of course you don’t! You’re total frauds!

Now it’s my turn and I’ve got a lot to say!
And I’m going to say it straight--
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

So please, Job, hear me out.
What I’m about to say
has been carefully thought out.
I’m speaking honestly from my heart.

And if you think you can prove me wrong, do it.

(Despite Elihu’s intensity, he does try to show respect for his elders by acknowledging that they surely must know more than him. Then he criticizes them for giving up so quickly in the face of Job’s stubbornness. He also shows respect for Job by asking him to PLEASE LISTEN, and he is the only one who calls Job by his name, something that none of the other three did in all of their arguments. Then Elihu continues speaking to Job.)

Here’s what you said.
I heard you say it with my own ears.
You said, ‘I’m pure—I’ve done nothing wrong.
But God keeps picking on me.

But let me tell you, Job, you’re dead wrong!
God is far greater than any human.
So how dare you try to haul him into court
and then complain that he won’t answer you?
God always answers, one way or another,
even when people don’t recognize his presence.

In a dream or a vision at night,
when men are asleep,
God opens their ears with warnings
To turn them back from something bad they’re planning.

Or, God might get their attention through pain
or suffering.
This is the way God works.

(There are several points Elihu makes here that are significant:

He quotes Job’s own words back to him directly rather than trying to put words in Job’s mouth like the others did.
He points out that God isn’t necessarily refusing to answer Job’s questions; in fact it’s more likely that Job simply isn’t listening. Because, Elihu says, God often speaks to us while we are asleep.
Elihu acknowledges that Job’s suffering is truly painful, but he reminds Job that God often USES pain and suffering AS a way of communicating to us that we’ve gotten off track.

Now Elihu continues to make his case, like a lawyer.)

34 We’ve all heard Job say, ‘I’m in the right,
but God won’t give me a fair trial.
I’ve done nothing wrong, and I get punished anyway. It doesn’t pay to try to please God!’

But it’s impossible for God to do anything evil
He makes us pay for exactly what we’ve done--

no more, no less.
He punishes the wicked for their wickedness.

(This part of Elihu’s argument is exactly the same as the other three friends. He is “defending God” against Job’s accusation that God has been treating him unfairly. And his advice for Job now will also be the same as theirs.)

So why don’t you simply confess to God?
Say, ‘I sinned, but I’ll sin no more.
Whatever evil I’ve done, I’ll do it no more.’

Job, you need to be called into account for talking to God the way you have.
You’ve compounded your original sin
by rebelling against God’s discipline.

(Remember that Job had not “sinned with his lips” when all of the tragedies originally struck.

He refused to curse God for his misfortune. But then Job started to drift into a bit of self-righteousness. Elihu warns Job that, whatever the original sin was that he supposedly committed, this self-righteous attitude is a whole different level of sin. Then Elihu uses a new tactic; proving that an all-powerful God is incapable of making mistakes.)

35 You say, ‘I’m perfectly innocent before God.’
Well, I’m going to show you
that you don’t know what you’re talking about.

When times get bad, people cry out for help.
But they never give God a second thought when things go well.
People are indifferent to God--
until they’re in trouble.
God is powerful,
but he doesn’t bully innocent people.
For the wicked, it’s a different story--
but those who learn from their suffering,
God delivers from their suffering.

Job, don’t you see how God’s inviting you to a table of blessings?
And here you are obsessed with putting the blame on God!
Don’t make things worse with more evil--
that’s what’s behind your suffering as it is!

(Elihu seems to feel that maybe Job took God for granted when things were going well, After all, he says, don’t we all do that? In the final part of his case, Elihu tries to use the forces of nature to convince Job that God is WAY more powerful than any human being can comprehend.)

Look up at the sky.
Do you see those clouds towering above you?

Do you have any idea how powerful God is?
He pulls water up out of the sea, and fills up clouds.
Then the skies open up and pour out showers on everyone.
Do you have the slightest idea how this happens?
Listen to his thunder.
Look at his lightning.
He tells the snow, ‘Blanket the earth’ and it does!
No one can escape from God.
Job, are you listening?

If you’re so smart, give us all a lesson in how to address God.

Do you think I’m dumb enough to challenge God?
It’s unthinkable that he’d treat anyone unfairly.

So my advice to you is to just bow to him in reverence!
If you’re really wise, you’ll worship him.

Keep in mind that in the next few chapters, when God finally speaks, God will chastise Job and will chastise his three older friends, but He doesn’t chastise Elihu. In fact God will use some of Elihu’s same points in correcting Job and his three friends.

Maybe God was just cutting Elihu some slack because he was young, but some scholars believe that Elihu was actually being led by the Holy Spirit in the words that he spoke. And if that’s the case, we should pay particular attention to Elihu’s words, especially these words from Chapter 33, verses 23-28:

“An angel could come,
—there are thousands of them!--
to take up your cause,
A messenger who would mercifully intervene,
canceling the death sentence with the words:
‘I’ve come up with the ransom!’
Before you know it, you’re healed,
the very picture of health!

“Or, you may fall on your knees and pray—to God’s delight!
You’ll see God’s smile and celebrate,
finding yourself set right with God.
You’ll sing God’s praises to everyone you meet,
testifying, ‘I messed up my life--
and let me tell you, it wasn’t worth it.
But God stepped in and saved me from certain death.
I’m alive again! Once more I see the light!’

We need to remember that every book of the bible tells the story of salvation. Even the Old Testament books talk about the gospel message of Jesus, the coming savior, if we understand how to interpret them. Jesus said in John 5:39

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.”

So where is Jesus found in the book of Job?

We already saw that Job testified in Job 19:25

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.”

Job didn’t know that his redeemer would be Jesus; he just knew that there WOULD be a redeemer.

In the same way, when Elihu tells Job about

“A messenger who would mercifully intervene,
canceling the death sentence with the words:
‘I’ve come up with the ransom!’”

Elihu doesn’t know that Jesus, the messenger who will cancel the sentence of death over our lives, will pay the ransom, the price for our freedom, with his own death on the cross!

But Elihu, inspired by the Holy Spirit, shares with Job the wonderful prophetic promise that when our ransom is paid, when we’ve finally set free from sin by our faith in Jesus, then

“finding yourself set right with God.
You’ll sing God’s praises to everyone you meet,
testifying, ‘I messed up my life--
and let me tell you, it wasn’t worth it.
But God stepped in and saved me from certain death.
I’m alive again! Once more I see the light!’

That wasn’t just a promise to Job. It was a promise to ALL of us!

Who here can testify today that “I messed up my life and it wasn’t worth it”?

Who here can proclaim “God stepped in and saved me from death”?

Who here can announce “I’m alive again! Once more I see the light!”

Even if the trials and challenges you are facing today seem as harsh and insurmountable as Job’s; let me assure you that there is a redeemer who has paid your ransom, to bring you back from certain death into eternal life, and to call you out of the darkness into His marvelous light!

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Sunday December 22nd

Job 4-7

Now that Job has spoken his words of grief, Eliphaz speaks up in Chapters 4 & 5 with this advice for Job:

Would you mind if I said something to you?
You have done this plenty of times - encouraged those who were about to quit.
Your words have put fresh hope in people.
But now you’re the one in trouble!
You’ve been hit hard and you’re still reeling from the blow. But think about it! Has a truly innocent man ever ended up on the ash heap?
Do genuinely upright people ever lose out in the end?
It’s my observation that those who sow evil reap evil.

The temper of a fool eventually kills him.
I’ve seen it myself - fools putting down roots,
and then, suddenly, their houses are cursed.
Their children are left out in the cold.
Don’t blame fate when things go wrong--
trouble doesn’t come from nowhere.
If I were in your shoes, I’d go straight to God,
I’d throw myself on the mercy of God.
What a blessing when God steps in and corrects you!
Don’t despise the discipline of Almighty God!

This is just the way things go!

Imagine how you would feel hearing this if you have been sitting on an ash heap for a week covered in boils, in excruciating pain, having just lost your family and everything you owned?

In Chapters 6 & 7 Job answers Eliphaz:

If my misery could be weighed, it would be heavier than all the sand of the sea!
Is it any wonder that I’m screaming like a caged cat?
The arrows of God Almighty are in me,
poison arrows—and I’m poisoned all through!
God has dumped the whole works on me.
Donkeys bray and cows moo when they run out of pasture - so don’t expect me to keep quiet.

All I want is an answer to one prayer, a last request:
Let God step on me—squash me like a bug,
and be done with me for good.
I’d at least have the satisfaction
of not having blasphemed God,
before being pressed past the limits.

What future do I have to keep me going?
Do you think I have nerves of steel?
Do you think I’m made of iron?
Do you think I can pull myself up by my bootstraps?
I don’t even have any boots!

When desperate people give up on God,
their friends, at least, should stick with them.

But you, my so-called friends,
there’s nothing to you!
It’s not as though I asked you for anything.

Confront me with the truth and I’ll shut up,
show me where I’ve gone off the track.
Honest words never hurt anyone,
but what’s the point of all this pious bluster?
You pretend to tell me what’s wrong with my life,
but treat my words of anguish as so much hot air.

Look me in the eyes!
Do you think I’d lie to your face?
Think it over.
Think carefully—my integrity is on the line!
Can you detect anything false in what I say?
Don’t you trust me to discern good from evil?”

Human life is a struggle, isn’t it?
It’s a life sentence to hard labor.
I’m given a life that meanders and goes nowhere--
months of aimlessness, nights of misery!
I go to bed and think, ‘How long till I can get up?’

I toss and turn as the night drags on—and I’m fed up!
I’m covered with maggots and scabs.

We’ve all probably heard the phrase, “with friends like these, who needs enemies?”

Each of Job’s three friends originally came to bring him comfort in the midst of his tragedy, but none of them will do a very good job.

Eliphaz tells Job it’s time for a taste of his own medicine. After all, Job had spoken words of comfort to many of his friends when they were suffering. So why couldn’t Job accept a little help now for his situation in restoring his relationship with God?

Eliphaz says that Job has encouraged many people in the past and now it’s his turn to be given an “encouraging” warning about his obvious lack of integrity. After all, those who sow trouble reap trouble and since Job is reaping plenty of trouble he is obviously under God’s discipline. As far as Eliphaz is concerned Job is suffering because he hasn’t been holy enough! Some hides sin has caused all of this and Job just needs to admit it!

