VISION - CHARACTER QUALITY # 12

Do you have a new vision for a new year?  It is time we get an old vision for a new year.  There is a vision that has not changed.  That vision is God’s vision.  That vision is repeated over and over again in scripture.  It is summed up in the verses: 2 Peter 3:8-15a   But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.  Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.  So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.  Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation.

                God’s vision is that ALL will come to repentance!  What story(s) from scripture come to mind that illustrate how much God wants people to turn form sin and put their faith in him?  One of the great ones from the Old testament is found in I Kings 18 where Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a little fire starting exhibition.  In the end the prophets of Baal cried out, “The Lord – He is God! The Lord – He is God!”  Who or what circumstances did God use to turn you from sin to put your faith in Jesus for salvation?

From the Heart, Pastor Jeff Cooper

PEACE - CHARACTER QUALITY # 11

Why do so many people rarely experience peace?  What brings you peace?  When is the last time you felt truly at peace?  Describe a time you have been an instrument of peace.

Simeon held the 8 day old Jesus in his arms and prayed saying: “you now dismiss your servant in peace.”  Jesus gives a peace that passes understanding that is vastly different than the peace that comes from things in the world.  Ritual can bring us peace.  Family can give us peace.  A roof over our heads can give us peace.  Money can give us peace.  Researchers say that praying, even to various gods brings peace – the act of prayer itself.  Nothing and no one gives the peace that Jesus gives.  If you don’t know his peace, then you have no peace – not lasting deep abiding peace.  The scripture is listed below as well as the prayer of peace.  After reading through it all, please answer any of the questions above or leave further comments about your thoughts on peace!

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."  The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.    Luke 2:21-38

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying [to ourselves] that we are born to eternal life.

                     ---   Peace Prayer of St. Francis

 From the Heart, Pastor Jeff

LOVE - CHARACTER QUALITY # 10

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.   (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)   And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.   And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)   To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.   And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.      Luke 2:1-7

In the business of the season, do you have room for Jesus?  Have you experienced his overwhelming love in recent weeks?  Does God seem near or far?  What does it mean to truly know the love of God?  How do you know God loves you?  How does anyone else know you love God?  How do you help others make room for Jesus?  See Revelation 3:20

I Love You!

--  Pastor Jeff

JOY - CHARACTER QUALITY # 9

Luke 2:8-20 SAYS, That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord.  They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you the most joyful news ever announced and it is for everyone!  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem!  How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!"   Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God:  "Glory to God in highest heaven,” they sang, “and peace on earth for all those pleasing him."   When this great army of angels had returned again to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."   They ran to the village and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  The shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds' story expressed astonishment, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and often thought about them.  Then the shepherds went back again to their fields and flocks, praising God for the visit of the angels, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had told them.  LIV

Mathew 2:10 says, “When the wise men saw the star, they were overjoyed.” NIV

         

Can you imagine the joyful anticipation of the angels to bring the good news of great joy to the world?  Or the joyful anticipation of the shepherds as they ran to the stable to find the Christ child?  Or the joyful anticipation of the wise men as they followed the star to find the new born king?  The incarnation of God, the Christmas event was JOY-FILLED.  When, by faith, Jesus is born in us, it is the most joyful thing that can happen in life.  How do you experience or exhibit the joy of Christ?

FAITH - CHARACTER QUALITY # 8

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.     Matthew 1:18-25

Who is this Joseph?  What do you know about him?  Can you find the 14 times he is mentioned in scripture?  Mentioned by name only 14 times for the man who raised the Son of God?!  Joseph is the adoptive father who taught the boy Jesus how to be a man, how to love his family, how to be in relationship with God the Father.  What an amazing responsibility.  With our limited knowledge of Joseph, why would he be seen as a man of faith?  What does his faith look like?  What does his faith mean to you?

HOPE - CHARACTER QUALITY # 7

This week’s character trait to make a part of your Christian DNA is HOPE.  Advent, which moves us toward Christmas, is a message of hope.  It begins in the temple with a priest named Zechariah.

John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David  (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),  salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; f or you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."          Luke 1:67-79

Once Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist, Zechariah prophesies with great hope who this child will be and what it means in light of eternity as he will be the forerunner of the messiah, proclaiming his advent.

Answer the following three questions:

What is hope?

What do you hope for?

Is hope a uniquely Christian character trait?  Why or why not?

(See also 1 Timothy 1:1 and Romans 5:1-5)

GRATITUDE - CHARACTER QUALITY # 6

Luke 17:11-19  says, Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"  When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.  One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him — and he was a Samaritan.  Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"  Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

God has healed you leper.  What is your response?  Have you given Him thanks for the things he has done for you?  Here is a great opportunity.  Post your "thanks-givings" here for all the world to see.  Begin, I thank God for...then fill in the rest to the glory of God.

GIVING – CHARACTER QUALITY # 5

   Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.          --- 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

If I give so that I will be rewarded . . . God is Santa Claus.

If I give so that I claim an exemption on my tax form . . . God is a CPA.

