Words of Encouragement

Is Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria in the house?

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  - Acts 1:7-8

MONDAY
...witness in Jerusalem....

This week we will look at the same scripture, however we will look more indepth into the charge that is being given. The disciples were told they would be given power to be witnesses of Christ.  They are also told where they are to go to witness about the goodness of Christ and to offer the gift of salvation.  First he tells them to be witness in Jerusalem.  What is significant about Jerusalem? The events in the book of Acts takes place after Jesus' ascension.  Acts follows the advance of the gosple from an obscure city, Jerusalem, to the enter of the empire, Rome.  Jerusalem played a significant role in the life and ministry of Jesus. It was in Jerusalem that he went when he was 12. He was in Jerusalem when he cleansed the temple. Jerusalem was where it began.

The disciples were told to witness in Jerusalem.  They started off in the place that some might call their "warm market". These were the people that had already been exposed to something about Jesus. It might be that much easier to present Jesus to them since they had seen him, his miracles and now knew about his resurrection. What does that speak to us today about our mandate?

We are to witness to our Jerusalem's, our warm market, our home ground. These are the people that have seen God's hand in your life.  They may have seen you before Christ was real to you and now they see what his change has done, so they may be ready to hear what made the change in you?  We know everyone will not hear and accept, they didn't in Jesus' time either. Yet we are mandated to be a witness to those in our "Jerusalem".  So today, who can you witness to that is close to you? You may speak to them every day, sit next to them in your office but have never presented them with the good news of Christ.  Is today that day?

Prayer: Lord help me to be a witness to those that know me, that see me and live in my familiar zones.  These are the people that see me often, yet I have not yet offered them what has been the changing agent in my life.  Help me to present that this day. Amen.


TUESDAY
...and in all Judea...

Judea was the Greco-Roman name for the land of Judah. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah. The Jews in Judea were greatly influenced by the hellinistic lifestyle. Were the more traditional Jews lived within Jerusalem, Judea contained more of the Jews that were influenced by the lifestyle. They were still Jewish people mingled amongst the other people living in the land. We would look at that today and see that as our own family and friends that have become more accustomed to the "city" life.  They enjoy what the world has to offer. So what does that say to us? We need to witness to those that we know but maybe they are not so close to us in what they do.  We may  not find ourselves going to the same types of events and outings.  Normally these would be the people we might talk to from time to time but we simply run in different circles. Well we are mandated to witness to them.  That means we have to get out of what we are comfortable with and reach out.  This doesn't mean you have to do the same things, however it does mean you have to a make an effort to reach out to those that you would otherwise never cross in your daily week of going to work, church and back again, that's because this is not where these people will be. 

Prayer: Lord help me today to reach out to someone that has need of hearing your truth that I would otherwise not stop to talk to because they are going in a different direction than I am. Help me to present them your truth so they will not be lost.


WEDNESDAY
...Samaria...
Samaria was the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. Samaria  withstood an attack by Ben-Hadad, king of Syria (2 Kings 6:24-25) but it finally fell tothe Assyrians in 722 B.C.  The inhabitants were carried into captivity. The city was repopulated by people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from
Sepharavim. They intermarried with the antive Jews that were there. This lead to the mixed race of Samritans. They were disppised by full-blood Jews during the time of Jesus. These were the people that wanted to help rebuild the temple when the people return from Babylon but were told they could not help. Remember the woman at the well when she asked Jesus where would they worship because they could not worship with the "full-blood" Jewish people.  Jesus told her it would be neither this mountain or another, it would be in spirit or in truth. What does this tell us today? We are told to go to those we have been turning our noses up at.  We may have felt they were not as good as us, we being full-blood Christian, having to go to someone that was less that that was unthinkable. Jesus' instruction was go to them and present the gospel. So our mandate is we must get out and reach those that we think are beneath us.  How may homeless people have you walked pass and thought they were less than you because they didn't have a home?  How many drunks have you turned your noses up at?  Or have you heeded this call and willing told them about another way, another life? What is your answer?  Were are the Samaritans in your church?  Are they welcome when they come in or do they need to meet your standard first before they can come and be made welcome?

