Taming of the Tempest-The Perfect Storm (Devotional from "Praise Him In The Storm" Women's Conference)

Illustration: Rembrandt- “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” borrowed from wikimedia.org

Notice Rembrandt painted himself in the center of boat with Jesus and disciples. He is the one looking directly at you.

 This is entitled perfect storm because we grow and mature during storms of life.

It is perfect because Jesus is with us, and He knows what He's doing.

How many of you have been on a cruise?

I want to invite you to come on a virtual cruise. You may say, I thought this conference was about praising God in the storm.

This is not your ordinary cruise. It is not for the faint-hearted.

 It is more for thrill seekers! We got any roller-coaster riders?

Well let me assure you, the Captain has NEVER LOST A PASSENGER!    

And it is GUARANTEED HE NEVER WILL…GLORY!!!

HE CONTROLS THE WINDS AND THE SEAS AND HIS PASSENGERS CANNOT DIE!!!  You cannot drown when you are in the arms of the MASTER OF THE SEA!!! HALLELUJAH!!!

When we went on a cruise to the Bahamas, one of the crew told us that if we experience sea sickness just go up out on deck and look at the horizon. You know that is like looking into eternity.  If you get sick at heart on this journey called life, just take a look at the spiritual horizon. This life is not all there is. We have to keep our eyes on the eternal… on Jesus.  One day we will look back from eternity and see how God brought us through!

Our virtual cruise is taking us across the Sea of Galilee with Jesus and his disciples.

Before our cruise starts we have to go over the safety procedures.

 As a result of the Titanic tragedy there are now safety rules for cruising.

By the way, crew members were heard telling passengers of the Titanic as they boarded, “Not even God could sink this ship.” I can’t help but wonder if that was their invitation for disaster.

SOLAS stands for Safety Of Life At Sea             The GOSPEL is OUR ETERNAL SAFETY (I Cor. 15:3 & 4)

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

When you got saved you boarded the gospel ship. But this journey is like a Night cruise – we only see our way by faith.

Jesus was teaching from a “ship” on the shore of Galilee. Ship is the term used in the New Testament for boat. It was believed to be very similar to the 1st century boat discovered on the Galilean shore during a drought in 1986. They called it the Jesus Boat.

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus had a good reason to go to the other side, and the storm caused them to get to the other side just in time for a Divine appointment for an exorcism. And this was no Linda Blair style event where the demons get the best of the priest. Oh no Jesus had full control of the situation, but you’ll have to read Mk. 5 to see how that turns out.

·        Waves beat until boat full of water – not good

·        Half the disciples being fisherman of the Lake knew this was a storm they could not survive. They said, “Jesus, we are dying and you are sleeping!”

·        Jesus was asleep because it was time to sleep – night and he was exhausted from the events of the day. This revealed Jesus’ humanity & divinity. He was exhausted, but he had no fear of the storm.

Jesus stopped the wind and the waves immediately.

All cruise ships have muster stations and you are instructed before embarkation to go to your muster station if there is an emergency. This is a requirement of SOLAS. The definition of muster is to Take Inventory of people.

Who’s In Your Boat? Who is the Master In Your Boat? Are you saved? Are you letting him be the captain? We have Peace (Mk. 4:39) Jesus is our peace. Eph. 2:14, Is. 32:17, Is. 9:6            Two questions to ask yourself…When did you get lost?       When did you get peace? We have God’s Power (Mk. 4:41) (Nahum 1:3, 7)  God has a Place for us and sometimes it takes a storm to get us there. (Jn. 6:21)  

 

Is there a Mutineer In Your Boat? A rebel against authority? Jonah was running from God. He resented the Ninevites, and was unconcerned for their souls.

 Jonah got into the storm by being disobedient.             The disciples got into the storm by being obedient. There are others in the same boat.

Believe it or not there are others who have been thru storms greater than this (greater than yours and mine).  And they made it through!! The devil wants us to think we are the only one who facing or  has faced this. He wants us to think it is impossible to get thru this. Then God will allow someone to come along and put their arm around us and say. “I understand, I’ve been there. Let me tell you how God brought me thru.”

