tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270366352024-03-12T21:55:58.171-04:00NextGenKentSome reflections, thoughts, research, and teachings from my personal study in Next Generational Ministry, life, and the Bible. <br>
<br>
--Kent Kessler <br>
[Daddio2four semi-realizing how fast time flies as they are now 24-22-18 & 14; now where are my glasses? BA, MDiv, MA, DMin]Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-35227290443095304782024-02-28T16:30:00.008-05:002024-02-28T16:30:00.154-05:00Revelation's Whore as Today's Culture<p> <a href="https://thehustle.co/originals/why-you-almost-never-see-a-clock-at-the-mall" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">https://thehustle.co/originals/why-you-almost-never-see-a-clock-at-the-mall</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The word “whore”
may have different definitions to some, but I want to use it as a woman who
markets herself for the sole purpose of robbing men of their life for her own
gain--whatever her “gain” is: monetary, lust, or otherwise. She is the reverse-consumer
and profiteer at the same time, a vampiress, a luxurious drunk, functioning alcoholic.
Her appeal is a marketing scheme based on not just years of study, but an exquisite
composition of research and development where she is both scientist and evidence,
psychologist and client--in an endless cycle and sinister feedback loop of
trial and error, hypothesis and investigation, feeding and consuming.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">All the while tricking
you into believing you are the main character. But it isn’t about you. You have
entered her Nirvana constructed for you to “remain inside” her. Once her
legs are wrapped around you, she is sure to suck your life away. And as titillating
as this may sound, in the end, you are either addicted to endlessly return for more, or drained dry of all your resources--or go into deep debt. And the sad thing is, you will
feel pretty good about yourself or at least the amazing experience you had with
her. Your manly seed sown upon a barren field—a mirage with no real hope,
faith, love, peace, or joy to come. That’s how a whore functions. That is who she
is. And she is everywhere, 24/7.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But while she
seems omnipresent and even omniscient, she is not omnipotent. The link to the
article above gives the whore of Revelation 17 and 18 a whole different understanding
because of its perspective on casinos and how they market. But God has called
him people OUT of her.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Revelation 17-18,
not verse by verse, but in a more categorized way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="chapter-2" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She is</span></u></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> = </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">the </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">G</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">reat </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">P</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">rostitute</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">/Harlot = one who
tricks others to buy into her “luxuries”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Her </span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">name</span></u></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> written <b>on
her forehead</b> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">=
</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">a mystery:</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">babylon
the great - the mother of prostitutes - and of the abominations of the earth</span></span><span class="text">.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="chapter-2" style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; margin: 0in; min-width: 0px;"><span id="en-NIV-30983"><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She </span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">sits <b>by</b>
</span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“</span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">many
waters</span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">”</span></u></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> = </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">peoples,
multitudes, nations, and languages</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> = t</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">he
inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of
life from the creation of the world </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">and </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">will be </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ASTONISHED </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">when they
see the beast</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
upon which she rides, and are</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“</span></b></span><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">intoxicated</span></b></span><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">”</span></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> with the </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">wine</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">”</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> of her </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">adulteries</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She desires</span></u></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> t</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">he kings of
the earth </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">to
</span></span><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">commit adultery</span></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (share in her “luxuries”) with
her<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="chapter-2" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She uses her <b>“magic spell”</b></span></u></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> to lead astray all the
nations [KEY CONCEPT].<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She </span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">sit</span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">s</span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <b>on</b></span></u></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> a
scarlet beast</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
= Babylon/Rome/Indianapolis<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Markets herself</span></u></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> = d</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">resse</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">s</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> in purple
and scarlet</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">,
</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She </span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">h</span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">o</span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ld</span></u></span><span class="text"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">s power</span></u></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> =</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> a golden
cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her
adulteries.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span id="en-NIV-30982"><span class="text"><b><sup style="font-size: 1.2rem;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></sup></b></span></span></p>
<p class="first-line-none" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She overdrinks = d</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">runk with
the blood of God’s holy people</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">who bore
testimony to Jesus.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; margin: 0in; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hard
to understand = </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">John
</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">saw her, </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">he </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">was </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">GREATLY
ASTONISHED/Marveled</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span id="en-NIV-30984"><span class="text"><b><sup style="font-size: 1.2rem;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></sup></b></span></span></p>
<p class="chapter-2" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">INSIDE OF HER</span></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> is the blood of
prophets and of God’s holy people slaughtered on the earth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Th</span></u></b></span><span class="text"><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">e
mystery </span></u></b></span><span class="text"><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">=</span></u></b></span><span class="text"><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> the
beast she rides</span></u></b></span><span class="text"><b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A historical place with historical kings/leaders = </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">going to destruction</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> = seven hills = Rome</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The beast and the ten </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">kings </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">hate the
prostitute</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">,
will </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">bring her to ruin </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">= </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">leave her
naked</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">,
</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">eat her flesh</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> burn
her with fire</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The woman </span></b></span><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">is </span></b></span><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">the
great city that rules over the kings of the earth</span></b></span><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> = historical and
futuristic “Babylon”</span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">T</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">en kings </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">with </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">one purpose </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">= </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">give their power and authority to the beast</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> and </span></span><span class="text"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">wage
war against the Lamb</span></b></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">T</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">he Lamb will triumph over them with his called,
chosen and faithful followers.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">God has put it into their hearts to
accomplish </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">H</span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">is purpose </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">= </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">until God’s
words are fulfilled.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span id="en-NIV-30995"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I have always
seen the woman as the popular culture of the day both being loved and hated by
the government it resides in. The people are somewhat victims, captives, caught
up in the relationship between the culture and the government. Everyone thinks
they have control, but no one does. It is enough for the government to seek to
organize the chaos, but in the end, neither the culture nor the governing body
survives. BOTH use the natural fallen resources for its gain: power, control,
luxury, attraction, marketing--using and being used—these tactics are <b>at war</b>
with the process and purposes of the Lamb of God and His means = His people who
have made it their habit with foreheads and hands to surrender too and give
their lives for. They are the continuation of the Lamb’s sacrifice in reaching
the tricked, the deceived, the victims and captives under the magic spell and
intoxication of the culture. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></p><blockquote>The question the Whore is always asking is, <b>“Will
you surrender?”</b></blockquote><b></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The tactic of
the casino is to keep <b><i>the temporal distortion</i></b> going for as long
as possible—to make the people INSIDE forget about the real world. The evaporate
any symbols of time, keep feeling like you are in an uninterrupted escape zone,
and even block out the sunlight so you don’t know that it is day. Sounds are
kept low so you can enter your fantasy world and keep the field of
consciousness focus and not break.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></p><blockquote>“In the arena
of chance, as though under the sway of a magnetic field, the passage of time
freezes into repetition, space contracts<b>, and the value that accrues to
money</b> is obliterated.”</blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The culture
seeks to break down value in the minds of the wise. There <i>is</i> only what
the culture, or <i>she</i>, says there is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The longer you
stay the more money you spend.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">You don’t think
– not about the future, just the moment you are in –that you’ve created.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Sure, all retailers
want you to buy what you’ve come in for—PLUS a few additional things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></b></p><blockquote><b>That’s