Prayer: Lord we do not always see people as you do. We often see what is on the outside, but you look at the heart.  Help us to be blinded physically but to have keen sight spiritually.  Help us to see the heart of people and gladly offer unto them Christ's gift of salvation.


THURSDAY
...and the ends of the earth...

Basically, that's everybody else.  When you read the book of Acts you see that the gospel was propelled forth often because of the adversities they Christians faced.  They were persecuted and threatened so they would move, thus carrying the message of the gospel with them to new areas.  Sometimes we will not move from our comfort zones until we are faced with difficulties that require us to move.  Have you had to move recently from a place you were comfortable in?  Maybe it is because God is telling you he is giving you a new "land" to go and tell his word to. He mandates each of us to tell the gospel everywhere we go.  To those we know, to those that are not as close but that we are still comfortable with to those we consider our enemies or that we would even find great dislike with.  Are you spreading the word everywhere you go?

Prayer: Lord allow me to opportunity to spread the word everywhere I go. In the store, on my job, in line, etc. to the uttermost parts of the world. May my words help someone else come to know you more completely.


FRIDAY
...you will recieve power...
You may wonder why I did this last and not first. I did this one last because I do not want us to forget this very vital point. It does not matter how much you want to "do" for Christ, you are not equipped to do it without his Spirit or his leading. Many of us do not feel comfortable witnessing because we are afraid of the rejection we may feel if someone does not accept what we say.  However, it is not us they are rejecting. We must simply present the truth of God's word and allow his Spirit to do the work. It is by his power that he will direct us in what we should say, how to say it and when to say it. We do not have to worry about what we will say for if we move by the Spirit of God he will direct us into all truth, even that truth of what needs to be said and when. Today let us find the boldness to speak for God as he desires.  Also let us have the faith and trust in what he can do in us. If we only step out in faith we would be surprise about what God can do with our efforts.

Prayer: Lord today take my completely, use me, speak through me. Holy Spirit I yield myself to your work so that my Lord and Savior can be lifed up before me and when he is lifted up he promises to draw men unto himself. Amen.

The Week in Review

Pastor interview (part 3)

* How do evangelism and discipleship relate to the ministry in your church?

Pastor Darryl Simmons – We are only beginning this process, but we are seeing growth within those that are new to the church. For example, a new convert was convicted about his giving of his tithes. He is now excited about giving unto the Lord and if he is late or has to leave before the offering he makes sure I know he is giving his tithes. That is what we want to see in our people, an excitement for serving the Lord.

Reverend Al Ivy –Evangelism becomes a strong witness for Christ, and discipleship is teaching Christ as well as living so that Christ may be seen in you.


* Are there any last comments you would like to make?

Pastor Darryl Simmons – I want the people to respond to the spirit of God, so that where they are is an answer to problems. What God has for you, is the answer to problems. God has you as the solution to a problem.

Reverend Al Ivy – I feel evangelism has become a part of the everyday life, for the true believer, discipleship as well. Last but not least, the evangelist is called and given authority to go from place to place. If the Lord will send him, this is a gift given by God for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.



These churches are small congregations but they are growing. The pastors of both of these churches have only been in their roles for five years or less (at the time of this interview). The pastors desire to grow their congregations spiritual maturity. This is so the congregation is then able to spread the message to others. It is important to teach the members of the church how to live a life pleasing to God. The church is responsible for ensuring the growth of the new convert. It does not benefit the new believer to take the important step of salvation but do nothing to grow spiritually. A vital lesson can be learned about discipleship and evangelism.



It is important to teach believers how to live a holy life. A new believer cannot be expected to just know what is necessary they need to have the word made plain to them. The role of the Pastor, ministers or leaders is to ensure teaching is being done within the local congregation. We must not expect the new believer to understand the importance of evangelism until they understand why reconciliation is important first in their own life. Once the new believer is taught the importance of God within their daily life, they can then understand the importance of sharing God with others.