I call this approach “defending God”. Since Job’s circumstances seem unexplainable if God is indeed fair, and since God’s fairness can’t be called into question, then the only other possibility is that God IS fair and therefore Job is getting exactly what he deserves!

Maybe we can recognize this tendency in the words of Eliphaz and Job’s other friends, but are we able to recognize it when similar words come out of our own mouths?

Let me give you a few examples of statements that can sometimes be made by Christians in a misguided attempt to “defend God”:

A woman is sexually assaulted and we say “well that’s not surprising considering how she dresses!”

A family’s teenager falls into drug use and we say “that’s what happens when you send them to public school. They should’ve sent her to Christian School!”

A child dies tragically and we say “God took him because you loved him too much, and God doesn’t want us to make an idol out of anything, even our own children!”

Or how about this other horrendous mistruth “God took her because He needed one more angel in heaven!”

Do you see what I’m getting at?

We don’t know how to explain a world where rape and drugs and tragic death exist, so we make up ridiculous statements to try to make sense of how such horrible things could possibly be allowed to happen when a loving God is supposed to be sovereign over all things.

We don’t want to blame God for allowing the tragedy, so we inadvertently blame the victim.

That’s what Job’s friends ended up doing to him. They all spoke from a belief that a good God couldn’t possibly have allowed such a catastrophe to happen to a righteous, innocent man. Therefore Job must not be so righteous and innocent after all!

The fact of the matter is this: Job WAS righteous and innocent and God DID allow Satan to attack him – not just once but TWICE!

The facts of the matter are these: Rape happens to innocent victims, teenagers raised in good families can fall into drug addiction, and children die every day from fatal diseases and tragic accidents. And a good, loving God ALLOWS these things to happen. WHY?

Because He has given men and women free will; free will to do what is right and free will to do what is wrong. And throughout the course of history, our misuse of the precious gift of free will has caused immeasurable pain to our own lives and the lives of others.

And yes, I’m defending God! But I’m simply speaking the biblical truth that through sin, death entered the world and the wages of sin still are, and always will be… death.

The difference between that biblical understanding and what Job’s friends were doing is that we have to acknowledge in each and every situation that, although sin is the root cause of ALL pain, it is not necessarily the sin of the person who is SUFFERING that has caused the pain.

Jesus clearly addressed this in John 9:1-3

As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

If we really want to learn to speak true words of biblical comfort to those that are hurting, we need to base our comments on these three truths:

Life can be very hard sometimes
Very bad things can happen to very good people through no fault of their own
God shows His power and love by redeeming us from those horrible circumstances. That’s exactly what will happen in Job’s life, although Job doesn’t know it yet.

This understanding about our words should also be kept in mind regarding words of prophecy. 1st Corinthians 14:3 says that the purpose of prophecy is for “strengthening, encouraging and comfort.”

However, sometimes “supposed” prophetic words are given which are anything BUT comforting!

As I said a few moments ago, Job still has no idea where all of this is going to end up. He only knows that he’s still in a whole lot of pain and that his supposed friend didn’t have much to offer in the way of comfort, so in the remaining part of Chapter 7, Job doesn’t even bother arguing with Eliphaz anymore. He directs his conversation back to God:

God, don’t forget that I’m only a puff of air!
These eyes have had their last look at goodness.
And your eyes have seen the last of me;
even while you’re looking, there’ll be nothing left to look at.
When a cloud evaporates, it’s gone for good;
those who go to the grave never come back.
They don’t return to visit their families;
never again will friends drop in for coffee.

So I’m not keeping one bit of this quiet,
I’m laying it all out on the table;
my complaining is bitter, but honest.
Are you going to put a muzzle on me?

I hate this life! Who needs any more of this?
Let me alone! There’s nothing to my life—it’s nothing but smoke.

What are mortals anyway, that you bother with them,
that you even give them the time of day?
That you check up on them every morning,
looking in on them to see how they’re doing?

Even suppose I had sinned—how would that hurt you?
Don’t you have better things to do than pick on me?
Why don’t you just forgive my sins
and start me off with a clean slate?

Before this story ends, Job will have a powerful personal encounter with God which will cause him to learn that there IS life beyond the grave and that God DOES forgive sins and give us a clean slate.

One thing we should remember from all of this is that we are likely to meet people who, like Job at this point in the story, haven’t had an encounter with God, so they don’t know anything about eternal life or forgiveness or the goodness of God. They only know the pain that their circumstances in life have brought about.

Those people don’t need us to defend God to them. They don’t need to be told that their misery is a result of their own poor choices.

They need to be gently and lovingly led to a personal relationship with the greatest friend a person could ever meet; a person who can wipe away every tear from their eyes and give them a fresh, brand new start.

They need to be introduced to Jesus!

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Sunday December 8th

To start off chapter 2 of Job, here’s a little picture of what it looks like to go from bad to worse:

So, to remind you of what Job has suffered so far… in chapter one he lost all of his herds, all of his servants, and all 10 of his children, on the same day!

Amazingly, Job kept his faith and he actually blessed God rather than cursing Him. But now things are going to go from bad to worse (starting with verse 1):

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

This is the same scenario that we saw in chapter one, but notice the difference in what God says next:

3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

The beginning of verse one says “Again there was a day” and we can imagine that it wasn’t very long after these first tragedies that Satan wanted to take another shot at Job. It must’ve really irked Satan that ALL of that misery STILL didn’t shake Job’s faith. In fact God seems to be rubbing it in when He reminds the devil that Job “still holds fast his integrity”.

Also, take note of the fact that God clearly says that Job’s ruinous misfortune was “without cause”. This is important because it will become the entire basis of the argument between Job and his three friends in the coming chapters.

So, starting in verse 4, Satan lays out his next line of attack: Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” 6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”

Rather than acknowledging Job’s faithfulness, Satan simply shrugs it off and says, “That’s because you didn’t let me hit him directly.” But now he will:

7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.

Satan isn’t allowed to kill Job, so he attacks him with the worst possible affliction he can think of… BOILS, from the bottoms of Job’s feet to the top of his head!

And in case you don’t think of that as a truly horrible affliction, remember this; that BOILS were one of the PLAGUES that God sent upon Egypt to cause Pharaoh to set the Israelites free from slavery!

Exodus 9:8-11

“Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.”

Poor Job is already sitting on a pile of ashes, mourning the deaths of his children. Now he picks up a piece of broken pottery and starts to scrape his skin with it, to let the boils drain out. But to ADD to his misery, his wife gives him this piece of encouraging advice:

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”

In defense of Job’s wife, it’s quite possible that she just wanted to see the poor guy put out of his misery. She most likely believed that if Job cursed God, then God would strike Job dead, which considering the circumstances might be the most merciful ending to the story in her mind.

But EVEN with his body covered in boils from head to toe, Job isn’t looking for the easy way out, AND he isn’t blaming God for his misfortune.

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

James 5:11 says:

“We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”

That’s very true, but of course JOB at this point has no idea that everything is going to turn out okay and he has no idea WHY all of this is happening to him, but he still doesn’t sin against God with his words or in his heart.

When WE are in situations where afflictions surround us and we don’t understand what’s happening, we can at least try to be aware, as Job was, that God is somehow in control and that He is worthy of our praise in the good times AND the bad times!

And rather than blame God when things aren’t going well, we should try to determine if our troubles are coming from one of these sources:

1st, they could be due to satanic activities. Job’s problems were a result of direct satanic attacks. The woman in Luke Chapter 13 that Jesus healed; Jesus confirmed the fact that she was under demonic attack when he says this in verse 16:

“And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

2nd, our troubles could be caused by ungodly men:

In 2 Timothy 4:14 Paul says, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil”.

In 2 Timothy 4:10 Paul says; "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."

Our suffering might be caused by ungodly people like Alexander or Demas.

3rd, much suffering comes as a result of the evil world system that surrounds us:

2 Peter 2:8 says about Lot living in Sodom, "For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds." The world system harasses the souls and spirits of believers everyday.

4th, suffering could come from our own fallen nature: In Romans 7:14-15 Paul says, "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would that do I not; but what I hate, that do I”.

Our own fallen nature gives us plenty of problems.

Job isn’t sure WHAT is causing his problems, so he just sits and scrapes his boils; until his three friends arrive:

11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. 13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Consider how terrible Job must’ve looked if his three friends didn’t even recognize him when they first saw him. After they realize what he’s been through they just sit with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights. No one says a word.

According to ancient tradition this behavior was the most intense form of grief they could display. We see this same practice of mourning seven days over the dead in Genesis 50:7-10

“So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. 9 There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful lamentation; and he observed seven days mourning for his father.

Often times when people we know have experienced tremendous grief or loss, we don’t know what to say to them. No choice of words seems sufficient. Sometimes it’s just best to be there for them in silence like Job’s friends were.

We often forget the value of silence because we live in such a noisy world, with TVs, computers, and cell phone yakking at us all the time. But the bible has a lot of good things to say about keeping quiet, including these words of wisdom from Proverbs 17:28

“Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”

One reason that these three friends remained silent was simply that proper Old Testament grieving protocol was that the person who experienced the loss should be the first one to speak.

And starting in chapter 3, which we’ll look at next week, Job finally speaks, then his friends all speak, and you might conclude after hearing their arguments that they would’ve been better off if they had stayed silent!

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December 4 2013 Joshua Kennedy The Rescues Life lesson from Moses

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Sunday December 1st

Job 1:1-22

Two men saw an older churchgoing woman walking down the street. One of the men pointed to her and said to his friend, “I’ll bet you can’t mention anybody to old Miss Thompson without her finding something good to say about him.” The other fellow said, “I’ll take that bet.” “Excuse me, Miss Thompson” he said, “Do you mind telling us; what do you think of the devil?” Miss Thompson thought about it for a minute and replied, “Well” she said, “there is one good thing I can say about him, he never takes a day off!”