because your brain changes while shopping.</b></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“…after 23
minutes supermarket shoppers began using the emotional part of their brain
rather than the cognitive part. That switch made it harder for people to
consider costs and made them more susceptible to marketing bargains.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">After 40
minutes, their brains effectively shut down. They struggled to make any logical
decisions.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">To be able to
show you all available products, the retailers need to <b>slow you down</b>—so they
create <b>a shopping maze.</b> Coupled with slow tempo music, you spend more
time in the store. You might call this “mood maintenance,” to keep you in a “positive
state” and “in the flow” so you just stay shopping. <b>Our brains are being
coded by stores!</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This is my fear
for VR in the future. What will be meant and seen as entertainment will be
sugar for the marketers to capitalize on. And this means more fantasy and much
more lost time. VR will be the proverbial carrot leading sheep to the slaughter
unaware of where they are going. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Will you
surrender? --kk<o:p></o:p></span></p>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comMarion, IN 46952, USA40.6128584 -85.62292959999999212.302624563821155 -120.77917959999999 68.923092236178846 -50.466679599999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-20336727453759653142023-10-23T12:00:00.002-04:002023-10-23T12:00:00.155-04:00Banning Influencers at Church?<p> You might be getting The Pour Over into your inbox each day as I do. As I read one of the highlighted articles, <i>Why are cafes, restaurants, and even towns <a href="https://mashable.com/article/cafe-restaurant-influencer-photography-ban" target="_blank">banning influences</a>?</i> I thought of two things: A popular video game and the Church.</p><div>The [Galactic Civ] video game action arena is space and utilizes exploring with several different tactics. One is cultural expansion deploying techniques for taking over the galaxy using mods to influence other traveling species with your culture and therefore "quietly" take over the galaxy and win the game. You could also win by buying up all of the other planets (economic takeover--think China?), or by hostile takeovers and warfare (think Russia?). I like to use the cultural takeover mostly these days.</div><div><br /></div><div>The article lists the reasons for the ban, one is logistical (small-town shops cannot handle triple+ visitors due to a rise in popularity resulting in more harm than good). I imagined a small church of older people spiking due to a popular preacher visiting and having no nursery. That'd be bad. Not just for the weeks the speaker was in town, but the 'community talk' for weeks after about what the church 'didn't have' verses what it did.</div><div><br /></div><div>The line from the article that caused me to pause and think about my church was, "Most places want sustainable customer-bases," and not a descending swarm to come in, consume, and move on. This hit me hard, but so did the next observation which spoke about places banning phones and picture-taking "in order to protect the <i>presence </i>of the experience for those who are there for the substance."</div><div><br /></div><div><b></b><blockquote><b>Protecting the presence. Should we </b>question the use of streaming services? </blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>I am in agreement in principle with the desire for sustainable customer-bases; I think believers call this a 'church family.' But churches might always have to deal with FOMO and YOLO of those casual subscribers who look like visitors who've been in-and-out for a decade never commiting to the base but comfortable with clocking in and out of what is supposed to be a service--an activity that is about Someone else. When did family become a buffet?</div><div><br /></div><div>The article bemoans the trend in these locusts/influencers who have "a sense of misplaced ownership over both private and public spaces." I used to think Judgment Day would be a video vignette of my life, but it could actually be much easier by just scrolling through my social media posts to see what was most important to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not promoting banning things in church, but might we think on it for a moment? Take a personal inventory. Leave your phone at home like we did when we were kids, and college students, and first married (for those born in the 60s and 70s). It might just change your life. I'd hope at least your worship, which is all about Him and not just a post.</div>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-73200588368159908162023-03-07T12:30:00.001-05:002023-03-07T12:30:00.166-05:00Wolves, Packs, Leadership, and False Naturals<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: center;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8n8Ol8IoUxc/S98a6_BclUI/AAAAAAAAADM/Ak95zJx2xoc/s471/cwc-wolves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="471" height="220" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8n8Ol8IoUxc/S98a6_BclUI/AAAAAAAAADM/Ak95zJx2xoc/s320/cwc-wolves.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I recently read an article's title that caused me to think, "What could that mean for leadership in realtime?" I was not disappointed as I took some moments to reflect on wolves, packs, what has been shown in cartoons about them, and on the 'what ifs' of all I know about wolves not being true. Can you say, "epiphany?"<p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: center;">The subheading summed up the article quite well, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: center;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: center;">The idea that wolf packs are led by a merciless dictator, or alpha wolf, comes from old studies of captive wolves. In the wild, wolf packs are simply families." </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-alpha-wolf-idea-a-myth/" target="_blank">Scientific America </a>- Feb 2023]</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: center;">Wait. Wolves in captivity or in a setup environment are different than those in nature? Hierarchy emerges when the same old members are the same old members in a closed community. Not unheard of as this is how cults make things work--authority is ... well now I have an open-ended question: is it needed or is it a false natural? A false natural in that if the group had a choice hierarchy may not be necessary. Alpha males/females? Un-<i>herd </i>of. We need to un-<i>pack </i>this more.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: center;">But in nature, wolves are found to be simply a family. Life is lived, elders are respected, but so is the understanding (expectation?) that the younger will go on to start their own versions of family packs.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: center;">What could this mean for the church? Well, one thought is that hierarchy isn't natural. It is a false natural. It only takes place when it is forced or an 'old study' is submitted to or imposed on a group. If there is a natural hierarchy, isn't God the head? God does give spiritual gifts for the betterment of the body, and while the head is important, it doesn't float off the body but remains attached as the body is essential to its purpose. What is the purpose of imposed or false natural hierarchy? </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; text-align: center;">So I have minimal conclusions, but several thoughts playing themselves out with hopes for a more true reflection of what God has created to find its order in Him. I do know I don't wish to be a part of a false natural or promote one. </span></p>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-50344232943894302552023-02-25T10:10:00.000-05:002023-02-25T10:10:06.907-05:00HE'S A SHARING GOD<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I asked my thirteen year old son if he had any stories of a time when he wished some other kids would have shared what they had with him. He said, "Tons of them."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What kid wouldn't.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I was reading in Leviticus today about God's instructions to how offerings should be made, how the priests were to give special attention to what was being offered, and how to present it. Then I read something that literally made me cry. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">God is telling about how the grain offering is to be given and eaten by the priests. Half of this grain offering is to be mixed with oil and frankenscence and burned as it belongs to God as "a thing most holy." But the other half, God says that Aaron, the high priest, and all 18 year old male priests can eat it saying, "I have given it as their portion of MY food offerings."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Wow. God shared. Think of it. Our GOD shares ... HIS stuff ... with us ... with me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So I wondered that since our God is a sharing God, what else does the Word says He shares? And does He share any of His stuff with me? To me, this is huge.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This revelation caused me to cry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I had a vision--I walked with God through some old memeories. I was back in seminary listening to my professor speak about this passage and I said, "Wait! Does this say our God shares? God actually shares HIS stuff? With me?" And I wept there.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Next, I was like in kindergarten and I saw myself walking out to our elementary playground and a little girl was coloring with chalk on the sidewalk. She looked up to me and said, “Hey! Do you want to come over here and SHARE my chalk?” </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In my next vision, I was walking into a seminary cafeteria past a table with one of our foreign student's family sitting together getting ready to eat together. When the dad sees me, he smiles and says, “Hey! Would you want to come over here and SHARE a meal with my family?” </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">God shares like the little girl. God shares like the family. God was showing ME that He wants to share with me. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I then thought of pentecost and that when the Holy Spirit of God came upon the disciples, what did they do? They were big on SHARING. The word that describes those who share is FELLOWSHIP, which means "to have in common." We cannot have in common unless there we all share. Sharing is a mark of a true disciple because it is a true mark of God. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sharing is a wonderful attribute of God. It is not listed in any seminary book as one of God's great attributes, but it now stands out to me as one because I have experienced it. Thinking about sharing now makes me smile and love God more. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After all, He shared Jesus --who was His very heart-- with us … with me.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Amen.</span></span></p>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-52038553281218976822022-06-27T05:30:00.004-04:002022-06-27T05:30:00.155-04:00Who you going to call?<p>I had a coworker who was a very-likeable person, but seemed in competition with everyone. He was a funny guy, I'll give him that, but most of the time engaged in rather shallow conversations. He knew a little about everything, which caused him to have an opinion about . . . well, everything. And his wit made you want to listen. Most of the time, it is a fun, light-hearted space to work in.</p><blockquote><p>Likeable people, are just that: likeable.</p></blockquote><p>There are several people I have worked with over the years like this--very friendly, likeable, fairly easy to talk to, yet never really wanted to go deeper. In fact, if conversation turned that way, they became uncomfortable and either remained silent, tried to change the subject, or simply left the circle. </p><blockquote><p>We all need someone we can go deep with.</p></blockquote><p>This is the kind of person you'd want to tell others you know or ask if they do. They are not the kind of person you'd call if your spouse ended up in the hospital, or your parent died, or your kid was injured in a sport. They wouldn't be invited over to spend time with your family or for a holiday meal. Not that you would refuse them if they showed up, but you wouldn't call them over.</p><blockquote><p>If you had a need arise in your life, who would you call first? </p></blockquote><p>If your mom or dad are still living, they would probably be on your hot, top five list of people to call. Maybe even a best friend from school, college, or church would be on the top of your list. But after your spouse and immediate family, who would you call? Who would be at the top of your list if your spouse ended up in the hospital, or your parent died, or your kid was injured in a sport? Would it be anyone at work? </p><p>Maybe. But it probably wouldn't be "that" guy. </p><p>And who would call you? Hint: If you can't think of anyone, then you are probably "that" guy.</p><p>Looking back at the COVID experiment, one of things it has shaken out are those who are extremely relationally connected--in a healthy way. Those people didn't allow the masks or quarantine deter them from feeding themselves on what they knew was the most important things in life--the relationships they have built over a lifetime. The alternative looks a lot like narcissism. </p><blockquote><p>It takes time to build great relationships. But build you must or suffer the consequence = being alone.</p></blockquote><p>We cannot survive in life alone. Studies (and common sense) reveal how much our mental health (and wholeness) is dependent on being a quality relationships. </p><p>And if you want someone to blame, then I guess you'd need to go to the genesis of it all.