The Word of God always brings forth good fruit for the person who tends to the soil of their heart and consistently waters the seed.  

We are now in part 6 in our series "A Fruitful Life."  We have completed our teaching on the first two soils that Jesus mentions in this parable and now we are beginning to look at the third ground.  The third type of ground that is mentioned by Jesus is found in Matthew 13:22 which states - Matt 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. NKJV  

This verse gives us a clear picture of another type of soil that the Word of God does not get the opportunity to produce fruit in.  This is ground where the Word of God is sewn but it has to try and grow among thorns.  The Word of God will be choked out by the thorns if they are not removed.  The word choked actually carries the idea of suffocating.  God's Word needs room to spread out and breath in order to produce healthy fruit.  

In this blog I just want to deal with the first of the two things mentioned here in verse 22. This Scripture shares with us that "the cares of this world" causes the Word of God to be unfruitful.  

So what are the cares of this world?  This phrase can be defined as the anxieties and distractions of the age.  The word "cares" means drawing in different directions.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  The cares and anxieties of this life are designed to draw you away from your focus on the promises of God.  They are designed to seed thorns in the garden of your heart.  These thorns then grow with the promises of God and end up choking out the fruit from God's Word.  Jesus is telling us that we need to see the cares of this life as a threat to the fruitfulness of the Word of God in our lives.  

The question then becomes, how do I stop  these cares from choking out the promises of God in our lives?  First, we must practice 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) which states, "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.  We do this by refusing to worry about anything.  Many times believers see this as impossible but the reality is we can choose to refuse!  The best way to begin this process is through the words of our mouths.  Simply put, when worries, anxieties and cares come in thought or circumstance you immediately open your mouth and declare, "I refuse to worry or have any anxiety about this situation."  "I declare the promises of God concerning this problem and I praise God that He is working on this situation for me, it is in His hands."

Let's purpose to refuse the cares of this life in order that we may live a fruitful life in Christ!!

Pastor Sean

We have made it to part 5 in our series and the Lord is revealing so many good things to us concerning the condition of the human heart and how it affects the level of harvest we receive from the seed of the Word of God.

Because of the world that we live in and the nature of our flesh we must constantly remind ourselves that God is never the problem.  His seed is perfect and He is perfect.  Specifically I will say it this way, God is flawless!  He is perfect in motivation and action at all times. Completely just!  The parable of the sower is a revelation from Jesus concerning the heart of humanity.  The parable of the sower gives us detailed lessons concerning spiritual laws that govern the production of God's seed (word) in our lives.  Jesus is revealing how we can be the good ground if we choose to be.  This parable reveals that every person who is willing can have a harvest of God's promises in their lives 30, 60, and 100 fold.  That truth alone should be motivation enough for us to pursue this truth.   

Last week we looked at the "wayside ground," and this week we looked into the "stony ground."  Let's look at Matthew 13:20, 21.  

Scripture:  Matthew 13:20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

Here we have an account of the stony ground.  This ground represents a person who initially is excited and filled with Joy at the preaching of the Word of God.  So, this person is not turned off to what they hear, the seed of God's Word does not sit on the surface of their heart it finds acceptance in the soil of their heart and begins to put down roots.  The enemy in this case has to employ a different tactic when it comes to removing this seed because he couldn't snatch it off the surface of their heart.  Here we see that the enemy uses two tactics, tribulation and persecution to get the seed of God's Word removed from the person. Let's look at this verse in the amplified version to get even more clarity.  

Matt 13:20 As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy; 21 Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away. AMP

Notice what happens through tribulation and persecution, "at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey]." The enemy uses tribulation and persecution to cause the believer to stumble. Let's give definition to these three words.

Tribulation (2347 thlipsis) – This word implies pressure, anguish, and trouble.  Thayer’s says, a pressing together.  

Persecution (1357 diogmos) – This word has to do with being mistreated.  Someone innocent being abused.  Being innocent does not stop persecution for the Words sake.

Stumble (4624 skandalizo) – We get the word scandalize from this word, or scandal.  This word means to entrap, trip up, stumble, or offend.  To cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one who they ought to trust and obey.  To cause to feel displeasure at a thing or to make to feel indignant.  It means to put a snare or stumbling block in the way.    

You can see from these definitions that the enemy is after the seed of the Word of God in our lives.  He uses tribulation and persecution to attempt to get us offended at God.  He is attempting to get us to release our trust and expectation concerning God's faithfulness and promises.  If we will continue and endure in faith we will pass the test of tribulation and persecution and see the results of God's Word in our lives.  

Let's choose to be good ground and not stony ground.  Here are some good questions to ask ourselves as we are fellowshipping with the Lord in our devotion time.

Where is the enemy attempting to us tribulation in my life?
Where is the enemy attempting to us persecution in my life?
Am I getting offended at God because of these tactics of the enemy?

In Part 4 of this series, we began to look into the first of the 4 types of soils that are mentioned in the parable of the sower.

The first soil that is mentioned is called wayside ground.  Let’s take a look at Matthew 13:19.

Scripture: Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

A person who hears the Word of God but does not understand it is a person that is called “wayside ground.”  The way this verse is translated in the NKJV can be a bit blind to us.  It can leave the impression that this is a person who just doesn’t understand what is being said so they are left out of the benefit of the Kingdom.  Let’s look at another translation that will shed more light on this verse.  Let’s look at the Amplified translation of this verse.
Scripture:  

Matt 13:19 While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside. AMP

This translation sheds more light on what the Lord is saying.  Notice, this is a person who is not taking time to grasp and comprehend what Jesus is saying.  This is not a person who can’t understand but rather a person who chooses not to.  Remember Jesus in His teaching said, “he who has ears to hear, let him hear, and he who has eyes to see, let him see.” Wayside ground represents a person who is an uninterested listener.

The definition in the Greek of the word “understand,” reinforces this truth.

Understand (4920 suniemi) – This word means to piously put together and comprehend. This is a person who hears but doesn’t hear, who sees but doesn’t see, they are not taking the time to comprehend and cultivate the seed into their lives.

What can we conclude about the “wayside” ground?

• We can conclude that this is a person with a hard heart.

The Complete Biblical Library New Testament Commentary – Page 170

• This verse addresses those who hear the Word but who ignore its summons (hard hearts).  It is not that they cannot understand, but that they will not make the effort to understand (hard heart) because they do not want to understand.  Satan can work in those who do not want to hear the message; immediately he steals the Word from their hearts.

Here is a question for our devotion time.  Is my heart hard to the Word of God in any area?

*The central truth in this portion of the parable of the sower is this, when a person is not open to the Word of God it will be taken from them.  God will not force His seed to grow in a heart that does not want it.  

As a final challenge I am going to share two passages of Scripture for you to consider. Look for the condition of the peoples hearts and what kind of response that heart condition invoked upon hearing the Word of God.

A hard heart – John 10:22-31
A soft heart – Acts 17:10-12

In conclusion I would like to remind you that each of us can choose the condition of our heart toward God and His Word.  True faith and obedience always begin with an act of our individual will.

In Christ, Pastor Sean  
  

In this series of teachings, we are discovering keys to consistency and increased fruitfulness in our lives.

The parable of the sower is where we have been studying. In this teaching Jesus revealed the spiritual laws that govern the production of God's Word (seed) in our lives. Living a fruitful life as a believer is not really that complicated, it requires us to maintain the soil of our hearts so that the seed of God's Word can produce its fruit.

This is what we have discovered so far:

• Seedtime and harvest will never cease as long as the earth remains. (Genesis 8:22)
• The seed is the Word of God. (Luke 8:11; Matt. 13:18,9; Mark 4:14; 1 Peter 1:23)
• We are God's garden; we are God's field. (1 Cor. 3:5-9)
• Jesus taught in parables because the people were not really listening. (Matt. 13:1-15) Parables hide truth for and from people, they reveal the condition of a person’s heart.

In part 3 in this series, we begin to look at the first type of ground or soil that the Lord mentions. All of the grounds that Jesus describes are representative of the heart conditions of humanity.

So, what is wayside ground. This is a ground that is hard, where the seed of the Word of God sits on the surface and the enemy comes and is able to snatch the seed from the persons heart.

Scripture:  Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed, by the wayside.

The key to understanding this verse is realizing what the word understand in the Greek actually means in this verse. First, we will define this word and then we will give other translations to help with clarity.

Understand (4920 suniemi) – This word means to piously put together and comprehend.
So, we see from this verse that a person who does not understand the Word of the Kingdom is a person who hears but doesn’t hear, who sees but doesn’t see, they are not taking the time to comprehend and cultivate the seed into their lives. They are an uninterested listener; they do not take the time to comprehend the Words they are hearing.

This is why the seed lays on top of the ground, and the enemy is able to snatch it away.
It is safe to say then that this is a person whose heart is hard, it is wayside ground. They choose to reject the Word. God is not rejecting them; they are rejecting Him. Let's look at this verse in other translations and in 2 of the other Gospels and you will see that this is the case.

Other Translations:

Matt 13:19 While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside. AMP

Matt 13:19 When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Same Verse Recorded In Other Gospels:

Mark 4:15 The hard pathway, where some of the seed fell, represents the hard hearts of some of those who hear God's message; Satan comes at once to try to make them forget it. TLB

Luke 8:12 The hard path where some seed fell represents the hard hearts of those who hear the words of God, but then the devil comes and steals the words away and prevents people from believing and being saved. TLB

You can see that "wayside ground" represents people who have hardened their hearts toward the Lord and His Word. This applies to the unsaved, but it also applies to the saved as well.

• When the unsaved do not open their hearts to the Gospel the seed sits on the hard ground of their hearts, and the enemy comes and snatches it away. The enemy grabs the seed forcefully and takes off.
• So how does this apply to someone that is saved? A person may have received Jesus in their heart but afterward they may reject other aspects of the Gospel. In other words, they may receive forgiveness but harden their heart to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This can happen with any of the provisions of God clearly expressed in the Word of God.

