Archive for January, 2010
January 29, 2010 at 6:32 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #273: Jealousies Lead to Unsuccessful Conspiracies
This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah: Rezin king of Aram, along with Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, waged war against Jerusalem, but he could not succeed. When it became known to the house of David that Aram had occupied Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in a wind. Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, by the road to the Fuller’s Field. Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or fainthearted because of these two smoldering stubs of firebrands, Rezin of Aram, and the son of Remaliah. For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say: Let us go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.” This is what the Lord God says: It will not happen; it will not occur. The head of Aram is Damascus, the head of Damascus is Rezin (within 65 years Ephraim will be shattered to be a people), the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:1-9 (HCSB)
Even in the Lord’s House there can be dissension and controversy that brings conflict and division. Rival groups can rise up a challenge against the legitimacy of a church. However, if the faithful core group remains steadfast and trusts in the Lord, the rival groups will reveal their intentions and they will fail. Competition in the church never has pleasing results, but the Lord’s Kingdom will prevail in the end.
In this historical setting, an allegiance was struck between the northern tribes of Israel, known here as Ephraim or simply Israel, and the Syrian tribes or Aram. In ancient times it was common for kings to form an allegiance for protective purposes, and in this case the Assyrians were the real enemy, but Israel was jealous of Judah and the glory of the temple found in Jerusalem. Aram and Israel were going to bring their armies for selfish reasons against Judah, but they did not count on the Lord breaking up this conspiracy. The Lord sent Isaiah as His messenger to warn Israel of their folly if they continue to pursue their evil plot against Judah. His warning said clearly this: “Remain steadfast in your faith that the Lord is your God and be content in your own land or you will face My wrath and no longer be My people under My protection, and you will suffer.” And history revealed that both Aram and Israel were attacked by the Assyrians and their people exiled into oblivion.
For us, the relevance is this: jealous has no place in God’s Kingdom. The Lord has promised to protect and preserve His faithful people, and if we wander away from that covenant by devising our own conspiracies for selfish reasons, the Lord will intervene to protect and preserve His faithful people. In churches everyday there are struggles for power and control, and people cause dissensions and division among the Lord’s kingdom. However, in the end the Lord does intervene to preserve and protect the faithful from the selfish people. That may not mean that the church remains in the right hands initially. Sometimes the church building becomes the possession of the wrong people, but a building is not God’s church – His people comprise His Church. In God’s timing the righteous remnant will be blessed by the Lord to continue His Kingdom work, while the other faction finds no peace and not the Lord’s presence in their building they call their church. The only owner of a church, no matter who paid for it or built it in their minds, is the Lord, if it is to be the Lord’s House.
Think twice before taking sides in a conflict in God’s House, because the Lord is a jealous God and He will preserve and protect His righteous and faithful people through the jealousies and conspiracies that will come from time to time in His House. God will prevail and a remnant will be preserved.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Knowing their thoughts, He told them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges. If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder. Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters. Luke 11:17-23 (HCSB)
January 28, 2010 at 6:45 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #272: When God Reveals Himself to You…
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I said: Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, [and] because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth [with it] and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, and your sin is atoned for. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Who should I send? Who will go for Us? I said: Here I am. Send me. And He replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive. Dull these people’s minds; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their mind, turn back, and be healed. Then I said, “Until when, Lord?” And He replied: Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants, houses are without people, the land is ruined and desolate, and the Lord drives the people far away, leaving great emptiness in the land. Though a tenth will remain in the land, it will be burned again. Like the terebinth or the oak, which leaves a stump when felled, the holy seed is the stump. Isaiah 6:1-13 (HCSB)
Although most of us will never have the amazing experience of being in the presence of the Lord as Isaiah, but we all have the opportunity for the Lord to make His presence known in our lives. And, just like Isaiah, we all will have that moment in time when we tremble because we realize that even the best of us have sins that will be revealed when draw close to God’s holy presence. However, what we will learn is God’s mercy and grace – His loving kindness – has paid the debt for our sin, and He has already cleansed of the penalty, thus any ill-effects of the sin in our life is removed. When genuine conversion occurs there is a definite change in our spiritual DNA that allows us to change our actions and attitudes, and we cease the sinful habits that are in opposition to God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word. Our vision has a new focal point to guide us in life.