</p><p>The words, "It is not good for man to be alone," are some of the very first words spoken out loud in all of creation. God wasn't just thinking of Adam and Eve, but of you and I too. So blame Him. Or better yet, forget the blame-shame game, and make Him your number one. He knows all about quality relationships.</p><blockquote><p>The Trinity has always been in relationship. Since we are created in His image, we can learn so much from how this eternal relationship has existed to live by ourselves.</p></blockquote><p>A wise person once said, "Two are better than one ... and a three cord strand (of people) are not easily broken." And so God has created us in his image, then we are made for relationships. </p><p>I for one do have have God as one of the first people I call on when in need. My life has been the richer for it. </p><p>So, who you going to call?</p>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-1312197909102224782022-06-22T12:17:00.003-04:002022-06-24T13:28:21.743-04:00Perverted and Twisted Ways<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXUvzunMZqC4MSzcDci9XAJRbmzqZ2auoXc3mG4MC7qYqyr6hv1w76X_2qEnD31xdrEHgfZhWkHjMyuJNbY00h-vzFL2MW14UU6DB2WbGeaR7jaPQvsvwVWqwrwou7E9JXB6HwL1zEVHe61YpGPGpD5_zr2a0fpYSpcC8fcikxX4bRbIPqauA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXUvzunMZqC4MSzcDci9XAJRbmzqZ2auoXc3mG4MC7qYqyr6hv1w76X_2qEnD31xdrEHgfZhWkHjMyuJNbY00h-vzFL2MW14UU6DB2WbGeaR7jaPQvsvwVWqwrwou7E9JXB6HwL1zEVHe61YpGPGpD5_zr2a0fpYSpcC8fcikxX4bRbIPqauA=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></div><br /><b>About 94 times </b>this word is used in the Bible, but it was the first time my teenage son asked me about it. We were randomly listening to someone talk on the radio and the word was used in a sentence. So my son asked, "Dad, what does <i>perversion </i>mean?"<p></p><p>A couple of days before this conversation, I was meditating (day-dreaming?) when an image came into my mind--a long, thin piece of metal hung in the air before me, the back was black and the front was white. I observed as, like a bread bag tie, the top of the piece of metal turned. Now when I looked, it was still a thin piece of metal, but on the frontside, the top part was black and the bottom was white, twisted at its center.</p><p>At times, this word can be found to simply describe: roads, pathways, crown of thorns, braids of hair or thread, or a body in pain or possessed. I love the verse that says, "three cords twisted together are not quickly broken" (Ecc 4:12).</p><p>However, it is used negatively like when Peter describes what those who are "uncertain and without knowledge" do to the apostle Paul's writings which contain "some hard sayings." Have you ever been uncertain and get things "twisted" in your mind? Ever listen to someone who "thought" they knew something?</p><p>The "ways" of people can be twisted, as well as the heart (Jer 17:9) and the mind (Pr 17:20). Jesus used the word to describe the generation of people he was speaking to (Mt 17:17; Lk 9:41; see also Deuteronomy 32:5). There are several Proverbs using the concept of "twisted," and its synonyms are primarily, "perverse and crooked." (e.g. Pr 28:18)</p><p></p><blockquote>When something is perverted or twisted in the heart and mind, part of what is right has been adjusted to be wrong; and part of what is wrong has been adjusted to look right.</blockquote><p></p><p>Think about this: Would you want to build a house on a twisted, crooked foundation? How much less your life? People try mentally, emotionally, physically, sexually--but all perversions will disintegrate, ruin, corrupt, and fail. Ever meet someone with a twisted mind or sense of humor? Ever listen to an associate describe a relationship gone bad ...for the tenth time? Twisted? Ever wonder why we are in the sexual identity dilemma in our country? Twisted?</p><p>The opposite of twisted is straight, but proverbs calls this "integrity." We use this to describe a building rocked in a quake, that has its foundation still intact or has "integrity."</p><p>Paul tells the Philippian Christians to prove themselves to be "blameless, innocent, children of God, above reproach, as lights" as they live in a crooked and perverse generation. Interesting the contrast he uses pulling in the appearance of "light"--a strong OT word used for God's people, the Israelites, and how they were to be representative of God to the other nations. </p><p>But all perversions dim. Think of the metal strip I spoke of --the white side reflected light, but when the black side was twisted around to the front, the light was dimmed.</p><p>Along with the word twisted or perverted, Jesus tags along the word "apistos" the Greek word translated "no faith" or "unbelieving." See, when we come to God, we must believe that He is, and we must bring everything into His light so it can be straightened out by him. In His presence, order happens. In the world, chaos reigns. With order comes placement; with chaos things bump into and bend and twist and get knocked out of place. Chaos happens when things are in darkness--where Satan and his lies have their greatest effect.</p><p>It also happens when things are dimmed. But there is hope. Jeremiah 3:21 gives us the insight that twisted paths are brought about because people have not kept the Lord their God in mind. So think of God in all things, let His word dwell in you richly.</p><p>There is another word used throughout Scriptures, an ancient word used to describe what it means to turn around from the path one is on--toward darkness and perversion--to the light of God = Repentance.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Repentance means to turn back--the answer for getting on the straight way God has for your life. </p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-58076400376617397252021-11-20T11:24:00.000-05:002021-11-20T11:24:02.241-05:00Saying No to "Christian" Sanhedrins <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was reflecting today (5/1/2018) about the SPACE between being a Christian institution (say a local church or a Christian University in the USA) and being responsible citizens--and what happens when the two are in conflict. Do we go <b><u>the legal route </u></b>or do we handle things internally--as a separate and distinct body governed <b><u>by Christian rules </u></b>of conduct. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What happens in this SPACE? Is there room to talk about what truly governs us (the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the denominational writings like The Discipline, etc) and what the world's legal system asks of us. The problem to me is when the places like your local church or a Christian University take the position of a City Court governed by laws instead of governed by love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We know Jesus didn't obey all of Man's laws. We do know he was subject to his parents (post 3-day tweener campout in Jerusalem), and paid taxes (that render to Caesar comment--totally cool!), and spoke through Paul to the Romans to obey the governing authorities. Even Peter speaks to the believers about this with a suffering tone (1 Peter 2 and 3). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This made me think about Paul's words to the Corinthians in chapter 6. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-3" id="en-ESV-28454" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, <u>matters pertaining to this life</u>!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text 1Cor-6-4" id="en-ESV-28455" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">So if you have <u>such cases</u>, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28455A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28455A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>why do you lay them before <u>those who have no standing in the church</u>?</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text 1Cor-6-5" id="en-ESV-28456" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">I say this to your shame. </span></span></div>
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<span class="text 1Cor-6-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">Can it be that there is <u>no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute </u>between the <b>brothers</b>,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text 1Cor-6-6" id="en-ESV-28457" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">but brother <u>goes to law </u>against brother, and that <u>before unbelievers</u>?</span><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" id="en-ESV-28458" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">Perhaps there is some guidance here for us to not just try, but subscribe to and follow. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">Jesus taught his followers that if we have something against another, we had a responsible step-by-step process toward reconciliation. He also taught that if we remembered something (during worship...interesting to note) another person has against us, we had a responsibility to go to them and seek reconciliation. So either way, if in our own thoughts, we are out of connection with anyone else, we act responsibly and take it upon ourselves to seek re-connection. To Jesus, <b>being in right relationship is a basic foundational principle (law?) the kingdom of God is governed by</b>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">John writes, "How can you hate your brother you have seen and love God whom you haven't seen?" (1 John 4:20) Hate is a strong word, but is that what we are doing when we <b>stay disconnected </b>with others? We hate them. Hate divides. Love connects and reconnects. Hate separates and keeps apart. The Holy Spirit's actions within a believer unite him or her with the body of Jesus. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">Hate amputates. Love heals and does what is needed to mend. That is why words associated with love are merciful, gracious, tenderhearted, forgiveness, devotion, prefer. And the words associated with the actions of the flesh (that lusts against the spirit) produce the fruit and results of such things like: enmity, strife, discord, divisions, dissention, and rivalries (Galatians 5:20f). Even adultery is a form of hate that divides; love stays together. This is why Paul speaks to the Corinthians so: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">"To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">A defeat. Let that sink in. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">So, what does it look like to win? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28458C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28458C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>"Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">Suffering and allowing ourselves to be defrauded... things that make you go, "Hmmm..." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">So perhaps the reason why this road looks so lonely is because not very many are taking the off-ramp to get there. That takes time away from the main road we are on. But get there we must. The light on this path must become brighter by our actions and choices. We would rather hear Paul shame us than deal with our sin. Choosing to stay with another when you see their sin and they do not can be a long haul. If there comes a time to separate, let it be on Jesus' terms: Go to just him. If he hears, great. If not, take someone else to arbitrate. If he doesn't hear then, take it in front of the whole body of believers together. Hopefully, he hears from them about his sinfulness. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">But if even then he does not, then he has made a choice to separate himself from the fellowship and he will remain in that position until he comes around. The audience for that "coming around" is our treating him with a winsome spirit as we would unbelievers. You still need to believe in him. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text 1Cor-6-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">And such were some of us at one time... </span></span></div>
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-50833652223582528292021-11-13T08:23:00.001-05:002021-11-13T08:23:00.146-05:00The Wheel of Faith or Fortune? Character<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was once going through the book of Romans with a group of junior high boys (a task worth at least one extra jewel in anyone's heavenly crown) and learning alongside them about what faith is.<br />
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As you probably know, the word "faith" in the NT can mean faith, belief, and trust, depending on the context. Paul tells us why he is not ashamed of the gospel, "for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who <b>believes</b>"--that is, has faith. "<b>Faith </b>comes by hearing the Word on Jesus Christ" and leads to calling on the Lord--how can they call on him if they have not first believed, and how can they believe if they have not first <b>heard</b>. Faith undoubtedly leads to salvation in Jesus.<br />