You might have found that to be true in your life as well, that the devil never seems to take a day off from harassing you! As we continue studying chapter one of the book of Job we will see Satan working overtime to try and destroy Job’s life. Starting in verse 6:

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

The “Sons of God” who are presenting themselves before the Lord refers to angels, and Satan, who was created to serve God as an angel, shows up. God asks Satan a question even though He already knows the answer. And so do we. We know based on 1 Peter 5:8, where the devil spends his time:

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Satan admits to God that he has been “roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” And I’m sure that Satan has seen the results mankind’s sin. He’s probably even arrogant about it, waiting to point out humanity’s flaws, because Revelation 12:10 calls Satan “the accuser of our brethren… he who accuses them before our God day and night.

But before Satan can start accusing anyone of being unrighteous, God beats him to the punch by bringing up Job as an example of someone who HASN’T given in to Satan’s temptations:

8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

Isn’t it incredible that God can use Job as a testimony of what a life looks like when a man chooses to walk uprightly?

It makes me think of what Jesus told His disciples in John 14:30 “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” That’s what Jesus could say, “Satan has nothing in Me. He has no part of Me. There is nothing about him that has gained access into my life!”

Job could say that too. The question is; can WE say that?

Satan is apparently upset with Job’s faithfulness, but he tries to excuse it away by arguing that it’s been EASY for Job to walk in righteousness because everything has gone his way:

9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

I want to stop here for a moment and address what I consider to be a common misunderstanding of these verses.

Sometimes I hear people say, based upon verse 12, that “Satan has to ask God for permission before he can mess with me!”

Well, yes and no. What we know clearly from these verses is that Satan had to ask God’s permission to torment JOB! We know that for sure because that’s what the verses say. We also know that God is sovereign, and that NOTHING happens that is beyond His power to make it turn out differently if He chose to.

But what these verses DON’T say is that every time Satan wants to mess with ANY human being he has to stand in the presence of God and ask permission.

Think about it this way – with all of the billions of people on the earth and only one Satan…seriously?

Satan is not omnipresent. Only God is. Satan wanted to BE God but he’s not, so he can only be at one place at one time, and he can’t possibly be personally responsible for all of the misery in this world!

What is more likely the case is that he has help from 2 sources:

Demons or other fallen angels
US!

That’s right! WE contribute a whole lot of help to Satan’s desire to kill, steal and destroy when we walk in selfishness and cause suffering to those around us so that we can get what we want.

The motto of the Satanic Bible is “Death to the weakling, wealth to the strong!”

When we live our lives in a manner that seeks to increase our own wealth, fame, or social standing at the expense of those weaker and less fortunate than us, we are carrying out Satan’s plan for the destruction of mankind, whether we realize it or not.

Does God allow us to do that? Yes, He gave us free will to use for good or for evil. Does Satan have to ask God to make us act that way? No, we do it all on our own!

But, back to the story of Job. Here Satan DID ask for God’s permission to “touch all that Job has”, and we see the results of this in verses 13-19

13 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said,

“The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

Don’t ever tell yourself you’re having a REALLY bad day if it doesn’t come close to THAT!

People say that bad things happen in threes; for Job it was four. Four messengers, one after the other came with devastating news.
• Some of your animals were stolen
• The rest of your animals were destroyed by a freak firestorm falling from the sky
• All of your workers were either kidnapped or killed
• All ten of your children are dead.

And Job had to face this news without two things that we all have:

First, He didn’t know how the story would end. Fortunately for us, we do!

Second, he didn’t have Jesus to turn to. We all know this important truth from John 16:33:

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

But even without knowing where all of this was headed or why it had happened, Job kept his faith and his integrity:

20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said,

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Tearing your clothes and shaving your head were traditional ways to express grief and sorrow. People sometimes did those things at funerals. Job now had 10 funerals to face at once!

But even in his deepest grief he WORSHIPPED!

Job said, “I had nothing when I came into this world and I will take nothing with me when I die. Whatever I had was given to me by God. And if God chooses to take away some of what He gave me, that is His right! Blessed be the name of God, whether He is giving or whether He is taking!”

What a righteous stand to take – the exact opposite of what Satan was hoping for!

We are all going to experience various trials throughout our lives; hopefully not to the same degree that Job did.

But no matter what we are facing the questions will always be the same:

How do I respond? How do I view God in the midst of my adversity? Will I continue to worship Him when I don’t understand Him, or don’t understand why He’s allowing these things to happen?

As you think about those questions, listen to this true story. It’s very appropriate for the season we’re about to celebrate.

In 1741 an elderly man wandered, stooped over, through the streets of London. Bystanders recognized this bum on his regular route through the city. His angry mind raced back to the memories of the wonderful years he once lived. . . For forty years he had written opera music that was adored by in both England and Europe. He was honored and in-demand everywhere.

Then things changed quickly and drastically. Fellow musicians became jealous of his success and a rival soon overtook his spot as the top composer.

If that were not enough, a brain hemorrhage paralyzed his right side. He could no longer write music. Doctors gave little hope for his recovery.

The old composer traveled to France and began to soak in waters rumored to have miraculous powers. Doctors warned him about staying in the scalding water for such long periods of time but he ignored their advice and gradually his weakened muscles began to receive new life. His health improved and he once again began to write. Soon, to his amazement, his works were being received with euphoric applause, and the honors again began to flow.

But then he found himself in the pits once more after the death of Queen Caroline, who had been his loyal supporter. On top of this, all of England fell on hard economic times. Things were so bad they wouldn’t even spend money to warm the theaters, so his shows were canceled. He found himself once again wandering aimlessly through the streets. And once again asking, where is God in all of this?

As he wondered home one day, he was shocked to find a wealthy gentleman waiting in his living room. The man’s name was Charles Gibbon.

Charles explained that he had just finished writing words for a musical that covered the entire Old and New Testaments. He believed that the gifted composer was the right man to set it to music. He gave the lyrics to the composer and challenged him to write the music. As he walked out the door, Charles Gibbon turned around and said, “The Lord gave me those words.”

The great maestro scoffed to himself at the audacity of the young man. Yet as he began to read the manuscript he was humbled and inspired by it. He read: “He was despised, rejected of men…he looked for someone to have pity on him, but there was no man; neither found he any to comfort him.”

His eyes raced ahead: “He trusted in God…He will give you rest…I know that my redeemer lives… rejoice…hallelujah.”

He picked up his pen and began to write. Music seemed to flow as though it had been penned up for years. At age 57, George Frederick Handel completed the entire Messiah in only 24 days. When the work was first performed in London, and the Hallelujah Chorus was reached, King George II stood up because he was so moved. To God be the Glory!

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Sunday November 11th

2nd Peter 3:11-18

I heard a story about a pastor who visited an elderly man. The Pastor said, “At your age you don’t you think you should be thinking about the hereafter?” The older man replied, “Oh, yes, I do…all the time. No matter where I am - in the living room, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement - I ask myself ‘What did I come in here after?’”

In the final verses of his second letter Peter asks us the same thing, “In light of the second coming of Jesus and the coming judgment of the world by fire, shouldn’t you be thinking seriously about your remaining days on earth and of the hereafter?”

(Starting in verse 11):

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Do you get what Peter is saying here? He’s saying that if we truly believe Jesus Christ is going to return, that should make a difference in the way we live; we’ll want to concentrate our time, energy, and passion on spiritual things, rather than worldly things.

We’ll seek to develop “holy conduct and godliness.” The word "holy" means to be separated or set apart for a specific purpose. So a Christian is someone who isn’t willing to live like others around us normally do. We choose to make a sincere effort to live apart from sin, rather than to wallow in it.

Someone pointed out that, "Holy conduct refers to action, godliness refers to attitude. Holy conduct refers to the way I live my life, godliness refers to the spirit of reverence within me by which I live my life. Holy conduct refers to that which rules my behavior, and godliness refers to that which rules my heart.”

In addition, Peter says, those who believe in the second coming of Christ should have an attitude of eager anticipation of “the coming of the day of God.”

Peter uses the same word here that was used in Acts 10:24 to describe the attitude of Cornelius when he had sent for Peter and was waiting on his doorstep to meet the man who would tell him what he needed to do to be saved.

“On the following day (Peter) entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.”

Cornelius was eagerly waiting for Peter to arrive. Christians should be eagerly waiting for Jesus to come again. And the knowledge that He IS coming should make a difference in the way we live.

A pastor from Chicago wrote this,

“When we begin to believe in the reality of the other side, we start behaving differently on this side. This is what drove the disciples out into their world – they had seen firsthand the reality of the other side.”

Peter continues to make this same point using one of our favorite words – “Therefore”!

14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless

THEREFORE, because you know Jesus is coming back; make sure that when He comes He finds you living a peaceful and pure life.

Look at what Hebrews 12:14 says,

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”

1 John 3:3 “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

If you want a good analogy of the relationship between personal purity and waiting for Jesus to return, listen to this quote from Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven”,

“If my wedding date is on the calendar and I’m thinking of the person I’m going to marry, I shouldn’t be an easy target for seduction.
Likewise, when I’ve meditated on Heaven, sin is not terribly appealing. It’s when my mind drifts from Heaven that sin seems attractive. Thinking of Heaven leads inevitably to pursuing holiness. Our high tolerance for sin testifies of our failure to prepare for Heaven.
Heaven should affect our activities and ambitions, our recreation and friendships, and the way we spend our money and time. If I believe I’ll spend eternity in a world of unending beauty and adventure, will I be content to spend my whole evening staring at game shows, sitcoms and reality shows? How much time will I want to invest in things that don’t matter?”

Peter uses the phrase “looking for” three times in verses 12-14. “Looking” carries the idea of expectancy, of waiting with alertness, of being ready.

The first use is found in verse twelve where we read, “looking for …the coming of God.” And then in verse thirteen “looking for new heavens and a new earth.” Then he uses it again verse fourteen, “look for these things.” The word “looking” indicates a continual, ongoing habit or lifestyle.

J. Vernon McGee says, "Today we see a lot of careless living, but also a great emphasis on prophecy. I hear people say, “Oh, I’m waiting for the Lord to come!” Brother, my question is not whether you are looking for the Lord to come, but how are you living down here? How you live down here determines whether or not you are really looking for the Lord to come."