Once the conversion experience occurs, God does not drop us off back in life, He offers us a role in His kingdom work. And, He does not have to tap us on the shoulder to get us to volunteer to serve, because once we have a vision for the things that pleases the Lord, then we are seeking and alert to ministry and missions opportunities. But, before we run out the door, stop and seek the Lord’s clarity on the mission to be accomplished. We must not assume we know what needs to be accomplished; we need to have the Lord’s direction that clearly identifies the goal for the mission. Although the age of the prophets has ended, every Christian has access to the Lord though Christ’s work, and through prayer and fasting – which in essence means taking time aside from our busy schedule to devote ourselves to allowing the Lord to share His will, ways and wisdom with us.
Will we all have a huge task like Isaiah, most likely not. The Lord may have one specific person in view when He gives you your marching orders, but whether your mission is one person at a time, or much grander in scale, serve the Lord with the same attitude of “no retreat, no reserve, and no regrets”! God is not measuring the amount of work you do, but your willingness to do what He asks of you. In the Lord’s Kingdom, small tasks are as important as the highly visible mega tasks – but He will only ask of you what you can handle for His purposes.
Are you in the position of hearing the Lord’s calling to go for Him today? If not, why not?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. “ I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:23-26 (HCSB)
January 27, 2010 at 6:49 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #271: More Woes To Warn Us About Living Our Lies
Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and [pull] sin along with cart ropes, to those who say: “Let Him hurry up and do His work quickly so that we can see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place so that we can know it!” Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are fearless at mixing beer, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive he innocent of justice. Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels on the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Hosts, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against His people. He raised His hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised [to strike]. He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look—how quickly and swiftly they come! None of them grows weary or stumbles; no slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose, and no sandal strap broken. Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows strung. Their horses’ hooves are like flint; their [chariot] wheels are like a whirlwind. Their roaring is like a lion’s; they roar like young lions; they growl and seize their prey and carry [it] off, and no one can rescue [it]. On that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. When one looks at the land, there will be darkness and distress; light will be obscured by clouds. Isaiah 5:18-30 (HCSB)
This passage is a continuation on the warning of the misbehavior that comes in the form of woes from the Lord. However, this is the climax of the warning that the Lord gives us with the gory details of the action He can take in our lives if we continue to ignore the warnings He places in our lives. If we continue to deceive ourselves and the people around us, we will stand in His judgment and face the wrath He will place in our lives.
Who do you know who has grabbed a hold of the cords of deceit as the stronghold of their lives: they call evil good, and dismiss good as evil! These are the same that wait to darkness to expose their evil ways, and hide in the light of day. They thirst for beer and wine and brag upon their feats under its influence. It is the same perversion that leads them to idolize the wicked and guilty, and likewise find fault in the innocent. Ignorance of the Lord will not be their excuse, because the Lord is their Creator as mush as He is our Creator, and the creation of the Creator always can recognize Him. However, the Creator may reject His creation as he or she exists and He has the right to try and redirect or adjust the behavior of the creation back to the ways of justice and righteousness – or ways pleasing to God. God, the Creator, will use whatever means needed to do this, and it may come in the form of times of serious trials and tribulation, such as attacks from even more evil people to serve His purpose. Israel flaunted their selfish and hedonistic ways and the Lord directed the ruthless armies of Assyria upon them, and ten of the twelve tribes of Israel in their Kingdom were conquered and exiled into extinction. Only a remnant of faithful survived this period of terror. For the rest, the survivors were sent into exile and intermarried with the wicked in the land and were never heard from again.
In our lives, if we rebel against God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word, there will be challenges in our future. It will be our Creator’s effort to catch our attention to warn us about the real eternal consequence for continuing to live the lies that pervert truth, goodness, and justice. We cannot call His name, yet choose to live in opposition to what His name represents – that is the unforgiveable lifestyle that will not go unpunished.
God loves us and desires to do everything possible to clutch us and call us one of His own, but you and I must stop living the lie and place our faith in Him and trust Him, and accept His love. Because where there genuine love exists, lies cannot reside!
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Luke 3:7-9 (HCSB)
January 26, 2010 at 6:41 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #270: Where There are Woes, There are Warnings to Heed!
Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field until there is no more room and you alone are left in the land. In my hearing the Lord of Hosts [has taken an oath]: Indeed, many houses will become desolate, grand and lovely ones without inhabitants. For a ten-acre vineyard will yield only six gallons, and 10 bushels of seed will yield only [one] bushel. Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of beer, who linger into the evening, inflamed by wine. At their feasts they have lyre, harp, tambourine, flute, and wine. They do not perceive the Lord’s actions, and they do not see the work of His hands. Therefore My people go into exile because they lack knowledge; the dignitaries are starving, and the masses are parched with thirst. Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s dignitaries, her masses, her crowds, and those who carouse in her! Humanity is brought low, man is humbled, and haughty eyes are humbled. But the Lord of Hosts is exalted by His justice, and the holy God is distinguished by righteousness. Lambs will graze as [if in] their own pastures, and strangers will eat [among] the ruins of the rich. Isaiah 5:8-17 (HCSB)
In God’s Word one of the great words of warning that means something important follows is any passage beginning with “Woe”! It means grief or a great distress, or both is about to follow, unless something changes. These passages are offered by God through His messengers, which in the New Testament was His Son, Jesus usually to the leaders and powerful people who were living their lives disregarding the needs of the people around them. And, because God is a God of mercy and compassion He sends a warning to us when we are living a lifestyle that is at high risk to our well-being and affecting the people around us in a negative manner. God will do all He can to get us to change our ways before His judgment brings devastating consequences upon us for our selfish choices we have made in life.
In this passage the people were enjoying a fruitful period and their wealth and health was flourishing, but they selfishly were expanding their possessions at the expense of others. Likewise, their lifestyle choices included consuming beer morning, noon, and night which further numbed their sensitivity to their actions and attitudes, which were having bad effects upon others and them. When arrogance and malevolence are in the air that surrounds the actions and attitudes of someone, others are forced to leave, and others choose to leave, and the result is there is only the arrogant, hard-hearted wealthy person standing alone in his possessions, too numb and ignorant to what he or she has done to realize why everyone has deserted and he or she is all alone. The only one left in their life is the Lord who is preparing to exercise His judgment and then all that will be left will be the ownerless possessions and the empty fields.
However, the Lord always leaves a remnant, and near those empty possessions and unworked fields will they find the safety and security of their own land and all the food they need to eat. The Lord is always faithful to establish justice and righteousness in the land. Therefore, you are either living for Him or living against Him – the choice is yours. Choose the lifestyle you want, but are your choices pleasing to our loving, just and most righteous God. Are you living in the light of God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me. “But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea! Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes.” Matt 18:5-7 (HCSB)
January 25, 2010 at 7:00 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #269: What Kind of Song Will Be Sung About Your Life?
I will sing about the one I love, a song about my loved one’s vineyard: The one I love had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even hewed out a winepress there. He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes. So now, residents of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between Me and My vineyard. What more could I have done for My vineyard than I did? Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes? Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant He delighted in. He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness. Isaiah 5:1-7 (HCSB)
This passage is referred to as the “Song of the Vineyard” which was about the rebellion of Israel, God’s chosen people. It clearly states that the Lord takes extraordinary measures to prepare our lives to be productive, fruitful people for His glory, but the choice lies within us how fruitful we turn out. However, we must realize that if we are found to be unproductive, the Lord will remove His protection and provisions from your life and allow your life to become a wasteland.
How can we be productive, pleasing to the Lord, our Caretaker? The Lord seeks justice or fairness among all His people, and the Lord desires that His people live among each other according to God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word – otherwise known as living rightly before Him. To be deemed righteous is not something we can claim on our own, that is the Lord’s authority. He alone can proclaim we are righteous, and that comes when we have committed our lives to living in the ways that please Him, using Christ as our model and guide. This is not a life of works to please God to win Him over, but our outward testimony to what has taken place within us. When we have surrendered our heart, soul, mind and strength over to loving God, then our outward actions and attitudes reflect the change of ownership inside of us. And, for all who have genuinely surrendered to the care of the Lord, He will build a hedge around our lives, and He will tend to our needs so that we can be fruitful participants in His kingdom. He will keep the thorns and briers out of our life which can choke His Word from our heart. He will make sure the rain continues to come in its due time to allow our lives to bear fruit that please Him for His Kingdom purposes.