The Week in Review

Characteristics of the Goat and the Sheep (part 2)

Read Matthew 25:31-46

When Jesus comes back he will separate the sheep from the goat, which will you be?

SHEEP

Sheep are “follower-types” of animals. (Matthew 4:19 – God wants us to follow him and he will make us fishermen of men)



Sheep are relational and will link with 4 or 5 sheep while grazing. (Acts 2:42 – God wants us to continue in the work of the Lord and to fellowship one with another)



Sheep are passive animals. (Ephesians 5:21 & James 4:7- God wants us to be submissive to each other as well as to him)



Sheep are highly sensitive to smell and sound. Their senses are very high. (Hebrew 5:14- God wants our spiritual senses to be high so that we can discern what is good and what is evil.)



Sheep seek touch of other sheep. Sheep also have a great demand to have physical contact with their keeper for survival. (John 15:4 – God wants us to abide in him for without him we are lost.)



Shepherds have contact with their sheep because they are aware of predators that will kill the sheep if they were not present. (Psalm 46:1 – God is our present help in times of trouble. He knows what will kill us and he is there to take care of us)



Sheep generally present few behavioral problems. (Leviticus 11:45 – God wants us to be holy because he is holy)



Breeding for sheep is easy and more successful and there are fewer complications with the breeding process mainly because of their social behavior. (Unity – Ephesians 4:13 – God wants us to dwell in unity because when we do that we bring about “birth” into the family with less complications and with more success.)



Sheep are tough animals where sickness is concerned. However there are things the shepherd looks for to tell if his animal is sick or well.



If a sheep is healthy it will be evident in its habits. Such as eating. It will eat and the more it eats, the more eager it will become in eating. It will be eager to consume and the hunger will increase along with the eagerness. (Jeremiah 15:16 – God wants us to eat his word and the more we eat the more we should want to consume and to be eager to eat. Our desire to consume God’s word should increase.) This is evidence that we are healthy to the shepherd.



Healthy sheep are active. (1 Corinthians 15:58 – God wants us to be always working for Him. He wants us active in the work of the kingdom)



Healthy sheep love to climb and seek higher grounds. (1 Corinthians 2:10 – God wants us to grow. He wants us to love to “climb” to higher grounds to deeper understandings in him.)



Healthy sheep are curious. Yet in their curiosity they do not wonder but will explore their living areas thoroughly so that they have little difficulty locating things. (2 Timothy 2:15-God wants us to study so that we have no difficulty in understanding the word of God)



Shepherds also look for these unhealthy signs in their sheep to help keep them from dying: isolating themselves (Hebrews 10:25 -God does not want us to forsake coming together, he knows this will lead to our death), Not interested in eating (Proverbs 19:15-God doesn’t want us forsaking the studying of his word for he knows we will lose our zeal for him), Lagging or depressed (Psalm 55:22 - God wants us to cast our cares on him, because he knows it is only through him that we can be sustained), Excessive time lying down and reluctant to move about (Proverb 19:15 – God doesn’t want us to be slothful because he knows we will become useless), Anxiety and restlessness (Jeremiah 6:16 – God will give us the rest from our cares because he knows that we will be destroyed if we do not), Depraved appetites(1 Peter 2:11- God wants our desires to be for the things of God for he knows when we fulfill the desires “the appetites” of the flesh we will die and we war against our own souls). These are signs that the shepherd looks for to help the sheep be as healthy as possible. (God is that shepherd and he gives us a detailed list of what healthy behavior looks like and we only have to follow to be as healthy as we can)

Words of Encouragement

 

Characteristics of Sheep

MONDAY
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."- Matthew 4:19

SHEEP. Followers. Sheep are "follower-types” of animals. God wants his children to be follower types.  He does not want us following the wrong things, however.  What he requires from us is that we have an attitude or mindset to follow after him.  When we are willing to follow what is right (Jesus' example) we then are told there should be some results of that. That result is we should then be able to attract other "follower-types".  Others will be drawn to us to want to be followers of Christ.  That is the mandate in this small verse. As sheep, we come and follow after Jesus' call to us.  When we do that he will equip us to draw other sheep not so much to us, but through our light they are drawn to the savior.