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But what of <b>faith after salvation</b>? Does faith continue to work in the same way? Or is there a growing aspect for someone in his or her faith? Or does faith stay the same, but one's capacity to hold it and wield it become greater? Wow, so much like spinning a wheel to be able to guess a letter and solve a riddle and win a fortune this pursuit has become. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Well, I don't know yet. I do know God created me for a capacity of faith. I do know the Bible has stories about this. The disciples of Jesus asked their Savior themselves about this, "Hey, Jesus, increase our faith." They at least assumed faith had a small start and could have a larger end. Perhaps they saw in Jesus a great faith, greater than their own, and that if they had the same amount as HE did then they could do what HE did. Sounds plausible. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">After all, Jesus did preach about size and faith, "If you had even a mustard seed size of faith, you could say to something as huge as a mountain, 'go there!' or 'go there.'" But that isn't His response this time. In His next parable, Jesus teaches them that it is not about size, but about kind. Wait, so there are different kinds of faith? Huh.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">When the disciples ask for <b>more </b>faith, Jesus tells them a story that explains that it is not about more. I explain it like this: a friend of mine wanted to go raccoon hunting at night in the woods in our area; I told him he needed a dog to go hunting coon at night. A week later he had not seen any coons while hunting. I told him he might want to get another dog. I saw him three weeks later and he said he bought a dozen dogs for hunting raccoons and was going to give up because he still had not seen one coon. I paused, then asked, "Wait. What kind of dogs are you hunting with?" He replied, "Chihuahuas." </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This is a case and point where having more of something will not help you. I think it isn't about having <b>more </b>faith but having <b>the right kind </b>of faith. And this is what Jesus went on to explain. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Oh, yeah, a couple of other points worth mentioning: Jesus did not do <b>many </b>miracles in His hometown due to their <b>lack </b>of something... hmmm. Oh, and Peter DID walk on the water! It was only after he <b>took notice </b>of the tossed waves that he began to sink. He cried out to Jesus who asked him ... something... something about ... Yes, and another time some <b>seed fell </b>on some rocks and quickly spouted up with joy, but <b>when testing came </b>later, they gave up because only for a time did they have roots in ...something ... And Jesus heard that Satan had demanded Peter but Jesus told him that He had prayed that ... something of Peter's would <b>not fail</b>. That something in each case is of course <b>faith</b>. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So it would seem that the answer is ... both--faith is something that can grow and become bigger and stronger, but it is not meant to be big and strong for no purpose. It is not a body-builder sort of thing meant to show off its huge muscles. It is to be much more practical and useful. <b>So what is the purpose of faith? </b>To move mountains, like Jesus said? </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Faith is BIG because it is rooted in God. And God created me to have faith. Faith leads us to God (salvation) because that is how God created it to work. Faith is also one of the three biggest activities in this world--Faith, Hope, and Love. And faith paired up with hope and love is like <b>an undying battery </b>charging us up for anything in this life--as long as it is connected to the Glory of God through Jesus Christ. Being faithful, then, is staying where faith led you--with God. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Paul wrote to the Romans that faith is born inside us when we hear the reading of the Word of God. This never changes--whether we have been led by faith to salvation through Jesus Christ, or we continue to walk in faith. The Word of God is at the core of our faith. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">At one point in their walking with Jesus, the disciples tried to cast out a demon from a boy but could not. Jesus returned and was able to do it. When asked by his disciples why they could not, Jesus said the faith necessary to do such acts came through an avenue of <b>increased faith--by prayer and fasting</b>. These two acts together can connect your life to God, unlike other ways. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Only GOD can make faith grow--like sunshine on a seed. I do believe He has set roads ahead of each one of us to have our faith in Him <b>increased </b>because He loves us and hopes in us and believes in us. All of the roads of faith, I imagine, lead us closer to Him and to each other. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Mark shares a story about a man who had a child in need and came to Jesus asking him if there was anything he could do. Jesus said to him that anything is possible for those who believe. Perhaps your prayer is like this desperate man's whose mind turned from his child's need to his own: <b>"Lord, I do believe ... help me in my unbelief." </b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">My prayer for you: May God grant you not only avenues for increased faith, but the strength to walk them and the eyes to see how far you've come in your walk of increasing faith in Him--to His glory!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>ps. I leave off the citations of where stories and verses can be found in the Bible, believing that if you are interested enough, and your faith is big enough, you will go and search the Scriptures for yourself. And, when you do, you will find much more revealed to you, because that is how God works.</i></div>
Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-79399742491630529592021-11-06T09:49:00.003-04:002021-11-06T09:49:23.447-04:00An Under the Surface Warning<p><span style="font-family: times;">Under the skin. That is the phrase that has been used and misunderstood for years. Since the days the Beatles used it in a popular song that I sang as a second-grader, "remember, to let her under your skin..." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">What is under the skin cannot be seen, but is real and could manifest at any time. This is a source of many books and movies seeking to highlight the mysteries we all have run into. And now, the manifestation is happening within the community we call the Church.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">An article's title recently caught my eye about how the evangelical church is breaking apart and that Christians needed to </span><i style="font-family: times;">reclaim Jesus from his church</i><span style="font-family: times;">. "Hmm. Who would write such a thing?" I thought. So, leery-eyed I took the bait and read... nothing I didn't know, and felt for the past 24 months or so. But the following quote caused me to pause and reflect more than the rest of the article:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>"But there’s more to the fractures than just COVID-19. After all, many of the forces that are splitting churches were in motion well before the pandemic hit. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/evangelical-trump-christians-politics/620469/" target="_blank">The pandemic exposed and exacerbated weaknesses and vulnerabilities, habits of mind and heart, that already existed</a>." </b></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Jesus talked about things under the surface as well. He referred to the Pharisees being "unmarked tombs." So what, you might think, but if you wanted to be consistent in your attendance of worshipping at the temple, to walk over a grave was to make yourself "unclean." Hmmm. Unclean and you didn't know it. The state of being "unclean" was defined by God. An "unclean status" was in fact to keep the majority of the community uninfected by the disease of your uncleanness--so they were health-driven.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br />Paul warned about things under the surface and how things will be shaken so that what is inside can come to the top; or sifted away to reveal what is.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Don't get me wrong. I love the Church. I have always loved my church. I do not believe there has been a church I have been associated with I did not like. That did not mean that underneath were things needing to be challenged and changed. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><p style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-family: times;">On the other hand, perhaps I had a natural aversion to groups of people who were too unhealthy to be around... and I hope I naturally gravitated toward those healthier sub-groups. I do not remember politics being a topic of conversation (refreshing, huh!), nor race or really any of the "hot topics" of the day. Not because they were irrelevant; some were quite relevant, but they always took a back seat to the Main Driver of the show--Jesus. Leadership in those spaces always believed He was without rival. And for that, I am thankful. But there have been moments (moments, mind you) I have experienced like one T-shirt stated years ago, "Jesus, save me from your people." </span></p><div><span style="font-family: times;">There is nothing hidden from God. That is the kind of life I want to live before Him. And yet I fail. Being too harsh on others for their failures would be hypocritical for me. So I seek to keep my eyes on Jesus, not the skin, nor what is under it. Blame will not heal. Connecting to God is my only hope and the hope of the world. John 3:16 baby. John 3:16. </span></div></span></div>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-77559192000309320112020-07-10T12:42:00.000-04:002020-07-10T12:42:04.142-04:00Wishing Love Was More<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6H30db9BnI/XwiaIXHsq-I/AAAAAAAAxHQ/Yed6pveqveUgu9wQVz93GzJx4Zi0LkLpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s450/hands%2Bheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6H30db9BnI/XwiaIXHsq-I/AAAAAAAAxHQ/Yed6pveqveUgu9wQVz93GzJx4Zi0LkLpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/hands%2Bheart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>There are several things worthy of reflection today but I want to gloat and bloat on a conversation I had with my daughter ... in my head.</div><div><br /></div><div>My daughter and I are very similar in several ways, at least I can see that. I can own up to it where there are weaknesses and definitely do in her strengths. My daughter came to me for advice on spiritual matters, which is not uncommon for her. I began my response to her with, "I love you, daughter, I love you so much it hurts; I wish at times my love for you could do so much more than ... just be a feeling for you." </div><div><br /></div><div>And I stopped right there with an epiphany = a God-incidence = that incidence when God shows up but you have yet to recognize Him. </div><div><br /></div><div>"What if God feels the same way? What if God has actually made a way for love to be more--more for His children ... and I could hack into that?" </div><div><br /></div><div>And, What if the Word of God in the Bible actually gives guidance on how to do that?</div><div><br /></div><div>If all of these postulations are true, and I believe they are, including that love is way more than a feeling, then I want to know.</div><div><br /></div><div>"How can I go about loving my daughter more in line with how God loves (provides, protects, guides, gifts, and graces) His children--aka, how He loves me?</div><div><br /></div><div>And this is the deeper purpose that brings glory to God in this reflection--How has God revealed Himself in love to His people ... and to me?</div><div><br /></div><div>This is worthy of reflection and beneficial to the transformation of the mind as I live a life drawn by the magnetism of a merciful God.</div><div><br /></div><div>No more reflecting, but acting. It's that faith without deeds thing. Now I go. So be it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have YOU ever wished love was more? Whether it be your ability to give it or receive it?</div><div><br /></div><div>If I made a list of how God has enabled us to love like He does, what would you add to such a list? </div><div>I'd like to hear.</div><div><br /></div><div>Comments are welcome. :)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-5242786294674581252020-06-07T10:54:00.002-04:002020-06-07T10:54:56.486-04:00Praying for Revival Will Bring You to Reconciliation<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I am continuing to chew on something one of my ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship):</div><div><br />What if in our praying for revival it has actually brought us to a sphere of where reconciliation must be exercised? I see this is a wonderful discovery and in my heart I hear, DO NOT MISS THE TWO! They are part of each other. friends said about revival and reconciliation, which has brought me to ask: </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HPqCvYBW2ic/Xtz_PicyW2I/AAAAAAAAw18/j0jnhqyeFhwgV2sr4sQS3993eZTxa_TugCK4BGAsYHg/s320/triangle.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Revival and Reconciliation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let me dig into this more with something simple: a triangle. There are three points to every triangle, but if you have it flat side down, two points go up to ONE point to meet. </div><div><br /></div><div>There has to be ONE point we all see for revival to happen as we pray for it; ONE point that draws us all together and I believe that ONE point is GOD as revealed through JESUS CHRIST and attested to by His Word given to us in the Bible.</div><div><br /></div><div>As we all come from whatever point we are currently standing (two points of a triangle) we need a ONE point to bring us together. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw ALL to myself." So when that ONE POINT is turned to by everyone--like a triangle point, and whether you are acute or obtuse in your belief or attitudes or sin, when you take one step closer to that ONE point, you CANNOT help but take ONE STEP closer to one another! </div><div><br /></div><div>So as I see it, Revival and Reconciliation go hand and hand together. My two oldest have been attending the rallies at the Court House square in our town. I have had conversations with them about the current state of things, and although we do not see eye to eye on every point, I am proud of them for moving --moving, by inertial definition, is better than sitting motionless; and in moving, God can direct--and that moving will be drawing power to himself. </div><div>The word that sticks out to me today is HUMILITY. HUMILITY with the Covid visitation; HUMILITY with the Reconciliation subject; HUMILITY with those close to me and those far away. And HUMILITY within myself before GOD. --kk</div>Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-70354650807186396732020-03-11T02:17:00.001-04:002020-03-11T02:17:05.550-04:00The “Refusing to See” kind of blindness.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">My devotional today from Ravi Zacharias stated, “The blindness to the sacred is the cause of all evil.”</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">I see that as blindness to Christ of course. After all, he is the light of all. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"> Spiritual blindness is the refusal to see the glory of God our Creator for what it is—in its truth and love. The pride of humanity doesn’t want to be shown what it doesn’t know and that it doesn’t know. After all our forefathers and mothers have tasted the fruit from the tree of Knowledge of good AND evil. What is there not to know?</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">That is where our blindness lies. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">But Jesus didn’t leave us in darkness or in our blindness.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">“</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">His cure was to help them see what they were really blind to, yet refused to see.” John wrote that men loved darkness rather than light. Jesus said that we are the light of the world and that a city set on a hill cannot be hidden not can a little lighted candle is it is lifted up in the room. Light is hope.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">Light in the darkness. That is what the experience is of Jesus in the soul where we hunger. One facet of darkness is poverty and poverty is the repetition of hunger. It is a constant consumption of that which fades. False hope.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">When the glory of God that shines in the face of Christ comes into our hearts and lives we have the manna meal that glorifies Christ within us. Because he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">Just like Jesus made the blind man see, not only was he healed physically and could testify about what Jesus did for him externally, but Jesus revisited him to connect with him relationally to be sure the two of them met. Why? So the former blind man could know, not because of some tree of knowledge fruit eating, but a knowing that consuming something for ourselves could not nor ever could reveal to us—Gods love. Jesus was full of grace AND truth. Both should lead us to know God. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">Adam and Eve made exchanges the day they ate that forbidden fruit of knowing. Paul describes in Romans 1. One of those exchanges was to be fed or to feed. Spiritual death is blindness to God revealed to us. Will we continue to get our own knowledge? Or will we accept what has been revealed to us? Feed or be fed?</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">The story of the blind man demonstrates this. It’s really laughable how everyone is doubting and questioning what they see in the physical world. And even more hilarious is that Jesus set this all up and then exits—he wipes mud on the guy’s eyes, tells him to go wash (maybe more for the smell than the eyes, or for both) and then Jesus disappears from the story. Ha! But only for a little while. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">The whole time Jesus is absent the Jewish spiritual leaders are trying to figure out first who the guy is. So much so they interrogated his parents. Even they had a problem at first recognizing him but I’m sure his momma finally did. But dad knowing Jewish laws told the leaders that his son was of age and to ask him how it happened. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">Testimony of Jesus is the light pride takes issue with. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">The leaders were blind. Jesus healed a man to be a witness for him to help the leaders see physically in hopes that spiritually theyd connect. They didn’t. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">Hard hearts and blind eyes go together. Might as well add thick skulls. Thinking they could see, their blindness remained. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;">I believe one of the remedies for blindness (arrogant, hard-heartedness) is fasting. The spiritual act of denying yourself physical food will attack your pride because you’ve been led to believe you deserve food and you live to eat. The truth is you eat to live and don’t need as much as you consume. Learn to eat what God supplies.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;">Back to the story of the blind man. But this blog has gone on in my ramblings long enough. Go and read it for yourself. See what happens when the testimony is disregarded. Watch how Jesus re-enters the story and ask yourself why he does it that way. Listen to what Jesus tells the blind man (and you) and especially how the physical has now transformed into the metaphor for the deeper spiritual truth. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;">The living truth. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;">A new way to live the new life. The kingdom life. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;">That’s how the light comes on for us who once were blind. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Avenir, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: black; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 26px;">—kk</span></span><br />
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-41347185690376776122020-02-20T18:00:00.000-05:002020-02-20T18:00:04.374-05:00The Fine Art of Self-Deception<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am going off script today and basically ... just rambling. BUT I think there is a pattern of thought:<br />
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Contemplation #1: Lately I have been pondering the facts of life and how the power of self deception is subtle yet so powerfully enslaving. I watch AFV from time to time and on one episode, a woman had a VR headset on, pointed screamed, ducked and fell down. Whatever she saw in the video headset caused her reality to shift and she no longer saw the video for what it was, but mistook it as reality and responded. How does this happen? Such depth of contemplation is beyond me to arrive at an answer I shouldn't wonder.<br />
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Contemplation #2: There is of course, misperceptions: how I see myself, I how think you see me, and how you think you see me. Then there is of course, how God truly sees us. Misunderstandings happen, for sure, but the thinking that you have portrayed yourself one way and it was taken another can be downright befuddling to the mind and impaling to the heart. There isn't enough blogspace to speak about how a simple choice or statement I make to my spouse can become so burdensome of a problem demanding all of my concentration to explain and re-explain myself. "No, I did NOT mean it that way..."<br />
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Contemplation #3: How do you get what you want? This opens a can of monstrous worms bearing such names as Rationalization and Justification which are invented explanations that deny our true motivations (the root) for how we get what we want. Manipulations shouldn't happen but most often they do within the self so we can have the pleasure we think we should not be denied. Now this leads us to alternative realities we create for ourselves.<br />
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Contemplation #4: The definition of "fantasy" could be observed by watching how most anyone lives today--a generalization I know, but hear me out. When we fantasize on purpose, we imagine things impossible or improbable with "what-if" scenarios. This is a very powerful passtime God has given us to use for constructive reasoning and playing out possibilities for hoping, planning, constructing, and making art--what we can see in our mind, we can bring about. This ability can cross over into fantasizing--which I do not think I need to explain.<br />
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Misinterpreting is not fantasizing, nor are misunderstandings; but they can lead to sinful exploring of possibilities of another person's intent (which is left in the dark places of another person where only God can judge) and then reacting on those thoughts. God commanded us to not bear false witness, to not covet, to not kill, to not commit adultery--and these acts all have roots in the motivations of the heart fantasizing about what could be real and playing God to make those wishes a reality.<br />
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Contemplation #5: Our imagination is a powerful gift and worth protecting. Let me play that episode one more time of the lady with the VR headset. What if we could fantasize about winning the world for Christ? To me, that fantasizing is actually very close to prayer as God intended it.<br />
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When we play by the world's rules, we are caught up in a fantasy. To contemplate whose fantasy it is seems plain and horrifying at the same time. But there is something greater--the reality of God the best we can interpret it upon its revelation to us. He remembers we are but dust! his plans have been dumbed-down for even a child to grasp and yet so profound in its understanding that it enlivens the soul. What God has for you gives you life; what the world has sucks you dry.<br />
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When we reason as the world wants us to according to the rules of marketing and buy-in, we take one step away from the kingdom of God and its gates into the darkness where Satan lives. True, the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church being built on the rock of Jesus' name! But where the church prevails, light takes over, and the darkness cannot wrestle it down. That is why Paul gives us powerful clues when he tells us to "think on these things" list in Philippians 4. That book speaks so much about fantasy and reality and how to have our minds shaped by God!<br />
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When we rationalize, we short-circuit what God is wanting to see done in our hearts and minds. The solution. The Bible calls it REPENTANCE. That comes from the awareness of our self-deception (through the preaching of the Word and the building of our faith by the light of the Gospel of God and illumination of the Holy Ghost). Only when we become aware can we begin the work of inner healing.<br />
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Do you want to wave goodbye to fantasy and say hello to God's reality? Wave off the illusions of the delusions of your controlling your life, your Christianity, your providing yourself your own grace to to fake it to make it. Things probably are not as they seem. There is a road ahead in Christ. ANd it is probably NOT as you imagine it.<br />
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Future contemplations:<br />
#6 GRACE TAKES ROOT = AWARENESS<br />
#7 The enemy's power is in the lie = EXPOSING and UPROOTING THE LIES we have told ourselves and willing believed.<br />
#8 FANNING AWAY THE FOG while ANSWERING THE, "WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT?" QUESTION<br />
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#9 Jesus asks every question we need to answer. For example, he asked the blind man, "What is it you would have me do for you?" Or the caught and thrusted woman at Jesus' feet, he asks, "Where are your accusers?" Or to the disciples, "Who do YOU say that I am?" </div>
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#10 Paul picks up this Q&A when he asks things like, "What? Do you not know..." The question acts like a plow for the seed of the answer to fall into. </div>
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Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts!</div>
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-60537111689854488572019-12-25T20:15:00.000-05:002020-02-20T10:43:38.104-05:00On the Knowledge of God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The knowledge of God is a vital part of the well-being of your life--spiritually and otherwise</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">God desires for you to know Him, but even more, God desires to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">reveal Himself </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to you. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The knowledge of God is hidden--you cannot just expect to gain it. You need to especially understand that many will say they have it when in fact they do not. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, those who truly </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">know </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God have very specific things in common.</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Word of God reveals </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to us the knowledge of God</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, but it isn’t the only place our knowledge of Him comes from. However, every other place we </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">obtain our knowledge of God will never contradict the knowledge available to us in the written Word </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of God.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When I speak of the knowledge of God, I attach the knowledge of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">knowledge of the Spirit of God--the holy Trinity, three in One, King of the Universe, and of my heart.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Proverbs 2:5 tells us that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">your deepest respect for God</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, or the fear of the Lord, will accompany the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">knowledge of God. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2 Peter 2:1, the knowledge of God is how grace and peace become </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">abundantly </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ours. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Romans 11:33, Paul teaches us that </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the depths of the knowledge of God is unattainable</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which means you can study, research, gather information, write paper after paper, but you will never be able to get to the end of it; there is no final degree you can obtain called “the knowledge of God” BA, MDiv, DMin, PhD nor will there ever be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the entrance to the course in knowing God is always open!