All posts by admin

Obedience and Sacrifice…..

Obedience and Sacrifice

1 Sam 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  (KJV)

To begin this teaching, I borrowed a passage from I Samuel directed at King Saul.   Saul had been anointed king over Israel per their request to be “like all the nations” (I Sam 8:5, 20).  Israel’s rejection of the Lord as their King set them up for future hardships.   Saul showed signs along the way that he had some problems with obedience.  Despite Saul’s character flaws, it appears that the Lord was still willing to work with him and gave him some specific instructions (I Sam 15:3) regarding the Amalekites.  Saul partially obeyed the Lord, but decided he would pick and choose which commands were important to obey and which ones he felt he could disregard.  The verse above shows Samuel’s response to Saul’s disobedience.  And those same words echo throughout thousands of years, and speak to us today.  Truly, to obey is better than sacrifice!

Saul had been given specific instructions to utterly destroy the Amalekites (men, women, infants, animals, etc.).  The Amalekites were noted for their cruelty, and this direction from the Lord was in response to their cruelty towards Israel.  Saul comes to the people of Amalek and begins to smite them.  But he decides that perhaps it would be wise to spare a few things; like King Agag, the best of the sheep, the oxen, and “all that was good” (I Sam 15:9).  Everything that was “vile and refuse” they utterly destroyed.   When Samuel comes to Saul,  Saul greets him by saying “I have performed the commandment of the Lord”.  I’m not sure if he really believed that, or if it was simply a way of justifying his actions.  I find that the longer we disobey, the more we are willing to justify our disobedience.   In the New Testament, we are warned that we can sear our “conscience with a hot iron” (I Tim 4:2) or become “past feeling” (literally numb!) to the effects of sin (Eph 4:19).   The writer of Hebrews warns us against becoming “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb 3:13).  Samuel is not fooled by Saul’s statement of piety and basically says (and I’m very loosely paraphrasing here) “if you have obeyed the Lord, why do I hear all of these sheep and oxen?”.

It is at this point that we might expect that Saul would come clean about his disobedience and motives for not fully carrying out the command(s) of the Lord.  Instead he defers and says “the people” spared the best of the sheep and oxen so that they could sacrifice unto the Lord.  Samuel sees right through this and accuses Saul of “flying upon the spoil”.  Again, one might think that Saul would confess that he has been caught red-handed.  But instead he says “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord….”.  Samuel then proceeds to tell him that obedience is better than sacrifice!

We look at Saul’s story and shake our heads in amazement that he could be so blessed by God and have such a callous disregard for the commandments of the Lord.  But we must take heed just as Paul warned the Corinthians that we might not fall after that same example!

Sacrifice is a noble thing.  As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ is our ultimate example of what it means to sacrifice.  He is the perfect sacrifice, as the writer of Hebrews describes.  In John’s Gospel, Jesus Christ tells us that laying down one’s life for another is the ultimate expression of love (John 15:13).  Many people in scripture are noted for their acts of sacrifice for the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God.  Today’s teaching is not a critcism of sacrificial acts of giving, worship, and love.  But it is a caution, that sacrifice is not a substitute for obedience.  When Jesus began his ministry and started to explain the nature of the Kingdom of God, he warned that there must be a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).   Christ’s ethical teachings contained in the Sermon on the Mount are probing and challenging.  One of the reasons this is so, is because Christ deals not only with the outward expressions of obedience, but the inner workings and motivations of the heart.

While we’re on the subject of the Pharisees, let’s observe a few things about them.  They were skilled craftsmen in the art of outward piety.  Their forms of worship were well observed (their manner of praying, giving, and fasting are particularly mentioned).  They did all of these things and yet their hearts were clearly not in step with the type of obedience that the Lord required.  Again, this is not a treatise against sacrifice.  Jesus gave us an example of this when talking about their manner of giving/tithing:

Matt 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (KJV)

Jesus didn’t say “stop what you’re doing”, but rather that they should have observed all of God’s commands, and not simply those that suited them.  Unfortunately, many unbelievers view us as modern-day Pharisees.  Certainly not all of their criticisms are warranted, and we understand that one cannot understand or even see the Kingdom of God unless they are born-again (John 3:3).  But many of us are perpetuating the “hypocrite” charge that is so often leveled against us.  The word hypocrite literally means “an actor under an assumed character”. This is exactly what we are, when we make the decision that sacrifice can replace simple obedience.   And so many of us have soothed (or perhaps seared) our consciences by believing that our sacrifice will be enough to please God.  Countless individuals fill churches, sit on pews, sing in choirs, teach Sunday school, place offerings in the plates each week- but have hearts far away from God.

Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. (KJV)

Jesus mentions Isaiah the prophet, and I think that would be a good place for us to look now.  Isaiah chapter 58 is a vivid example of what happens when we choose sacrifice over obedience.  First, let’s look at the frustration of the people of Israel.  Now whether or not we would readily admit it, we might read these words and identify with them more than closely than we think.  Let’s look at their story:

Isa 58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. 3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (KJV)

On the surface, they seem like good church people don’t they?  They have daily devotions, delight to know more about God, kept ordinances, and enjoyed approaching the presence of God (we could probably insert “liked going to church” there), and they fasted.  But they sensed something dynamic was missing in their relationship with God.  Why were they fasting with no results?  Why did it seem as if all their sacrifice was being ignored?  God goes on to explain to them in vivid detail that they were missing some of the weightier matters of the law, just like the Pharisees.   I won’t post the whole chapter (I encourage you to read it on your own), but we find out that they needed to also be burden-relievers, they needed to reach out to their loved ones and their neighbors.  They needed to take care of the poor, and be physically and emotionally available to those in their lives.  Now if that doesn’t challenge us, I don’t know what will!  The Lord then goes on to say that if they (and we) do those things, they will experience the provision and blessings of God.  But it requires total obedience, not merely a sacrifice that ignores weightier matters of the Kingdom.

Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (KJV)

This verse in Hosea is repeated in the Gospels (Matt 9:13, Matt 12:7).  The recurring theme of the New Testament is that love is a fulfilling of the law.  Love for God, and love for fellow man is the overarching message of the scriptures.   The mission of Jesus as revealed by Luke is to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). If we are believers who value sacrifice over obedience, we will never truly help to fulfill the Great Commission.  We can comfort ourselves by giving money to missions, but that does not relieve us of our duty to pray for missions and missionaries.  We can invite our friends to church, but that does not relieve us of our duty to love them and allow them to see Christ in us each and every day.  We can attend church services every time the door is open, but that does not mean we have permission to ignore the Kingdom of God in the marketplace and in our homes.   One of the most terrifying pictures in the bible is recorded in Matthew chapter 7.  Here is an eternal example of what happens to those who value sacrifice without obedience.

Matt 7:21-Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (KJV)

I’m not trying to scare you today, but if you can read this passage without holy reverence, you may need to spiritually examine yourself.  These people depicted here are clearly people of sacrifice.  They are involved in Kingdom work (prophecy, demon expulsion, “wonderful works”) in Jesus’ name.  They clearly call Jesus “Lord”.  But they have obviously been duped into believing that they can practice iniquity (the word literally means “lawlessness”) and their sacrifice will somehow balance the scales of judgment.  Jesus says that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of Heaven.

Finally, we will look at David’s prayer of repentance found in Psalm 51.  Most theologians believe that this Psalm records David’s prayer of repentance after his sin with Bathsheba.   I am glad that this is recorded in the canon of scripture.  There are times when we fail God, just like David did.  David’s remorse resonates with each one of us who has ever sinned against God and violated His holy commands.  His petitions to God are extremely touching and transparent.  He pleads with God to cleanse him, purge him from iniquity, and wash him from his sins.  He asks for the joy of God’s salvation to be restored unto him and for the presence of God and the Holy Spirit not to be removed.   He then acknowledges something that we’ve been looking at today:

Ps 51:16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (KJV)

David realized that a burnt offering or a sacrifice wasn’t going to solve his problem.  His problem was a heart problem.  It would only be remedied by a brokenness, confession to God, and a willingness to fully obey the commands of the Lord.   Maybe this message today has brought you to a place of conviction.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit is ministering to you even now- bringing you to a place of remorse over your own sin(s).   While the bible rejects the notion of sacrifice without an obedient heart, it also promises that God won’t reject or despise those who are truly broken over their sin.  If that is you today, you can stand upon this promise found in I John.

I Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(KJV)

May God bless you as you continue to study His Word!

Reference Material on Obedience from:  http://www.truthablaze.com/index.html

~40 Day’s of “TRIUMPH”~ Day 36

I am really enjoying the “40 days of TRIUMPH” with my Empowerment Temple Church Family in Baltimore, Maryland under the leadership of Dr. Jamal Bryant… We are studying 40 chapters on “TRIUMPH”: We are on day 36 and we are reading from the book of Romans 8. If you can and if you will read and study Romans 8 with us on today.

Come and discover how to study the bible, not just read it:

– 6 METHODS OF STUDY:
* Pronounce it!
* Picture it!
* Probe it!
* Paraphrase it!
* Personalize it!
* Pray it!

 

 

~ 40 DAYS OF “TRIUMPH” ~

I am really enjoying the “40 days of TRIUMPH” with my Empowerment Temple Church Family in Baltimore, Maryland under the leadership of Dr. Jamal Bryant… We are studying 40 chapters on “TRIUMPH”: We are on day 35 and we are reading from the book of Acts 12. If you can and if you will read and study Acts 12 with us on today.

