tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229467712024-03-13T14:39:33.207-04:00Loving and Leading...a God ThingDr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-86799707072100068432020-02-07T10:43:00.001-05:002020-02-07T10:43:17.718-05:00What a Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am excited to share that on February 9th, 2020, Centerpointe Church will take a new step of faith to reach Northern Virginia with the message of Jesus. We will be launching our services at the Cinemark Theater in Fairfax Corner. </div>
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It's been quite a ride getting to this point. In September of 2019, we had no idea where God would lead us, but we knew that He would, and he has opened up a great work for us right where people gather. </div>
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Watch this video to see what God has done in our lives:</div>
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<a href="https://centerpointechurch.com/the-corner"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1063" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg6mqnSTdKOW-Lg2B5Rdl8qrI_R9EzTQvLWci2kfohFKEnWbmB0B-DgpKlqmrR4whl4R8IeVRKgGcaxyYF5Gp8t6QfgiwoF5CDShCN4_nTxJCjJGytVBW-Uv6RhMAFmk3jKuI/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-02-07+at+10.32.43+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Much Love,<br />
Pastor KeithDr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-28168020727947100472019-03-06T07:41:00.000-05:002019-03-06T07:52:17.201-05:00I'm Tired of Church<!--[if !mso]>
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“I’m tired of church… I’m tired of doing church.” My friends
and I nodded, understanding the sentiment, but clarification was needed
nonetheless. Mark has pastored his church in Newton, North Carolina for sixteen
years and by most people’s definition it is a great church: people are coming
to Christ regularly, marriages are being transformed, the building is expanding.
We had just spent time discussing how he could add 200 more seats in the sanctuary. The
church has prospered under Mark’s leadership. I was excited for what God was
doing, and honestly, a little jealous. So when Mark said he was tired of
church, I had to ask for clarification.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His response, “I want to move the needle.” Now it was
becoming clearer, and he was voicing what so many pastors and me are feeling. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Creating efficient systems, starting new programs,
developing leaders, drawing crowds, creative worship, and installing lights
make the church more engaging for the ones who attend, but if we are honest,
the church is making less of an impact today than ever in America. We have become
irrelevant to our communities. Sure, we know how to entertain, inspire, and
give great tips for daily life, but life transformation doesn’t make it outside
the doors of the building. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As seven of us pastors rode in the car, we began to rehearse
historical revivals and how they shaped and transformed whole towns. The
presence of God was overwhelming, to the point where people would fall on their
knees in repentance. Factories would shut down so “people could tend to their
souls.” Today, our communities barely notice the church and secular voices
dominate and dictate what morality is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Days later, Mark sent us a message further clarifying the
metaphor, a <span style="color: #353535; font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">reference to the old analog vu meter used in
audio recording. VU stood for Volume Units. When recording, some audio sources
were not even loud enough to make the needle move off the bottom- in other
words it was too faint to be of much use to record. So saying that something is
moving the needle means that it is enough to register or make a difference to the
user- enough for the user to take note of. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mark was expressing what we each wanted: A spiritual
awakening that moved the needle; meaning transformed lives which changes
people, families, and cities. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The evangelical world has historically called this
experience revival. Although the word “revival” is not found in the New
Testament, it expresses a renewed emphasis on spiritual matters that change
behavior. It is the extraordinary activity of the Holy Spirit that leads the
people of God to extraordinary commitment to the work of God. It is a spiritual
realignment of our hearts and lives to the will of God, and a deep longing to
know God and to make Him known. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many books have been written over the years on revival with
incredible stories, and they all seem to come down to a few ingredients:
corporate prayer, repentance, and a bold voice which is not ashamed of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the power of God that leads to salvation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most prominent scriptures quoted in reference to revival
comes from 2 Chronicles 7:13–16 and Revelation 2:4-5: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or
command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,<sup> </sup>if
my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek
my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will
forgive their sin and will heal their land.<sup> </sup>Now my eyes will be open
and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.<sup> </sup>I have
chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My
eyes and my heart will always be there.</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first
love.<sup> </sup>Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do
the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and
remove your lampstand from its place.</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It would be wise for those of us looking to “move the
needle,” look into our own hearts first and allow the Holy Spirit to search and
reveal the areas of our lives we need to address. We often want God to bring
revival to our church, or country, and miss what God wants to do in us
personally. Out of the inner longing of wanting to know Christ above all
things, we turn our attention to wanting to make Him known to others.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My prayer is that the church of Jesus begins to move the
needle. Lord, start the work in me.</div>
Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-7226158207746405352019-02-06T21:46:00.000-05:002019-02-06T21:51:01.837-05:00EXPERIENCE SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN THE BODY OF CHRISTEphesians 4:11–14, “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.” (NLT)<br />
<br />
Many sincere Christians spend their entire lives earnestly searching for an experience, a conference, a revival or a book that will transform their lives. Their search is futile. Although we have instant coffee, instant potatoes, and now even instant weight-loss methods, there is no such thing as instant spiritual maturity. The truth is this: Spiritual growth, just like physical maturity, is a process that takes time. There are no shortcuts to maturity.<br />
<br />
Discipleship isn’t just one of the things the church does; it is what the church does. It’s not just part of the advancement of God’s kingdom; the existence of serious disciples is the most important evidence of God’s work on earth.<br />
<br />
Bill Hull writes about five dimensions of discipleship, which can be used to evaluate our spiritual growth over time.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><u>Transformed thinking</u>: Someone who believes what Jesus believed. This changes our thought life as we begin to think about the world differently and change our desires.</li>
<li><u>Transformed character</u>: Someone who lives as Jesus lived. This connects our beliefs to our behavior and changes who we are in regards to humility, honesty, integrity, etc. </li>
<li><u>Transformed relationships</u>: Someone who loves as Jesus loved. This breaks down the walls that separate us and brings healing to broken lives.</li>
<li><u>Transformed service</u>: Someone who ministers as Jesus ministered, responding to the needs around him. </li>
<li><u>Transformed influence</u>: Someone who leads as Jesus leads, taking on the role of a servant. </li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(“Five Dimensions of Discipleship,” Bill Hull, (<i>Choose the Life</i>)</span><br />