Prayer: Help me Lord to be a follower of Christ the way that will attract others to desire to come to you. Allow your light to shine through me so the world will know I belong to you.


TUESDAY
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." - Acts 2:42

SHEEP. Relational. Sheep are relational and will link with 4 or 5 sheep while grazing. This is the characteristic that God requires from his children. God wants us to continue in the work of the Lord and to fellowship one with another. The believers devoted themselves to the relationship of being brothers and sister in Christ. Because they were devoted to oneness or unity of the Spirit; them came together and fellowshiped, studied the teaching of the apostles and to prayer.  If you have read the book of Acts you will see that God added to the church daily because of the relationship of the believers.  Have you ever wondered that maybe others are not coming into our fellowships because they do not see the connectiveness or relational aspects of sheep?  This is why this characteristic is one that God looks for in his children. The importance is people in general are relational.  They are looking for connections.  If they do not find connect in our churches, they will continue right past us.

Prayer: Lord today, allow me to have the attitude of caring for others.  Help me to extend fellowship to others so those that are seeking to connect to God can find that relationship within his children.  You call for us to be unified and on one accord, help us your people to achieve that.


WEDNESDAY
 "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." - Ephesians 5:21

SHEEP. Submissive. Sheep are passive animals. This may sound like a bad trait, but what it really means is they are submissive to the authority of their shepherd. God wants us to be submissive to each other as well as to him. This characteristic is one that is a requirement.  We cannot be "goatish" in our ways and not willing to submit to the authority over us.  That authority is God.  We are required from the Father to submit ourselves to one another and this is a show of reverence for Christ.  We must be willing to submit to Christ call on our lives, his instruction on our lives and his purpose for our lives.  These things all call for us to relent what we desire or what we think to following after the call of the shepherd.

Prayer: Lord I often want my own way. Yet, I know that even when my flesh wants to do its thing, I desire to obey you.  Help me this day to relent my way over to you.  Help me to submit myself under your authority as I also submit myself to others.  Help me to hear your call as my shepherd.



THURSDAY
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. - Hebrews 5:14

SHEEP. Sensitivity. Sheep are highly sensitive to smell and sound. Their senses are very high. They have "discernment" of what is around them. They are able to sense the dangers of other animals by the smell in the air. God wants our spiritual senses to be high so that we can discern what is good and what is evil. If we can discern what is around us we will be able to know what is right before the Lord.  Sheep are born with their sensitivity, we are not. Yet, when we are born again, we now have the capability to have this sheep like sensitivity to good and evil. However, this will not just happen.  We must learn what the word of God says so we can grow and mature. This growth allows us to have greater sensitivity so that we can sense approaching dangers even before they are upon us.

Prayer: Lord help me to grow in you so that I can learn to discern what is right before you. Help me to grow from milk to stronger meat.  I know this will not happen without my studying your word.  Help me to eat your word so that I can grow and have the sensitivity to know what is pleasing to you.


FRIDAY
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. - John 15:4
SHEEP. Connection. Sheep seek touch of other sheep. Sheep also have a great demand to have physical contact with their keeper for survival. This characteristic is one that God promotes for his children to have. He reminds us that we cannot bear the fruit we need to without being connected to him. God wants us to abide in him for without him we are lost. Connection to God is a must if we are to be healthy sheep. Our keeper's contact is vital for our survival. You know that feeling when you are faced with danger how comforting it is to know that God is with you. You feel your keepers hand upon you and that helps you to survive the journey.

Prayer: Lord I cannot make it without you. I cannot grow, I cannot discern, I cannot be connected to others without your hand upon me.  Like the sheep that longs to have his masters hand upon his head, so do we desire to have your hand upon us, encouraging us and helping us to know we are with you and you with us.

The Week in Review

Pastor interview – March 30, 2006

We continue with our interview with our next question:


* How has your strategy for evangelism and discipleship in your church affected your congregation?