 (1 Cor. 10:13, I Peter 5:5-9) The people in the other boats would witness the power of God as the 12 did. And they were all in awe.

Think of Noah and the storm he and his family faced.

In May of 2008 a tornado destroyed our church building. In June of 2007 a different kind of storm nearly destroyed our church.

Jesus faced a great storm when he died on the cross and shed his blood for the sins of the world. Not only the pain and agony though they were great. But just think…the sinless, purest, Son of the living God became sin (not a sinner) but sin. Think about what he might have gone through anticipating the cross, knowing he would become sin.

2Co_5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The disciples' storm was a monsoon or great storm. You may be in a monsoon. Half the disciples being fisherman knew this was a storm they could not survive. They said, “Jesus, we are dying and you are sleeping!”             It’s okay to come to the Lord in desperation during your storm. After all that is what he wants us to do. He may have created this storm, or at least allowed it upon us, so we would run to Him. He wants us to come to Him and learn that his grace is sufficient.

Notice they didn’t say- Lord please calm this storm. They didn’t know he could because they were amazed when he did. They just asked him if he cared that they were fixing to die. They might have even been including Jesus in that “we perish.”

They had seen him do many miracles, but had not seen him take control of the very atmosphere.

But when they came to him and woke him up. He said peace be still. (Mk 4:39)

What is your storm?

Financial, physical, relationship, an enemy, the enemy?

Our emotions are part of the storm.  We can’t let them get the best of us.

Worry…….Panic…….Fear   

Emotions can take you places God never intended for you to go.

Emotions do not follow facts. They follow “what ifs.”

Emotions tell you things are a whole lot worse than they are.

We have to encourage ourselves in the Lord like David did when everybody was ready to stone him. (1 Sam. 30:6) (2 Cor. 10:5) (1 Pet. 1:13)

We have to tell ourselves “God is still in control.”

Eph 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

When you do this you will take control of your emotions.

Instead of being controlled by them.

How? Go to Jesus for help like the disciples did. Prayer and The Word

They ask Him, that’s prayer.                They got a word from Him, “peace, be still”

Jesus performed a miracle. That is a supernatural work for an impossible problem. Jesus showed that he was God, an impeccable person. He is God incarnate, God in human flesh.  

Notice Jesus didn’t pray and ask God to do it, he did it himself. He wanted them to    know he had that kind of power because he wanted them to know He is God.   

The message is more important than the miracle. (vs. 41) There was a rhetorical question 

 with a remarkable answer. "What manner of man is this..."

Well, Psalm 107:29, speaking of God says, "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 

Our reasonable response is to proclaim His name with our actions and words, and praise His name even in the storm.We can be a witness to the lost world when we show them God in our storms. This shows the world that there is a God and we can trust Him.

We can praise Him in the storm. James 1:2 “count it all joy…”

Remember ladies you cannot drown in the arms of the Master of the Sea

Mark 5:1 says “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.”

Ladies, they made it to the other side. God will get you to the other side of your storm! And the still small voice in me says, Glory!

Five Aspects of An Effective Prayer Life

This is an abbreviated version of the devotion I gave at a recent ladies meeting.

In the following passage Jesus is teaching his disciples a vital lesson on the power of prayer. He knew that he was about to be crucified, placed in the grave, rise again, and ascend after forty days. He was about to leave. The disciples were dependent on Jesus for everything. They needed to learn how to pray and trust God to meet their every need.

Mark 11:20-26

Mar 11:20  And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 

Mar 11:21  And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 

Mar 11:22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 

Mar 11:23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 

Mar 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 

Mar 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 

Mar 11:26  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 

Using a nickel, I gave these 5 aspects of an effective prayer life.

On The Heads Side:

• The first thing you see is the Head of Jefferson, a historical figure. That represents the Historical Aspect of Prayer – Remember what God has done in the past. (v. 20-21)
• In God We Trust represents the Theological Aspect of Prayer - Trust, Have Faith in God - (v. 22)
• Liberty (2Cor. 3:17) represents the Spiritual Aspect – Believe (v. 23) 

                                                     On The Tails Side:

• E Pluribus Unum provokes a question (What does that mean?) and represents the  Practical Aspect – Ask (v. 24) (Mat. 7:7-11, Lu. 11:9-13)  Incidently, E Pluribus Unum is latin for “Out of many, one”
• United represents the Moral Aspect – Forgive (v. 25-26)

I hope that each time you look at a nickel it will remind you of these five aspects of an effective prayer life.