<br />
Based on Bill Hull’s five dimensions of discipleship, how do you evaluate your present condition of spiritual growth?<br />
<br />
Based on Bill Hull’s five dimensions of discipleship, is there one particular area that the Lord challenging you in at the present time?<br />
<br />
Based on what you have read and what God is saying to you, what decision do you need to make?Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-44379882540756047432019-02-06T00:30:00.000-05:002019-02-06T00:30:04.804-05:00Experience Forgiveness In the Body of Christ<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Colossians 3:12–14, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Corrie Ten Boom shares this true story in her book, The Hiding Place: </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!" His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Take a moment and reflect on the story of Corrie Ten Boom. How can this story help us to forgive those who have wounded us?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Are you harboring anger and bitterness toward any people in your life? Are there people in your life that you need to extend forgiveness to?</span></div>
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<br />
Paul desperately pleads with the Corinthian church to come together and agree. He asks them to eliminate divisions and to be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. The phrase from the Greek, "that you all agree" is translated literally, "that you all speak the same thing." What a fantastic statement.<br />
<br />
When God saves people, He puts them into a community called the Body of Christ: the Church. It’s the primary place where He teaches us to love one another and live in unity. Along with love, unity in a church is one of the most potent witnessing tools to a community.<br />
<br />
The early church was so united that the Book of Acts describes them as having everything in common. They saw themselves as one body of believers in Christ. It was not every man for himself, but rather, one for all and all for one. They had not joined an organization; they were joined together as an organism, a living, multi-membered body, of which Jesus was the head. They had genuine unity.<br />
<br />
Unity can be found in three areas in the church: a unity of hope, a unity of heart, and a unity of mission. We are united in a common belief that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. We listen to His voice, and we obey His commands. It is our hope in Him that brings us together until our every desire is to follow Jesus. We are also united in our hearts: the seat of our emotions. It is a feeling of togetherness and belonging. Furthermore, we are united in mission: to bring others to Jesus where they can experience the abundant life he has for them.<br />
<br />
When a church is working in harmony of hope, heart, and mission, it is a dominant force in the community because it is singularly focused and led by the Holy Spirit.<br />
<br />
Do you think it is possible for a church today to live in the same kind of unity as the early church? Why or why not?<br />
<br />
In what ways do you see unity in the local church being expressed?<br />
<br />
In what ways do you see a lack of unity in the local church? What can you do about it?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-14666196948866753912019-02-04T07:02:00.003-05:002019-02-04T07:03:12.076-05:00Experience Love in the Body of Christ1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, love one another deeply”<br />
<br />
John 13:34-35, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."<br />
<br />
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<br />
Ouch! I wonder if that is how the world sees the church? Listening to some of our rhetoric and reading some of our Facebook posts, I would not be surprised. Like “peace,” the word “love” is another word that is overused and under-experienced. It is effortless to talk about and sing about love. Years ago Pepsi capitalized on a song that says, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” Perhaps the reason there is so little is that it costs so much.<br />
<br />
Mother Teresa heard vows from 11 new members of her growing order, the Society of the Missionaries of Charity, and spoke briefly about this weekend to a crowd of about 700 people. "Love, to be real, must cost," said the frail and stooped Mother Teresa, 75, whose big voice belies her stature, "It must hurt. It must empty us of self."(From article written by Anne L. Meskey, “What’s the Big Deal About Love?,” Discipleship Journal 1994)<br />
<br />
What does Mother Teresa mean when she says, “Love, to be real, must cost”?<br />
<br />
Jesus told us to love one another “as I have loved you.” Take a moment and think about the extent Jesus went through to demonstrate His love for us. How can we love others the same way?<br />
<br />
When have you experienced sacrificial love?<br />
<br />
Who around you needs to experience God’s love?<br />
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-->Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-22056782397265729502019-02-02T00:30:00.000-05:002019-02-02T00:30:00.242-05:00EXPERIENCE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">Scriptures</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">Romans
12:6–8, </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">“We have different gifts,
according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it
in proportion to his faith.</span><sup><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;"> </span></sup><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">If it
is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;</span><sup><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;"> </span></sup><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is
contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is
leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it
cheerfully.”</span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">Thought</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">: </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">It takes all the people of God to do all the work of
God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">I
was awake at 3 am sitting in the recliner complaining to God about something I
had no reason to. It was immature for sure, but it bothered me enough that I
could no longer sleep. As I sat in my pity party, God was not pleased, and He
let me know it. Like a Father disciplining His son, he said to me, “You can
continue to sit there and sulk, but you are cursing and not a blessing. I have
given you gifts that that can bless the situation, but you are choosing to
curse.” I had a decision to make; I could use my gifts, or I could withhold
them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">God
has uniquely gifted each of us by the Holy Spirit to be a blessing to The Body
of Christ, our community, and the world. Instead of withholding our gifts, we
are to be good stewards of our gifts and use them for the sake of the Kingdom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">From
our January 30<sup>th</sup> devotional, we discovered the ways the Holy Spirit
works in our lives to help us live transformed lives. However, our experience
with The Holy Spirit does not stop there; He gives us gifts to work through us.
All of the gifts are to bring glory to Jesus, build up the Body of Christ, and
empower us to reach the world for Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Romans
12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-13; and 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 list the different
spiritual gifts which are categorized in the following ways:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Leadership gifts</span></i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers,
(These are called the five-fold ministry gifts). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Verbal gifts</span></i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">: preaching, teaching, prophesying, evangelizing, speaking
in tongues, and interpreting tongues<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Manifestation gifts</span></i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">: prophecy, faith, miracles, and healing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Serving gifts</span></i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">: generosity, hospitality, and encouragement<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Some
gifts are more expressive and prominent, but none are more significant.