How will your song be written? What will the Lord testify about your life? Will it be a joyous song of praise or a dirge (funeral song)? Is the song still being written? God has done His part, He is waiting for you to respond to what He has already done for you. His Son has sacrificed much to make your fruitfulness possible, will you accept God’s offer?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.” John 15:1-8 (HCSB)
January 22, 2010 at 6:41 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #268: There Will Always Be a Remnant
On that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors. Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem who are destined to live—when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodguilt from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night over the entire site of Mount Zion and over its assemblies. For there will be a canopy over all the glory, and there will be a booth for shade from heat by day, and a refuge and shelter from storm and rain. Isaiah 4:2-6 (HCSB)
This passage is one of the many in the Old Testament and there are many like it in the New Testament of God’s Word that for some reason we ignore the significance. There are those that beginning in the 19th Century of the Church wanted us to believe that the Rapture of the Church would be a removal from this earthly existence. However, God’s Word and even from the mouth of the Lord Himself in many of His teachings in the Gospels it is the wicked who are removed from the land, not the good – the Remnant of God’s faithful people who prevail and persevere by faith.
“On that day” is a phrase used throughout God’s Word pointing to a day of judgment by God that will require an accounting for our standing before Him. In Isaiah’s situation the people of Jerusalem had stumbled and bumbled their way into prideful ways that were contrary to what God desired, and despite warnings they persisted in their own ways and here was their final warning before “that day” that would fall upon them, as history reveals in 586 BC.
If it is God’s purpose to remove the “holy ones”, then when we are saved by faith into the family of God, why aren’t we removed to walk with God in His presence and free from the wickedness and arrogance of the world? Why is it that we pray so fervently to get healed from our illnesses to continue to live in this world? If the “Rapture” of the church is the hope of the church then why pray to continue to live here now? Why would God create mankind and this earth only to find fault in it so that He must destroy it and all of His creation? Did God make a mistake in creating this world? Is the evil in this world beyond His powers to cleanse and restore to state in which He intended? Should He rapture the Church (the remnant of faithful) what about all the unborn children? Would God give up on the children before they have the opportunity to experience Him?
I am no great theologian or biblical philosopher, yet in reading through the Bible over and over again, and studying His Word in recent years, I have discovered that there are many man-made positions that I believe have been sold to the Church because it served the purposes for Church growth out of fear, not by faith. The only ones that Jesus said needed to fear are the wicked not the faithful. He always pointed to the fact that it was the unfaithful and wicked that would be separated and sent away to oblivion or destruction. And where there is faith, there is love and hope, and where there is love, faith and hope, there fear cannot exist! By faith begin a journey to invest in God’s Word prayerfully and seek God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom with an open heart and mind. I believe you too will be enlightened as I have become in recent years. God is the creator of LIFE, and God is the unmatched, unconquerable author of LIFE. In this LIFE we have a purpose as His faithful people, and it is for that reason we remain to share the message of LIFE with others, so that they may enjoy the blessings of LIFE in Christ as well, as God has intended since the Genesis of Mankind’s Creation.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind [of fish], and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good [fish] into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, and throw them into the blazing furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”Matt 13:47-50 (HCSB) [Who leaves and who remains? And as you read the many teachings of Christ, this theme continues.]
January 21, 2010 at 6:41 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom # 267: Women, Beware of all the Buttons and Bows
The Lord also says: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, walking with heads held high and seductive eyes, going along with prancing steps, jingling their ankle bracelets, the Lord will put scabs on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will shave their foreheads bare. On that day the Lord will strip their finery: ankle bracelets, headbands, crescents, pendants, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle jewelry, sashes, perfume bottles, amulets, signet rings, nose rings, festive robes, capes, cloaks, purses, garments, linen clothes, turbans, and veils. Instead of perfume there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of beautifully styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothes, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. Then her gates will lament and mourn; deserted, she will sit on the ground. On that day seven women will seize one man, saying, “We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothing. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace.” Isaiah 3:16-4:1 (HCSB)
The Bible is so focused upon the man that sometimes women can feel neglected or can assume they are somehow innocent bystanders in a wicked world. However, there are specific passages that the Lord uses to warn or encourage the women, and this is one of those.
The question I believe is this: Did the Creator make a mistake when he created you? Did you come with all the buttons and bows that you fuss over and adorn to make yourself appear better than you are? Does God somehow desire you all decked out and fixed up, rather than the way He created you? Why is it that women spend all the time to create an image that is not natural? Is the beauty of the woman determined by what she adds to her natural state? All the rogue, eyeliner, blush and time fixing her hair does nothing for the condition of the heart and soul. Of course, her vanity is appeased when all her finery is in the right places. And, for what purposes? Is the woman’s efforts to appease God or man? From whom does the woman gain the most security in life?