Let's summarize the "wayside ground" like this -

The Complete Biblical Library New Testament Commentary – Page 170

This verse addresses those who hear the Word but who ignore its summons (hard hearts). It is not that they cannot understand, but that they will not make the effort to understand (hard heart) because they do not want to understand. Satan can work in those who do not want to hear the message; immediately he steals the Word from their hearts.

Here is a question for your devotion time.  Is my heart hard to the Word of God in any area?

*The central truth in this portion of the parable of the sower is this, when a person is not open to the Word of God it will be taken from them. God will not force His seed to grow in a heart that does not want it.

In Christ, Pastor Sean

2025 FFC Believers Meetings

There was a common theme throughout the entire FFC Believer’s meetings.  We continually heard the Holy Spirit talk to us about being yielded to Him in everything.  
What does it mean to yield?

Yield (2138 eupeithes) – In the Greek New Testament it means good for persuasion, easily obeying, compliant or ready to obey.  In the visual thesaurus it means to end resistance, to give over, to surrender, or to relinquish.  It means to move in order to make room for someone or something.  It means to be willing to concede.  It means to cease opposition or to stop fighting, to consent.

Being yielded to God is not something that is ever forced on a person.  If I or we are going to be yielded to God it will be because we choose to be.  God likes genuineness.  Man sees the outward, but God sees the heart.  This means that in order for any of us to move forward in the plans of God for our lives we need to decide within ourselves that God can rearrange or remove any area of our lives that He chooses.  This is the only way that God will be able to fulfill His desires in our lives.

The main Scripture that the Lord kept impressing on me was the account of the rich young ruler.

Matt 19:20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. NKJV

The rich young ruler was not an overtly sinful man; he understood the law and kept the law. Yet he was hungry for more, he experienced a depth of spiritual satisfaction with Jesus that he had never experienced under the law.  Deep calls to deep (Psalms 42:7).  Notice in Matt. 19:21 Jesus offers this man wholeness.  Jesus offered this man the full satisfaction of his deepest heart’s desire.  But we see in verse 22 that this man did not yield to the Jesus, instead he chose to the blessing over the Blesser!  Living a yielded life to God always boils down to one question, what is more important?  Are earthly riches more important than heavenly riches and being a disciple of Jesus?  In this case the rich young ruler determined that his earthly wealth was more important than Jesus.
 
Now, the love of money is what is being dealt with by Jesus in this interaction recorded in Scripture.  But the over arching issue is whether a person will yield their life to the Lord or not.

Believers meetings are designed to help us yield to the Lord.  It isn’t about running, its about being yielded.  It isn’t about laughing; it is about being yielded.  It isn’t about dancing; it is about being yielded.  It isn’t about giving a tongue or giving and interpretation, it is about yielding.  The actions are important, but they will never happen without a yielded
heart.

So, where is the Lord asking you to yield?

• The rich young ruler was asked to give position and wealth for ministry.
• Some people might need to learn to choose Jesus over family.
• Some people might need to learn to choose Jesus over friends.
• Maybe God is asking some of you to lay down your desire for ministry in order to minister to your family until the proper season. 
• Maybe the Lord is telling you to give up some of the pleasures of life in order to walk with Him more closely. 
• Husbands and wives the Lord may be asking you to lay down your activities in order to stay home and minister to your spouse and kids.

Ultimately anything that we are doing that the Lord did not direct will have an effect on our level of fellowship with the Lord.  That being said, let’s put all this in perspective so we don’t get overwhelmed in the process of change.

The first thing to do is lay your life out on the table before the Lord in prayer.  Make a list of what you are currently involved with and then walk through the list and allow the Lord to lead you in what you should keep, remove, or add.  Take your time in prayer and be sure you hear from Him.

As you do this, realize that your mind and your body are not going to like some of the changes.  In other words, we will have to wean our souls and bodies off things that they have become accustomed to and desire.  A yielded believer is one who has walked through the truth of Psalms 131:2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting]. AMP  

Let’s continue daily to wait on the Lord, to worship, to pray in other tongues and to meditate in His Word until we live daily with a quieted soul.  A soul (mind, will, and emotions) that are quieted do not struggle to hear from the Lord. 

When the wisdom of God comes through a vessel of God and the enemy cannot withstand that wisdom, the enemy plots and plans in order to silence Wisdoms voice.  This has happened many times through history, it just hits closer to home when it happens in your generation.

Jim Elliot:

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose". This is a spiritual truth about prioritizing eternal treasures over temporal ones.  

Soren Kierkegaard

“The tyrant dies, and his rule is over, the martyr dies, and his rule begins.”

Here is what we should focus on:

1.  This is not political it is spiritual.
 
The world will paint this as a political issue, but it is far from it.  This was as political as the beheading of John the Baptist.  This is a battle against good and evil.  This is a battle between the Spirit of Christ and the spirit of antichrist.  Charlie Kirk was not killed because he was a republican, he was killed because he stood on the truth of the Word of God and demanded repentance from those who are of their father the devil.  We must keep this truth in front of us and allow the truth of Scripture to guide our thinking, words, and actions.  We have and will continue to see a lot of opinions and conspiracy theories around what has happened, but we must not get wrapped up in the misinformation, the enemy thrives in darkness and there is only one thing that can dispel darkness and that is light.  We must fill ourselves with light which boils down to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit not news coverage and social media posts.  

2.  Jesus promised that these things would happen to believers.

We must realize that Jesus promised us that we would be hated and killed for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  A life given to the commission of Christ alone on earth though it was short naturally will always have a greater impact than a person who lives out their full natural days for themselves.  Believers must arm themselves with the mindset of persecution, suffering, and even the possibility of death.

If the motivation of the believer is wanting to have personal comfort and peace rather than to live in the comfort and peace of the Kingdom of heaven, to live in alignment with the Words of Jesus Christ, then this believer will end up compromising Christ’s truth and walking away from truth wandering into the broad path of death.

Scripture:  Matt 24:9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. NKJV

3.  Recognize that this is what the enemy does when he cannot combat the wisdom of heaven.
 
Scripture:  Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.  11 Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 13 They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." 15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. NKJV

• This is the exact tactic that the enemy uses today.  Don’t complicate this, it is this simple. The enemy uses lies and liars to stir up people against the people of God and the wisdom of God.  Satan hates truth, he has no defense against it so he must attempt to silence the vessel the truth is coming through.   

• Recognize that God will turn Saul's into Paul’s out of this situation.  

Scripture:  Acts 22:19 So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' NKJV

• Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  Remove unbelief and hardness of heart.  Those who believe and are baptized will be saved.  Make disciples of those who believe.  In the name of Jesus cast out demons, lay hands on people for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Lay hands on the sick and they will be healed.

• Fight the good fight, don't run away from the fight.  Cowards run but men and women of God stay in the fight even when it looks like it is not going well.  

• It is not time to sit down it is time to stand and then to continue to stand.  Bully's are only defeated when you stand up to them.  

• When the church was persecuted early on they did not pray for peace they prayed for boldness and signs and wonders.  Ask God for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit!!  Be bold and take courage in the midst of fear.  
  
  6.  Finally, leave room for God’s vengeance.

• The reason that I include these two Scriptures at the end is because we are in a situation now in America where we will begin to see both of these passages of Scripture in operation.  I believe that most of the judgment that we will see will be through the Romans 13 avenue, but I  do believer we could see rare instances of what is recorded in Acts 12 concerning king Herod. 

Why did Jesus teach in parables?  The short answer is because the people did not really want to hear His instruction.  The parable of the sower a message by the Lord was designed to sharpen people who had dull hearts.  Matthew 13:1-23 comprises the whole setting for the "parable of the sower."  Let's break down some of the key verses that set the stage for Jesus teaching.

• V. 1 and 2 - Share with us the setting of this teaching.  A crowd from the surrounding towns gathered to Jesus to hear Him teach.  The crowd was so large that He had to get into a boat and teach the people on the shore.  This was a common practice in that day, the teacher would sit in the boat, and the people would stand on the shore and listen.  

This great crowd of people had come together to hear Jesus teach but in the midst of this Jesus recognized that the majority of the people did not really want to listen so He teaches them in a parable.  So what is a parable?  The word parable means to put something beside something else to make a comparison.  Some have described the parables of Jesus as earthly stories with heavenly meanings.  They take something out of common life and use it to illustrate gospel truth.  So parables are used to sharpen those who really believe, they are teachings that require a person to search out the truth hidden in them.  These truths are not hidden from people but rather they are hidden for people who will apply themselves to understand.  God desires to see a heart that runs hard after Him with single focus.  In verses 11-15 in Matthew 13 we see this verified by Jesus.

• V. 11 - Jesus taught in parables because people can be in the meeting but they are not in the meeting.  The crowd showed up but they were not engaging their eyes, ears, and hearts to the teaching.  If we want to understand and walk in the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven we must be attentive. God gives His revelation to those who will desire and search it out.  

Jesus gives us even more detail in verses 12-15.  

• If we do not continue to pursue and cultivate the truth of the Kingdom of God in our lives it will be taken away from us.  This is not God removing it, but rather the enemy being able to steal the Word or choke it out. 
• So, don't just possess the power to see, use this gift of seeing from God to look and perceive what He is saying. 
• Don't just have the power of hearing, use this gift of hearing from God to listen and understand what He is saying. 
• Use the power of seeing and hearing to grasp and understand.  A person who desires to see and hear will always have help from the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:12, 13).  

I will conclude with this.  God is not the one who determines our level of fruitfulness.  God has declared that He desires that we have a 100 fold life.  The condition of the soil of our heart is what is in question not His seed.  A heart that is good soil is one that belongs to a person who purposes to look, listen, and understand the Word of God.  

In Christ, Pastor Sean  

A Fruitful Life: Cultivating God's Promises
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to experience more of God's blessings and promises in their lives than others? The answer may lie in understanding the spiritual principles of sowing and reaping. Just as a farmer must carefully tend to their crops to ensure a bountiful harvest, we too must nurture the seeds of God's Word in our hearts to live a truly fruitful life.