Whatever gifts we have, we are to steward and strengthen. At Centerpointe, we
encourage everyone to go through a group called Focus where you will discover
your spiritual gifts and personality style in order to find your divine design.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">You
may also be interested in an online assessment. This free link can be taken
before your Life Group meeting: https://spiritualgiftstest.com/spiritual-gifts-test-landing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Refection</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">What
are your spiritual gifts and how did you discover them?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">How
are they helpful in your life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">How
are you using your spiritual gifts to serve the Body of Christ and your local
community?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Prayer</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">For a list of spiritual gifts, also read
Ephesians 4:11–13 and 1 Corinthians 12:7–11,</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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</style>Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-17888982746162085952019-02-01T00:30:00.000-05:002019-02-01T06:24:17.067-05:00EXPERIENCE THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 7.9pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Scripture</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Thought</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On our kitchen table, you will find a small, round, metal dish holding a variety of fruit. You might discover bananas, oranges, tangerines, grapes, apples, peaches, or grapefruits. They are meant to be snacks if you get hungry or something to grab as you go out the door. At the moment of this writing, four small oranges look like they have been there for a while. No doubt they will be replaced after Esther comes home from the grocery store. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Imagine for a moment our lives being as that dish on God’s table, containing fruit for others to enjoy as they interact with us. </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The fruits of the Spirit are the character traits found in our lives that reflect the nature of Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">As we grow in our walk with Jesus, fruit begins to naturally grow because He is daily transforming our lives to be more like Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fruit is the by-product of Christ’s control; <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">it</span> will naturally improve as your relationship in Christ grows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">It is from our fruit that the world gets a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">taste</i> of who God is. The Spiritual fruit we bear makes the unbelievers hungry for the things of God. Dr. Dell Tarr, one of my university presidents, taught that the fruit produced in our lives is for the weary travelers around us. It becomes one of the most dynamic evangelical tools God has ever created. Here’s the way it works: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">When you find a weary traveler and when he says, "I am sick of the church," you say to him, "Have a grape." He takes it and tastes it. He says, "That is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted," and you invite him to take another. So when he comes struggling and limping to you and plucks a grape from your hand, he says, "Wow! That’s good! You must be a real Christian.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The true sweetness of service, the care, the genuine love, the giving, and sacrifice are something that blows him away because the world doesn’t have it. The world is alien to this. When you are full of meekness, joy, peace, faith, and love, he will say, "Where did you get that and where can I get some?" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Fruit Inspection Quiz<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Think about each fruit in your life. Give yourself a grade, 1 being the weakest and 7 being the strongest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">LOVE <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">JOY <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">PEACE <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">PATIENCE <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">KINDNESS <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">MEEKNESS <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">FAITHFULNESS <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">GENTLENESS<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">SELF CONTROL<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Decision</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Based on what you read and the results of your quiz, what areas of your life need to be adjusted?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">What are ways a person can improve on the quality of spiritual fruit?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-9824744570837955952019-01-31T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-31T00:30:11.440-05:00EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">Scripture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">Acts 1:4–5, </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.</span><sup><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;"> </span></sup><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.””<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">Acts 1:8, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">Acts 6:7, </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”</span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">Thought: E</span></b><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">mpowered for Purpose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">Before Jesus departed for Heaven, he told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from Heaven. On the day of Pentecost, that is exactly what happened: they received power which resulted in a large number of people being saved. Isn’t it interesting that the people closest to Jesus were not yet equipped to do the work of Jesus until they received the power of the Holy Spirit? What was true then is true today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">I often define a Pentecostal church as a Christ centered, Bible believing Body of Christ that believes the Holy Spirit is actively working today. All of the gifts of the Spirit found in the New Testament are still available for the purpose of proclaiming the Good News to the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #632423; font-size: 12.0pt;">The power of pentecost is purposeful<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">The word “<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">power”</span> in the original language is the Greek word <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">dunamei</span></i>. From <i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">dunamei</span></i> we derive our words dynamic and dynamite; however, dynamite was not invented at the time of the early church. Jesus is talking about a force that is so powerful it cannot be stopped. This is a divine power imparted to us <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">through His Spirit. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">In the past, the Pentecostal Church was often thought of as strange. Many people did not believe that the gifts of the Spirit were still in operation today, but the results are now in: millions of people around the world are coming to Christ because the power of the Holy Spirit is breaking through difficult places. Today, the Pentecostal Church is the fastest growing Christian church in the world.</span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "Avenir Book"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Corbel; panose-1:2 11 5 3 2 2 4 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073783883 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:HelveticaNeue; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-alt:"Helvetica Neue"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:HelveticaNeue-Light; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-alt:"Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Avenir Book"; panose-1:2 0 5 3 2 0 0 2 0 3; mso-font-alt:Corbel; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-2147483473 1342185546 0 0 155 0;} @font-face {font-family:メイリオ; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520027393 -355991553 65554 0 131231 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family:メイリオ; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} h1 {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char"; mso-style-next:Normal; margin-top:24.0pt; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after:avoid; mso-outline-level:1; font-size:16.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS ゴシック"; mso-fareast-theme-font:major-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:major-bidi; color:#345A8A; mso-themecolor:accent1; mso-themeshade:181; mso-font-kerning:0pt;} p.MsoTocHeading, li.MsoTocHeading, div.MsoTocHeading {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:"Heading 1"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family:Corbel; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#3399CC; text-transform:uppercase;} span.Heading1Char {mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char"; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Heading 1"; mso-ansi-font-size:16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS ゴシック"; mso-fareast-theme-font:major-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:major-bidi; color:#345A8A; mso-themecolor:accent1; mso-themeshade:181; font-weight:bold;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Corbel; mso-ascii-font-family:Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family:メイリオ; mso-hansi-font-family:Corbel;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style>Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-46939815072050475712019-01-30T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-30T00:30:02.411-05:00EXPERIENCE THE WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT <div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Thought:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Life is full of challenges. We can count on that. The good news is that we can rely on someone who can help us, and sometimes carry us through life’s ups and downs: the Holy Spirit, which resides in every follower of Jesus. It is empowering to occasionally review just precisely what the Holy Spirit does so we can boldly face life. Scripture gives us clear job descriptions of The Holy Spirit. Below is a list with scriptural references.