Since the earliest days, it is recorded that the women of ancient Egyptian and the Sumerian cultures began to adorn themselves and paint their faces. It is now a part of almost every culture, so maybe God intended for women to go through all the fuss of the buttons and bows to attract the man of their desires. However, is that what God says is the most important thing a woman should be focused upon. If a woman’s vanity is based upon her outer beauty to capture the hearts of men, has she abandoned her most important relationship: God, her Creator? Rather than trying to be appealing to natural, sinful man, why not put the same effort to seeking to be living a lifestyle appealing to God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word. In the end of the day, after the woman has captured the heart of the man, she must put down the buttons and bows and wash her face, and her man will see the natural woman she is; what will he see and what beauty will hold fast the relationship between the man and the woman – “the beauty and condition of their hearts and souls!” It is in the appeal of the hearts and souls does God bind the man and woman for life together, not all the external buttons and bows.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument. Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense; not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel, but with good works, as is proper for women who affirm that they worship God. A woman should learn in silence with full submission. I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent. For Adam was created first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. But she will be saved through childbearing, if she continues in faith, love, and holiness, with good sense. 1 Tim 2:8-15 (HCSB) [I believe in this passage what is warned is that women need to have the right heart in worship before they speak. If their focus is to win hearts of men then their words are not focused upon God. Of course, this easily applies to men as well.]
January 20, 2010 at 6:45 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #266: What Goes Around Comes Around
Tell the righteous that it will go well [for them], for they will eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked—[it will go] badly [for them], for what they have done will be done to them. Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. My people, your leaders mislead you; they confuse the direction of your paths. The Lord rises to argue the case and stands to judge the people. The Lord brings [this] charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devastated the vineyard. The plunder from the poor is in your houses. Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” says the Lord God of Hosts. Isaiah 3:10-15 (HCSB)
The Lord our God extended a covenant with His people that has been through the ages the foundation of our relationship with the Creator. He said from the beginning that He will provide, protect, and preserve His people, if His people will seek after His will, ways and wisdom according to His Word. God has extended the unmerited gift of His love and compassion towards His people, and all He has asked in return that we demonstrate our love for Him by trusting the Creator as the Lord of our life. The reward for our claiming the name of the Lord is not only the covenant benefits in this life, but also our eternal security in the relationship beyond this life. However, to many this covenant of God’s grace towards mankind is rejected by so many people. Our selfish nature says “I” want to be in control, and “I” know what is best for “me!” How foolish can we be to assume the created knows better than the Creator?
In this passage, the Lord through Isaiah is warning the people that “what goes around comes around!” If you act wickedly towards my people and oppress them – the same will happen to you by their protector, Me! When the leaders of His people scheme, confuse and mislead His people, the Lord promises to rise up as their Judge as call their actions out for what they are: Wicked and Wrong! Sometimes we feel helpless with the leaders in our government but God promises a judgment will come upon the wicked leaders of His land. When the leaders of the land begin to place at risk the security, safety, and stability of the land, the Lord will inflict His judgment and bring about changes. Even when meetings are held in private away from the people, the Lord listens in and knows the intent of the hearts of those leaders who believe they are in control.
In our country, if we claim to be a Nation under God, then we must act like it and trust in God as we supposedly confess. We must trust that our Lord God allows us to experience changes in leadership but in the end He will direct the leadership or redirect it when necessary for His greater purposes. Just as we individually must seek after God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word, so too must the government, because God established it. What the Lord establishes the Lord guides and directs. If you think God is not engaged in this world, open your eyes and heart you will learn that “what comes around goes around” while the Lord is on the watch for His people.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do good and you will have its approval. For government is God’s servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. And for this reason you pay taxes, since the [authorities] are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks. Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. Romans 13:1-7 (HCSB)
January 19, 2010 at 6:35 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Words of Wisdom #265: When the Lord Comes What Security Do You Have?