The Foundation: Seedtime and Harvest
From the very beginning, God established a fundamental law that governs both the natural and spiritual realms: seedtime and harvest. In Genesis 8:22, we read God's promise that "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease." This principle is not just about agriculture; it applies to every aspect of our lives, especially our spiritual growth.

In what ways do you see the principle of 'seed, time, and harvest' operating in your own spiritual life?

The Seed: God's Word
In the spiritual sense, the seed is the Word of God. Jesus often used agricultural metaphors to explain spiritual truths, as seen in the parable of the sower. He clearly states in Luke 8:11,
"The seed is the word of God." This divine seed is described as incorruptible in 1 Peter 1:23, emphasizing its power and imperishability.

How might understanding God's Word as 'incorruptible seed' impact our faith and expectations when facing challenges?

Understanding Our Role: We Are God's Garden
One of the most profound revelations we can have is that we, as believers, are God's garden. The apostle Paul beautifully expresses this in 1 Corinthians 3:9, saying, "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building." This means that our lives are the soil in which God's Word can take root, grow, and produce a bountiful harvest.

Just as a garden requires care and attention, our hearts need cultivation to receive and nurture the seeds of God's promises. This brings us to a crucial question: What kind of soil are we providing for God's Word?

Key Takeaways:

1. God desires all people to live a fruitful, abundant life (30, 60, and 100 fold harvests).
2. We have a role to play in receiving God's promises and increasing our fruitfulness.
3. The Word of God is spiritual seed, and we are God's garden/field.

In Christ, Pastor Sean

Wow!!  We made it to part 14 in our series "God Our Father."  I have to say I have really enjoyed this series.  It has given me a much better understanding from the Scriptures concerning the nature of God and how He sees and deals with His children.  

God loves us, that sounds simplistic but we must remember that He proved this love by sending His son to die for us while we were His enemies.  There was nothing half hearted or simplistic about the cross.  

In our final message we looked at the final two descriptions of God's love found in verses 7 and 8 of 1 Cor. 13.  

In 1 Cor. 13:7 the last clause tells us that, love endures all things.
 
The Amplified translation tells us that,  "it endures everything [without weakening]  AMP

• Love (God) endures all things.  So, what does this mean?  Love (God) takes patiently, perseveres, and tarry’s through anything.  God (Love) endures bravely and calmly in all situations.  
• God (love) steadily walks with us bravely and calmly.

Since Jesus is the perfect expression of God then we should be able to find this in His earthly ministry.

Scripture:  Matt 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. NKJV

• Here we have this kind of love being taught by Jesus.  This is love that takes patiently, perseveres, and tarry’s through anything.  This God kind of love will go two miles when it is only required to go one mile.  This is the nature our Father.  Jesus is the exact image of God. 

Scripture:  Luke 6:27-27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. 32 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. NKJV

• Do we see it?  This is exactly what the Lord has been saying through this whole series. God loves without hidden agendas or ulterior motives.  These words prove it, “love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”
• God, right now, is being kind to the unthankful and the evil.  So why would we think that He is being unkind to the thankful and righteous? 
• God, right now, is being merciful to the unthankful and the evil.  So why would we think that He is being unmerciful to the thankful and the righteous?

 
Finally, we looked at 1 Cor. 13:8 - Love never fails.  

8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]  AMP

• What does this mean?  Love (God) never fails, this means He never falls down.  Love (God) never loses power or position, He has never and will never bow to another God!  God (love) will never fall in ruin, cease to exist, He will never come to an end or disappear.  

For our last point in this series, we are going to look at the ministry of Paul and what the Holy Spirit spoke through him in Romans 8:31-39.  

Scripture:  God's Everlasting Love - Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV

• This section of Scripture in Romans 8 is a testament to the power of Galatians 5:6 "faith works by love."  The revelation of God's love for us causes our faith to work.
• Here is a list of phrases in these Scriptures that prove a revelation of God's love is a key to living in victory.  
  • "If God be for us, who can be against us?"
  • "He didn't spare Jesus so He will not spare anything else at His disposal for us."
  • "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
  • "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
  • "Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  

All of these phrases are statements of faith concerning God's love and care for us even in the midst of circumstances that are trying to destroy the believer.  If the enemy can get us to believe that God doesn't love us he can frustrate our faith.  If he can frustrate our faith he can hinder our receiving from the Lord.  

God is our father.  He is merciful and kind, loving and gentle.  He is always looking for a way to redeem us.  I will leave this blog with one final verse of exhortation from 1 John.

1 John 4:16 - And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.  

Know and believe the love that God has for you!!

In Christ, Pastor Sean    

Understanding how much God loves us is key to strong faith.  Galatians 5:6 states, that faith works or avails things in our life through the avenue of love.  The Amplified translation says it this way, "but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love."  Look at those adjectives describing the operation of faith when love is realized, our faith is activated, energized, expressed, and working through love.  Knowing Gods love for us was so important to the Lord that He had the Apostle Paul record a prayer of supplication for the church to pray over itself repeatedly concerning revelation of God's love (Ephesians 3:14-21).  

In part 13 in this series we discussed three aspects of God's love nature found in 1 Cor. 13:7. The three aspects are love bears all things, love believes all things, and love hopes all things.  We know from 1 John 4:8,16 that God is love so God operates this way.  Let's look at each of these characteristics.  

Love bears all things. What does this mean?  Love (God) bears all things, the word bear means to roof over, to cover with silence (endure patiently). God (love) covers us under the shadow of His wings as long as is needed in order to see us through to the end, and in the process of this He doesn’t utter one complaint or disclose us in anyway.  In other words, we are completely safe and protected in God’s love.  He is trustworthy! 

We see this love demonstrated in the ministry of Jesus found in John 8:1-12.  As you read through this account you see that the Lord covered and did not condemn.  He covered the woman that was caught in adultery and protected her from the religious leaders who were looking to destroy Jesus and her.

• v.1-7 - The only person who had the right to stone this woman was Jesus.  But Jesus with these words, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” was able to cover in order to keep out something that threatens.  With these words Jesus not only brought redemption to this woman but also to the scribes and pharisees. 

• V.8, 9 - In an attempt by the scribes and pharisees to expose the sin of this woman and trap Jesus they ended up exposing their own sin.  But Jesus still through the love of the Father extended redemption to them.  By words filled with love and grace the scribes and pharisees recognized their own sinful condition which gave them a gracious opportunity to repent.     

• V.10-12 - Wow!  “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”  This is the love of God enduring and protecting.  If the religious leaders would have stuck around they would have heard the same message to them. God is in redemption mode.  

Next let's look at "Love believes all things."  What does this mean?  Love (God) believes all things, this is not saying that God is gullible.  The idea here is that love (God) never stops believing the best for a person.  Love intensely desires the very best for every person, this means that God intensely desires the very best for every person.  The Scriptures talk about Jesus being moved with compassion and this has to do with His insides the core of His being longing for the freedom and good of humanity. One translation of this portion of Scripture declares, “it is eager to believe the best.”  

We see the example of this love in the ministry of Jesus in Luke 10:25-37.  This passage of Scripture is the teaching concerning the good Samaritan.  
 

• v.25-33 - We see a familiar word in this series found in verse 33.  The good Samaritan had compassion on the man that was robbed and left for dead.  This is love believing the best, this is God in action through a man submitted to compassion.  All of the other men were more concerned about their own interests.  
• v.34, 35 - This is believing the best for someone.  This man uses his resources to bandage this man, pour oil and wine on his wounds, carry him to safety, put him up in a hospital and then put his own money forth to care for the man until he was healed.  You don't do this unless you believe the best for people.  This is how God loves us.  

Finally, Let's look at "Love hopes all things."  What does this mean?  Love (God) hopes all things or expects in all things.  This again shows the nature of God, He is expecting good concerning people.  He is active in looking for an opening to manifest His truth in the lives of people.  The Amplified translation states that “loves hopes are fadeless under all circumstances.”  With love (God) there is never a hopeless situation.  There is never a situation where love does not have an expectation of good.  

We see the example of this in Jesus ministry found in Mark 5:21-23; 35-36.  This is the account of the raising of Jairus daughter from the dead.  

• v.21-36 This is love (God) that hopes all things.  In this situation it would have been easy to give up hope, but love can change the circumstances no matter what the situation is.  God’s (Love) hopes are fadeless in all circumstances, if we will not give up hope and continue to believe, God will always meet our hope and faith with His resurrection power!

We will be wrapping up this series in the next message but one thing that I have become convinced of is that the men of women of faith who have done great things for the Kingdom of God in previous generations all had strong revelations of God's love for them.  When I read the epistles of Paul and John I am convinced that their success was directly tied to understanding their Fathers love for them.  We can live in that same place through our covenant in Christ Jesus.

James 1:25 - But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.    

In Christ, Pastor Sean  

God is Love!  We know this is true because the Scripture tells us this in 1 John 4:8,16.  God has a default nature that is redemptive and it is motivated by His love for us.  The Scripture tells us that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  God is longsuffering when it comes to humanity.  If God loved us this way before we repented how much more does He shower His love on us now that we are His children.  We have been working our way through 1 Cor. 13:4-8 and discovering the love nature of God.  This week we looked at the last half of verse six which states....... but rejoices in the truth;.  Love rejoices in the truth.  Here are a couple of other translations of this verse that share with us what love or God is like.    

(Love or God) rejoices when right and truth prevail. AMP

1 Cor 13:6 (Love or God) Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, (THE MESSAGE)

1 Cor 13:6……….(Love or God) rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  (New Living Translation)

1 Cor 13:6………………(Love or God) joyfully sides with the truth.  (Weymouth)

• Love (God) rejoices in the truth.  What does this mean?  This means that love (God) celebrates truth or the manifestation of truth in all of its forms.  God celebrates in the triumph of truth in our lives. 