Come and discover how to study the bible, not just read it:

– 6 METHODS OF STUDY:
* Pronounce it!
* Picture it!
* Probe it!
* Paraphrase it!
* Personalize it!
* Pray it!

Acts 12

King James Version (KJV)

Acts 12

1Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

4And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

6And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

7And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

8And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

10When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

11And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the LORD hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

12And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

14And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

15And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

16But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

17But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

18Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

19And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.

20And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country.

21And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

22And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

24But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

 

http://www.empowermenttemple.org/

Please feel free to ‘LIKE” our new ministry that birthed recently… God is so good!!!   You can like us at: https://www.facebook.com/www.wifiministries.org

“40 days of TRIUMPH”

I am really enjoying the “40 days of TRIUMPH” with my Empowerment Temple Church Family in Baltimore, Maryland under the leadership of Dr. Jamal Bryant… We are studying 40 chapters on “TRIUMPH”: We are on day 34 and we are reading from the book of Acts 2. If you can and if you will read and study Acts 2 with us on today.Come and discover how to study the bible, not just read it:

– 6 METHODS OF STUDY:
* Pronounce it!
* Picture it!
* Probe it!
* Paraphrase it!
* Personalize it!
* Pray it!

http://www.empowermenttemple.org/

Please feel free to ‘LIKE” our new ministry that birthed recently… God is so good!!!   You can like us at: https://www.facebook.com/www.wifiministries.org

Revelations

Bible, King James. Revelation, from The holy Bible, King James version 

~Encouraging Quotes ~

Quotes of Encouragement:

 

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.”
William Arthur Ward quotes (American dedicated scholar, author, editor, pastor and teacher)

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”Karen Ravn quotes

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”Benjamin Spock quotes (American Pediatrician and Author, 1903-1998)

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.”
William Allen White quotes (American Journalist known as the Sage of Emporia, whose mixture of tolerance, optimism, liberal Republicanism and provincialism made him the epitome of the thoughtful small-town American. 1868-1944)

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes (German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)

“You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins.” Jim Stovall quotes

“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success”

“Nine tenths of education is encouragement.”
Anatole France quotes (French Writer, member of the French Academy and Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921, 1844-1924)

“Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.”
 John C. Maxwell quotes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by: Minister Evelyn Thomas for inspirational purposes…  Originally posted D&T: 01/31/2012 re posted 08/08/2012 

“Faith” “Hebrews 11:1”

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews chapter 11 in the Bible is known as “The Hall of Faith”.  Perhaps that is because Hebrews 11:1 is the best place to find the Biblical definition of faith “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (KJV). It is also the book and chapter that we can review for those heroes of faith, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others. The Bible uses the words faith and belief or believe interchangeably. Eternal life is received by grace through faith. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world and without faith it is impossible to please God (1 John 5:4; Heb 11:6). Take a look at these twenty popular Scripture quotes about faith:

Much Faith

Acts 6:5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

Acts 11:22-24 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all
faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

2 Corinthians 5:6-7 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from
the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Ephesians 6:16 (KJV) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Little Faith:

Matthew 8:26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Jesus speaking to His Apostles)

Matthew 14:29-31 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Matthew 17:20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Jesus Speaking)

Luke 12:27-28 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! (Jesus speaking)

Healing Faith

Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Matthew 21:21-22 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Acts 14:9-10 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.
Saving Faith

Acts 15:8-9 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

Acts 20:18-21 “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

2 Corinthians 4:13-14 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Christian Quotes About Faith

“Let God be true but every man a liar” is the language of true faith.” ~ A. W. Tozer

“Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation.” ~ Andrew Murray

“Faith makes all things possible… love makes all things easy.” ~ D.L. Moody

“Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to God alone; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done.” ~ Charles Wesley

“To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.” ~ Charles Mueller

This is the day the Lord has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it!!!

Greetings on this morning from: World In Focus International Ministries / Min. Evelyn & Sis. Davidetta

We pray each of you have a blessed day on this 5th day of February 2012 the year of “Triumph!”

I dare you to step out of the box and connect to God and be free in him.   “Get connected to Jesus and Stay Connected”  it’s vital to your spiritual growth which will in turn bless your personal growth as well.

I believe if we feed the whole Mind, Body and Soul it covers every aspect of  life.

Much Love  you all, and I pray there has been something said, a song   you could relate to or just the fact the we are connected and we are friends.  That means a lot to us!

Motivational song for today:   Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand –
“Together As One: A Tribute To The Heritage of Quartet

http://youtu.be/BsRiQzd-mHo