And if you really want an even deeper perspective on the relationship between our holy conduct and Jesus’ return, take notice that verse 12 says “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” Peter literally means that we aren’t just supposed to be passively waiting for Jesus, we are supposed to be trying to “hasten” His return! How do we do that?

Well for starters, remember that according to verse 9, which we read last week,

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

So if we know that God’s delay in sending Jesus is because He is so merciful and wants to reach more people with the gospel, then we should realize that evangelism is one way that we can “hasten” Jesus’ return.

In Mark 13:10 Jesus says that before He comes again “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations” so we also know that supporting missionaries can help to “hasten” Jesus’ return.

Don’t you find it fascinating that we, as believers, can actually have an impact on the timing of the second coming of Christ? One writer says, “This understanding should profoundly encourage Christians that our actions do matter!”

Peter seems to be reminding us again in verse 15 that the delay in Jesus’ return is solely based on God’s desire to see more people saved:

15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,

When Peter says that the Apostle Paul wrote his letters “according to the wisdom given him” he is validating the divine inspiration for Paul’s letters.

In Ephesians 3:2-3 Paul himself says, “if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

Paul is indicating that he wrote “by revelation” through God’s grace as the Holy Spirit revealed the mystery of the gospel to him. Peter then goes on in the next few verses to refer to Paul’s writings as “scriptures”, clearly inspired by God:

16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

When Peter compares Paul’s letters to “the rest of the Scriptures, he’s stating that they are in the same category as the Holy Spirit-inspired writings of the Old Testament, which was the only “Scripture” they had up until then.

Peter may not have even known at that time that HIS letters would become recognized as part of the New Testament, but he could see that Paul’s writings were powerful messages inspired directly by God.

Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”

Thank God that He has spoken to us through inspired writers to guide us in the path of truth rather than error. But we need to continually guard the truth and be watchful against any form of error creeping into our thinking. That’s Peter’s final warning to us as he closes his letter:

17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

In referring one last time to the false teachers, Peter calls them “unprincipled men”, people who ignore all moral laws and restraints.

And he says to be on guard so that you won’t get “carried away” by their error and end up “falling from your own steadfastness”.

Then in verse 18 Peter gives us the best possible advice for protecting ourselves from danger:

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

If I am growing daily in my knowledge of Jesus through reading my bible, and accessing His grace more and more each day through worship and prayer, it safeguards me against wrong-thinking and against wrong-doing!

That’s why Peter’s final words are words of praise:

“To Him be the glory!”

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Sunday November 3rd

2nd Peter 3:1-10

I saw an article entitled “Why Children Need to Be Reminded Over and Over” and it was accompanied by this picture:

I wonder if Paul or Peter felt that way at all when they had to keep reminding their followers over and over about things they had already been taught. Look at the words that Peter uses as he opens up the final chapter of his second letter.

“This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.”

Peter says “I am STIRRING YOU UP”; “I am giving you a REMINDER”; “You need to REMEMBER the words of the prophets and the apostles and especially the words of Jesus.”

Why is Peter so concerned that they might forget what they’ve been taught? In verses 3 and 4 he warns them about what might happen if they aren’t continually reminding themselves of the things they know to be true.

3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

Peter knows that people who want to live in disobedience to God’s standards will always find a way to ignore God and pretend His judgment won’t ever come.

These people want to believe that they can live however they want to with no possibility of punishment for their actions - ever. That’s a nice fantasy, I suppose, but it surely isn’t true, and Peter addresses the unreality of their self-delusion in verses 5 and 6:

5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.

Somebody pointed out that, instead of God forgetting to judge the world, God actually has gained a pretty strong reputation for judging the world. Some of it is biblically accurate and some of it isn’t. For example, if you ask your insurance agent about the clause in your homeowner’s policy that excludes “Acts of God”, he’ll tell you it refers to destruction of property by means of “Natural Disasters” like earthquakes or tsunamis.

I don’t know if those types of disasters are actually “Acts of God” or just the result of a fallen and sinful world. Peter says that it’s only by an act of God’s mercy that the world still exists, but one day He’ll unleash a REAL Act of God in His final judgment.

7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

God created the world and then God judged the sinful world with a Flood. Peter also pointed out back in Chapter 2 verse 6 that God “condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter.”

Now God, “by His Word”, is preserving this present world for the Day of Judgment, which isn’t going to be a flood like in the days of Noah; it’s going to be FIRE like Sodom and Gomorrah!

So okay, these mockers say, but that stuff (Noah’s flood and Sodom and Gomorrah) happened a long time ago. We haven’t seen much of God’s judgment lately. Maybe God has decided to stop judging people and just leave us alone to do whatever we want. Well, Peters says, you’re forgetting one important thing:

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

This is actually taken from Psalm 90 verse 4:

For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
Or as a watch in the night.

Peter is reminding the scoffers and mockers that God is sovereign over time; He created time, and that His perspective on time differs radically from ours. He continues making that point in verse 9:

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

As Christians we should realize that what seems to be a long delay in God bringing forth judgment is really just a sign of God’s mercy toward unbelievers. If God decided to judge the world today or tomorrow, He could, but His mercy is so great that He keeps waiting for more people to have a chance to repent and come to salvation.

Will God wait forever? No, He won’t. When will He finally decide that the time for judgment has come? Peter addresses that in verse 10:

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

This phrase “the day of the Lord” refers to the Second Coming of Christ, which will bring about divine judgment.

This has been prophesied all through the Old Testament.

Isaiah13:9–11 says,

“Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
Cruel, with fury and burning anger,
To make the land a desolation;
And He will exterminate its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not flash forth their light;
The sun will be dark when it rises
And the moon will not shed its light.
11 Thus I will punish the world for its evil
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud
And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.

Joel 1:15 “For the day of the Lord is near,
And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

Joel 3:14 “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

Peter says that when that day finally arrives it will come “like a thief.” Paul used the same phrase in 1 Thessalonians 5:2

“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”

And Jesus used that same metaphor to show how unexpected the appearance of His return would be in Luke 12:39-40

“But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

So what’s it going to look like when that day comes? Peter says “the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

This is very much the same description Jesus gave in Matthew 24:29–30 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”

To get a perspective on what this will be like for the people who are alive on the earth when it happens, let me read you this description of a terrible natural disaster that occurred over 300 years ago:

“Cities have been smothered with volcanic ash, leveled by hurricanes, shaken apart by earthquakes. But no disaster quite matches the one that struck Port Royal, Jamaica on June 7, 1692. In the space of less than 10 minutes, the thriving pirate port, reputedly the wickedest city on earth, sank into the Caribbean.
An eyewitness described the scene like this: "The earth heaved and swelled like the rolling billows, and in many places the earth cracked open - open and shut - with a motion quick and fast. In some of these openings people were swallowed up, in others they were caught by the middle, and then pressed to death. The whole thing was accompanied by the noise of falling mountains in the distance, while the sky turned dull and reddish, like a glowing oven."
Upward of 2000 people perished in the chaos. Even today, many Jamaicans believe that Port Royal’s destruction was the price exacted by an angry God for its sins.

Here’s the question we need to ask ourselves as we read these verses: What’s the ultimate reason that Peter is putting forth this warning? What does God want people to do once they realize that His judgment WILL come?

Ezekiel 18:21-23 says "… if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the offences he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live.
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”

The ultimate issue isn’t WHETHER God is going to bring judgment. He IS!

The ultimate issue isn’t WHEN God is going to bring judgment. He’ll do it when He is good and ready, and it will happen like a thief coming in the night, when people aren’t expecting it.

The ultimate issue is whether WE will be ready when He returns!

Look at this warning that Jesus gives in Luke 21:34-36

"Watch out that your hearts are not weighed down by carousing, strong drink, and the worries of life. Do not let that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come rushing upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. But stay alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things about to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Don’t get “weighed down”, Jesus says. Stay alert! Pray! Make SURE you have asked for your sins to be forgiven by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection! Because there will come a day when that’s the ONLY thing that’s going to matter…that you will be able to “stand before the Son of Man" when He returns.

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor’s Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Rev, Steve Rahter

www.praisetabernacle.com

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

http://www.praisetabernacle.com/sermon-blog.html

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Sunday October 20th 10/20/2013 0 Comments