If I give so I can impress my friends . . . God is my PR agent.

If I give to avoid punishment . . . God is a thief.

If I give so that I can express my love and so that others may hear the gospel . . . God is God.

-First Baptist Church

Seattle, WA

Why do you give your hard earned money to the work of the church?

How do you give?  Like any of the ways described above?

What do you think is the most important thing Christians should know about giving?

Share your answers, a scripture, make a comment or ask a question.

MERCY - CHARACTER QUALITY # 4

From the bible who comes to mind as a good illustration of mercy?  I hope you do not have trouble thinking of one.  If you remove stories of mercy form the bible, you will have very little left.  When I preach a theme like our current one, I find it best to preach about one character and not several. With mercy I find this hard to do for several reasons.  First of all, I have preached about most of them one time or another.  Like the woman caught in adultery (John 8).  You know, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”  Second, they are such familiar stories, like the man who owed the king a great debt and was shown mercy but turned around and did not show mercy to a fellow servant who only owed him a few dollars (Mathew 18).  Third, there are characters I want to use later in the year, like Joseph (Genesis 37-50), who was sold into slavery by his brothers, yet later saved those same brothers from a famine.

These are three of many great stories of mercy from the bible.  Can you think of any others?  Please share them through this blog.  How has mercy worked in your life, either as a recipient or an extender of mercy?  Was God evident in that situation?  How so?

CHARACTER QUALITY # 3 - COMMITMENT

Scripture:  1 Peter 4:12-19

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"  So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

On Sunday Oct. 31, I will portray Martin Luther on the 493^rd anniversary of his nailing the 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany which ultimately resulted in the Protestant reformation.  “Martin” will share a brief synopsis of his life and speak about the five fundamental principles of the reformation: Sola scriptura, Sola fide, Sola gracia, Solus Christus and Soli Deo Gloria and his commitment to follow Jesus no matter what the cost.

(Side Note:  Those who read this, would you wear your Sunday best this Sunday – whatever that is for you; a suit and tie or your clean jeans. It will help create the atmosphere of 16^th century worship.)

Who is an example to you (living or dead) who shows what it means to live a life committed to Christ and his church?

ENCOURAGEMENT - CHARACTER QUALITY # 2

Scripture text:  Hebrews 10:19-25

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

There are many in the scripture who show the quality of encouragement, but no one more so than Barnabas.  Below is a scripture related to Barnabas as an encourager:

Acts 4:32-37

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.  With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.  There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.  Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.

Besides your spouse, who has been an encouragement in your life and how so?  (Maybe someone who is an encouragement today or someone from your distant past.)  How did they encourage you?  Why would encouragement be seen as an authentic Christian character trait?  What is encouragement?

EXTRA:  Is there any one you would like to say an encouragimng word to through this blog?

From Pastor to Church: I want to encourage you all as the church with heart - your caring through in house ministries and out of house mission work around the community and throughout the world is praise worthy.  Thank you for being the awesome church you are.

WISDOM - CHARACTER QUALITY # 1

I have had a few moments of quiet in the midst of all that is going on with Gretchen's illness and her and Gary's move happening in the next few days.  The result is what you see below.  The scripture text out of Job has amazing things to say about wisdom, as does the entire book of Job.

What strikes you most as you read this text?  Does it answer any questions for you or make you ask any?  Following the text are four questions about wisdom - how would you answer any, or all of them?

CHARACTER QUALITY # 1 WISDOM

Job 28:12-28

But where can wisdom be found?  Where does understanding dwell? 13 Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living. 14 The deep says, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.' 15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver. 16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphires. 17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. 18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. 19 The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.

20 "Where then does wisdom come from?  Where does understanding dwell? 21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air. 22 Destruction and Death say, 'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.' 23 God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, 24 for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.  25 When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, 26 when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, 27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. 28 And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord — that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'"

WISDOM: What is it?

WISDOM: Where can I find it?

WISDOM: How do I get it?

WISDOM: What do I do with it?

From the Heart, Pastor Jeff

WISDOM

   My deepest apologies - we are just beginning this new blogging adventure and I will be behind a day or two.  We have had Gretchen in the ER the past two afternoon/evenings.  She has been very ill with an elevated white blood count.  Due to moving preparations and their one car in for auto body work, there have been times I have been the only one to care for her.
   This week I plan to look at wisdom - right now I pray for strength and healing.
   Gary could really use help moving over the next couple of days - loading the truck - if you could spare a few hours call my cell 320-6005.
   Now - if you have anything to say or any questions to ask on the every generic - at this point - subject of wisdon, I would love to hear them.

From the heart,
Pastor Jeff

2011 Church Theme Introduction

The following is our scripture for 10-10-10

1 Corinthians 3:10-17

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

            16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

This is the scripture for our new theme.  If you truly haven’t heard what the theme is for the rest of 2010 and most of 2011 – take a guess based on nothing but the scripture above.  HINT: We all can do it if we want to, and there are plenty of people to show us the way.  Give it your best guess and post it in this blog – I think the new 2011 theme for the First Baptist Church is…