Pastor Darryl Simmons - The response is a positive one. Even though the classes have not started yet, I have been preparing the hearts of the people with my messages preached on Sunday morning. I have been preaching on messages such as fasting, tithing, worship and the covenant relationship with God. I am excited because the word is taking root in the lives of the new converts and this is setting the stage for the seeds planted to grow.


Reverend Al Ivy – It has affected this congregation because we are small, but we have a strong desire to grow. So within this first year, under strong leadership the church is being disciplined, and we have seen some growth in spirit and in the number of people.


* What is the congregation’s expectation?

Pastor Darryl Simmons – I do not know what the congregation is expecting, but in every congregation some will take it (the word), some will put it on the backburner until it is needed, some will not accept it at all. I expect to simply preach the word and allow God to work in the hearts of the people.

Reverend Al Ivy – The congregation’s expectation is high. But our leader’s expectation is even higher, because God deserves excellence. That is what we all must give to God, excellence.


Come back next week for the final installment of this interview and my follow up.

The Week in Review

Characteristics of the Goat and the Sheep

Read Matthew 25:31-46

When Jesus comes back he will separate the sheep from the goat, which will you be?

This week we will look at characteristics of goats. When we first read some of these characteristics we may not see the bad in them, yet we want to remember that it is the goats that are cast away from God, so what is it about these characteristics that are contrary to God? Let’s take a look at some of them:

GOATS

Highly intelligent (1 Corinthians 3:19 – God does not wants us depending on our own understanding for it is foolishness)

Independent (Proverb 16:18 –God does not want us to be prideful in our own ability because it only leads to our destruction)

When they are first born they begin to fight with their siblings for their mothers milk (Isaiah 56:11- God does not want us to be greedy, only concerned with filling ourselves)

The strong survive, if they are weak they are left behind or die (only concerned with self- Hebrew 13:1 - God wants us to think more of others than ourselves)

Intensely curious and will investigate any thing that piques their interest. Because they are so interested, they are hard to keep confined to their areas. They will jump over fences for example. (Ephesians 4:14- God does not want us chasing after every thing that catches our fancy. He does not want us tossed to and fro.)

They are aggressive in their behavior (Psalm 37:11 – God wants us to be meek for the meek shall inherit the God)

They are more adapted to hot weather and not cold. They have to be taken indoors at night times. The are not as adapted to cold weather because of their size weight ability to conserve water limited fat & nature of their coats (They are “fair weather” survivors. They cannot withstand the storms. God wants us to be able to withstand the storms of life. We are able to do this because of our “make up”. He adapts or clothes us to be able to withstand the “cold”.)


Breeding of goats can be difficult because of the aggressive behavior and confrontational behavior. For example if a male goat and female goat are aggressive towards each other, the male will not mate with her and will keep others from mating with her as well. (Psalm 133:1 – God wants us to dwell together in unity: husbands, wives, children etc.)

Words of Encouragement

This week on the website you will see a list of characteristics of goats.  We will look at that more indepth this week.  What are some of the characteristics of goats and what does that tells us about ourselves?

MONDAY
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; - 1 Corinthians 3:19

Goats. Highly Intelligent. When I did this study I found some interesting things about goats and sheep.  Goats are said to be an intelligent animal.  This would not seem to be a problem, however goats are "strong headed" and they are not an animal that is easily controlled. So what is this characteristic of the goat trying to tell us about ourselves?  What it tells us is God does not want us to depend on our wisdom.  He does not want us to be strongheaded.  He considers all our wisdom foolishness when compared against his wisdom. Just like the goat that often finds itself in trouble, so do the wise often find themselves in trouble because of their craftiness.  So we need to ask God to help us turn over our intelligence into his hand and ask him to use it for his good.

Prayer: Lord my ways are not your ways and my understanding is not your understanding.  Help me not to be so strongheaded in my ideas and thoughts. Help me to be teachable and to learn of your ways.  For your ways are higher than mine. This is my prayer, amen.