Sunday October 20th2nd Peter 2:1-9A Sunday school teacher was explaining the story of Elijah the Prophet of God and his battle against the false prophets of Baal. She explained how Elijah built an altar, put wood on it, cut an ox into pieces and laid the pieces on the altar. Then Elijah commanded the people to fill four barrels of water and pour it over the pieces of the ox on the altar over and over. "Now, said the teacher, "can anyone tell me why the Lord would tell Elijah to pour water over the ox on the altar before He sent down His fire?" A little girl in the back of the room raised her hand. "He was showing him how to make gravy."So Elijah had his problems with false prophets, but he wasn’t the only one who ran into them. In fact, 1st John 4:1 tells us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirit to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”In Matthew 7:15 Jesus warned, “watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”And here in the opening verses of chapter 2 Peter writes a warning about the ongoing dangers of false prophets and false teachers.2nd Peter 2:1-3: But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.The three key words that Peter uses to describe the dangers presented by false prophets and false teachers are heresies, sensuality, and greed.William Barclay said that: “A heretic is a man who believes what he wishes to believe instead of accepting the truth of God which he must believe.”Vine’s Bible dictionary says the word heresy means “an opinion, especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division.”That’s why Peter calls them ‘destructive heresies’. The false teacher’s aim is to destroy unity in the body, destroy the church’s effectiveness, destroy Godly relationships, and destroy the purity of the Gospel.Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that a false teacher will sound heretical. He might actually sound very convincing. He might talk about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He might talk about giving and miracles and prayer.One commentary on these verses said:“False teachers use our vocabulary, but they do not use our dictionary. They talk about “salvation,” “inspiration,” and the other great words of the Christian faith, but they do not mean what we mean. Immature and untaught believers hear these preachers or read their books and think that these men are the same as us in their faith, but they are not.” Someone pointed out that Satan only has to put a drop of poison into the stew to ruin the whole batch. He’s not going to pour in enough to alert you by a giving it a bad taste or a bad smell. It isn’t stupidity that makes people vulnerable to false teachers, its spiritual immaturity.People who are ignorant of the Word don’t know how to discern between good and evil. Hebrews 5:11-14 says:11 Concerning him (Jesus) we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.Do you remember the strategy of the Gnostic false teachers? It was to diminish the importance of Jesus and to replace Him with their supposedly “secret” teachings. Why is this a danger? Here’s how someone explained it:“False teachers lead a person to doom quicker than any other single thing. Too many people are quick to believe a lie. Why? So they can go ahead and live like they want. They want some excuse to get away from the restraints and demands that following Jesus puts on them. Therefore, they will follow after any teaching that lowers the authority of Christ. The more He is lowered, the less binding His commandments are.” Peter says these heretics are even “denying the Master who bought them” by their false teaching and immoral lifestyles. The word used there in verse 2 “sensuality”, means habitual, unrestrained, sexual lewdness. According to Jude 4, sensuality is a distinguishing mark of false teachers.“For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”1st John 2:4 tells us “The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in himPeter says “because of them the way of the truth will be maligned” which means that their behavior brings dishonor on the name of Christ since they claim to be His followers, even though they really aren’t.Throughout scripture, Christians are urged to show exemplary behavior so that the name of Jesus and the spread of the gospel won’t be hindered. Look at Titus 2:7-8 “in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”And further down, in Titus 2:11-12:“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age”In addition to their heresies and their sensuality, these false teachers can be recognized by their greed. Paul warned Timothy about this same danger in 1st Timothy 6:3-5:“If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”I don’t know about you, but when I read verses like those I wonder if the people who are preaching the “prosperity gospel” ever really read their Bibles!I suppose that’s between them and God, but I wouldn’t want to have to answer to God if I were them because Peter is saying plainly for those who would exploit others with false words, “their judgment…is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”Peter then goes on to emphasize the certainty and the completeness of God’s judgment in verses 4-9:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,Peter reminds us that “God did not spare angels when they sinned.” We are told that God cast the disobedient angels into hell. The word that Peter uses is actually “Tartarus” which was the place of punishment in Greek mythology. Peter is trying to convey the idea of a place of confinement where they are being held in “pits of darkness “until the final day of judgment.Jude 1:6 tells us, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority, but abandoned their own home- these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.”Peter is saying that if God judged evil angels, He will certainly judge ungodly people.Peter also reminds us that God has already judged humanity once before. Everyone died in the flood except for Noah and his family. Peter calls Noah a “Preacher of righteousness” because Noah condemned the sin around him and tried to call the people back to righteous living.The point is that if God destroyed a whole world full of ungodly people, He will certainly judge and destroy these false teachers and false prophets.Matthew 25:46 says, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”Peter also notes that God destroyed two whole cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, for their sin, but spared one righteous man and his family who lived there, Lot, Abraham’s nephew.When we understand the reality that some people who SEEM to be Christians really aren’t; that some people who SEEM to be teachers really aren’t; and some people who SEEM to be prophets really aren’t, then verses like these start to make a lot more sense:Matthew 10:33, “Not every one who says Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father in heaven.”Matthew 13:41-42, “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Romans 16:18, “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.”Ezekiel 34:2-3, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.”So let’s be very clear on a few important points. First, people often worry that THEY might be the one Jesus is talking about when He says in Matthew 10:33, “Not every one who says Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.”Unless you are DELIBERATELY going around spreading false teaching, you are probably safe from that judgment!That’s the other point I want to make; we aren’t talking about people who are just confused or who just don’t understand what the Bible means.The false teachers that Peter is addressing here are very deliberate about what they are doing. They aren’t teaching false doctrines by accident. A bad teacher can be wrong. A bad teacher can be deceived. But a false teacher isn’t just teaching what is false; He has an agenda. His goal is to destroy the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a servant of the enemy, and he will be judged as a traitor to the Gospel.What Peter is warning US about is the danger of exposing ourselves to these false teachers. He says “they will exploit you with false words.” Our culture is saturated with false teachings on the television, the internet, and the radio. Be careful what you take in. Be diligent to study the Bible for yourself so you won’t be easily misled. Come to the pastors and teachers and D-group leaders that you know you can trust when you have questions about something that you’ve read or heard. Guard your heart and your mind. There is an enemy out there!

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

www.praisetabernacle.com Joshua Kennedy

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor's Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

www.praisetabernacle.com Joshua Kennedy

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Sunday October 13th 10/13/2013 0 Comments

Sunday October 13th2nd Peter 1:12-21We’ve seen how many times Paul and Peter have used the word “therefore” in their letters to remind the people they are writing to that the marvelous blessings God has poured out on us should trigger some sort of response, some sort of change, on our part. Here in Chapter 1 of 2nd Peter, he actually uses the word to emphasize why HE has chosen to respond in a certain way:12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter told US to “always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you”. Here Peter says that HE will always be ready to remind his followers of the powerful things that they’ve learned, “even though you already know them”!And Peter has a specific reason for his intense desire to continually remind his followers of what they’ve already been taught; He knows that he probably won’t be around much longer to remind them.13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.Peter calls his body “my earthly dwelling”. That’s similar to what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:1“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”And Peter says that he KNOWS that “the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent” because Jesus has made clear to him that the end of his life is approaching. After His resurrection, Jesus had appeared to His disciples while they were fishing, and in John 21:18-19 Jesus said this to Peter:“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”Jesus had predicted that Peter would die as a martyr and now He apparently showed Peter that the day was near. Peter “therefore” wants to keep reminding these Christians of everything that they’ve learned, so that they will be able to call them to mind after his “departure”.The word “departure” is literally the word “exodus.” It’s the same word that was used in Luke 9:28-31 to describe Jesus’ approaching death: “Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.And what’s really interesting is that Peter now refers DIRECTLY to that encounter on the mount of transfiguration to further strengthen his followers’ belief in all that they’ve been taught.He says in verses 16-1816 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.Peter reassures them that their faith isn’t based on a bunch of “cleverly devised tales”. Some translations use the word “myths”. In reality, the Christian faith is firmly grounded in both historical and spiritual reality, and viewpoints that are contrary to faith in Jesus are the actual “myths”!Paul gave this warning in1st Timothy 1:3-4:“As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.”And then again in 2nd Timothy 4:3-4 he wrote: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.Peter says that he can assure them that what he saw on the mount of transfiguration was no myth! He says “I WAS THERE!” We have this record of it inMatthew 17:1–8”Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.”Peter is well qualified to teach about “the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. He isn’t just talking about Jesus’ first coming, and the power of His miracles and His resurrection. Peter is also reminding them about Jesus’ SECOND coming, when He will return in power and glory.The word translated as “coming” is parousia , which is the New Testament term for Christ’s Second Coming. In 1st Thessalonians 3:11-13 Paul uses the same word:“Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; 12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”Peter is pointing out that he not only walked with Jesus for three years as one of the apostles, but he saw a GLIPMSE of what Jesus is going to look like at His 2nd coming, and it was just AWESOME! He says “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” In Matthew 16:27 Jesus said, “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels.”In some ways the Transfiguration was a prophetic picture of the divine glory that Jesus is going to shine with when He returns.And Peter says we should pay attention to that shining prophetic promise in the midst of a dark world:19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.Throughout the Bible Jesus is compared to many things to describe His awesome majesty. The first reference to Jesus as a “star” is seen in Numbers 24:17, which is a prophecy about the coming Messiah:“I see him, but not now;I behold him, but not near;A star shall come forth from Jacob” We see that Jesus fulfilled that prophecy in Revelation 22:16“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Peter says that the morning star, “rises in your hearts” like “a lamp shining in a dark place”, meaning that our faith in Jesus’ can get us through some of the dark days and dark places that we may have to face until He comes again.Then Peter gives a warning about the difference between TRUE biblical prophecy, such as the promise of Jesus’ 2nd coming, and FALSE prophecy, which is simply based on human interpretation:20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.This same point comes up later in chapter 3 verses 15 and 16. “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”Peter says that unstable people cause themselves harm by distorting and twisting the scriptures.He is essentially saying that we need to understand that not only do all of the prophetic verses in the bible come from God, but also so do the interpretations of those verses.Let’s look at a few examples of what he means:In Daniel 8:15–17 we read:“When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.”So Daniel has a vision, then he asks what the vision means, and Gabriel TELLS him what it means!In Zechariah 1:7-10 it says:“On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows: 8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.”So again, Zechariah has a vision that he doesn’t understand. He asks what it means and the angel TELLS him what it means!You might be surprised how many times the Bible simply provides its own interpretation of prophetic verses.We know that every book of the bible was written by human beings, but Peter says they were always men who were “moved by the Holy Spirit.”Paul says the same thing in 2 Timothy 3:16“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”What Peter is emphasizing here is that not only is the Holy Spirit the ultimatesource of all prophecy, He is also the only one who can properly interpretprophecy!That’s why Paul says in 1st Corinthians 12:8-118 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.For prophecy, or any of the gifts to be of value, it MUST be given by the Holy Spirit. And any interpretation of prophecy must be guided by the Holy Spirit as well, AND it MUST line up with the rest of scripture. When we operate within those biblical guidelines and safeguards, we obtain the true benefits of spiritual gifts without the potential dangers. If somebody tries to share with you their own private interpretation of the bible… RUN!

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Sunday October 6th 10/06/2013

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Sunday October 6th

2 Peter 1:1-11

As we begin our study of Peter’s second letter, we will see in verse 1 that Peter again identifies both who he is and who he is writing to.

“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:”

Before we look at any other aspect of Peter’s greeting, we should stop and take note of Peter’s declaration of “our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”. In the Greek language that Peter was writing in, the wording is literally “the God of us and Savior” which clearly proclaims the deity and divinity of Jesus. This should put to rest any nonsense about the early Christians not believing that Jesus was God.

Just like in his first letter Peter identifies himself as an apostle, which literally means a person who has been sent out to do something on behalf of another. In Peter’s case, he has been sent out by Jesus to spread the good news that forgiveness of sins is available to all who would receive it by faith in Jesus. And here he also adds that as an apostle he has no other purpose, no other goal, than to serve Jesus. He refers to himself as a “bond-servant” which was simply Peter’s way of saying “I am Jesus’ slave!”