Blessings!

Lisa

MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE

 In recent years my pastor (and husband) has had some unique opportunities with weddings. There is nothing unusual about a pastor performing a wedding ceremony. However, Tony has done several weddings in recent years that I consider out of the ordinary. 

     One of these opportunities presented itself when we got a phone call at the house one Saturday morning. The young man on the other end of the line asked Tony if he would come to his house and marry he and his fiance that very afternoon. They had already done the necessary legals. As the conversation went on Tony inquired about their spiritual condition. You see he is of the Biblical opinion that saved people are not to marry unsaved people. Of course, the verse for this is 2 Cor. 6:14. If the couple were both unsaved, he would marry them, or if the couple were both saved, he would marry them. That is if they were not divorced (but that is another issue we will not deal with today.) Continuing the phone conversation, the young man told Tony that his girlfriend was saved, but he was not. He also said they had been living together for several years, and they have a child together. Seeing that the depth of the conversation was growing, Tony decided that he needed to meet with the couple and have a brief counseling session before deciding whether or not he could marry them. 

     The young man was saved during the counseling session, and Tony performed an informal ceremony that afternoon at the couples residence. There were a few family members present, including the child of the couple. My daughter, two men from our church, and I also attended. As I watched the child at the ceremony, I couldn't help but be delighted for her. She apparently knew that this was a special occasion; she had worn a pretty dress for the ceremony, and changed into more casual clothing immediately after. Did she somehow know that now her home was becoming one that could be blessed of the Lord? Tony told the "congregation" that this couple has chosen to enter the honorable institution of marriage. They were moving from dishonor to honor. Hebrews 13:4 states, "Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." We are pursuing this family, hoping to baptize them, the wife had made a profession at another church but was refused baptism because of their living arrangement at that time. The child has already been saved and baptized. So we hope to gain their membership and help them to grow in grace.

     This was not the first time my pastor/husband had a situation like this. With the moral climate of our society, we are seeing more "unusual" situations in the ministry. However, we have to meet people with the gospel wherever they are in life. We need to stand on the Word while at the same time showing compassion. We must have the attitude, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."  Though not a verse in the Bible, that principle is supported by several passages, such as Prov. 16:18, Gal. 6:1, and 1Cor. 6:11. We thank the Lord for allowing us to have a part in helping couples to move from dishonor to honor.

Blessings!

Lisa

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

This is a devotion I gave at our monthly ladies meeting.

What's in a name?

You may remember the line from Romeo and Juliet- "What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet;"

Their struggle was that one lived under the name Monteque and the other Capulet ( these 2 families were feuding.)

A name can mean the title by which a person is labeled or a testimony which a person has lived.

Proverbs 22:1  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Notice the word good is added for clarity, but not in the original text because the original word depicted honor, authority and character. Today we talk about someone having a good name or a bad name, but then the word was only used in a good way. Have you ever heard the phrase "He has made a name for himself"? It means he has done something good that merited a good reputation.

This verse is saying that a godly testimony is what we should be working on rather than the accumulation of things.The second part of the verse "...loving favour rather than silver and gold."

It transfers the same verb phrase "is rather to be chosen" without repeating it. So the complete principle of the verse is "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour (is rather to be chosen) than silver and gold."

The word "and" between the two statements is also not original. So the verse is making a declaration in the first statement and then explaining the declaration in the second statement. A good name is equal to loving favour with God and men. Great riches is equal to silver and gold.

So from this verse we see that a name is not only a title but a testimony.

I. Family Name
My last name is Monk. Above is the Monk family Crest. It is my understanding that the lions represent the Motto "bravely, faithfully, happily".

Many times in the Bible a person's name has a meaning that tells something about that person.

Ex. Gen 3:20- Eve- Mother of all living.

      Gen_4:21  And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

Gen_10:25  And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. 
Strong's gives the definition of Peleg as earthquake.