   

• He celebrates in the manifestation of Himself in the lives of people.  This fits perfectly with what we are talking about because Jesus is truth and everything that He did was a manifestation of love and truth.  So, when Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil this was a celebration of truth.  Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. NKJV.  
• Love celebrates in truth because truth sets all people free.  Jesus said in John 8:32 - and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.    

Jesus also shows this love in Luke 15.

Scripture:  Luke 15:1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. NKJV

• This is the Lord rejoicing in truth triumphing over lies or iniquity.  Lies lead people into a place of being lost.  This is why God or love rejoices in the victory of truth because it brings the lost back home. 

 

• Listen to what one commentary states about this parable, as you do I believe you will see the motivation of love in this description.  The shepherd’s search was rewarded; the lost sheep was found.  In Jesus story the shepherd did not drive the lamb back to the flock, he did not drag it back with a noose around its neck, nor did he throw it in a bag with a good scolding.  Rather, he lovingly placed the dear animal upon his shoulders, draping its legs around his neck with its soft head nuzzling his ear.  His attitude was not one of reproach over the carelessness which resulted in separation, but of rejoicing over the reunion and restoration of a lost one.  His joy was so great that it must be shared, so the shepherd called together his friends and neighbors, inviting them to rejoice with him. (The Complete Biblical Library New Testament Commentary – Page 769)

Conclusion:  Love rejoices in the truth operating in our lives.  God rejoices in truth because it sets that captive free.  What truth has love (God) shared with you lately?

In Christ, Pastor Sean  

Love does not rejoice in iniquity.  This is the phrase we looked at this last Sunday in our series "God our Father."  Before we review Sundays message here is a brief review of what we have covered in this series up until now.  

 So far we have seen: 

• Strong faith comes from knowing the nature of the one you are putting your trust              in.

• The nature of God is love.  Love is not just something that God does; it is who He is.  (1 John 4:8, 16)

• Jesus is the perfect expression, the exact imprint of the Father God. (Hebrews 1:3)

• God is love and this love is described in (1 Cor. 13:4-8).

• Love (God) is patient (long suffering) and kind.  We saw this love demonstrated in Jesus ministry to the Samaritan woman. (John 4:7-30; James 5:7, 8; Ps. 69:16; Ps. 103:4; Ps. 119:156; Ps. 145:9; Matt. 5:43-48).

• Next we looked at the fact that love (God) does not envy.  God (love) is pure in motivation it does not envy which is a desire with incorrect motives to have something that is possessed by another.  God does not operate this way, and we saw this in Jesus dealings with the rich young ruler.  (Matthew 19:16-22).

• Then we looked at the truth that Love (God) does not parade itself.  As the Amplified says, love (God) is not boastful or vainglorious.  Jesus showed us this in His teaching found in Matthew 11:25-30 (I am gentle and lowly in heart).

• We looked at the truth that love is not puffed up.  God is never motivated by pride; His motivations are always pure.  God cannot be tempted by evil and He does not tempt anyone with evil.  James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one. AMP.  The Lord has never lost control of Himself in anger or rage because of pride.

• We looked at verse 5 which states that love (God) does not behave rudely.  What does this mean?  This means that God does not act unseemly or unbecomingly.  It means He does not act disgracefully.  Being rude is not showing courtesy or demonstrating what we call social graces.  God is never rude!  God never exhibits lack of respect!  

• Last week we looked at the second part of 1 Cor. 13:5 “love does not seek its own.”  God is not self-seeking; He is always motived by what is best for humanity.

• Love (God) is not provoked.  What does this mean?  This means that love (God) is not easily irritated or aroused to anger.  Remember He is long suffering and kind.  God (love) is not easily incited to anger.  Another way to say this is that the Lord is not easily troubled.  God is even tempered.  

• Love (God) thinks no evil.  This means that Love (God) does not take inventory of evil, He does not count over or calculate evil.   

Okay, now that you are briefly caught up on the previous messages let's review last Sunday. Love or God does not rejoice in iniquity.  Another translation of this verse states, "Love does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness,"  and another one states, "Love is never glad when others go wrong."   

So what does this mean and where do we see Jesus demonstrating this kind of love in His ministry?

Iniquity is a deed violating the law and justice of God, an act of unrighteousness.  I think most people understand what rejoicing means, but just in case it has to do with having joy. So, if love does NOT rejoice in iniquity this means that God does not find any joy in iniquity. God does not find joy in unrighteousness, He finds joy in righteousness.  Why?  God knows that it is truth not deception that sets people free.  Jesus said it this way in John 8:32 you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  This is why God does not rejoice in iniquity.  Lies bind but truth brings freedom.

The world celebrates iniquity, but God (love) does not.  God understands that the only thing in iniquity is death.  God understands that truth sets free and freedom is worth rejoicing about or celebrating.  

Jesus demonstrates this kind of love to us in Mark 6:30-34 and Matthew 9:36. 

Scripture:  Mark 6:30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So, He began to teach them many things. NKJV

Scripture:  Matt 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary (distressed and troubled)  and scattered (cast down, to throw quickly), like sheep having no shepherd. NKJV    

• Notice here that the love of God was Jesus motivation, “He was moved with compassion” toward the people.  Why was He motivated in compassion toward them? Because they were sheep without a shepherd, because they were weary and scattered. They were living in ignorance, in injustice, and unrighteousness.  They were living in lies or iniquity which does not cause rejoicing, it causes people to be weary and scattered.   God’s love operating in Jesus fixes this problem by teaching these people the truth. Truth reveals righteousness which removes iniquity.  When iniquity is removed people are no longer weary, troubled, and distressed.  When iniquity is removed people are no longer scattered, they are no long cast down to the ground, they are no longer thrown by the storms (winds and waves) of the enemy in this life.

• God cannot and will not rejoice or celebrate iniquity, but in His love He will constantly work to lead people to repentance because of His goodness (Romans 2:4). 

In conclusion how do I apply this to my daily life?  First be very aware of the thoughts that come to your mind about God and make sure they are in line with what Jesus revealed about the Father (2 Cor. 10:5).  Second, boldly declare that God loves you and that you are His beloved. These two practices will develop a robust faith concerning God's heart toward you.  

In Christ, Pastor Sean 

Just like a mother smiles her baby into smiling God loves us into loving!!

God is love, it is not just something that He performs it is who He is.  This last Sunday we completed part 10 in our series "God Our Father."  I love teaching along this line of truth. The reason why is because it stirs such a great faith response in people when they hear and are open to the message.    

Before I review the message from Sunday I want to share some of the Scriptures we have looked at previously to remind you of God's heart toward you.  This is God's heart toward you whether you are saved or not!!  God's default attitude toward all humanity is redemptive.

Psalms 145:9 - The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.
Luke 6:35 - Bur love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He (God) is kind to the unthankful and evil.  
Romans 2:4 - Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance.  
2 Cor. 5:19 - That is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  

God is love and it is His goodness through Jesus Christ that is being extended to all the world, believers and non-believers alike.  God is not holding people's sins against them.  

We see this clearly in 1 Cor. 13:5 which states, "love think no evil."  The Amplified translation states, "love takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]."  So what does this mean?  It means that God does not take inventory of evil, He is not counting over or calculating our sins against us.  Another translation of this verse says, that God is not brooding over injury.  As the previous passages have done this Scripture shows us the purity of God's love for us.  

As we have been doing, let's look to the ministry of Jesus to see this kind of love in action. Luke 23:34-43 gives us a powerful description of love that thinks no evil.  In these verses we repeatedly see Jesus acting in love even while He is hanging on the cross.  Jesus was totally redemptive all the way to His death.

In verse 34 of this chapter we read these words uttered by Jesus, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

• This is love that is  not thinking evil, it is not taking inventory of evil.  In the midst of all the pain Jesus was going through He declares Father forgive them, not Father kill them all.  Jesus chooses our salvation over His own!

In verses 35-37 we see where rulers in the group looking on sneered at Jesus saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."  Then we see where the soldiers also mocked Him and said, "If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."  

• Wow, this again is God's love on display through Jesus.  Jesus could have saved Himself, He was innocent but instead of saving Himself He chose to save us!  Love thinks no evil.

The last verses that I would like you to consider in this passage of Scripture is the interaction between Jesus and the thief on the cross found in verses 39-43.  In these verses Jesus through the Love of God extends redemption to a man who is on a cross next to Jesus for crimes he committed.

• The love of God is operating so strongly in Jesus that in the midst of physically dying Jesus extends salvation to the criminal next to Him on a cross.  What a demonstration of love by the Lord!  What a demonstration of redemption!  Jesus is so wonderful and perfect, even in the midst of dying for the sins of humanity, in the midst of extreme pain physically, emotionally, and spiritually He never deviated in obedience to God.  God's love is absolutely flawless!

Galatians 5:6 tells us that "faith works by love."  Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you concerning the love of God for you.  Remember what 1 John 4:16 states, "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us."  Know and believe God's love for you!

In Christ, Pastor Sean  

We have now completed 9 messages in this series of teachings on the nature of our Father God.  The purpose in taking this much time to look into these truths is to establish and strengthen the true nature and character of God in our lives.  This will strengthen our faith in the Lord concerning His heart toward us and His heart toward the world around us. Faith works by love, we see this truth reflected in Galatians 5:6.  The amplified translation states it this way, "faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love."  I like that, our faith is activated, energized, and expressed when we know how much God loves us.  Knowing the love nature of God strengthens and emboldens our faith.  If our default thinking concerning God is not redemptive in nature then we do not know God as well as we should.  

This last week we looked at the third phrase in 1 Cor. 13:5 and saw that, "love (God) is not provoked."  The amplified translation of this verse states, "love is not touchy or fretful or resentful.  This tells us that God is not easily irritated or aroused to anger.  God is even tempered.  I love this about His nature.  God never loses control of Himself.  We see this in Galatians 5 one of the fruits of the spirit is self-control.  Even in wrath and judgement God has never lost control or lost His mind.  God is always redemptive in everything that He does.  We see this in several places in Scripture but here are a couple of my favorite verses.

Ps 145:9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. NKJV

Rom 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? NKJV

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV.    