Then when he indicates who the letter is written to, Peter says he is writing to all “those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours.”

Now if you connect those two ideas together, we could say that Peter is writing his letter as one servant of Jesus to those who have also chosen to be servants of Jesus. That’s what Peter would rightly expect if the people who read his letter (which includes us) “have received a faith of the same kind as ours.”

Wouldn’t that make sense? If Peter’s faith in Jesus, and his understanding that he’s been saved by “the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:” has led him to totally surrender his life to serving Jesus, shouldn’t he figure that anyone else who put their faith in Jesus would have the same response?

And that seems to be precisely what Peter believes, because he then lays out aplan of action that is intended to be carried out by people who have hearts of servant-hood; who want to yield their lives more and more each day to the plans and purposes of God. He says in verses 2-3:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

In essence, Peter is saying that there is absolutely no reason why we CAN’T completely surrender our lives to what God wants from us, because God has already GIVEN us everything we need to live Godly lives. How did He give us these things? By His divine power, through the knowledge of who He is and who He has called us to be. Once I know that God WANTS me to be a certain way AND has given me EVERYTHING I need to BE that way, then it’s simply up to me to decide if I WANT to be who He WANTS me to be!

And verse 4 emphasizes that there is really no reason for me to reject this marvelous offer, other than the possibility that I PREFER sin over holiness!

4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

That pretty much sums up our choices, doesn’t it? I can “become a partaker of the divine nature”, in other words I can become more like God, OR I can choose to go back to the imprisonment of sin, corruption, addiction and lust that Jesus died to set me free from!

It seems like a pretty obvious choice. And Peter figures that hopefully we’ll make the RIGHT choice, because he now starts to spell out HOW to become more and more of a partaker of the divine nature:

5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

These moral virtues are things that we should be “diligently” applying ourselves to. They aren’t going to just happen on their own! God has given us the power to live this way, but we need to APPLY that power to our lives. In some way it’s like the battery to your car; the battery supplies the power necessary to start your car but you have to turn the key to APPLY the power or you won’t go ANYWHERE!

So Peter now says to “those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours” I want you to diligently add some things to that faith, so that you can partake of the divine nature more and more. And you can start by adding Moral Excellence to your faith!

We could use one of our favorite words here:

“THEREFORE, since you have a restored relationship with God through faith, your life should reflect excellent moral character.”

I like this quote about what true moral character is:
“Your ideal is what you wish you were.
Your reputation is what people say you are.
Your character is what you really are.”

And the truest sense of the word, the word “Virtue” or “Moral Excellence: in the Greek actually deals with not just observable behavior, but the thought life as well. So my real moral character doesn’t just consist of what people can see on the outside, it includes the things that only God and I know about, the things going on inside me, in my heart and mind!

Then Peter says, while you’re working on that moral excellence, you might want to add some additional KNOWLEDGE.

The importance of knowledge is shown in 2nd Peter by the fact that the word occurs eleven times in this letter. In some ways, Peter was probably addressing the same problem that Paul had dealt with in his letter to the Ephesians, those “Gnostics” or false teachers who were trying to mislead the people with their supposedly “secret” knowledge. Peter seems to emphasize that the only knowledge worth having is a greater knowledge of God. And of course knowledge of God and of Jesus are connected because God the Father is made known to us through our relationship with Jesus.

Hosea 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” We can’t go forward in our Christian walk without increasing our knowledge of God and His Word on a steady basis.

With more knowledge should come more “self-control.” This has been called “the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions.”

Unfortunately we have often believed the lies of Satan where self-control is concerned:

I just can’t help my self
Everyone else is doing it so I might as well too 3. I was born this way, I’ll never change

So it should be no surprise that Peter says you’re going to have to add a little PERSERVERENCE to your character if you want to win those self-control battles!

A fancy definition of perseverance would be something like “this is the characteristic of a person who is not swerved from his/her deliberate purpose and his/her loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.”

A much simpler definition would be - Hang in there!

It might seem odd that GODLINESS comes fifth on the list of moral virtues, but we most likely won’t even get close to godliness if we haven’t worked on the previous 4 virtues.
Godliness has been defined as a spirit of reverence and respect to God in all matters; understanding that He is a Holy God and that we are called to be holy as well. And just like the concept of moral excellence, godliness isn’t just outward compliance to a set rules, but inward purity of heart.

When we’ve learned to be a little more Godly, then we can work on getting along better with one another, because BROTHERLY KINDNESS is the next virtue.
The actual Greek word for BROTHERLY KINDNESS is philadelphia, which is why Philly is called the “city of Brotherly Love”. It’s the love and affection that should be found among believers as we treat each other like brothers and sisters in God’s family

And that will only work if we wrap things up with Peter’s final virtue – “and in yourbrotherly kindness, love.”

Let’s take a look at how serious God is about His desire for us to love each other:

John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 13:35

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 15:12

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 15:17

This I command you, that you love one another.

Romans 12:10

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor

Romans 13:8

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Galatians 5:13

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Ephesians 4:2

With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love

1 Thessalonians 3:12

And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you

1 Thessalonians 4:9

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another

So if God is indeed serious about our development of these moral characters, what are the consequences if we Do or Don’t apply them to our lives?

8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

Okay, so what’s the first word we need to pay attention to here? It’s not “therefore”, it’s IF!

IF these qualities are yours and are increasing, you won’t ever be useless or unfruitful for God’s purposes. But what if these qualities are NOT increasing in my life? Then I’m simply blind, or at least have lost sight of the reason why God called me in the first place. And it’s very dangerous to walking around this world blindly. That’s why Peter says, “as long as (or IF) you practice these things, you will never stumble.” But of course IF I don’t practice these things I shouldn’t be surprised how often and how easily I stumble!

In closing I just want to point out an interesting thing. Peter’s list starts with faith and ends with love.

Look at this similar list that Paul wrote in Romans 5: 1-5 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Once again it starts with “having been justified by faith” and ends with “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts.”

Why is it so important to recognize that the ultimate goal of faith is more love?

Because we are reminded in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

All of the virtues matter, and we should be working diligently to add them to our lives daily, but never, ever, ever, lose sight of love!

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor’s Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Josh has served at Praise Tabernacle since 2004. He holds a Bachelor’s Diploma in Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Religion from Thomas Edison State College. Pastor Joshua oversees Children/Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Praise Worldwide and C.I.A.

Joshua was ordained as an Apostle, October of 2011, of which he is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, (coalitionofapostles.com). He also serves as President of Firepower Ministries International (firepowerint.com). FMI is committed to seeing spiritual transformation through apostolic and evangelistic initiatives, leadership conferences, focusing on imparting a greater passion for Christ into the Church and to see leaders encouraged and developed according to the model of Ephesians 4:11-12 - "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Besides his spiritual covering of Praise Tabernacle he also receives accountability through two Apostolic Networks - FaithNet USA under the leadership of Apostle Walt Healy (www.faithnetusa.com), and Christ Covenant Coalition under the leadership of Bishop Joe Mattera, (christcovenantcoalition.org).

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Pastor Roger grew up in western New York and graduated from Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina. Pastor Roger served as pastor at Praise Tabernacle from 1985 until his retirement in 2003. He remains at Praise as Pastor Emeritus, Dean of Students of Praise Bible Institute and an Elder. Roger was a missionary with CLC International for 17 years in various countries in the Caribbean and Central America as well as the United States. He is married to his lovely wife, Barbara, and is the step-father of three children and six step-grandchildren.

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September 25, 2013 Josh Kennedy Walk with God (Enoch - To Be Or Not To Be!)

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Damien Correa

Week 2: Underlying Causes and Provisional Solutions for the Separation of Truth (Theology) from Life and Ministry

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Septermber 18, 2013 Joshua Kennedy Walking with God Week Two To Sin or Not To Sin That is the Question

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1 Peter 4:1-11

I’d like to share an observation that will hopefully help us to grasp what Peter is saying in the opening verses of Chapter 4.

Hummingbirds and vultures both fly over the desert. But all the vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. Hummingbirds ignore the flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what once was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness. Each bird finds exactly what it is looking for. We all do.

Peter writes in chapter 4 verses 1 and 2:

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

Let’s look at those two verses again, as paraphrased in The Message:

“Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.”

The Bible uses the term “The Flesh” to describe our old sinful nature. It’s the part of us that needs to be broken, needs to be crucified, if we’re ever going to live the life that God intended for us to live. But the problem is - “The Flesh” doesn’t WANT to die, it doesn’t WANT to give up running your life, even though it was RUINING your life. That’s why the Message refers to it as “being tyrannized by what you want.”

Well Peter says that the flesh HAD its chance, and now it’s time to move on!

3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.

Does that describe anyone’s past who might be here today? (Don’t raise your hands!)

Paul gave a similar list of fleshly behaviors in Galatians 5:19-21:

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.”

The point Peter is making is that while these things might describe your past life, they shouldn’t describe your present life! That’s what separates the vultures that live in the past, from the hummingbirds that live in the present.

Of course there’s another factor that complicates the process of changing from a vulture to a hummingbird; your old vulture friends can’t understand why you’ve lost your taste for rotting flesh:

4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Again, here are those same verses from The Message:

Of course, your old friends don’t understand why you don’t join in with the old gang anymore. But you don’t have to give an account to them. They’re the ones who will be called on the carpet—and before God himself.

Now verse 6 is quite interesting:

6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

Let me be clear about this – you can’t preach to gospel to dead people! That’s not what Peter is saying here. He’s saying that those who were once alive and heard the gospel while they were living fleshly lives, now that they have died, will be judged by whether they responded to the call of God while they were alive and had the chance.

Ultimately that’s how we all will be judged, not based upon whether we sinned or not (because we’ve all sinned) but based upon whether we’ve accepted the forgiveness of our sins that was provided for us by Jesus dying on the cross in our place.