TUESDAY
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. - Proverbs 16:18

Goat. Independent. Goats are very stubborn animals and they want to do and go as they please.  They do not want to be hindered in their activities. How is this a bad trait? The problem is when the goat does not want its owner to do as the owner desires.  The goat may butt his head or try to move away as he pleases.  This trait when looked at from that point isn't a good one for humans to have.  God does not want us to be proud and determine we can do as we please and when he, the owner wants us to do something or go some place we want to butt against his plans and try to have our own freedom.  This proud attitude says I am in charge of my own life and no one can tell me what to do.  This is the kind of attitude that goes before a fall.

Prayer: Lord, help me to let go of my own ideas and desire to do things my own way.  I no longer live but Christ within me lives.  Help me to humble myself so that you can use me your way. Amen.


WEDNESDAY
They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. - Isaiah 56:11

Goat. Greedy. When goats are first born they begin to fight with their siblings for their mothers milk. There desire is to feed and get all that they want without care of anyone else around them. We would say this is natural.  Everyone wants to eat and survive.  We would actually honor individuals that have a desire or hunger for success.  Yet we do not want to miss what God's word is trying to tell us about greed.  In the scripture it talks about shepherds of God's people but it can be applied to all of us.  The scripture calls them dogs with great appetites, so great they never get enough.  This attitude of always wanting something is not one that God looks upon favorably.  The scripture says individuals that are like that lack understanding.  The understanding they lack is that God is the only thing they need.  While they are seeking to fill themselves on stuff, God is waiting to fill them with his Spirit and his righteousness. Being greedy makes an individual turn away from others and toward themselves.  Everything becomes what is important to me?  What does life have to offer me?  Never what do I have to offer to life or to those around me.  That's why the title of dog was given.  When we become greedy we live beneath being the human God wants us to be, the one created in his image.  We do not look any different than a mere animal.

Prayer: Lord help me this day to look upon the needs of others. Help me to feast upon your word so that I can be satisfied in you.  All those things that would get in the way of me being a yielded vessel, I release them into your hand and ask that you would make me more into your image, amen.

THURSDAY
Keep on loving each other as brothers. -Hebrews 13:1

Goat. Selfish. The strong goats are the ones that survive. The weak goats are left behind or die because the other goats neglect it. This is not a trait God wants to see in his people.  God does not want us to think only of ourselves, but to think about our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are to love them and in doing so we are to care for them as Christ would care for them.  We do not leave the weak behind to starve to death. We are to feed them the truth of God's word so that they can grow and their spiritual bones strengthened. We are to care for one another so that the world sees we are different. We cannot be like a selfish goat only looking out for themselves.  We must be mindful of others around us.  We must be mindful not to step on them or crush them under foot.  We do not want our words, actions or deeds to be what destroys the already weak brother or sister.

Prayer: Lord, today help me to be more caring for those around me.  Help me to see those in need of help, love and care.  Help me to strengthen someone that is feeling weak along this path and in need of strength.  Today use me to represent to someone your love, Amen.


FRIDAY
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. - Ephesians 4:14

Goat. Flighty. Goats are intensely curious and will investigate any thing that piques their interest. Because of that, they will wonder off and are hard to keep confined to areas.  They will jump fences if they see something that catches their eye. They are flighty.  They do not like to stay content in one area and move around. Well God does not want flighty children.  He does not have a problem with our intense interest in things.  The problem is we are not alway interested in the right things.  We investigate things that will bring us harm instead of asking him to help us investigate his word.  We do not always want to stay content in the places that we have been planted, and we want to jump the fences to see what greener grasses are growing.  We become like the scripture says, children tossed back and forth with everything that comes our way and catches it. God does not want us chasing after every thing that catches our fancy. He does not want us tossed to and fro. Instead he wants us to learn to stay put and content in the safety of the "pen" he has put us in.  He wants us to know that in the area he has placed us is all that we need and there is much for us to discover right where we are.  Flighty isn't a good look for a believer in Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, help me to learn to be content in you.  You are the one that gave us imagination and the ability to create and dream.  Help us to use it within the areas of your glory and with your wisdom.  Help us this day to follow after righteousness.  Allow your righteousness to draw us so that we are not turned away after foolish things, but turned toward you for the sake of the cross of Christ, Amen.