We named our first child, our son, Tony: after his Daddy who was proud to give his son his name. Our daughter, Natalie's name means Christmas Child. She was born close to Christmas. Our youngest child, we named Bethany because we liked the sound of it. Her name means house of God. Incidentally, she was born while we were in our first pastorate. The church paid the medical bills because we didn't have healthcare coverage at the time. We called her the church baby. Her middle name, Danae, we had heard from Dr. James Dobson's daughter. We were hesitant at first to use the name because it means Diana (like the pagan goddess.) Then we acknowledged that God is sovereign over all, so we were not going to let the devil keep us from using a name we liked. We weren't worshiping Diana. We just thought it sounded pretty. Naming a child properly is a worthwhile pursuit. You don't pick just any name.

To avoid confusion name a child what you will call him/her. I had trouble all through school because my legal name was Donna Alicia, but my parents decided to call me Lisa.

II. Faith Name

A new name is given to persons who have spiritual adoption. 
Isa 62:2  And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. To Abraham Gen_17:5, To Sarah Gen_17:15, To Jacob Gen_32:28 ,To Paul Act_13:9

Jesus, is our ultimate example lived Prov. 22:1

Luke 2:52 says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." 

Jesus did not seek riches while on earth, but rather humbled himself and obeyed the will of the Father.

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow

We are ambassadors for Christ.

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

We are called "Christians." We need to live up to the name. This takes us back to Proverbs 22:1

III. Future Name

We have a new name in Glory.

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Even Jesus will have a name that we don't know.

Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

A Family name and crest was something people were proud of.

We should be proud to be called Christians. And we should live in a way that people think well of the name Christian.

Because we have a family title or name, a faith title or name and a future title or name, we should guard our testimony so that we bring glory to the Name that is above every name because one day we will bow before him.
Blessings!

Lisa

BIG NEWS!

Luk 1:26  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 
Luk 1:27  To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 
Luk 1:28  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 
Luk 1:29  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 
Luk 1:30  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 
Luk 1:31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 
Luk 1:32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 
Luk 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 
Luk 1:34  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 
Luk 1:35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 
Luk 1:36  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 
Luk 1:37  For with God nothing shall be impossible. 

What a fascinating passage of Scripture! 

   First, look at who is making this announcement. Think about the most important events in our world. Who makes the announcement. It might be a Fox News or CNN reporter, always a human. But the messenger for this piece of news coverage was an angel. Mary was startled, but the angel reassured her.
        Next, notice to whom this big news is given. In our world big news is normally delivered to the masses. But this very important news was made to a young, Jewish, virgin.
      The news was that Mary, the maiden, the virgin, would become a mother. She would give birth to a man child (a son.) But this child would not have a human father. This man child was the Messiah. Generation after generation passed down the prophesies about how that one day a Jewish mother would give birth to the anointed one. It says He shall be great. We can look at Jesus' life and ministry on earth in the Word of God to see how great He is; but we also know how great he is by what he has done in our lives. He is above all, no other human has or ever will compare to Him. It also says He would be called the son of the Highest or son of the Most High. God is often called the Most High in the Scriptures. He is supreme. There is none higher than God. This also denotes the diety of Christ. Jesus will be a Monarch. He will sit on David's throne. He is king of the Jews. He is the epitome of Royalty. He is King of Kings. His kingdom will never end. He shall reign forever and ever. S. M. Locker said it very well.... 

• "He always has been and He always will be. I'm talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor. There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him. You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign. That's my King! That's my King! 
• 
  
• Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but in the end all that matters is God's power. Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honor and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? Forever and ever and ever and ever. . . And when you get through with all of the ever's, then . . .Amen!"

        Mary  marveled at the news. She first responded with a question. How could she have a baby being a virgin?  

            In verse 35 the angel reassured Mary again, and he explained how God would work the miracle. The Trinity is clearly represented in this verse. There is one God (Monotheism) represented in three persons, the Highest (God the Father), the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost. In verse 36 he told Mary about another miracle: her cousin Elizabeth, who had been barren, was expecting a child. Verse 37 he finished off this conversation about miracles by saying "For with God all things are possible."