Peter then stresses that the time is drawing near when it will eventually be too late to make the right choice:

7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

To some extent it might seem odd that Peter wrote the words “The end of all things is near” almost 2000 years ago. But for the people he was writing to at the time it was actually true. The city of Jerusalem was about to be punished for their rebellion against the Roman Empire and the Jewish Temple was going to be destroyed and many people would lose their lives. For them the end WAS near. And that’s no less true for our lives. No one here has any guarantee that we’ll still be here tomorrow. The book of James says that this earthly, fleshly life is nothing more than a vapor; it’s here one minute and gone the next; which is why Peter urges us to live sober, thoughtful, prayerful lives, focusing on the eternal things of God rather than the temporary things of this earth. And then he adds this important reminder in verses 8 and 9:

8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

When Peter says “above all” he’s essentially saying, “if you only get one thing right out of everything I’m telling you, get THIS right – love each other!”

And then Peter says WHY this is so important: “because love covers a multitude of sins”.

One writer summed it up this way: “Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love always forgives in response to God’s forgiveness.”

Here are some other scriptures that address the same connection between love and forgiveness:

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails

James 5:19-20

My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

I want to point out that “covering” a sin doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t happen, or pretending that it wasn’t a sin. Here’s a very simple dictionary definition of the word “cover”:

“To place something over or upon, as for protection”

Isn’t that what love is supposed to do? Don’t we all need to be “covered” by love to protect us from the fallout from the poor choices and poor decisions we’ve made?

Love doesn’t say “What you did wasn’t wrong”, love says “You really messed things up but I’ve got you covered. I’m going to walk by your side and protect you while you deal with the consequences of what you did wrong.”

Isn’t that what Jesus did for us?

Revelation 1:5 says “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood.”

What did He do with our sins? He released us from the penalty of our sins. He covered them with His blood. Why? Because He loves us.

The question Peter is raising is whether we can love each other enough to cover one another when we fall.

Think of this story from Genesis 9:20-23

“Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness.”

Here is Noah, one of the great heroes of the Bible, stumbling around naked and drunk. Keep in mind that Genesis 6:9 says “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time” and Hebrews 11:7 says “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

And even 1 Peter 3:20, which we looked at last week, mentioned “Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”

But just like any one of us, Noah was human and therefore had weakness in his flesh; and so he followed up his heroic obedience to God by making a drunken spectacle of himself. His one son did what’s commonly done in these situations; he quickly ran to get his brothers and said, “Come check this out! Dad is drunk and totally naked! Can you believe it?”

But the other two sons chose to COVER Noah’s sin rather than exposing it. They took a garment and walked in backwards so that they could place it over Noah without witnessing his humiliation. That’s what love does!

Noah spoke blessings over those 2 sons when he found out what they had done for him and he cursed his other son for broadcasting his sin rather than covering it.

The book of 1st Peter has a special emphasis on the third part of our vision statement, which is SERVING EVERYWHERE. In these next two verses Peter gives us a very solid perspective on how we should view our serving:

10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

These verses aren’t isolated or disconnected from the verses on love; they are a continuation of the same thought. Peter says ABOVE ALL, love each other. And loving each other means covering each other’s sins; it means being hospitable to one another; and it means using our gifts to serve each other.

And what is the end result, the end goal if we can do this the way God wants us to?

“So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ”!

That’s a pretty good reason to say “ABOVE ALL” let’s learn to love each other!

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http://www.praisetabernacle.com/habits-of-the-heart.html Notes on this teaching can be found here.

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Damien Correar teaching on 1 Peter 2: 1 -12

www.praisetabernacle.com

Praise Tabernacle

People Restored And Inspired Serving Everywhere This is a non-denominational Church, Charismatic in expression. Senior Leader is Pastor Steve Rahter 2235 Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

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Sunday September 1st 09/01/2013

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Sunday September 1st

1 Peter 3:8-17

Back in chapter 2 Peter began a discussion of proper Christian behavior which included submitting to government authorities and serving as dedicated employees. He continued that same theme into chapter 3, as we saw last week, with a discussion of how husbands and wives should treat each other, and now he pulls it all together with these next few verses:

8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

When Peter uses the phrase “to sum up”, he means that all of those previous discussions are included and he says this goes for “all of you”. He then lays out a valuable reminder about the need to develop humility, harmony, sympathy and kindness. Finally he echoes Paul’s words from 1 Thessalonians 5:15

“See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.”

In fact these verses are very similar to what Paul wrote in Romans 12:9–21

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

So we see from both Peter and Paul that Christians are not to retaliate in response to persecution, but instead we are to “bless” our enemies. That’s exactly what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

We probably all would admit that we KNOW that forgiving our enemies is one of the central teachings of Jesus. That’s why He taught us to pray, “forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us.” We also would probably admit that forgiveness is a lot easier SAID than DONE! But if we are going to live like true sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, we MUST be willing to allow God to change us in this way, no matter how hard that process seems.

Ultimately, what Peter is saying is that our willingness to forgive those who have hurt us is inseparable from the fact that we call ourselves Christians.

He says that “you were called for the very purpose” of walking in the blessing that comes from letting go of bitterness and resentment,

Then Peter goes on to quote from Psalm 34 verses 12-16

10 For,

“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 “He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Do you see the word MUST 3 times? Does that tell you how serious God is about our choices?

IF you want life, love, and goodness you MUST keep evil and deceitful words from coming out of your mouth. You MUST choose to do good rather than evil. You MUST pursue peace and reconciliation.

IF we want the Lord to listen to our prayers and to answer our prayers we MUST do these things.

They are not optional. In fact, if we DON’T do these things the Lord turns His face away from us. We may not like that. It may not fit with our view of a loving God. But the Holy Spirit had both King David AND the Apostle Peter write those same words, so I don’t think there’s any doubt about what they mean.

Some people might object by saying, “So does that mean that Christians have to be like doormats, letting anyone treat us however they want to?” Peter addresses that very question in verses 13-17:

13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

When Peter says “who is there to harm you” he isn’t denying that Christians might be called to suffer for their faith. He’s not saying that nobody can possibly harm you if you’re doing the right thing. In fact Peter and many others were severely persecuted for their faith and in Chapter 1 verse 6 he acknowledged that “you have been distressed by various trials.” One commentary says that this statement may be best interpreted as whatever happens to Christians, no external force can cause spiritual harm to them.

It’s similar to what David wrote in Psalm 56:4

In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?

Or what Jesus said in Luke 12:4

“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.”

Peter even says in verse 14 “even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.” That’s what Jesus said in the beatitudes in Matthew 5:10–12

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

In Verse 15 Peter says that we should “always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

The word that Peter uses in Greek that we translate as “defense” is Apologia, which doesn’t mean that we apologize for being Christians–it means a well thought-out defense in response to questions, or even attacks, from hostile people. Keep in mind that verse is written in the middle of a discussion about persecution. Our ability to properly answer the questions of people who ridicule our faith can make a difference in where they spend eternity. Every believer should be able to provide a simple explanation of the main points of Christianity.

So to make sure that you have a readiness to defend your faith, here is a brief 4-point summary which is easy to remember:

1st. Life Is Short.

James 4:14: “Life is like a vapor.”
I Chronicles 29:15: “Life is like a shadow.”
Job 7:6: “Life is like a swift messenger.”

Life is uncertain and it is fragile—we can be here today and gone tomorrow! Most people would admit that they know someone who died tragically or suddenly. Most people would also admit that the older they get, the more the years seem to fly by!

2nd. Eternity Is Long.

One person described it this way:

“Suppose that a sparrow took a drop of water in it’s beak from the Atlantic Ocean, then flew across the U.S. and deposited it into the Pacific. Then suppose he kept repeating this process until he had emptied every drop of the Atlantic into the Pacific. When he was finished, eternity would only have just begun.”

3rd. The Bible tells us that we will all spend eternity in either heaven or hell.
Sin is rebellion against God.
The penalty of sin is eternity in hell. Ezekiel18:20 says that “the souls that sins shall die.” Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death.”

4th. God has provided a way for you to go to Heaven for eternity rather than Hell

An American tourist made a trip to London. He was all very impressed with Buckingham Palace. So one morning he went to the gates, expecting to go right in. But two soldiers stopped him. He took a $1,000 bill out of his pocket and said to them, “Take this money. I can pay my way in.” But they said, “You can’t buy your way in. You have to be invited in. And if you are invited, you can go in for free.”

It’s the same way with heaven. You can’t buy your way in or work your way in or do enough good deeds to get in. There’s only one way in—by accepting the personal invitation of Jesus Christ that He provided for you by dying on a cross to pay for your sins. Heaven is open to all who will trust Him for salvation.

Keep in mind that Peter says our defense of Christianity shouldn’t be done in a hostile or confrontational way, but “with gentleness and reverence”, so we aren’t really giving a good defense if we’re operating in anger or disrespect for the unsaved person. Then Peter adds this in verse 16:

“and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”

Back in Colossians 4 verse 5, Paul had said, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”

Our conduct, our lifestyle, should show that accusations against our behavior are unfounded.

One of the things that unbelievers love to use as a reason not to consider Christianity is that “Christians are all hypocrites.” Peter is saying that our behavior should be so good, and our conscience should be so clear, that people who make accusations against us will feel ashamed when the see how we really live what we believe.

The last little piece of this evangelism puzzle is what Peter says in verse 17.

“For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.”

Some folks might ask if it would ever be God’s will that Christians should suffer. Peter is saying that sometimes it just might be His will. It just might be His way of reaching a lost person, by having them be the source of your suffering and then watching you love them in spite of what they did to you. Someone put it this way:

“Unjust suffering is within the providence of God and is for the good of His children and His own glory.”

In fact, we’ll see later that the very last verse of this letter, in Chapter 4:19, is simply this:

“Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

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Sunday August 18th 08/18/2013

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Sunday August 18th

1 Peter 2:13-25

I heard a story about a man named Joe who worked for the government in the Department of Transportation. One morning he woke up feeling sick, with a sore throat and a touch of laryngitis. But being a dedicated government employee he went to work anyway. His boss felt sorry for him when he realized Joe was sick, and he didn't want Joe to have to do any of the hard physical labor where they were repairing a section of the parkway.
"Joe" he said "instead of helping with the construction, why don't you just go down the road and tell the people to slow down as they approach the road construction area"
Joe said “thanks” and set up some cones and a flag a little way down the road from where the construction is going on. He flagged down his first vehicle and as the driver approached, Joe signaled for him to roll down his window.
"Sir" he whispered "please slow down, there's a Government work crew up ahead"
"Okay, I totally understand" the guy whispered back "I'll try not to wake them."