One of the places that we see this truth expressed in the ministry of Jesus is found in Luke 20:20-26.  In this passage of Scripture we find the religious leaders of Jesus day attempting to trap Jesus in His own words so that they could turn Him over to the power and authority of the governor.  As you read through this passage of Scripture it is obvious the Lord knows what these men are up to and He still operates in redemption toward them. These men are "pretending" to be righteous, they are faking that they love Jesus and His ministry in order to try and get Jesus arrested.  If this does not prove that God is not easily irritated or aroused to anger I am not sure what does.  Jesus knows they are trying to trap Him in His words and yet He responds to them with clarity and redemption.  

The most significant truth that the Lord keeps pointing out to me through this series and we see it here as well, is that His love is what allows Him to see and judge situations correctly. Because of His nature He is able to see each situation in purity, His thinking is never cluttered with selfishness or hate.  God is love and love is not provoked.  This tells us that God sees us perfectly and if we will receive His love for us we will walk in the full freedom of redemption that He has purchased for us.  The love of God in Jesus responded to these evil men with such wisdom that they kept silent, in other words they were forced to deal with their own thoughts and motives which is designed by the Lord to lead to repentance and forgiveness.  God is SOOOO good!!        

Remember you are the beloved of the Lord!

Part of trusting the Lord involves knowing the nature of God.  God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), love is not just something the Lord does it is His nature.  Knowing the nature of God increases our faith in Him and this is the reason we are currently teaching on this series.

God cares so much about how humanity sees Him that He sent His Son to represent Him correctly.  Jesus is the exact representation of God.  Everything that Jesus did in His earthly ministry expressed the Father (John 14:9).  

This week we continued in our study of 1 Cor. 13.  We looked into the phrase in verse 5 which states, "love does not seek its own."  What does this statement mean?  It means that love (God) does not strive after self.  God's motivation is never selfish.  This tells us that God is not sitting in heaven thinking about Himself.  It also tells us that God is never overtaken by self-pity.  God is motivated by a desire that focuses on the benefit of others.  

• Love or God is concerned with giving itself rather than asserting itself.  

 
This kind of love is demonstrated in the life and ministry of Jesus.  Let's look at Matthew 20:20-28.

Scripture:  Matt 20:20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able." 23 So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father." 24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave —  28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." NKJV

• God’s love is not selfish; it’s actions are not motivated with the thought of personal gain. Jesus is teaching His disciples how God and the Kingdom of God operate.  Achieving greatness is not gained by an overpowering of the inferior but by serving all.  Servants and slaves regard themselves as less worthy than others.  They place others needs before their own.  Jesus sees future greatness in terms of present servitude.  Wanting to rule with Jesus is not rejected in and of itself, but ambitious striving, jealousy, and politicking are rejected.  In the Kingdom of God (love) desire for power and honor do not lead to greatness; only the self-denying, humble attitude of the servant can do that. Jesus offered His own ministry among them as an example of true servanthood.  His entire purpose, His entire life, was shaped by His decision to serve.  His ultimate act of service was the giving of His life on the cross and Jesus did all of these things because it is the Father’s nature.  

The nature of God is not self seeking, it does not insist on its own rights or its own way. God is love and love is a giver.  

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

In Christ, Pastor Sean

Love does not behave rudely.  This is what 1 Corinthians 13:5 tells us.  The Amplified translation of this Scripture says, "love is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly."  God is love according to 1 John 4:8 and 16 so this tells us that God does not behave rudely.  

Being rude is not showing courtesy or demonstrating what we call social graces.  God never exhibits a lack of respect for people.  You never see Jesus being disrespectful in His ministry.  God does not force His way on people, He does not push others out of the way, or speak harshly and disrespectfully.  God does not yell over the top of others to make sure His opinion is heard.  God does not talk down to people.  With 100% purity God combines love and truth.  His knowledge is perfect and His expression of that knowledge is perfect. In other words, God is at home with all people no matter their station in life, their gender, or their race.  Let's look at this truth expressed in the earthly ministry of Jesus. 

Scripture: (Take the Lowly Place) Luke 14:7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

• If anyone could parade His power and glory and demand the best seats in a dinner it would be God.  After all He is the maker, creator, and sustainer of all life.  If anyone could position Himself in the company of the highest and best in this world it would be God. But this is not the nature of love.  The God kind of love prefers others above Himself.  If we think about this, God (love) does not even demand the best place in our individual lives, even though He deserves it.  No, the Lord humbles Himself and chooses to allow us to give Him the seat in our lives we choose.
• Jesus demonstrates in this teaching that God is not into politics, He loves us because He is love.  God's love and ways are 100% pure in motivation.  (Luke 6:27-36).
• God (love) is not impressed with what humanity is impressed with.  Humanity is impressed with power, position, popularity, money, and natural possessions.  God is impressed with humility, faith, and love.  Proverbs puts it this way, Proverbs 16:32 Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. (NLT)  These are characteristics of God's nature.  

Love is not rude.  Love prefers others, it does not push itself forward at the expense of others.  This is how God loves us and this is how God loves the world.  This is the nature of God!

In Christ, Pastor Sean

We wrapped up part 6 in our series "God Our Father" this last Sunday.  Our purpose in this series is to establish and strengthen the true character and nature of God (love) as our Father.

It is paramount for any believer if they desire to walk in victory that they have a strong understanding of God's love.  Paul understood this to such a degree that He recorded a prayer of supplication for us concerning God's love in Ephesians 3:14-21 (you should pray this daily).  God desires that we are rooted and grounded in His love, that we would know through experience the width, length, depth, and height of His love.  Paul also records in Romans 8:31-39 that only through knowing the love of God in Christ Jesus can we overcome in every area of our lives.  If this revelation is good enough for Paul it is good enough for us as well.  

We have been looking at the characteristics of love as described in 1 Cor. 13:4-8.  This last Sunday we looked at the last part of verse 4, which states that love is not puffed up.  This tells us that God is not puffed up.  The Amplified translation states it this way, "love does not display itself haughtily."  God is not prideful, He does not demand respect and attention. God is humble and serves and gives with a pure motive to bless those who He is serving whether recognition is given or not.  God is not tempted with evil nor does He tempt anyone with evil (James 1:13).  God is 100% pure in everything that He does.

Let's look at the life and ministry of Jesus in order to see an example of this God kind of love.  

Scripture:  John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." 8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean." 12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. NKJV

• This is an expression of love that is not puffed up.  I know at times people struggle with this image of God but this is how He is.  Jesus said, "I only say and do what the Father says and does."  The Father is not teaching us to do things that He Himself does not do.  
• So, Jesus washed the feet of the man who betrayed Him into the hands of the religious leaders and the Romans.  This is love that is not puffed up.  He washed the feet of the man whom He called unclean.  God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. God did not stop being good to Judas even though Judas had given himself to satan.  
• Jesus washed the feet of the man who denied Him 3 times and cut off a guys ear. 
• Jesus washed the feet of the two men who were trying to get positions on His right hand and left in His Kingdom. 
• Jesus washed the feet the man who was a tax collector.
• Jesus washed the feet of the men who all fled when He was arrested. 
• Jesus washed the feet of the men who did not stay awake with Him in the garden of Gethsemane to pray with Him.  

Wow!  This is a love that is not puffed up!  

Lastly I would like to present this question to you.  Have you ever thought about the commitment level that Jesus love for the disciples produced in them?  These men experienced a love that led all of them to give their entire lives to the Lord, even if need be unto death.  Only a revelation of the love of God can produce this type of commitment in humanity.

• James, son of Zebedee: Put to death by King Herod Agrippa.
• Peter: Traditionally believed to have been crucified in Rome upside down at his own request, as he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.
• Andrew: Crucified on an X-shaped cross in Greece.
• John: Died a natural death at Ephesus, reportedly the only apostle to die peacefully, but prior to this he was placed in a pot of boiling oil (which did not harm him) and isolated on the island of Patmos.
• James the Less: Thrown down from the pinnacle of the Temple, then clubbed to death after surviving the fall.
• Bartholomew: Flayed alive and then beheaded.
• Philip: Suspended by his ankles on iron hooks and then beheaded.
• Simon the Zealot: Tradition has it he was sawn in half.
• Thomas: Martyred by being stabbed with a spear in India.
• Jude (Thaddaeus): Crucified in Persia.
• Matthias: Chosen to replace Judas, he was reportedly stoned and then beheaded.
• Matthew: Killed by a sword.
• Paul: Beheaded in Rome.
• Mark: Dragged through the streets by horses until he died in Alexandria, Egypt.
• Luke: Hanged in Greece.

God's love produces fearlessness in the lives of His children!

If you want more understanding of God's love for you, pray this prayer:

Father God, my greatest desire is to know you and in order for this to happen I need to have a greater understanding of your love for me.  Father you are love so when I know and experience your love I know and experience you.  Lord I desire to be a body wholly filled and flooded with your love, so I ask that you would strengthen me to be able to receive and walk in your love.     

Blessings In Christ, Pastor Sean  

We are building and strengthening our image of God as our Father week over week by looking at the love nature of God as expressed through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

To continue to give insight into why we are on this subject, I believe that this revelation of God’s love and the church walking in this love is key to taking down the independent spirit in this area.  We as the church are in a spiritual battle not a natural one.  As the church knows and believes in the love that God has for us, God then is able to impact our region the way that He desires.  The impact of the Kingdom of God in this area is directly connected to our understanding of God's love for us.        

I have discovered as I fellowship with the Lord that taking down a giant (independent spirit) in the New Testament looks different than taking one down in the Old Testament.  Rather than slinging stones in the natural we heaping coals of fire on peoples heads in the spirit.  

Rom 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. NKJV

Vengeance may break the enemies spirit, but love or kindness will break their hard heart.

This is God’s preferred method of dealing with people.  The love of God is what is going to bring down the walls of independence and pride.  This is how God is winning people into His Kingdom, His family.