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">As you read through this list, reflect on the times in which the Holy Spirit worked in each area. For example, as a pastor, one of my daily prayers is for wisdom. Many things come up that I am ill-equipped to handle on my own. Some decisions impact people’s lives, and I want to make sure I am not operating in my strength and understanding. I know that many times, the Holy Spirit gave me insight into a situation when I was stuck. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Writing this devotional is another example. I thought I would be able to whip these out without a problem. I had collected my notes all year, but when I started writing, I found myself overwhelmed with the task. I had no idea of the time it took to write three paragraphs for each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it had not been for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you would not be reading this today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Works of the Holy Spirit with Scripture Reference:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 27.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. 1 Peter 3:18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit calls us to God. Revelation 22:17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit convicts us of sin. John 16:8-11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit sanctifies us. 1 Corinthians 6:11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit testifies to Jesus. 1 John 4:13; Hebrews 10:15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit gives us new life. Ephesians 2:1-5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit leads us into a deeper relationship with God. Titus 3:5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit leads us away from worldly desires. Romans 8:5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit resides within us. 1 Corinthians 6:19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit seals our salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ephesians 1:13,14; 4:30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit guides us. Acts 13:2; 16:6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit prompts us in worship. Luke 10:21<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit empowers us to witness. Acts 1:8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit helps us pray. Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; Ephesians 6:17,18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit teaches us. John 14:26. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit leads us into truth. John 15:26; 1 John 4:6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit comforts us. John 16:7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit transforms us. 1 Corinthians 6:11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit helps us remember God’s word. John 14:26<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit helps us lead a godly life. Galatians 5:22-23<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit gives us spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit speaks to The Church. Revelation 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit works to unite believers. Philippians 2:1-2; Ephesians 4:3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit gives us strength. Ephesians 3:16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit gives wisdom and revelation. Ephesians 1:17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit gives us a new prayer language. 1 Corinthians 14:2, 14-16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit gives us spiritual gifts for the Church. 1 Corinthians 12 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Corbel; mso-fareast-font-family: Corbel;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The Spirit produces fruit in us. Galatians 5:22<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-27630347338897301522019-01-29T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-29T05:09:55.507-05:00Experience the Presence of The Holy Spirit<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scripture:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d;">1 Corinthians 3:16, </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d;">“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Romans 8:15, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some quasi-Christian groups describe the Holy Spirit as a force, like in a Star Wars movie: impersonal, external, and able to be harnessed. However, the Holy Spirit is not an external force to be called up by some experience; He is a person that resides within us, confirming our relationship with Jesus and the Father. If we only think of Him as a force, we will be tempted to try and use him for our purposes, when the opposite should be true: he wants to use us for His purposes, as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d;">Daniel </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d;">Henderson writes in his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transforming Presence:</i></span><span style="color: #0d0d0d;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we think of the Holy Spirit, as so many do, as merely a power or influence, our constant thought will be, ‘How can I get more of the Holy Spirit,’ but if we think of him in a biblical way as a Divine Person, our thought will rather be, “How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?’ The conception of the Holy Spirit as a divine influence or power that we are somehow to get a hold of and use leads to self-exaltation and self-sufficiency. One who so thinks of the Holy Spirit and who at the same time imagines that he has received the Holy Spirit will almost inevitably be full of spiritual pride and strut about as if he belonged to some superior order of Christians. —R.A. TORREY<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(pg 85)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, where he has permanent residence and is the constant reminder that we belong to God.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A helpful illustration for me, when thinking about the Holy Spirit, is one of water and a glass. Before we come to Christ, the Spirit is around us, drawing us to Jesus and convicting us of sin. When we accept Jesus as Savior, He fills us the Holy Spirit, and no one gets less of the Holy Spirit than another person. He dwells within us and works in many ways, including the supernatural.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What does it mean to you to know the Holy Spirit is not an outside force, but one that resides within you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take a moment to celebrate and thank God for the Holy Spirit that resides in our hearts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How do you maintain an awareness of the Holy Spirit within you?</span></div>
Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-51647732506671634742019-01-28T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-28T04:17:41.440-05:00Experience the Person of The Holy Spirit<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-size: 10.0pt;">Over the next six days we will take a journey down a familiar path for some readers and an anxious one for others; however, it just might have the most profound impact on your Christian development. When we take this path, we will meet the one Jesus left to reside in us. Although it is likely you have heard of Him; you may not have been exposed to His personhood, purpose, or His transformational presence. He is the third person of the Trinity: The Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt;">Scripture:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt;">John 14:26, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt;">Acts 10:37–38, “You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—<sup> </sup>how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt;">Thought:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-size: 10.0pt;">People love mysteries. Writers and filmmakers depend on this fact. How many CSI television shows can there be? One for every city I guess. We watch and our minds work to solve the mystery with every clue given to us along the way. We don’t like mysteries we can solve right away, but we also can’t tolerate mysteries that can’t be solved in the end. We want to be in suspense, but we are not built to live there. We simply can’t put up with things we don’t understand, and the spiritual life is no exception.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #353535; font-size: 10pt;">Trying to understand the Trinity is like trying to solve an unsolvable mystery. The Father is fully God, Jesus is fully God, and The Holy Spirit is fully God. It doesn’t make sense. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not reasonable or logical that God could be both three and one, yet t</span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10pt;">he Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. John 14:26 show us Jesus speaking about The Holy Spirit, which the Father would send to believers. Our Acts 10:37-38 passage demonstrates three distinct persons were working together for one common purpose: “doing good.” Jesus’ baptism gives us another example. The Spirit descended on Jesus and God, the Father, declared from heaven, “This is My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10pt;">The Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. John 14:26 show us Jesus speaking about The Holy Spirit, which the Father would send to believers. Our Acts 10:37-38 passage demonstrates three distinct persons were working together for one common purpose: “doing good.” Jesus’ baptism gives us another example. The Spirit descended on Jesus and God, the Father, declared from heaven, “This is My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt;">John Bevere explains it this way:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Water (H2O) can manifest as three different forms. Temperature determines whether H2O will appear as a solid, liquid, or gas. Water’s substance – its molecular structure – never changes one iota, but its expression will change based on its environment (the temperature). In the same way, God’s central makeup doesn’t change. When you see the Son, you see the Father; and the Spirit was sent to reveal the Son to us (see John 17:21; Ephesians 1:17-18). God is one in purpose, and yet He has three expressions (Persons) who perform unique functions. Though there are three Persons, there is only one God.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">John Bevere uses H2O to illustrate the Holy Spirit. What other ways have you heard that help you understand the idea of Three in One?</span></div>
Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-8512091896200251752019-01-26T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-26T04:17:44.000-05:00Experience Jesus' Commission<b>Day 26: Experience Jesus' Commission</b><br />
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Matthew 28:16–20, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”<br />
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<b>Thought</b>:<br />
The Great Commission is the end of Matthew’s gospel but it is the beginning of faith in action for all Christians. Jesus did not tell us to build extravagant buildings, gather large crowds, or sing contemporary songs. Jesus gave us one goal: make disciples. Furthermore, he did not say that it is only the job for pastors and missionaries; it is for all who are followers of Jesus.<br />
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Just like the commandments were not the “ten suggestions,” the great commission is not just a good idea. J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) was an English missionary to China who founded the China Inland Mission, which at his death included 205 mission stations with over 800 missionaries and 125,000 Chinese Christians. He said, "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed."<br />
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Our assignment is to carry out God’s mission, which includes two primary objectives: 1) to spread the gospel to all nations, and 2) to nurture those who receive the gospel so that they grow into spiritual maturity. It is about evangelism and discipleship.<br />
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I love being part of a great fellowship called the Assemblies of God. We are committed to the work of missions. In 2000, a vision statement was written that included this passage:<br />
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We commit ourselves with an unrelenting passion to the great cause of worldwide missions. The Lord of the harvest clearly spoke to the hearts of our founding fathers that our church shall, without reservation, be of one mind in the task of world missions. We pledge the greatest of all investments—men and women who will take their places in the vast, unreached fields of end-time harvest.</blockquote>
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Jesus said that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to him. It is this authority that sends us and empowers us to carry out God’s mission to the nations, both at home and abroad.<br />
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<b>Reflection</b>:<br />
When you leave our times of corporate worship and teaching, how are you investing in others?<br />
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Is the Great Commission a part of how you conduct your life? If not, how can you incorporate the commissioning of Jesus into your lifestyle?Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-4731500313565539862019-01-25T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-25T00:30:07.301-05:00Experience Jesus' Mission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day 25: Experience Jesus' Mission</div>
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Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”<br />
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Luke 15:1-24<br />
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2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”<br />
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<b>Thought</b>:<br />
In Luke 15, Jesus uses three illustrations to demonstrate His love for lost people. The shepherd searches for the one lost sheep that goes astray. The woman went into an all-out search for a lost coin. The Father waited patiently and lovingly for his son to return home. The sheep, the coin, and the son all had value. All were loved and needed.<br />
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Scripture refers to people who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus as “lost.” Luke points out that lost people matter to God, so they should matter to us. I heard it once said, “We never lock eyes with someone who doesn’t matter to God.”<br />
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The first priority of the Church must be the same as the priority of Jesus – the lost. By the end of this week, a million souls will slip into eternity. They will either spend it in the presence of Jesus or in separation from Him forever.<br />
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Lost people are not just in far remote corners of the world; they are all around us. Some may live in the same household as we do. Some may work with us or live next to us. Some may even go to church with us. Jesus is the only hope for lost people, and we are the messengers of his love and care for them. If the salvation of the lost was Jesus’ top priority, it must be ours as well.<br />
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The Great Commission is not an option for us; it is a command. Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus calls us to partner with Him to complete His heart’s goal – reaching the lost.<br />
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<b>Reflection</b>:<br />
Name some people in your circle of influence who have not yet invited Jesus into their lives and hearts.<br />
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What are some creative ways that you can share your faith with these people?<br />
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<br />Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-5291856120681431822019-01-24T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-24T00:30:04.538-05:00Experience Jesus' Prayer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day 24: Experience Jesus' Prayer</div>
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John 17:20–23, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”<br />
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Thought: (Adapted from Max Lucado, https://maxlucado.com/pray-for-unity)<br />
On the last night of his life, Jesus prayed a prayer that stands as a citadel for all Christians. Knowing the end was near, he prayed one final time for his followers. He did not pray for success, prosperity, safety, or even happiness. He prayed that His followers would be unified in love.<br />
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Of all the lessons we can draw from this verse, don’t miss the most essential: unity matters to God. Why? Because “all people will know that you are my followers if you love each other” (John 13:35 NCV). Unity creates belief.<br />
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How will the world believe that God sent Jesus? The world won’t believe because we agree with each other, solve every controversy, are unanimous on each decision, and correct on every doctrine. Instead, they will know we are believers by our love for each other.<br />
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Could it be that unity is the key to reaching the world for Christ? The world will be won for Christ when the Church is one in Christ. If unity is the key to evangelism, shouldn’t it have precedence in our prayers? Shouldn’t we, as Paul said, “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3 NIV)?<br />
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God’s ship is a grand vessel. Just as a ship has many rooms, so God’s Kingdom has room for many opinions. But just as a ship has one deck, God’s Kingdom has a common ground: the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ.<br />
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<b>Reflection</b>:<br />
Do you see yourself as a part of the unified Body of Christ?<br />
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How do you think we can encourage unity within the local church so that Jesus is glorified?<br />
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Pray that Jesus prayer in John 17:20-23 would be answered for the sake of the Kingdom of God.<br />
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<br />Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-86545666036531569682019-01-23T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-23T03:32:21.581-05:00Experience Jesus' Kingdom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Day 23: Experience Jesus' Kingdom</b></div>
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Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”<br />
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<b>Thought</b>:<br />
Jesus made the kingdom of God a central theme in His preaching (Mark 1:14-15). What did Jesus mean?<br />
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The Kingdom Jesus spoke about was not a geographical area such as the Holy Land or the temple. In fact, it is independent of geography and political entities. The kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God in our lives. to “seek first” the Kingdom is to make His rule our priority ahead of everything else.<br />
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One significant meaning of “seeking” is: "to beat the covers for birds." It is a description of a sportsmen’s method. On Saturdays during the fall, my uncles would take my cousins and me hunting. We would take the dogs to a cornfield and walk near the hedges looking to scare out a few rabbits. There were many occasions when my uncles would send us boys into the thickets. We experienced such joy when we saw the bushes rustle. A fluffy cottontail would dart out, throwing the dogs barking and my uncles shooting. We had a priority for our day, and we were prepared to wade swamps, climb stumps, push through brier, watch, wait, wriggle, and do everything but fail. We were focused and persistent.<br />