That joke sort of typifies the way we view the government and its workers.

We like to make fun of government inefficiency and bureaucracy. Humorist Will Rogers joked that the workings of Congress were about as productive as a baby with a hammer! But as Peter explains in these next verses of chapter 2, God wants us to have a positive, respectful attitude towards our governing officials:

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-slaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Peter says we are to “Act as free men” and yet we’re still supposed to submit to authority. How do we make sense of that? One commentary says “Submission does not mean a denial of Christian freedom, but is the act of God’s truly free people.”

Keep in mind 2 other things about what Peter is saying here:

First, what Peter says is in these verses is almost identical to what Paul wrote in Romans 13:1-7:

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

The second thing to note is that we aren’t just told that we should submit to GOOD leadership, or to NICE leadership!

Remember that the Roman emperor at this time was Nero, who persecuted Christians, burned them at the stake and threw them to the lions!

Between what Peter is saying, what Paul wrote in Romans, and Matthew 22:21 where Jesus said to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” I think we can safely conclude that the Bible teaches that submission to government authority is required of believers as long as it doesn’t involve violating the laws of God.

In Acts 4:18-20 Peter and John are taken in front of the Jewish authorities for preaching about Jesus.

“18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

So they continue to preach the gospel, and later they are summoned back before the council again in Acts 5:27-29

“27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

Keep in mind that, OTHER than those limited times when someone in authority might ask us to do something contrary to God’s commands, we are called to respect and obey authority and government.

I think that one reason God wants us to submit to authority is that the old nature, what we might call our sin nature, is rebellious. Proverbs 17:11 says “A rebellious man seeks only evil”, and we learn to curb those rebellious tendencies by our willingness to submit. That’s why Peter goes on address the specific realm of servants and masters, or bosses and employees, just like Paul did in Ephesians and Colossians:

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

Notice again that Peter specifically points out that this requirement doesn’t apply just to “good and gentle” bosses, but “also to those who are unreasonable.” In fact, he says that bearing and enduring harsh and unjust treatment “finds favor with God.” That might bring some comfort to you on a particularly hard workday!

What is it about suffering unjust treatment that would cause us to find favor in God’s eyes? Peter addresses that in verses 21-25:

21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

When Peter says in verse 21 “you have been called for this purpose” what is he referring to? He’s talking about SUFFERING! He’s saying that suffering is a part of the Christian calling. Paul wrote in 2nd Timothy 3:11-12“persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

In John 15:18–20 Jesus warned “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you”

Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 1:5 “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” And in that same letter, in Chapter 4 verses 8-11 he describes what the Christian life has been like for him and his friends:

“we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

In Philippians 3:10 Paul used this phrase to describe it all; “the fellowship of His sufferings.”

Peter says that the way Jesus suffered, even though he had committed NO sins at all, and yet he endured the suffering without attacking back, is an “Example” for us to follow.

But as verse 24 reminds us, Jesus is much more than just an example; He is the sin-bearer; the perfect sacrifice, who suffered the penalty of the curse of sin for us, accepting the punishment that our sins deserved and providing forgiveness and freedom.

Look at the last few words of verse 24 and the first few words of verse 25. They both begin with the word “for”:

“for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep”

The first phrase reveals the result of Jesus’ sacrifice. We have been healed, made whole, forgiven, and restored to a right relationship with God.

The second phrase reveals WHY Jesus had to be sacrificed! Because we all were constantly straying from God, rejecting Him as our shepherd, wanting to do our own thing, rebellious.

One of the most powerful Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah who would pay the penalty for our sins is found in Isaiah 53:6

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

That’s the reality of this fallen world; nobody wants God. Every one of us has gone off on our own, choosing the path that WE wanted, not the path that God wanted for our lives. And when OUR path led us to a dead end, God was there to rescue us, by having Jesus pay for our mistakes.

And if we’ve been RESTORED, and if we’ve been INSPIRED, and if we have a desire to SERVE wherever the Lord might want to use us, then we have to accept the reality that SERVING may involve a degree of SUFFERING.

The best perspective that we can gain on the suffering that may come our way as we choose to serve God is that the same root cause of Jesus’ suffering, “SIN” will be what brings suffering into our own lives. When it comes to serving, it’s not necessarily our OWN sin that will cause us to suffer. It may be the sin of those that we’re trying to serve. Because lost sheep don’t always WANT to be rescued; they don’t always think they NEED to be rescued; and they will often try to BITE the hands of those who are trying to rescue them!

That is a reality that we must face if we are truly committed to reaching the lost with the good news of salvation; the calling of the gospel is a call to embrace the suffering of others, even to suffer as a result of their attacks, so that they can be set free.

It’s what Jesus did for US!

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Sunday August 18th 08/18/2013 0 Comments

Sunday August 18th1 Peter 2:13-25I heard a story about a man named Joe who worked for the government in the Department of Transportation. One morning he woke up feeling sick, with a sore throat and a touch of laryngitis. But being a dedicated government employee he went to work anyway. His boss felt sorry for him when he realized Joe was sick, and he didn't want Joe to have to do any of the hard physical labor where they were repairing a section of the parkway."Joe" he said "instead of helping with the construction, why don't you just go down the road and tell the people to slow down as they approach the road construction area"Joe said “thanks” and set up some cones and a flag a little way down the road from where the construction is going on. He flagged down his first vehicle and as the driver approached, Joe signaled for him to roll down his window."Sir" he whispered "please slow down, there's a Government work crew up ahead""Okay, I totally understand" the guy whispered back "I'll try not to wake them."That joke sort of typifies the way we view the government and its workers.We like to make fun of government inefficiency and bureaucracy. Humorist Will Rogers joked that the workings of Congress were about as productive as a baby with a hammer! But as Peter explains in these next verses of chapter 2, God wants us to have a positive, respectful attitude towards our governing officials:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-slaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.Peter says we are to “Act as free men” and yet we’re still supposed to submit to authority. How do we make sense of that? One commentary says “Submission does not mean a denial of Christian freedom, but is the act of God’s truly free people.”Keep in mind 2 other things about what Peter is saying here:First, what Peter says is in these verses is almost identical to what Paul wrote in Romans 13:1-7:“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”The second thing to note is that we aren’t just told that we should submit to GOOD leadership, or to NICE leadership!Remember that the Roman emperor at this time was Nero, who persecuted Christians, burned them at the stake and threw them to the lions!Between what Peter is saying, what Paul wrote in Romans, and Matthew 22:21 where Jesus said to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” I think we can safely conclude that the Bible teaches that submission to government authority is required of believers as long as it doesn’t involve violating the laws of God.In Acts 4:18-20 Peter and John are taken in front of the Jewish authorities for preaching about Jesus.“18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” So they continue to preach the gospel, and later they are summoned back before the council again in Acts 5:27-29“27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”Keep in mind that, OTHER than those limited times when someone in authority might ask us to do something contrary to God’s commands, we are called to respect and obey authority and government.I think that one reason God wants us to submit to authority is that the old nature, what we might call our sin nature, is rebellious. Proverbs 17:11 says “A rebellious man seeks only evil”, and we learn to curb those rebellious tendencies by our willingness to submit. That’s why Peter goes on address the specific realm of servants and masters, or bosses and employees, just like Paul did in Ephesians and Colossians:18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.Notice again that Peter specifically points out that this requirement doesn’t apply just to “good and gentle” bosses, but “also to those who are unreasonable.” In fact, he says that bearing and enduring harsh and unjust treatment “finds favor with God.” That might bring some comfort to you on a particularly hard workday!What is it about suffering unjust treatment that would cause us to find favor in God’s eyes? Peter addresses that in verses 21-25:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.When Peter says in verse 21 “you have been called for this purpose” what is he referring to? He’s talking about SUFFERING! He’s saying that suffering is a part of the Christian calling. Paul wrote in 2nd Timothy 3:11-12“persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”In John 15:18–20 Jesus warned “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you”Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 1:5 “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” And in that same letter, in Chapter 4 verses 8-11 he describes what the Christian life has been like for him and his friends:“we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”In Philippians 3:10 Paul used this phrase to describe it all; “the fellowship of His sufferings.”Peter says that the way Jesus suffered, even though he had committed NO sins at all, and yet he endured the suffering without attacking back, is an “Example” for us to follow.But as verse 24 reminds us, Jesus is much more than just an example; He is the sin-bearer; the perfect sacrifice, who suffered the penalty of the curse of sin for us, accepting the punishment that our sins deserved and providing forgiveness and freedom.Look at the last few words of verse 24 and the first few words of verse 25. They both begin with the word “for”:“for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep”The first phrase reveals the result of Jesus’ sacrifice. We have been healed, made whole, forgiven, and restored to a right relationship with God.The second phrase reveals WHY Jesus had to be sacrificed! Because we all were constantly straying from God, rejecting Him as our shepherd, wanting to do our own thing, rebellious.One of the most powerful Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah who would pay the penalty for our sins is found in Isaiah 53:6“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”That’s the reality of this fallen world; nobody wants God. Every one of us has gone off on our own, choosing the path that WE wanted, not the path that God wanted for our lives. And when OUR path led us to a dead end, God was there to rescue us, by having Jesus pay for our mistakes.And if we’ve been RESTORED, and if we’ve been INSPIRED, and if we have a desire to SERVE wherever the Lord might want to use us, then we have to accept the reality that SERVING may involve a degree of SUFFERING.The best perspective that we can gain on the suffering that may come our way as we choose to serve God is that the same root cause of Jesus’ suffering, “SIN” will be what brings suffering into our own lives. When it comes to serving, it’s not necessarily our OWN sin that will cause us to suffer. It may be the sin of those that we’re trying to serve. Because lost sheep don’t always WANT to be rescued; they don’t always think they NEED to be rescued; and they will often try to BITE the hands of those who are trying to rescue them!That is a reality that we must face if we are truly committed to reaching the lost with the good news of salvation; the calling of the gospel is a call to embrace the suffering of others, even to suffer as a result of their attacks, so that they can be set free.It’s what Jesus did for US!

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