Rom 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? NKJV

Last week we saw that God is long suffering (patient) and kind, we saw this illustrated when Jesus ministered salvation to the woman at the well of Samaria.  Jesus patiently and kindly ministered the living waters of salvation to a woman who was in deep sin, an outcast with racial and religious prejudices ruling her life and yet the Lord was able to lead her to repentance and salvation.  God is SOOOOOO patient and kind.  This whole account reminds me of a Scripture in 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV.  

Let's look now to the next key phrases in 1 Cor. 13:4 - "Love (God) does not envy."  What does this phrase show us about the nature of God?

• God’s love nature is pure in motive; it is not envious or jealous love.  It is a love that is looking to totally redeem humanity whether they receive it or not. 
• This tells us that this love is 100% pure!  God has no ulterior motives in His love for us, there is no hidden agenda.  
• This tells me that God is not loving me based on a motive of insecurity.  Envy or jealousy is motivated by selfishness or personal gain at the expense of someone else.  God’s love is given with no strings attached; He just desires us to be with Him but will never manipulate us to get what He desires.  
• God can give to people and be happy that they are blessed by His gifts, and He is never concerned about whether they give back to him or not. 

One place in the ministry of Jesus where I can see that God is not motivated by envy or jealousy (the desire to have what someone else has) is Jesus interaction with the rich young ruler.

Scripture:  Matt 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17 So He said to him,  "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" 20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. NKJV

Remember, enviousness is a desire with incorrect motives to have something that is possessed by another.

• If the love of God was motivated by envy, Jesus would have tried to earn the favor of this rich man for his money rather than looking out for his highest good, which was entry into the Kingdom of God.  Notice, Jesus did not say, “sell all you have and give it to me and then come and follow me.”  He said, “sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will  have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”  This is God demonstrating through Jesus that His love is pure.
• God’s love is focused on humanity first, the condition of the individuals heart over all other natural things.  This is a pure, wonderful love. 

Let’s look at the next part of verse 4: "love (God) does not parade itself."  (God is not boastful or vainglorious) AMP.  What does this phrase show us about the nature of God?

• This means that God is not boastful He is not a braggart. 
• This statement again reveals the purity of God’s love.  It is a love that is purely motivated for others good. 
• When someone knows who they are they don’t need someone else to speak about them all the time. 

Let’s look to the ministry of Jesus for an expression of this kind of pure love:  

Scripture:  Matt 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." NKJV

• First I want to point out the statement that Jesus made in verse 27, “no one know the Son except the Father.  Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son.”  Jesus is the exact image of the Father.
• So, what are the next words from Jesus mouth concerning His knowledge of the Father.  He says, “I am gentle and lowly of heart.”  God is gentle and lowly of heart.  Gentle means meek, it describes someone who is mild and humble.  Lowly means humble in circumstances and disposition, one definition says not rising far from the ground.  This tells me that God does not parade Himself.  His disposition is gentle and lowly. 
• God does not blast His way into things; He does not demand attention.  This is amazing because He deserves all the glory and attention, but He operates from a gentle and lowly disposition.   
• Jesus never demanded that people follow Him.  He never demanded people’s respect.  He never paraded Himself.  

God is love and love is not envious and it does not parade itself, it is not boastful or vainglorious as the Amplified translation states.  God is gentle and lowly in heart.  God (love) is attempting to win the world to Him through His goodness.  This goodness is experienced first to His church and then through His church.  Let's continue to believe in the love that God has for us.  Let's continue grow in the knowledge and experience of that love in order that we may be a body wholly filled and flooded with the love of God.

In Christ, Pastor Sean (the beloved of the Lord).

Pray Ephesians 3:14-21 daily.
Look for the love of God as you are reading the Scriptures.

How can we trust someone that we do not know?  Our relationship with God is based on trust and trust can only be established by knowing the character of the one we are putting our trust in.  In this series of teachings this is what we are learning and strengthening, "God is love."  God doesn't just perform love it is who He is!  Let's look at a couple of Scriptures that declare this.

Scripture:  1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. NKJV

Scripture:  1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. NKJV

In 1 Cor. 13:4-8 we see the description of what the God kind of love is like.  This is a description of how God relates to us and the world.    

Love is God's nature, love is what motivates everything that God does.  In order for all of humanity to get a proper understanding and expression of God's love He sent to Son Jesus Christ to be His representation.  Jesus said in John 14:9.................."He who has seen me has seen the Father."  Jesus is the exact expression of God.  We see this same truth reiterated in Hebrews 1:3 where Jesus is called "the express image of His person."  The phrase "express image" in the Greek means the exact copy.  

This tells us that everything that Jesus said and did is a perfect expression of God's love.  So we should be able to find in the life and ministry of Jesus an example of all of the characteristics of love given to us in 1 Cor. 13:4-8 and this is what we began to do this last Sunday.  

1 Cor. 13:4a states, "Love suffers long and is kind."

• This verse tells us that God suffers long and is kind.  So, what does that mean?  This verse is telling us that God is patient in dealing with the offences and injuries of others.  In addition to this He is also kind while waiting.  This kindness is described as acting benevolently or having a mild manner.  It is described as being tolerant and forgiving under provocation. 
• From these words we can see that God is redemptive in His nature.  He is willing to wait and show kindness in hopes that the object of His redemption will yield to Him in faith. 
• God is patient in dealing with the offences of others or we could say people.  Sin is an offense against God.  How much sin is going on in the world right now today?  And yet God has not destroyed the planet, this is because He is redemptive and in order to be redemptive He must be patient and kind, He must suffer long.

James 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. NKJV
   
Transitional Sentence:  Since Jesus is the perfect expression of God then we should be able to find an example of this patience and kindness in Jesus earthly ministry.
 
Scripture:  John 4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
 

• Jesus approaches this woman and asks for water.  Her response is not one that is unfamiliar to us today.  It is a response from a culture that was saturated with racism and sexism.  The Samaritans were a mixed race of gentiles and poor Jewish people from the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests.  Intermarriages between these two groups produced the Samaritans.  They were hated by the Jews and despised by the Gentiles.  In addition, the Jews hated them because they did not follow their religious system.  So, we can see why she responded to Jesus this way. 
• To be honest if I was trying to minister to someone and they responded this way to me I am not sure I would have tried to proceed.  But let’s remember what we are looking at here, Jesus is a perfect demonstration of patience and kindness.  Jesus knows the heart of the Father and He knows that the winning of this woman is key to unlocking the harvest of souls in Samaria. 
• Jesus (love) breaks down racism and sexism walls.  Racism and sexism happen because of a lack of understanding of God’s love. 

10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift (gracious gift) of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
 

• Here we see the patience and kindness of God in action.  Jesus responds to this woman’s hardness with redemption.  He speaks by Love (God) to the thirst in her spirit.  Love sees past the external hardness to the heart of the issue.   
• He does not try to correct her; He extends redemption to her through love.  This is God speaking to her and to us!

11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 

• Jesus through patience and kindness is moving this woman from a place of hardness to a place of receptivity, to a place of redemption, salvation, and emotional and relational healing.  Jesus expressing the love of God to this woman is paying off, she is opening up. 

15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
 

• Patience and kindness has led this woman from racism and sexism to I want what you are offering.  She is now completely open to Jesus.  Her desire is expressed that she wants this living water. 

16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."
 

• Jesus now in patience and kindness deals with the sin issues in her life.  I do not believe that as Jesus dealt with this issue that He was hard or harsh in any way.  I believe He dealt with her like you would something very fragile.  Jesus understands her condition, He understands our condition and He is looking to redeem. 
• Love will deal with sin, but it will deal with sin in a patient and kind way.  Walking in love does not mean you abandon truth, on the other hand expressing truth must be done in an attitude of love. 

19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

• Now she shifts gears because she gets nervous.  She tries to go spiritual and talk spiritual, imagine a woman who has been married five times and is living with a man who is not her husband wants to talk theology.  The word of knowledge from Jesus about her relationship problems hit the mark.
• Jesus patiently and kindly answers the questions.  He does not allow the race differences or the sin issue to detract from the truth about salvation that is does come through the Jews. 

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 25 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." 26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." NKJV

• As the conversation progresses she brings up the Messiah and this is Jesus opportunity to declare who He is so that she can put her trust in Him. 

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. NKJV

• Why did God pick this woman?  She would not have been the choice of the religious leaders for a witness, but she was the choice of God.  I believe God chose her in order to show how patient and kind He is. 

• God (love) was declaring through Jesus:
  • I can redeem you from the darkest places of sin.
  • I will satisfy the thirst in your heart.
  • I don’t care about gender barriers.
  • I don’t care about race barriers.
  • I don’t care about religious barriers.
  • I am patient and kind to all for the purpose of the redemption of all mankind.
  • In His earthly ministry Jesus operated in the lovingkindness and tender mercies of God. Then in His death, burial, and resurrection Jesus made the lovingkindness and mercies of God available to humanity until the end of the age!

Ps 69:16 Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. NKJV
 
Ps 103:4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, NKJV
 
Ps 119:156 Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord; Revive me according to Your judgments. NKJV
 
Ps 145:9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. NKJV
 
There is a Scripture in Matthew 5 that speaks to the nature of God being love. Matt 5:43 "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, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. NKJV

What a great resurrection Sunday we had, 20 people were water baptized witnessing to their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!  Water baptism is a great way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it preaches the Gospel every time a person is placed under the water and raised back up.  In this blog I want to share with you what the word "baptized" means and how it relates to Christ's crucifixion, death, and resurrection.  I believe you will be blessed by the Word of God.

 

• What does the word baptized mean and what does water baptism represent?  

Baptized (907 baptizo) – This word means to immerse, submerge or to make fully wet.  It means to wash.

The principle of baptism is seen throughout all of Scripture even in the Old Testament.  I want to reference two places where a type of water baptism is seen.  

Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The redemption of Christ and baptism were foretold in the Old Testament.  The experience of those who were in the ark at the time of the Flood was a figure or type of the facts of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection, Christian "baptism" being a corresponding type or a like figure, we see this related to us in 1 Peter 3:18-22.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. NKJV

Likewise, the nation of Israel was figuratively baptized when made to pass through the Red Sea under the cloud, 1 Cor 10:1,2.