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Satan’s marketing tactics </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">are specifically structured to not merely compete with, but to outsell the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">knowing of God. And Paul makes this statement in his 2nd book to the Corinthians, that our counter-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">defense is actually a well-launched offense, in bringing down and demolishing every size argument </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and pretense that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">sets itself up against the knowledge of God </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(10:3-6)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You see, the knowledge of God is itself LIGHT, a beacon that shines and calls out to us like a lighthouse; </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">it is the light of the sun harnessed within your own soul that you cannot contain for the sole purpose of </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">making God known. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The more you increase in your knowledge of God, spiritually and otherwise, the greater the source of the LIGHT of God. Satan can never duplicate the intrinsic nature of the knowledge of God--knowing God is the true gift that keeps on giving because in its very nature it shines. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The knowledge of God is pure glory</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. You cannot make God reveal Himself to you; growing in the knowledge of God is <i>relationship-based </i>adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And when I speak of knowing God, it is closely related to the OT story of Moses who met with God, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">communed with God, supped with God, and was so close to God that the glory of God was upon him </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">so much, Moses had to do something when he was with his people--</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">wear a veil over his glory-tanned </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">faced. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you ever been around people whom you know have been with God? There is such a purity in their soul, a cleanliness that is more than just next to godliness but godliness has taken over, and love is their only defense?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And my confession would be that I was such a person, but in my days of diffusion, in my step by step </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">digression, as my glory-tan faded, I have learned a few things: it is intentional, and it is corporal--</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">meaning </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">there is a plan for the knowledge of God to be my glory, but I cannot do it alone.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A part of God’s corporate plan is listed in Eph 4:11-13, He gave some within His body to rise up and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">become the leaders of the body--some we called prophets, others apostles, others evangelists, and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">still others pastor-teachers. WHY? So all of us can be can </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">come together in the knowledge of </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">God--unified, growing up and growing together, attaining all God has for us. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Let’s connect that with the metaphor of the LIGHT. A little candle set into this pitch-black place right </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">h</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">ere will have a tremendous effect on this space because even just a little light has great power. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">BUT if each of us, drawn to the one candle, have our own candles lit, how much greater will that </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">LIGHT be? How much more </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">revelation </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">will there be? How much more </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">glory </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">will shine?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And this brings us to what Paul said to those Corinthians believers, to let the light shine out from the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">darkness like God did that first creation day when He said, “Let there BE light!” And it was so and it </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">was good.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It was just like that when the knowledge of God came into my own heart. A light came on. A candle </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">was lit. A switch was thrown and a change was made. Something evident that wasn’t there before </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">was now on display. And just like Moses, my face could not hide the truth, nor could it if I wanted it to. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Jesus Christ had taken up residence in my heart. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The knowledge of God shapes and takes on a form--John 1:1, in the beginning, was the Word and the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Word was with God, and the Word was God, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and this Word took on flesh and dwelt among us </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">as </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the only begotten of the Father and to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">as many as received him, to those who believed in His name, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to THEM he gave the power to become sons and daughters of God</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Your identity has changed. There is a glory that reveals. AND THIS IS THE LIGHT </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">we taught our </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">children to sing about when they sang, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. Hide it under a </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">bushel? No! And we won’t let Satan blow it out. Shine all over my city and county, and let it shine till </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Jesus comes--I’m gonna let it shine.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The light of the knowledge of God is a glory-light that shines in the face of Christ, and those who along-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">side the Son, get a tan that reveals where they have been. But sin pulls away from the presence of God. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Just like Adam and Eve who heard God coming to walk with them and spend time with them fled his </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">presence and HID THEMSELVES. Some of you have been hiding from others and God for a long time--</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">so much so, you've lost yourself. It is the deceptive power of sin that keeps you concealed. Satan lives in</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> darkness and he can only touch what is in the darkness. If you hold on to your sin, and your sin is </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">darkness, then Satan is wreaking havoc in your life. Satan only comes to do three things--rob, kill, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">destroy. His lies are a seductive acid he spins to hold on to you, keeping you away from God while he </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">freezes you in fear and embalms you with its trickling effects.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Paul tells Titus that the knowledge of the truth leads to godliness (1:1). Jesus himself told his disciples </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">that they will know the truth and it will set them free. Freedom in Christ is for godly living. Are you still </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">blinded and in darkness? Are you suffering from internal conflict? Have the marketing tactics of Satan in </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">this world pulled you away from the light and deeper into its consuming darkness? Have you made some </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">wrong exchanges that you feel you cannot get back? Are the vines and ivy of Satan’s lies have you tied </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">up inside you wonder if you will ever get back to where you once were with God?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Paul told the Roman believers that some did not think it worthwhile to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">retain the knowledge of God and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">made exchanges for it;</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> so God made a decision to give them over to the inner festering desires that </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">lead them away from Him. God gave them what they wanted. So let me ask you, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">What do you want? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Do you need redemption--for God to buy back for you what you lost? Do you want to turn around? Do </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">you hear the voice of God calling out to you today? Do you feel the Spirit of Christ pulling you? It will feel </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">like you are in turmoil because something good and loving is drawing you away from the arms and vines </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of the entangled weeds you have gotten yourself into. Tell your heart to be brave and respond to Jesus!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You can </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">grow in the knowledge of God</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. John the Baptist preached to the people to “bring forth the fruit </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of repentance” And Peter encouraged all believers to “grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.” </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Hosea prophesied, “My </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">people are destroyed for lack of knowledge</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">.” But Zechariah prophesied on </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the day he could speak when his son John was born, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the knowledge of salvation comes through your </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">sins being forgiven</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. Let me repeat this important truth, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the knowledge of salvation comes through </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">your sins being forgiven</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. Let me expand Zechariah’s prophecy about his son John a bit more, “And </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">way for him, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to shine </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(Luke 1:76-79).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">path into peace and out of the shadows is found in confession. It is the truth taught in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins,” and forsake them and bring about the fruit of repentance to not go back into sin again, the knowledge of God and </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His light within you will grow </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">from one candle to two, to three … and before you know it, you and everyone else will see that you are a child of God. But right now you are needing just a spark--only a spark. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Here is a spark of truth: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">God is on your side! He is not mad at you! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The great Savior of the world wants</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">you to know Him. He already desires your rescue. You bring to him your heart as kindling, open and ready, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and He will supply that spark you need; it may be today, it may be tomorrow, but if you hear his voice </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">speaking to you now, DO NOT harden your heart to it. He wants to do something within you NOW He </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">cannot do if you walk away. TODAY is the day of your rescue. TODAY He will deliver you. TODAY you </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">will be saved from all those things you fear. TODAY is your redemption day!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">With the knowledge of God comes the power needed for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">a godly life </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(2 Pet 1:3). For those of you whose </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">life in Christ </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">has dimmed</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, the fuel of God is every present to help you in times of distress. Draw closer to </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">God and he will draw closer to you. You have been like Moses in those moments when you should have </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">spoken up for the reason of your hope and in your faith; instead exchanged those moments for a veil and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">concealed the glory within</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Paul teaches us that whenever anyone turns to the Lord the first time or the one-hundredth, the veil is taken </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">away. Another truth: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">only in Christ is the veil taken away. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Is the Spirit of Christ speaking to you to return </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to the freedom you once had in him? Respond to him. Respond to him now! Come to Christ right now. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Stop your backsliding. Stop your indecision. Stop your turning and your waiting. Tell Him you want the veil </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">taken away; repent of your backsliding and plead with Him to remove all veils. How much greater is the glory </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of that which lasts? All in this life will soon be passed; only what’s done for Christ will last. Only what Christ </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">has </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">done for you. What do you want for him to do for you? Pray, “Remove the veil, Oh God!” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Take off the fig leaves, Adam and Eve, and stop hiding from God and return to His glory. Return to Him </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">as your all in all, and in His way, He will he return it to you redeemed and restored, pressed down and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">shaken together, a full measure you cannot contain. The REAL glory, not a FAKE glory that makes others </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">take notice of YOU, but a TRUE glory that causes them to contemplate Christ!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The knowledge of God is a vital part of the well-being of your life--spiritually and otherwise.</span></div>