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To "seek first" indicates not good and bad, or right and wrong, but rather a first and second. God does not forbid us from things we enjoy, but they do need to be in their proper place. The Kingdom of God is not set in opposition to the possessions of this world; it is placed above them. It is higher than the physical and the material. It has to do with the essential purpose of man - a life that is more than simple existence.<br />
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We make a choice to put the Kingdom of God first at the moment of our conversion to a Christian life, and it is also a choice that we need to make on a daily basis. As Paul writes, the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). Seeking first the kingdom of God, full of righteousness, peace, and joy is my life’s top priority.<br />
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<b>Reflection</b>:<br />
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What does it look like for you to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness?<br />
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Review the last seven days. Can you honestly say the Kingdom of God was your highest priority?<br />
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<br />Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-49949306444384786592019-01-22T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-23T03:31:51.164-05:00Experience Jesus' Abundant Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day 22: Experience Jesus' Abundant Life</div>
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John 1:4, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”<br />
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John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”<br />
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John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (KJV)<br />
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John 11:25-26, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.’”<br />
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John 20:31, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”<br />
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<b>Thought</b>:<br />
Followers of Jesus live their lives from a different point of view. They live with eternity in mind. When there is confidence in tomorrow, today becomes more meaningful.<br />
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From the passages above, it is clear that the Apostle John wanted to make sure we understand that the fullness of life on earth, as well as eternal life, is found only in a relationship with Jesus.<br />
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The moment we decide to follow Jesus, the full life of God comes in. Oswald Chambers calls this the “Co-Eternal Life.” He writes:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jesus came to give us endless supplies of life: ‘that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ Eternal Life has nothing to do with Time, it is the life which Jesus lived when He was down here. The only source of Life is the Lord Jesus Christ. The weakest saint can experience the power of the Deity of the Son of God if once he is willing to ‘let go.’ Any stand of our own energy will blur the life of Jesus. We have to keep letting go, and slowly and surely the great full life of God will invade us in every part, and men will take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Oswald Chambers, </span><i style="font-size: small;">My Utmost for His Highest</i><span style="font-size: x-small;">, pg 103</span><br />
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<b>Reflection</b>:<br />
How does the thought of eternity impact your life today?<br />
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When Jesus said he came to give us “abundant life,” what does that mean to you? Would you say you are living an abundant life? Why or why not?<br />
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<br />Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-66272693999328270402019-01-20T21:02:00.000-05:002019-01-20T21:03:39.137-05:00Experience Jesus' Sacrifice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day 21: Experience Jesus' Sacrifice</div>
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Matthew 26:28, “Then he (Jesus) took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”<br />
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Hebrews 9:22, “The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”<br />
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<b>Thought</b>:<br />
Receiving communion in church is one of the most unifying and unique acts we do when we come together. It is more than just another religious obligation. When I introduce communion in a service, I often liken it to a family reunion where people sit around the table telling the same familiar stories and enjoying them as if they heard them for the first time.<br />
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In communion, the church family symbolically gathers around the table of grace. We tell the same story about Jesus’ sacrifice, and it is meaningful every time. As we eat the bread, we remember the body of Jesus that was broken for us. As we drink the juice, we are reminded of the new covenant, sealed with His blood.<br />
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When I was a child, I thought he reason Jesus came was to literally save sheep from being slaughtered. I knew the story quite well: Jesus became the sacrificial lamb, and when Jesus died on the cross, we no longer needed to kill a lamb. It wasn’t until I was older that I began to realize that the one who Jesus came to save was me, not the sheep.<br />
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When a sacrifice was offered to God for sin, with the purpose of restoring a relationship with Him, it was called atonement. The root idea of atonement is “to cover” or “to conceal.” Atonement suggests a covering that conceals a person’s sin and makes it possible for him or her to approach God. The covenant relationship between God and man depended on the shedding of blood. The weakness of the sacrificial system was its constant need for sin offerings. Although sacrifices continued to be offered, there was no change in people’s behavior. The sacrifices of the Old Testament only covered and concealed sin.<br />
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Jesus ushers in a new covenant. He came to take away sins through the sacrifice of Himself, not just cover it. What ancient sacrifices foreshadowed, Christ accomplished! “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14).<br />
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Find a quiet space and listen to: “Oh the Blood” by Gateway Worship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC59rgmcu34<br />
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O the blood. Crimson love. Price of life's demand<br />
Shameful sin placed on Him, the hope of every man<br />
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O the blood of Jesus washes me<br />
O the blood of Jesus shed for me<br />
What a sacrifice that saved my life!<br />
Yes, the blood, it is my victory<br />
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Savior Son, Holy One<br />
Slain so I can live<br />
See the Lamb: The great I Am<br />
Who takes away my sin<br />
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O the blood of the Lamb<br />
O the blood of the Lamb<br />
O the blood of the Lamb<br />
The precious blood of the Lamb<br />
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What a sacrifice, that saved my life<br />
Yes, the blood, it is my victory<br />
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O what love, No greater love<br />
Grace, how can it be<br />
That in my sin Yes, even then<br />
He shed His blood for me<br />
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For further study read:<br />
Leviticus 4:26; Hebrews 10:1-10; Romans 3:25-26<br />
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<br />Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-29897756183041950882019-01-19T02:00:00.000-05:002019-01-19T02:00:05.134-05:00Experience God's Voice, pt 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Experience God's Voice pt 2</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Scripture</b>: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Kings 19:11–12, “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. The voice was not in the fire or thunder, but in the still, gentle wind.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Thought</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every once in a while it would be nice for us to hear God in a burning bush or some other dramatic fashion. It happened in the Old Testament; God spoke through earthquakes, fire, angels, prophets, and visible writing on the wall. Why can’t he talk to us in dramatic ways today?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today, God speaks to us in much more subtle but no less important ways. In the New Testament, God spoke in a dramatic fashion only a few times, and most of those times, the purpose was to affirm that Jesus’ divinity. We hear reports of that still happening, especially to Muslim Background Believers who have seen Jesus in a vision or dream. Although these accounts are incredible, we are still left with the question: how we can hear God’s voice in our life on a regular basis? We know He is not silent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2013, on a mission’s trip to Argentina, I felt God speaking to me about giving part of our church’s building fund money away to the local Bible school. At first, I thought it was just my own internal voice, so I waited and prayed. When I got home, I ran it by Esther, and we prayed together. I processed the idea with our board, and we also prayed together. Because this money was designated for another purpose, I needed to ask the Centerpointe membership. In that meeting, we could sense that God was in this. We voted together to send the money. In this example, we can see a filter for us to discern if we are hearing from God:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do we have a sense that the Spirit put this decision on our hearts? We ask God for wisdom and discernment.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is it in line with Scripture? God will never go against His Word.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does it lead others and us into a closer walk with Jesus? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is there confirmation from trusted Godly people?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is there a sense of peace? God also speaks to us in the negative, by withholding a sense of peace.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Reflection</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Name a time when you clearly heard God asking you to do something but you questioned whether or not it was God speaking. How did you come to the conclusion that it was God?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Besides the filters listed, what are other ways we can know if God speaking to us?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Holy Spirit doesn’t always ask us to do the dramatic; He even speaks to us in our daily routines. How does he do this?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Decision</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Based on your reading and reflection, what decisions do you need to make? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Prayer:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lord, may your people slow down enough to listen to your voice and live in obedience to it.</span></div>
Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-41535508572026139212019-01-18T00:30:00.000-05:002019-01-18T00:30:06.757-05:00Experience God's Voice, part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day 18: Experience God's Voice, Pt 1</div>
<b>Scripture</b>:<br />
1 Samuel 3:1–10, “The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.””<br />
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<b>Thought</b>:<br />
Emphasizing each word in the last sentence of our text helps us understand Eli’s instruction and apply it to our lives.<br />
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Speak – Samuel invited God to speak to him. <br />
Lord – Samuel recognized God’s authority over his life<br />
Your Servant – Samuel positioned himself as a servant<br />
Is listening – This word suggests more than hearing, it includes obeying.<br />
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As one continues to read, what God asked Samuel to do was difficult. God asked him to speak a word of condemnation over Eli’s disobedient sons. Reluctantly, Samuel obeyed. God eventually elevated Samuel as Israel’s primary prophet and leader.<br />
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The prayer of Samuel served him well his whole life and is the same prayer we pray as we follow Jesus. What God asks us to do may be difficult, but God’s ways rarely are easy.<br />
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<b>Reflection</b>:<br />
Take a moment and repeat the prayer of Samuel several times, emphasizing each word. Let this prayer be a commitment to serve and obey God’s voice.<br />
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What difficult things is God asking you to do?<br />
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<b>Decision</b>:<br />
Based on what you read, what decisions do you need to make?<br />
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<br />Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-75887190020982926232019-01-16T20:08:00.004-05:002019-01-16T20:09:59.071-05:00Experience God's Favor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Day 17: Experience God's Favor</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Scripture</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Psalms 90:17, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us, and may He establish the work of our hands, yes establish the work of our hands.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Thought</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In July of 2014, Esther and I drove our daughter, Kristi, to Cleveland, Tennessee to visit Lee University. Walking around campus, I noticed that every building had an engraved stone with the scripture reference, Psalms 90:17. We later discovered a bronze statue (pictured here) of a man sitting on a bench with his Bible opened to the same verse. In this verse, the writer is portrayed as a desperate soul who recognized his temporary presence in this world and wanted to leave a meaningful legacy. This became my theme verse for July and also the messages I would preach in August and September of that year. I have since quoted this verse in prayer more than any other. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It is often said, “Favor is when people like you and you don’t know why,” and this is true to some extent. Favor unlocks doors you thought were closed and brings opportunities you would not have expected. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Favor is not something we earn; it is freely placed upon us by the grace of God. It is a gift. However, like a blessing, we can put ourselves in a position of favor. Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The second part of Psalms 90:17 speaks to our desire for lasting impact. The Life Application Bible notes, “Because our days are numbered, we want our work to count, to be effective and productive. We desire to see God’s eternal plan revealed now and for our work to reflect his permanence.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Significant changes are happening at Centerpointe Church as we dream of our future. Our prayer is similar to the psalmist: Lord, whatever we do, let it be for your honor and glory because this is the only way it will mean anything for the future generations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Reflection</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In what ways have you experienced God’s favor?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">How do you know what God’s favor looks like?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In what areas do you need God’s favor?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Decision</b>: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Based on what you have read and what God is saying to you, what decisions do you need to make?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Prayer:</span><br />
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Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-88504877597352662352019-01-16T05:26:00.003-05:002019-01-16T06:15:19.775-05:00Experience God's Blessing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfow2q-NVoY8zxZtn7q2d8jG5yu3VcPzO1xCdMP7inKUMF2XbLJm2KZcsmb9vL8WxG4q5mtEUoWRr_3IDYJSMkVzMJ9QH7VgZOGMI_z2rCHvuGF4DDXFshfyhAqY9K6CJS-MI/s1600/IMG_0064.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1600" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfow2q-NVoY8zxZtn7q2d8jG5yu3VcPzO1xCdMP7inKUMF2XbLJm2KZcsmb9vL8WxG4q5mtEUoWRr_3IDYJSMkVzMJ9QH7VgZOGMI_z2rCHvuGF4DDXFshfyhAqY9K6CJS-MI/s320/IMG_0064.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Day 16: Experience God's Blessing</b></div>
<br />
<b>Scripture</b>:<br />
Deuteronomy 28:1–8, “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.”<br />
<br />
<b>Thought</b>:<br />
Wow! I want to live in this kind of blessing. I want my children and grandchildren to experience the same. Furthermore, I desire our church to experience this kind of blessing. The good news for us is that God is a God waiting to pour out His benefits upon His people.<br />
<br />
Almost all religions work to gain their gods’ favor and blessing through rules, idols, and beautiful architectural structures. Throughout the Buddhist and Hindu dominated world, people offer sacrifices to please their gods and obtain favor. While in India, I noticed that almost every home had some kind of altar on the lawn. When I enquired about them, I was told that fruit, vegetables, and gifts were left on the altar to please whatever god might be passing by, hoping that the god would leave behind a blessing. The foundation of their faith is based on their ability to satisfy.<br />
<br />
God’s requirements are different and found in the first verse: “fully obey,” and “carefully follow.” At first glance, it sounds similar to other religions, but there is a distinct difference, just like healthy parents who want to bless their children. Children don’t try and make the parents want them; they know they are loved. However, the children’s obedience makes it a joy for the parents to be generous.<br />
<br />
If we want to experience the blessings of God, we must follow Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is not a case for works-based theology; it is merely a statement of relational surrender.<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">People who understand blessing have a different outlook on life than those who do not. They are more grateful because they believe God is viewing them with pleasure. Their view of God’s view is a joyful thought. A.W. Tozer once noted, “the most important thing about a person is what comes to mind when they think about God.“ (</span><i style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Knowledge of the Holy</i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (New York: HarperCollins, 1961).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The God of the Bible does not wish to withhold from us; in fact, he takes joy in blessing us. When we look into his nature and character, we see someone who loves us and is passionate for us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”</span><br />
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<b>Reflection</b>:<br />
In what ways have you experienced God’s blessing?<br />
What is meant by "relational surrender?"<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why is it so difficult to believe that your Heavenly Father has wonderful things in store for your life?</span><br />
In your opinion, how is obedience linked to blessing?<br />
<br />
<b>Decision</b>:<br />
Based on what you read, and what God is saying to you, what decisions do you need to make?<br />
<br />
<b>Prayer</b>:<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lord,
give us a different perspective when it comes to blessing. Help us to grasp how
much you love to bless us, and help us recognize your blessings in the smallest
of ways as well as the more obvious ones. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
For further study, read the rest of Deuteronomy 28. What insight can we gain concerning obedience and blessing?<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Day 15: Experience God's Joy</div>
<b>Scripture</b>:<br />