1 Cor 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, NKJV

The "baptism" to be undergone by believers, is a witnessing to their identification with Him in death, burial and resurrection, e. g., Acts 19:5; Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 1:13-17; 12:13; Gal 3:27; Col 2:12.

The phrase in Matt 28:19, "baptizing them into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (RV; cf. Acts 8:16, RV), would indicate that the "baptized" person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose name he was "baptized."

• So, water baptism is a public declaration of complete surrender to Jesus Christ and the completed salvation that He accomplished in His death, burial, and resurrection 2000 years ago during this time.
• This entire week Christianity remembers the suffering and resurrecting Savior by “Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection (Easter) Sunday.”  This is exactly why we water baptize; we are declaring as disciples of Christ our total identification with Him in substitutionary sacrifice and resurrection. 

We are confessing from a heart of faith:

• Jesus sweat blood for me.
• Jesus was arrested in the garden for me.
• Jesus was punched in the face and spit on for me.
• Jesus was falsely accused for me.
• Jesus was crowned with thorns for me.
• Jesus was whipped for me.
• Jesus carried a cross for me.
• Jesus was nailed to the cross for me.
• Jesus was hung on the cross for me.
• Jesus was stabbed in the side for me.
• Jesus was forsaken by God for me.
• Jesus died for me.
• Jesus was placed in a tomb for me.
• Jesus suffered my penalty in hell for me.
• Jesus was raised from the dead for me.   

Praise God!!  We are redeemed!! You can see from the truths presented that water baptism is a wonderful expression of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

In Christ, Pastor Sean McFarlane

Good Friday is a phrase that has become common among Christians to reference the day that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross.  It would take more than one blog to cover all the details of what took place on this day but I my desire is to give you a little insight into what Jesus went through for our total redemption.  The crucifixion of Christ is covered in all 4 of the gospels Matthew chapters 26 and 27, Mark chapters 14 and 15, Luke chapters 22 and 23 and finally John chapters 18 and 19.  I give you these references so that you can take time to read through all the accounts as the different authors of the crucifixion share different details according to their perspective.  All four give a good rounded picture of that day.  

A favorite passage of mine concerning the crucifixion of Jesus is found in the Old Testament in Isaiah chapter 53.  This chapter in Isaiah is a prophetic declaration sharing with us what took place on Good Friday.  Let's take a look at this chapter and see how it points to the redemption of mankind that took place on this day.  

Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

• This question of for all people and in almost a reverse sort of way it answers the next question.  The arm of the Lord will be revealed to those who choose to believe in Jesus. 

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.  3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

• Verse 3 shares with us that Jesus was "A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Why?  Jesus personally had no sin, sickness, pain, or suffering on account of His own sins, but we have these as humans in abundance; and since He came into the world to carry them for us, He had to become identified with us in our sufferings by taking them upon Himself and bearing them unto death so that when we put our faith in Him we are freed from them.  When you read the gospel accounts of His crucifixion you see that sorrow became a characteristic of His life.  Jesus sorrowed for humanity when He took our sins, depravities, corruptions, sicknesses, diseases, and pains.  Next we see that He was "acquainted with our grief."  This word grief is actually the Hebrew word for malady and is translated as disease and sickness which it should have been here as well.  Christ was acquainted with sickness and disease as He bore all of them on the cross for us as our substitute.      

4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

• This passage of Scripture tells us that Jesus bore or carried away our griefs which again is sicknesses.  We also see that He carried away our sorrows, which means that He on Good Friday carried our diseases.  Jesus body was stricken and smitten or we could say today it was beaten and slaughtered so that ours could be made whole.  

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

• Jesus was wounded for our sins, our transgressions.  He was bruised or beat to pieces for our iniquities.  Jesus on Good Friday had His body take the justified punishment for our sins.  

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

• The Lord has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all.  The idea here is the the iniquities of men fell all at once on Jesus and He bore them away.  Wow Praise God for Good Friday!

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.  8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.  9 And they made His grave with the wicked —  But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.  10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.  11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. NKJV

• There is so much here that I want to take verses 7 through 12 and just point out the redemption phrases. 
  • Jesus was oppressed and afflicted so you and I could be free. 
  • Jesus on Good Friday was cut off from the land of the living and stricken for the transgressions of the people. 
  • It pleased the Lord to bruise Jesus and put Him to grief, it pleased the Lord to make Jesus an offering for sin in order to see the pleasure of the Lord which is humanities salvation.  The labor of Jesus soul was our salvation!
  • By knowledge Jesus bore the iniquities of humanity and then when He was raised from the dead He justified all those who would believe on Him.  
  • Jesus on Good Friday poured His soul unto death and was numbered with the transgressors and bore the sin of many and made intercession for all of humanity.  

 
And this is just a few reasons why we call this Friday "Good Friday!"  Jesus was not just a good man, He was not just another prophet among many so called prophets through the ages.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father. He is the redeemer of all who will put their faith and trust in Him.  He is the One who received into Himself the entire sin of humanity past, present, and future.  He shed His blood for the payment of all, and all who put their faith in Him and call upon His name will be saved both now and through all eternity.  Good Friday is good because it was the day that God consummated His passion for humanity through His Son.  Peace on earth good will toward all men!

Will you put your trust in Jesus today?  If you want to receive Jesus watch the video linked below.   

Praise God!!  We had wonderful healing services this last Sunday!  We have already had several testimonies of healings and in addition we had someone baptized in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking with other tongues!  

God is so good and gracious He is full of compassion and tender mercies.  His hand is stretched out to you in full provision through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  One of our main passages of Scripture for this series of teachings is John 14:9 where we have recorded Jesus words "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."  Jesus is the perfect the infallible image of God to all of His creation.  Colossians 1:15 in the amplified translation says it this way, "[Now] He is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible] He is the firstborn of all creation."  Everything that Jesus did and said is a perfect expression of God!  This tells me that we can know exactly what the Father is like by looking at and listening to the Son.  

So, for part 2 in our series "God Our Father" we looked at Jesus and discovered that God is our compassionate healer.  In this blog I am going to give you a lot of Scripture references and I want to encourage you to look at each passage and meditate and study for yourself concerning the nature of God so that this truth will be rooted deeply in your mind concerning Gods nature.  

1)  God is full of compassion and tender mercies.

When we say that God is full of compassion what we mean is that deep in His inner most being He is moved toward us with the yearning of His nature, love.  This manifests in tender mercies. Tender mercies give us the picture of being warm and affection, being gentle, compassionate and kind.

Here are some of the Scriptures that prove this to us.  As you read these passages see God relating to you this way.  

Scripture:  Psalms 86:15 - But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.  

Scripture:  Psalms 111:4 - He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

Scripture:  Psalms 112:4 - Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.  

Scripture:  Psalms 145:8 - The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.  

Scripture:  Psalms 25:6,7 – Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses, For they are from Old.  Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness sake, O Lord.
 
Ps 25:6-7 Overlook my youthful sins, O Lord! Look at me instead through eyes of mercy and forgiveness, through eyes of everlasting love and kindness. TLB

Scripture:  Ps 40:11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me. NKJV

Ps 40:11 Lord, don't hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.  New Living Translation

Scripture:  Ps 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.  NKJV

Ps 51:1 - Generous in love — God, give grace! Huge in mercy — wipe out my bad record. MSG

Scripture:  Ps 69:16 Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. NKJV

Ps 69:16 Hear and answer me, O Lord, for Your loving-kindness is sweet and comforting; according to Your plenteous tender mercy and steadfast love turn to me. AMP

Ps 69:16 Answer me, O Lord, because your mercy is good. Out of your unlimited compassion, turn to me.  (from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

Scripture:  Ps 103:4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, NKJV

Ps 103:4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; AMP

Scripture:  Ps 119:156 Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord; Revive me according to Your judgments. NKJV

Ps 119:156 Great are Your tender mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord; give me life according to Your ordinances. AMP

Ps 119:156 Your mercies, God, run into the billions; following your guidelines, revive me.  (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Scripture:  Ps 145:9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. NKJV

Ps 145:9 God is good to one and all; everything he does is infused with grace.  (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Ps 145:9 The Lord is good to everyone and has compassion for everything that he has made.  (from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

Ps 145:9 The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.  Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Wow!  You can see so clearly who He is and His heart toward all of us!  Now that you have read these verses go back over them again before you read into the next point.  

This compassionate nature of God translates into healing for people and there is no better place to see this than in the ministry of Jesus.  As you are reading through these passages of Scripture, imagine yourself on the receiving end of Jesus ministry.  Allow faith to rise for your own healing!  

2)  God Our Compassionate Healer.

Healing multitudes.

Scripture:  Matt 4:23 And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news (Gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every weakness and infirmity among the people. 24 So the report of Him spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all who were sick, those afflicted with various diseases and torments, those under the power of demons, and epileptics, and paralyzed people, and He healed them. 25 And great crowds joined and accompanied Him about, coming from Galilee and Decapolis [the district of the ten cities east of the Sea of Galilee] and Jerusalem and Judea and from the other [the east] side of the Jordan.  AMP

God has revealed Himself as a healer of all sicknesses and diseases.

Individual cases of healing.

Leper Healed

Scripture:  Matt 8:1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. NKJV

Centurions Servant

Scripture:  Matt 8:5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." 7 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. NKJV

Peter’s Mother In Law

Scripture:  Matt 8:14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. NKJV

The Woman With The Issue Of Blood

Scripture:  Matt 9:20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. NKJV

Jairus Daughter

Scripture:  Matt 9:23 When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. NKJV

The Two Blind Men

Scripture:  Matt 9:27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came 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, "According to your faith let it be to you." 30 And their eyes were opened.  NKJV

The Mute

Scripture:  Matt 9:32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!" NKJV

Conclusion:  From these passages we see that Jesus healed old men, young boys, old women, young girls, Jews, Gentiles, incurable lepers, paralytic cases, fevers, poor people, rich people, those living, those dead, military men, housewives, those who had been to doctors and those who had not, the demon-possessed, He healed one at a time, more than one at a time, and multitudes at a time.  So we see from the life and ministry of Jesus that God is a compassionate Father who desires all to be whole.  