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-80504343399865102532019-06-08T19:39:00.003-04:002019-06-08T19:39:52.010-04:00What a Bad Stain on Your Carpet Does<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My daughter worked on her graduation display after I went to bed at 10:30pm. At 12:15am, she spoke into my bedroom, "Dad, I need your help with something. I spilled some paint on the carpet."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My grogginess soon dissipated when I walked into the living room and saw an eight-inch circle of deep black. She had reached for something and turned over a pint full of tempera paint and had already attempted cleaning it up. "This happened in your bedroom once before ... and why we told you to have plenty of newspaper down..." No speech would help her (or the carpet) at this point, so I stopped, turned and headed for the Oxi-clean. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was my problem now. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could stop there because that is the crux of the theological moment for a life lesson that happened that night. At least the summary of what God spoke to my heart as I headed back up the stairs to go to bed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are going into the Pentecost season starting Sunday, and I am filling in the pulpit at a church south of Marion. The text I am speaking on is Psalm 103:1-5, which begins with, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul." David then commanded his soul to, "forget not all of His benefits," and then lists five. I wish to focus on the first benefit, "Who forgives all your transgressions." </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who forgives ALL your transgressions.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are many things in life we will never forget. Some of those things are because we have a constant reminder of the choices we made or that life has brought to us: a scar, a missing finger, glasses, a wedding ring (or tan-line where one once was), our children, a dent in a fender of a car, or an eight-inch black spot on your carpet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are some things in life we just do. Forget that is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">God has a good memory for some things. God also chooses to not remember some other things. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and basically told his people, <b>"</b><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A nursing mother may forget her child, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but I will not forget you. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Behold, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have engraved you on the palms of my </span><b><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hands</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">" (</span></b><span style="font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Isaiah 49:15-16).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, yes, tattoos are also good reminders. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">On the contrary, Isaiah also tells us about something God chooses to forget. "</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am he who blots out your transgressions </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for my own sake, and </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will not remember your sins" (</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Isaiah 43:25-26 ESV).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God repeats himself through the prophet Jeremiah telling his people the extent of the covenant he desires to make with them, which includes </span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">putting his law in their minds, writing it on their hearts, being their God, claiming them as His my people, and being known by them personally. God closes with these words, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“For I will forgive their wickedness and </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">will remember their sins no more”</span><span style="font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeremiah 31:33-34 </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(NIV).</span></span><br />
So God remembers, and then He doesn't. I am thankful for both. But here's the thing God spoke to me about as I ascended those few tiring steps to my bedroom. After I unsuccessfully used the steam cleaner to extract all of the paint from the carpet, after I had pulled some of that paint into nearby carpeting, after I painstakingly dabbed tissue after tissue (she used up all our paper towels) to clean up what I could, after she apologized twice, after I said, "I am sorry too," and after I had kissed her on the top of the head, the gentle voice of God reminded me and my heart of His truth. This is what came through.<br />
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Sin. Like a black spot on my carpet, is His problem now.<br />
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There isn't really anything anyone can do for that black spot on my carpet. Well, at least I do not know that there is. But it's my problem now. I have taken over responsibility for seeking to deal with it--to clean it or leave it, or work around it. I could use it as a constant reminder of the bad things my daughter has done and bring it up whenever I want to for whatever purposes I see fit to. I could also refuse to do that and do nothing as I allow the black spot to be a constant reminder to her (and the rest of us) of mistakes that can be made. But seriously, it is my problem now.<br />
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At Pentecost, Jesus came to his people again. This time in Spirit as a holy flame prophesied by Joel, validated by Peter, and witnessed by over 3,000 who were baptized by water and fire that day. John Wesley had an experience where he knew in his warmed heart, that Christ had died for his sins, "even mine" he said, and he was given an assurance of it. His sin was God's problem. And God took care of it in Jesus. And the Holy Spirit of LOVE that came into his heart with an assurance of faith was proof that God had dealt with his sin.<br />
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Forgiveness. Assurance. Faith. Love. The problem was more than solved.<br />
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I cannot do what only God can do.<br />
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But I am thinking about cutting a piece of carpet from the closet to replace the section where a black spot is.<br />
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In due time. --kk<br />
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"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Just as I am, and waiting not, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">to rid my soul of one dark blot</span><br />
<span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot! </span><br />
<span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">O Lamb of God, I come, I come"</span></div>
Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-2091976298915112032019-02-15T14:23:00.003-05:002019-02-20T12:30:11.212-05:00Countering Any Plot Against You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="text Esth-4-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I have been in a place for the past week or so that feels like there is a plot against me. I cannot explain ALL, just that I feel a "dark cloud" over me, my spirit is agitated, I cannot connect with God, my wife, my kids, my friends--anyone. All of my words seem dampened and my mind and my heart seem to be too.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">In my spiritual journey, I have become more aware of times like these and others that effect me negatively, and have learned to pause, reflect and pray--even fast if goaded to do so. I continue to hold on to Jesus and seek to connect and somehow break through this crustiness that stands in my way. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">There is no sense in believing it will all pass away soon enough--it always does, but I have never been better for it if I just trust such a time/season to "fate" and believe that "whatever will be will be." I am a co-creator with God, created in His image and bear the markings of Jesus on my spirit--the Holy Spirit testifies that I am His and He is mine. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">So what is a man to do when he senses a plot against him? </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I was sitting next to a friend at my son's wrestling meet, and he spoke to me of the truths he had garnered from the life of Esther. I would like to share with you what the Holy Spirit is revealing to me through this text. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">In Esther chapter 4, the context is this: the evil Haman has received permission from the king to serve the edict about killing all of the Jews in hopes of finally being rid of the testimony of faithful Mordecai, a thorn in his flesh. Haman is a decedent of Saul's disobedience in not slaying all of the Amalakite (King Agag's) people Samuel told him to. The edict is served and all of the city of Susa is in turmoil. Esther notices Mordecai's dismay and sends her servant to ask him what's going on for she sits in the palace and doesn't know. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">When her servant came back to Queen Esther </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">he reports what her uncle said: what had happened to him, Haman's bounty for the destruction of the Jews, a copy of the Annihilation Edict delivered on the billboards of Susa, and with instructions for her "to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people."</span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Now, Esther chapter 4:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-9" id="en-NIV-12772" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">9 </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Hathak [Esther's head eunuch] went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.</span></b></span><b><span class="text Esth-4-10" id="en-NIV-12773" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">10 </span>Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span class="text Esth-4-11" id="en-NIV-12774" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">11 </span>“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12774F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12774F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> the king has but one law:<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12774G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12774G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12774H" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12774H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”</span></b></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-11" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Esther coughed up the law. She had been in the palace too long and forgot who she was. Mordecai needed to remind her who she was.</span></div>
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<b><span class="text Esth-4-12" id="en-NIV-12775" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">12 </span>When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai,</span> <span class="text Esth-4-13" id="en-NIV-12776" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">13 </span>he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.</span> </b><span class="text Esth-4-14" id="en-NIV-12777" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">14 </span>For if you remain silent<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12777I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12777I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> at this time, relief<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12777J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12777J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and deliverance<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12777K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12777K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”</b><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12777L" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12777L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></div>