Observe this: The Lord God of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah every kind of security: the entire supply of bread and water, the hero and warrior, the judge and prophet, the fortune-teller and elder, the commander of 50 and the dignitary, the counselor, cunning magician, and necromancer. “I will make youths their leaders, and the unstable will govern them.” The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the youth will act arrogantly toward the elder, and the worthless toward the honorable. A man will even seize his brother in his father’s house, [saying:] “You have a cloak—you be our leader! This heap of rubble will be under your control.” On that day he will cry out, saying: “I’m not a healer. I don’t even have food or clothing in my house. Don’t make me the leader of the people!” For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen because they have spoken and acted against the Lord, defying His glorious presence. The look on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom, they flaunt their sin. They do not conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. Isaiah 3:1-9 (HCSB)
As a people who claim to be God’s people, how would we respond if that day was upon us? What would happen if the greatness of our land was taken away, how would we trust in God? Would we still trust in God, or panic? It is easy to say we live in God’s country when we are safe and secure, and do not fear the threat of the enemy invading our land. However, what would happen if the Lord allowed our land to fall into the enemies’ hands and all the leaders we have trusted are swept away from the land. Who would lead? Who would stand up in the face of the enemy, trust God and try to bring stability once again to the people?
If we truly were “One Nation Under God” would there ever be a shortage of leaders who God could draw upon to lead His people even in the face of the enemy? Or, do we claim it because we are counting on God’s grace to keep us secure like the Israelites? However, the ten northern tribes were driven into exile and ultimately extinction, and Judah, along with Jerusalem dismantled and exiled. When our claim to be God’s people is a false claim, we stand on shaky ground and our future is at risk to reveal our real standing before God. There will be many who call out Lord, Lord, but the Lord will say go away, I never knew you! Is our nation headed towards that sad state? As I have advised others, there is a difference of an acquaintance and a friend. There are a lot of people who are acquainted with God, but there are far less who truly can claim to be friends of God. When the going gets tough and the enemy is at the door acquaintances scatter to save their own lives, while friends stand their ground to support and care for one another. A friend never abandons a friend. That is the relationship the Lord desires with us.
In the face of the enemy what will you reveal? Will you reveal your acquaintance with God that has been self-serving and you will flee for your own life? Or, will you stand your ground along side the Lord trusting your relationship with Him and face the enemy together? Will you prove yourself a true friend of God?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but [only] the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’ Matt 7:21-23 (HCSB)
January 18, 2010 at 9:12 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom # 264: The Created Cannot Become the Creator
For a day belonging to the Lord of Hosts is [coming] against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—it will be humbled— against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan, against all the high mountains, against all the lofty hills, against every high tower, against every fortified wall, against every ship of Tarshish, and against every splendid sea vessel. So human pride will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. The idols will vanish completely. People will go into caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the Lord and from His majestic splendor, when He rises to terrify the earth. On that day people will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made to worship, to the moles and the bats. They will go into the caves of the rocks and the crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the Lord and from His majestic splendor, when He rises to terrify the earth. Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. What is he really worth? Isaiah 2:12-22 (HCSB)
One thing is to feel good about your life and the accomplishments that you have been blessed to enjoy, however beware when you try to stand alone on those accomplishments and boldly claim those accomplishments were solely a result of your own efforts and abilities. Pride that rises within our own mind causes us to see and hear with a filter of self: if what we hear or see does not honor our view of ourselves then we discard it or even destroy it. In a prideful heart there is no room for anyone but the owner of the heart.
Sadly the pride created by man can bring a false sense of superiority, just as the images in the passage: lofty cedars of Lebanon and strong oaks of Bashan, which built the great Temple in Jerusalem; fortified walls and high towers constructed upon lofty hills and mountains around Jerusalem; and all the mighty sailing ships that were symbols of power and authority of the kingdoms in the day of Jerusalem. However, when you rely upon the pride of man, the works of man’s pride can be destroyed by man. Nothing that man can do can last and is nothing before the might and majesty of God, our Creator.
Consider the scientist who claimed to create things just God, and he did great things in the eyes of his fellow man. His pride stirred his heart to send out a challenge to God to say he had created just as God has created. So, God simply said to the scientist, “so you think you can create like me?” The scientist proudly declared he could. God said, “show me how you can create like me?” So the scientist started to gather the materials he needed to create, and then the Lord said, “Stop, I thought you said you could create like me?” The scientist said, “Well, yes!” Then God laughed and said, “Then, go create your own dirt and materials that you need!” Then God lovingly said, “In the beginning, I created everything from nothing. That is why I am your God. The created cannot be the creator.”
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. John 1:1-3 (HCSB)
Next entries »
2010. Powered by