        I am so thankful that we serve a miracle working God. He did a miracle when he saved my soul. How else could a lost, hell-bound sinner like me believe the gospel and repent. He turned my life around 29 years ago, and I will never get over it. It was big news when the angel made his announcement to Mary and it is big news when God saves a soul.

Blessings!

Lisa

Their Eyes Were Holden

Luke 24:16  But their eyes were holden 
that they should not know him. 

        I was reading in Luke 24 the other day and this verse just "jumped off the page" at me. Of course, context is key, so I must mention that the passage is about the two that walked on the road to Emmaus. Jesus had risen, but had not yet appeared to His disciples. He appeared to this couple, who was returning to their home  at  Emmaus, after passover week.  

        Verse 18 tells us that one of them was named Cleopas.  In John 19:25 ,  his wife, Mary is  mentioned as one of the women at the cross of Jesus. When we read the remaining verses of Luke 24, it makes sense that the "two" would be Cleopas and his wife Mary. It tells of Jesus  entering  in and, breaking bread, and eating with them. 
        I use to wonder if Jesus looked different after the resurrection because these two did not recognize Him.  But this verse explains it. "Their eyes were holden that they should not know him."  That is why they didn't know him.   
        How often do I have things come into my life that may be unpleasant only to learn later that it was God working in my life. In a way my eyes were holden that I didn't see Jesus in the situation. Sometimes "bad" things happen to us, and it is God molding and shaping our lives into the image of His Son. As Christians, we should always look for the Lord in the circumstances of our lives. Things happen to us for a reason. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Nothing comes into your life or my life without first passing through the loving hands of a sovereign God. 
        One reason we go through hard times is so we can learn how to be a blessing to someone else who is going through similar trials. I am reminded of the song "Standing Somewhere In The Shadows You'll Find Jesus" Also, the poem "Footprints" so vividly depicts  how that sometimes we feel like the Lord has deserted us during our hardest times, but it is then that he carries us. 
        I once heard a preacher say that Jesus hangs out in the most unlikely places, like in the pediatric ward of a cancer hospital where children are hurting, in the grave yard where a funeral is being held and people are grieving,  or in a nursing home where people are lonely, etc. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, so naturally, Jesus, in the person of the Holy Spirit would hang out where there are those in need of comfort. So don't forget to look for Jesus in all the circumstances of life. He is walking with you just like he did the couple on that road to Emmaus.
        I have decided to celebrate my 100th post with a giveaway. So leave a comment for a chance to receive The Monk Family Christmas CD Wise Man Came. I will take comments for the next 7 days. A random winner will be chosen using random.org. The comments can be on any post.

Blessings!

Lisa

NO PAIN NO GAIN

This is a chart similar to the one I was shone in the hospital after my knee surgery. It helps the doctors and nurses to know your pain level.

     I have been thinking alot about pain lately. That's because I've been feeling alot of it! Ouch! With my recent horse riding accident and following knee surgery, pain has been my ever present companion.

My prescription says take one every 4 to 6 hours as needed for pain. I tried to cut back to every 6 hours, but the pain was just more than I could stand. I am now back to every 4 hours.

     When I went to the emergency room, the first thing they did was give me a shot for the pain. Once the pain was taken care of, they could proceed with X-rays, etc.

     Pain is something that we humans try to avoid. Ever since pain entered the world, I guess we have been running from it. Gen. 3:16,17  speaks of pain. The word is translated "sorrow". Pain was part of the judgement of God on Adam and Even for their rebellion.

     Many times we must endure pain to experience a good end result. For instance, if I had refused to have surgery on my broken knee, which would bring more pain to my body, I would not get the benefit of the healing that would come later. I'll be honest with you, when I awakened from the surgery, the excruciating pain brought tears to my eyes and down my face. But with that pain was the very real prospect of a better day with little to no pain and a knee that works properly.

     With these things in mind I want to mention some blessings that we could not have without pain.

1. New Life- We must experience labor pains before we can have children. Gen. 3:16 Even with epidurals, there is still going to be some pain. But there are no spiritual epidurals when it comes to conviction of the Holy Spirit.

2. Growth - We experience growing pains in our spiritual as well as our physical life. Sometimes life brings painful experiences to help us grow in our faith and trust in God.