As you are coming to the end of this blog I want to declare over you, You are healed by the compassion and tender mercies of God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!!  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the Knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  

In Christ, Pastor Sean 

John 12:12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'  The King of Israel!" 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt." NKJV

Where did Palm Sunday get it’s start?  Palm Sunday got its start when the multitude of people in Jerusalem took palm branches and waved them as Jesus entered on a donkey into the city during the Passover Feast.  This is where we got the name for “Palm Sunday” before “Resurrection Sunday.”  This event took place only a few days before the Crucifixion and a week before the resurrection.  The palm branches were symbolic of rejoicing and triumph.  We see this in two passage of Scripture.  
   
Lev 23:40 And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. NKJV

Rev 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, NKJV

The people honored and worshiped Jesus because of the miracles they had seen and especially for the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  “Hosanna” they cried, this is the Greek abbreviation of two Hebrew words means “save now.” This phrase and the following words are taken from Ps 118:25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. NKJV.

The Lord Jesus is our "Hosanna."  Let's worship Him this resurrection season!

We began a new series of teachings this last Sunday.  The purpose of this series is to establish and strengthen the true character and nature of God our Father in our lives.  His nature is love (1 John 4:8,16) and it is vital that we have a revelation of that love for ourselves individually.  We are going to focus on God's love for us rather than our love walk toward others.  Our love walk toward others will increase as we understand God's love for us.  

John 14:9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  NKJV

How can we trust someone that we do not know?  Our relationship with God is based on trust and trust can only be established by knowing the character of the one we are putting our trust in.  There are a lot of opinions that have been formed and shared about who God is.  We are aware that this happens in the world and in the church.  We have an enemy who loves to distort the image and character of God, he has been doing this since the garden of Eden (2 Cor. 11:3), and he continues with this same scheme today.  The Lord being gracious and loving and understanding fully the nature of satan and his work here on earth made sure to reveal His character to us in the most reliable way possible, He sent His son as His witness to all of humanity.  In this series of teachings, we are going to look to Jesus to discover and reinforce our faith concerning the nature and character of God our Father.

There are two things that I encourage you to do while we are in this series.  The first is to make sure you are praying Ephesians 3:14-21 daily.  The second thing that I would ask you to do is look for the love of God in your devotional reading time.  Make a point to look for God's character and nature.

1)  Faith Works By Love. 

It is of great importance that we understand the character of God, that we understand that God is love.  One of the main reasons this is important is because our faith is activated and energized through love.  So you can see that having a revelation of God's love is vitally important to our faith.  Faith is how we were born again and is how we operate daily in our relationship with God.  Here are some important truths about faith.

• We are saved by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8)
• It is impossible to please God without faith.  (Hebrews 11:6)
• Faith is the victory that overcomes the whole world. (1 John 5:4)
• All things are possible for those who will have faith in God. (Mark 9:23)   
• We are to live or walk by faith daily. (2 Cor. 5:7)

So you can see how important faith is to your daily walk with the Lord and if faith works by love you can see how important it is to have a solid understanding of the love of God for you.  The Bible tells us that God is love, so lets take a look that truth.  

2)  God is love.  

Scripture:  1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love (agape). NKJV

Scripture:  1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love (agape), and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. NKJV

Other Translations:

            1 John 4:8………God as to His nature is love. WUST

What do we see?

• Love is an essential part of God’s nature.  God does not just act in love, it is who He is. 

As we wrap this teaching blog for part 1 in this series this is what I would encourage you to do.  Since God is love, I want to encourage you to read over 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and every place is says "love" replace that word with God.  Doing this will help you understand and establish how God is relating to you on a daily basis.  Here is an example.

1 Cor. 13:4-8 - God suffers long and is kind; God does not envy; God does not parade Himself; he is not puffed up; He does not behave rudely, He does not seek His own, He is not provoked and thinks no evil; He does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; God bears all things, believes the best in all things, hopes in all things, endures in all things.  God never fails. 

As you meditate on these truths you will be transformed! 

In Christ, Pastor Sean

This week we wrapped up our teaching series entitled "Walk In The Spirit." The purpose of this teaching series was to increase our spiritual awareness. In looking to the Scriptures, we have discovered and strengthened our ability to walk in the spirit. We have had two main passages of Scripture that we have used for this series and they are -

Galatians 5:16 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Galatians 5:25 - If (since) we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  

The message paraphrase states Galatians 5:25 like this, "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. To me this rendering of Galatians 5:25 really puts into words the purpose of this teaching series. Again, we have taught on this subject for 11 weeks so if you missed any of the messages or you just want to go back and review the messages are linked below or you can download our app from the app store or google play store just search Faith Family Church Billings.

Through this message we have looked at the following truths:

1. We are instructed in the Word of God to walk in the spirit.
2. God is Spirit and s
3. We looked at how to develop spiritual awareness through these principles.
   • The transformation of our thinking.
   • Drawing near to God.
   • Prayer and fasting.
   • Worship.
4. Finally, we looked at how to develop a strong spiritual walk through these principles.
   • Feeding on the Word of God.
   • Practicing or being a doer of the Word of God.
   • Giving the Word of God first place in our lives.
   • Obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit within our spirit.

In part 11 we wrap up by looking at the last 3 points in section 4 of this series, "developing a strong spiritual walk."

First we looked at the importance of practicing or being a doer of the Word of God.

Scripture:  James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. NKJV

Other Translations:

James 1:22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. AMP

• In the church many times we have people who talk about the word, they sing the word, they pray the word, they get excited about the word, but they don’t do the word of God in their daily life. Purpose to practice being a doer of the Word by doing in all circumstances what the Word of God tells you to do.
• Ask yourself in every situation, what does the Word of God say about this situation?
• There is no secret formula to being a doer of the Word, just decide to do what it says.
• I think that it is obvious that hearing the Word of God is important because we know from Romans 10:17 that this is how faith comes. But unless hearing is followed by obedience, the consequences can be very destructive. We see this truth from the teaching ministry of Jesus in (Matthew 7:24-27) - 24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." NKJV. Being a doer of the Word of God makes you strong spiritually.

Another way that we can develop spiritual strength is through giving the Word of God first place in our lives.

Scripture:  Prov 4:20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

Other Translations:

Prov 4:20 My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. AMP

Prov 4:20 Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Prov 4:20 My son, pay attention to my words. Open your ears to what I say. (from GODS WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

Attend (7181 Qashab) – This word means to be attentive and to pay attention. It means to give head or to mark well.

Incline (5186 natah) – This word means to stretch down toward. This word is used of letting a pitcher down into a well to fill it with water.

What do we see?

• The picture that the Holy Spirit is giving us is one of a person being attentive to the Word of God, it is someone who is putting the vessel of their life down into the well of God’s words and His sayings in order to be filled with God. This is someone who is giving the Word of God first place in their life.
• A person who does this will have a strong spiritual walk in this life.

21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;

Other Translations:

Prov 4:21 Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Prov 4:21 Do not lose sight of these things. Keep them deep within your heart (from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

Prov 4:21 Keep these thoughts ever in mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart, TLB

Depart (3868 luwz) – This word means to be lost from view.
Keep Them (8104 shamar) – This word means to guard or to protect or to retain, to treasure up within the memory. It means to watch over or to attend to.

What do we see?

• So, the picture being given to us about the Word of God is a person who does not lose sight of the Word of God. It is a person who is attentive to protecting or retaining the Word of God in their lives.

Adam Clarke's Commentary:  Let them be wrapped up in the very center of your affections; that they may give energy to every desire, word, and wish.

• The person that gives the Word of God first place in their life will be strong in their spiritual walk.

Finally let’s look at the importance of instantly obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The human spirit has a voice. The world has developed phrases to describe it through the years, phrases like “conscience,” “intuition” or a “hunch.” People say things like, “I just knew in me that something was up.” What is this, it is the voice of the spirit man. Every persons spirit saved or unsaved has a voice.

The human spirit as we have looked at in previous points in this message is who we truly are. We are a spirit man on the inside of our physical bodies. The Bible calls our spirits, “the spirit of man” (Prov. 20:27), “the hidden person of the heart” (1 Peter 3:4), “the inward man” (2 Cor. 4:16). This inward man is the primary way in which the Lord will lead us by the Holy Spirit. Learning to hear and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in this way will strengthen our ability to walk in the spirit.

Let’s look at a Scripture that reveals this truth to us.

Scripture: Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, NKJV

Bears Witness With (4828 summartureo) – This word means to testify jointly, to corroborate by evidence.

Other Translations:

Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. AMP

Rom 8:16 God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

• I would call this a knowing or a nudging of the Holy Spirit to our spirits.

Rom 8:16 For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Rom 8:16 For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we really are God's children. TLB

What do we see?

• If the Holy Spirit bears witness with us in our spirit that we are children of God then it stands to reason that he can bear witness with us concerning other things in our life as well.

Here are some Scriptural examples of this in operation:

Luke 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, NKJV

Acts 15:25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, NKJV

Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: NKJV

Acts 15:34 However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there. NKJV

Rom 9:1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, NKJV

For the child of God, it is normal to walk in the spirit, this is a normal Christian life. If we are going to live the victorious life that Christ has provided for us we must continue to develop living from our spirits. Just as a word of encouragement, it will take some time to develop in this way of living if it is new to you or if you have known these truths but never developed in them over the years don’t let discouragement or failure stop you from continuing in obedience to the Word of God.

If you and I will be doers of what we have learned and not hearers only we will progressively year over year walk in the spirit in greater and greater levels. As was stated at the beginning of this series, “Those who walk in the spirit walk with God,” we will as the Lord told Joshua, “make our way prosperous and have good success.”