Psalm 68:3, “Let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God's presence. Let them be filled with joy.”<br />
<br />
Nehemiah 8:10b, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."<br />
<br />
John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (The King James version uses the phrase “more abundantly.”)<br />
<br />
<b>Thought</b>:<br />
C. S. Lewis, a profound Christian author, titled his autobiography: Surprised by Joy. It is his journey from atheism (after the death of his mother) to theism (as a young adult) and later to Christianity. He wanted to identify and describe the events surrounding his accidental discovery of the phenomenon he labeled "Joy."<br />
<br />
Lewis believed that joy was a vital part of the Christian life and one too often neglected. Too many believers walk around looking like there is a grey cloud hanging over them, wondering why no one wants to follow them. Why would anyone be attracted to Christianity when they see us in perpetual mourning?<br />
<br />
As believers, we are promised a life of joy — not just a temporary, fleeting "high," but something that endures through both good and bad days. William Treadwell said, “If we can convince people that we are onto something that's full of joy, they'll stampede one another to follow us.”<br />
<br />
There are 254 verses about joy in the Bible, which indicates to us that joy in life is not only possible but also expected for followers of Jesus. Lewis discovered that joy doesn’t come to us by chasing it like a dog chasing its tail. Joy is a byproduct of a relationship with Christ.<br />
<br />
Nehemiah tells us that the joy of the Lord provides us with strength because it gives us the capacity to overcome our trials. As James teaches us, trials develop endurance, endurance produces character, and character leaves a lasting legacy of Godliness. Jesus followers can expect to experience joy even in the midst of difficulty.<br />
<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: Corbel; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #0d0d0d;">As challenging as it may be, in difficulty, we have to shift our attention. The writer of Hebrews tells us that we are to <i>fix our eyes on Jesus</i> who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame. We are to <i>consider Him</i> who endured opposition from sinful men. In this way, we will not grow weary and lose heart (</span>Hebrews 12:2–3). The joy set before Jesus was the hope of a restored relationship with God and man.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Anoth<span style="color: #0d0d0d;">er way to shift our attention from our trial is to borrow joy from someone else. Often, instead of celebrating with others, we find ourselves feeling jealous, which can lead to resentment. During these times, instead of complaining about our situation, we rejoice that someone else is experiencing victory.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Reflection</b>:<br />
When was the last time you experienced joy in the midst of a trial? How was this possible?<br />
<br />
In your opinion, what is the difference between joy and happiness?<br />
<br />
In Psalms 51, David prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of my salvation.” What do you think he meant? Why was this so important to him?<br />
<br />
<b>Decision</b>:<br />
After your reading and reflection, what decisions do you need to make?<br />
<br />
<b>Prayer</b>:<br />
Today oh Lord, let your people experience joy in their journey, excitement in their steps, and passion in their worship. Let the joy of the Lord be their strength.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 14: Experience God's Presence</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Scripture</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Exodus 33:12–16, Moses said to the LORD, “... if you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Thought</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The distinguishing marks of a follower of Jesus are favor and the presence of God. Neither one is tangible, but both are recognizable. They were so crucial to Moses that he didn’t want to go anywhere without them. Our passage shows Moses’ relentless pleading for God's continual favor and presence. One can feel a sense of powerlessness in Moses’ voice; he would rather stay in the desert than be without God. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I often pray the same prayer, especially as it relates to Centerpointe Church. We know He is leading us to a new location, and we want to make sure that we don’t take even one step without Him. Like Moses prayed, how will the community know we are different from any other business that relocates? I contend that the presence of God is the only thing that distinguishes us in a community. A theater can put on a show and gather a crowd. A hospital can give care. A school can add knowledge. Although all of these are important, only the Body of Christ can bring the presence of Jesus to a community. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The phrase “presence of God” can be a very mysterious phrase. It seems weird and unattainable. What was Moses asking for, and how can we experience this presence? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The presence of God is the constant awareness that God is with us. The primary manifestation of God’s presence in the Old Testament was the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was used to lead God’s people in their journey to Canaan and into battle with bold confidence. In the New Testament, and today, the primary manifestation of the presence of God is found in Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">A Personal Note:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Visiting a family in the hospital is always a humbling experience for any pastor. In this setting we become very aware of our inadequacy. The words we have to offer often feel shallow and helpless. However, I have come to realize that explanations and answers are not why people are glad to see a pastor, an elder, or a fellow believer. They want someone that represents the presence of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <b>Refection</b>:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In what ways do you experience God’s presence? How does it make a difference in your life?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In what ways can you nurture a greater awareness of God’s presence in your life?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Decision</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Based on what you have read, what decisions do you need to make?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Prayer</b>:</span><br />
God, we know you are with us. You said you would never leave us or forsake us, but sometimes we don't recognize it. Help us to be aware of your presence today.Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22946771.post-72968096050372202652019-01-12T00:01:00.000-05:002019-01-12T06:09:27.954-05:00Experience God's Power<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegu0ikbXxCMnGVxMPO5Rnn1Y90hXQdMOI6Ujm0Rsq6Hcoh9a2x8KOhL-mdAmdlkKpyIB8_CzJXldbZZ6V1UmfTr4lTwsmiEq7LOQOoyW6jnmFrV8e0F7utgiRMfCBnOQdEg9h/s1600/Copy+of+Be+bold%252C+be+proud%252C+and+stay+free%2521.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegu0ikbXxCMnGVxMPO5Rnn1Y90hXQdMOI6Ujm0Rsq6Hcoh9a2x8KOhL-mdAmdlkKpyIB8_CzJXldbZZ6V1UmfTr4lTwsmiEq7LOQOoyW6jnmFrV8e0F7utgiRMfCBnOQdEg9h/s320/Copy+of+Be+bold%252C+be+proud%252C+and+stay+free%2521.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: corbel; font-size: 10pt;">January 12 – Experience God’s Power</b></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Scripture</b>: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Exodus 15:6,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Psalm 89:13, “Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ephesians 3:20, </span><span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” (NASB)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Thought</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Just leave it in God’s hands.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How many times have we heard this statement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many times have we said this? Don’t we wish it were that easy? When we are under pressure, we are driven by the need to do something, demand changes and results. We do everything we can do at a great emotional price, and still nothing changes; then someone says to you, "Leave it in God's hands." This advice seems so simple; however, it may just be the perfect advice. So what does it mean to leave something in God's hands, and what kind of place is God’s hand, anyway? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">When the Bible speaks of God's hand it is what we call an "anthropomorphism," the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to God. Although God is not limited like we are in our senses, this language serves a positive purpose of understanding who God is; in this case, He is a God of power and might. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Consider your hands. They are strong enough to crush a can and yet also able to hold a newborn baby. Our hands also serve to feed, provide, protect, and comfort. When the psalmist speaks of God’s hands, we understand that he is recognizing God's power and strength. This is especially the case when he speaks of God’s right hand (which he does 35 times) because the right hand was considered the strongest hand, which held the sword while the left hand held the shield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Now when you hear someone say, “Leave it in God’s hands” you can rest assured that, in His hands, you will find a strength that is beyond all we can ask or imagine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Reflection</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In what ways have you seen God’s power working in your life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In what ways do you need to experience God’s power?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Decision</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Based on what you have learned about God’s power, what decisions do you need to make?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: "corbel"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Prayer</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Dr. Keith G Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10068109373790534887noreply@blogger.com0