     Pain was good for me because had I not experienced pain when I fell off the horse, I would have just got back on and kept on riding with a broke knee. That would have caused more damage than I already had.  If we had not experienced the pain of conviction of the Holy Spirit, we would have continued on as a lost person without God.

     One of the joys of Heaven will be the absence of pain. There will be no need for pain in Heaven.

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

What a day that will be!

THE BINDING OF UNITY (conclusion)

Today is my last in a series of posts on unity. 

The following is the Outline:

I. The Blessings of Unity.

II. The Basis for Unity.

III. The Benefactors of Unity. (Things that promote unity)

IV. The Breakers of Unity.

V. The Becoming of Unity.

VI. The Binding of Unity. (Like the binding of a book)

Today we are looking at The Binding of Unity.

What holds the Bible in the picture together? The part that holds a book together is called the binding. Just like the binding that holds the pages of a book together, the Holy Spirit holds believers together in fellowship and love.

There are many passages in Scripture that speak of fellowship and unity, but today I want to focus on Philippians 2:1-11

 ¹If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

 ²Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

 ³Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

 ⁴Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

 ⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

 ⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

 ⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

 ⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 ⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

 ¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

 ¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is the kenosis passage. It speaks of the emptying of oneself. Christ emptied himself, not of his Deity, but of his glory. That is the most significant aspect of this Scripture. However, did you notice all of the words in verses 1 and 2 that denote unity. Then we are told in the remaining verses how to accomplish that unity. We can be bound together like a book and have unity in Christ when we behave like him, when we empty ourselves, putting away selfish desires, putting others needs before our own. The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our lives maintaining that unity and fellowship in His Churches.

The following link is a fitting song. I hope you will listen and be blessed.

Broken and Spilled Out by Steve Green

THE BECOMING OF UNITY (PART 5 OF 6)

Over the last several weeks we have looked at some biblical principles about unity. 
The following is the Outline:


I. The Blessings of Unity.
II. The Basis for Unity.
III. The Benefactors of Unity. (Things that promote unity)
IV. The Breakers of Unity.
V. The Becoming of Unity.
VI. The Binding of Unity. (Like the binding of a book)


This week we will look at Part Five, The Becoming of Unity. We can have a good measure of unity in our churches and homes if we seek to follow the biblical principles that promote unity. However, there is coming a time that we will forever have perfect unity. 


A. At the Rapture we will be "caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." I Thess. 4:16-17 
We shall all be like Jesus. 1 John 3:2 says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

B. At the Revelation of Jesus Christ all the saved will praise Him in one accord with one voice.
In the following verses the Bible uses the terms one voice, great voice, the voice. Rev. 14:2, 7; Rev. 19:1,5,6 
We will defy the rules of singular and plural from English class at that day because a multitude of us will sing and shout with one voice.


Do you remember the illustration I told you earlier about the pianos? Pianos should be tuned to the tuner, rather than each other. If we are in tune with the Lord and pleasing Him we will have unity. In these verses, where we have perfect unity in heaven, guess where we are focused! We are focusing on the one that is worthy of all our praise, the Lord Jesus.


What a grand and glorious day that is going to be! Please come back for the conclusion of this series on Unity, when we look at the Binding of Unity. Like a book is bound together to the cover by glue, Christians can be bound together.

Blessings,

Lisa

THE BREAKERS OF UNITY

This is the 4th Part in the study on Unity. Today we are looking at some breakers of unity.
A. Pride - Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

B. Carnality - 1 Corinthians 3:3 - For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

C. Disobedience

1. To Parents - We all know most of the verses on this. Those of you who have children know from experience how much discord can be brought into the home because of disobedient children.
2. To God  
3. To Husbands
4. To Pastors - Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. There is a persecution, and it is inside the "church". Acts 13:50 says, "But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts." Unfortunately, I have seen this happen too many times in churches. Unregenerate people in churches can wreak havoc. Too many times churches have split because a few people rise up against the pastor without a biblical cause, and persecute the pastor and anyone who stands with him. We've even had people accused of trying to win brownie points for being nice to our family. It's childish and carnal! 

Matthew 10:41-42 says, "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." Ladies, it is a good thing to love and be good to your pastor and his family. God will reward you for that in this life and the life to come! Any church that takes good care of it's pastor, God will take good care of. It is the Elijah principle. (Read 1 Kings 17)

Next Tuesday Tapestry will be Part 5 of this study on Unity, The Becoming of Unity . Thank you for reading.

Blessings,

Lisa

THE BENEFACTORS OF UNITY (Part 3 of 5)

For the last 2 weeks we have studied about Unity.


Today it's about the III. The Benefactors of Unity (Things that promote unity)


I Peter 3:8 says "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:"
There is a list of benefactors of unity in this verse.
A. Compassion

B. Love

C. Pity

D. Courtesy

Another promoter of unity is obedience.

E. Obedience

     1. In the Home

         a. Wife to husband- Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, I Peter 3:1

         b. Child to parent- Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20, Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16

     2. In the Church

         a. Believer to God- James 4:7-8

         b. Believer to Believer- I Peter 5:5

         c. Believer to Pastor- Hebrews 13:17, Jeremiah 6:16-17

The Bible says our pastor is a watchman for our souls, why would I want to rebel against someone who watches for my soul? But sadly, many do. Pastor and Bishop are synonymous in the New Testament. The definition of bishop is "an overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things being done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian or superintendent; the superintendent, head or overseer of any Christian church." I Peter 5:2 says, "Feed the flock of god which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind"

F. Deacons

Did you know that the purpose of the first deacons and the purpose of biblical deacons today is the promote unity? Read Acts 6:1-7.

There was murmuring because some of the Grecian widows were being neglected. So the apostles told the people to choose seven men full of the Holy Ghost that the apostles could appoint to distribute food to the widows. The word deacon as defined by Strong's Concordance is (1) One who executes the commands of another, especially of a master (2) a servant, attendant, minister, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and distributes the money collected for their use, a waiter, one who serves food and drink.

My, my! Roles in the church have totally flip flopped in our day. Now, who is right tradition or the Bible?

So deacons should be a benefactor or a promoter unity. Incidentally, there are qualifications for deacons as well as pastors and for their wives in I Timothy 3, but that is another study.

We can promote unity by living the principles of these Benefactors of Unity.

Please visit next week for part 4,

Blessings,

Lisa

        

THE BASIS FOR UNITY (Part 2 of 5)

We began a series last week on Unity.


Here is the basic outline:
I. The Blessings of Unity.
II. The Basis for Unity.
III. The Benefactors of Unity. (Things that promote unity)
IV. The Breakers of Unity.
V. The Binding of Unity. (Like the binding of a book)


Our focus this week is on II. The Basis for Unity.


Unity should not be based on circumstances. There can be union without unity. 
Two cats tied together by their tails and thrown over a fence would have union but not unity.


So what is the basis for unity?


A. God 
In John 17:21 Jesus prayed about the church being in unity with God and with one another.


A.W. Tozer employed the analogy of piano tuning to describe how it works. He said, "If a hundred pianos were merely tuned to each other, their pitch would not be very accurate. But if they were all tuned to one tuning fork, they would automatically be tuned to each other." Similarly, unity in the church isn't trying to be the same as everyone else. It is not uniformity! We are individuals with different personalities, strength, weaknesses, preferences, gifts etc. In short, we are like a group of many different pianos. Without abandoning our "unity on the essentials of our faith" we can retain our individuality and still be joined together in a way that will please and glorify God by becoming like Jesus Christ. We must all be, "tuned to His likeness." When all is said and done it is not "my way" or "your way" that matters, it is "His way." Jesus having "His way" in all of our hearts is the key to church unity and unity in our homes.


B. Salvation
Acts 2:41 says, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.


Before they experienced the unity of verse 26, they had to be saved and add to the church.


C. Doctrine
Act 2:42a  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine 


Trying to have unity without common doctrine is like trying to mix oil and water. A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is , "Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless... Unite, unite!"
I agree with Charles Haddon Spurgeon who said "such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord's prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at John 17:17: 'Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.' Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel."


D. Prayer
Act 2:42b and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.


The early church prayed together on a regular basis.


We know the early church had unity because Acts 2:46 says, "they, continuing daily with one accord,..........and singleness of heart,"


Please visit next week for part 3,

Blessings,

Lisa