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The life-truths Mordecai has learned comes out of his deep spiritual faith. He reminds Esther of who she is: a Jew. There is no escaping her nationality. She should claim it--she needs to claim it and go forward in faithfulness to God. If she doesn't, God will remain faithful and help will come from another place. Isn't this awesome!? It is like God asking you to help him and if you say, No, he moves on to the next. HIS WILL is going to be done. The question is then, will you be the one? </div>
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There is also the question our human nature doesn't like to answer--"Do you think you will escape?" We always believe we will get away with whatever it is--because we think it is secret. Esther kept her nationality a secret in obedience to her uncle. Now he is telling her it is time for a revelation. The revelation is always for a time, and Mordecai makes that plain--"for such a time AS THIS!" Now is the time for Esther to come clean with who she is and God is going to capitalize on it--because Esther bears His name! SHE is His people; HE is her God. And that comes from one of the greatest promises of God.</div>
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<b><span class="text Esth-4-15" id="en-NIV-12778" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">15 </span>Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:</span> </b><span class="text Esth-4-16" id="en-NIV-12779" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">16 </span>“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12779M" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12779M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”</b><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12779N" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12779N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-16" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Esther gets it. The truth sinks in and she is convinced. This is faith at its finest. But it came with guidance and good questions. We need guidance from others who will speak into our lives and help us do the right we know we need to do but is sometimes hard to do. And she was resolved. When was the last time you were resolved about anything? Are you resolved about the promises of your God? Like the three Hebrews about to be tossed into the fire who said, "And even if our God does not deliver us, O King, we will NOT bow to you!" The Church needs men and women of resolve. </span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-16" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">She fasted. Fasting breaks evil power. Fasting BREAKS evil powers. Somehow it creates a warp in the time-space continuum and that stuff from God's world gets into ours. Call it grace; call it mercy; call it glory or fairy dust, but whatever it is--it is not of this world. It comes from God and reveals what only GOD CAN DO! It was a three day fasting--a giving up, a sacrifice of the inner self-life to be focused on GOD and wait on Him.</span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-16" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">SO if we look at it this way, the "it" being PLOTS AGAINST US, we can trust in God knowing that has good already planned and on its way if we just step up--resolve to believe, WAIT on HIM, sacrifice in his name by fasting 2-3-4 days, or as long as it takes.</span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-17" id="en-NIV-12780" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">17 </span>So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.</b></span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Up until this point, Mordecai was the teacher, the leader, the uncle who gave orders and advice. But now, the student has become the teacher--Esther has come into her own faith and is about to test it. Mordecai gets out of God's way. </span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">This is what every parent needs to do--recognize when God is about to set up their kid for something good in the midst of bad and allow them the opportunity to see God do something great in his or her life.</span></div>
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<span class="text Esth-4-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">So remember Esther--her example is how you counter the enemy's plots against you. </span></div>
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-1156757482943644272018-08-28T05:31:00.000-04:002018-06-07T08:10:41.263-04:00Send me your kids who want to have fun and I'll send you my kids who want to learn.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.reimagineym.blogspot.com/">Re-Imagining Youth Ministry :a blog mentorship experiment</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e4f4e4; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Yesterday I was visiting with a Senior Pastor and Youth Pastor of a church here in a small town in Oklahoma. I am coaching them and will be working with them to train some of their youth workers. These folks desire to be church B. They have a missional approach to ministry that to some, feels less flashy than the average youth ministry.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e4f4e4; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">So the youth pastor (let's call him Nate) was talking to the youth pastor down the street, who is in his 50's. As Nate was describing his ministry to this older youth pastor this is what the other youth pastor said to him. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e4f4e4; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"You send me your kids who want to have fun and I'll send you my kids who want to learn."--posted by <a href="http://fess2.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gerald Fees</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #e4f4e4; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I totally get this. I just turned 50. I was raised under youth ministry professors who tried finding the balance to give to use youth ministry and Christian ed students, but hey, we were college students and we were already all about fun. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Bookstores where we purchased our course books also had a plethora of GAMES books, ICE BREAKERS, and more came out every year. The church in which I served had a library of these books. This seemed to communicate an expectation. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">It wasn't always so for me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">In fact, if I could go back to those days, I would. I have sacrificed so much to programming.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">When I took a youth ministry position in 2005, I wanted to go back to the old days, and for the most part, I did. Those kids still have a relational bond with me and contact me. Several still visit. Some pastors tell me this breaks some pirate code that I am not to ever go back to the church I have served or interfere with a minister's people. I see this differently. These are people who are coming to me. And these are people whom I invested in relationally. And Paul revisited churches he had formerly preached at (so BAMB!). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I guess what I am saying here is that if all kids are going to say about the memories of youth group and how much fun they had, and who was there doing what, and how much they traveled to all of the activities they, it seems like they enjoyed this world too much. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">But if the kids in my ministry look back and have memories of how they were loved, accepted, forgiven, and how those memories were reinforced because of the relationships we forged together, and somehow recognize the value in that--I think God can use that to bring their hearts back to him if necessary, or help them to see what is the most important things in their lives now. --kk</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">updated from first publication on Aug 28, 2006.</span></div>
Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-25409606746618635692018-06-06T11:16:00.000-04:002018-06-06T11:16:26.096-04:00I'm Kickin' It with Spiritual Gifts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you have read anything about spiritual gifts, you probably know everything there is to know about them. Today I just want to go through a few passages to <b><u>remind </u></b>you what spiritual gifts really are all about. <div>
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<b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The kicker: </span></span></span></b><b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN">When each part is working properly</span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">, the body grows, built up in love.</span></b></h3>
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There are three major passages that give the listings of not just spiritual gifts, but gifts, services, and activities of the Godhead in a believer's life: 1 Corinthians 12 (and lesser 14), Romans 12, and Ephesians 4.</div>
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<b>Number 1: </b>The gifts (services and activities) are <u>SPIRITUAL</u>, which means they come from another realm and operate in the realm. These are not natural gifts, however natural gifts (like singing, artistry, etc.) can be used by God to bring about spiritual services and activities. In other words, our spiritual gifts can utilize the natural gifts to bring about <u>God's purposes (</u><b>say, healing, or encouragement)</b>.</div>
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<b>Number 2: </b>These spiritual activities are <u>EMPOWERED BY GOD</u>. They are not natural, we cannot make <u>what God wants to have happen </u>actually come about by what we do. However, we are told to USE the gifts. I believe this can only happen as we "gain in the apportionment" of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit, and learn to recognize God's activities in our lives. Since God is giving the gifts power, they will be <u>bringing about </u>what only God can and what God wills. Since Romans 12:2 tells we can learn to discern what God's will is, the gifts.</div>
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<b>Number 3:</b> There are <u>NO RESTRICTIONS: </u>No one operates in all of the gifts at one time, however, anyone can have any of the gifts at any given time. What? Let me say it this way: GOD CAN DO ANYTHING. And if we offer ourselves to God, to his service, to his activities, and He chooses to give us a gift, we are to use it.</div>
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<b>Number 4: </b>The gifts are <u>UNIFYING</u>. All of the passages state this profusely. All believers will have a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in their life because the Spirit is inside of them. But the gift is given for the COMMON good. It is not meant to edify yourself as much as others. We need each other. Ever since Genesis and the creation of humanity God has stated, "It is not good for man to be alone." This resonates within us so much that many psychological problems are relationally induced. And many problems are relationally healed. This is a part of God's purpose, which we learn about next.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Number 5: </b>The gifts have <u>PURPOSE</u>. Paul teaches about the purpose of God-empowered gifts, services, and activities in Ephesians 4:11ff. Look at this passage. Here are some purposes: </div>
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<b><span lang="EN"></span></b><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1)<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">To equip the saints </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2)<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">For ministry work </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Building up the body of Christ </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">a)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Faith unification </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">b) The knowledge of the Son of God </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">5)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Maturity = the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">6)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">No longer be babies = tossed to-and-fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">7)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Learning how to speak the truth in love </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">8)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Joined and held together IN CHRIST as each member is equipped </span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><span lang="EN"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Here is the kicker: </span></span></span></b><b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN">When each part is working properly</span></span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">, the body grows, built up in love.</span></b></h3>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhYLk0w9mtA/Wxf5MSPGfGI/AAAAAAAAlaI/LiAvZkhgkksyjxHBLjnD4M2aPKl1UsHfgCLcBGAs/s1600/screwdriver-1008969_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhYLk0w9mtA/Wxf5MSPGfGI/AAAAAAAAlaI/LiAvZkhgkksyjxHBLjnD4M2aPKl1UsHfgCLcBGAs/s320/screwdriver-1008969_640.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Number 6:</b> The list is <u>NOT MEANT TO BE EXHAUSTIVE</u>. Even though the three passages have over 15 given gifts listed, there are many ways God uses His servants to bring about His purposes. We may not have a complete understanding of what each gift Paul writes about in Greek. However, when we witness the gifts within a believer, they will bring about what God's purposes are as given above in Ephesians 4. Romans 4 gives great advice in the use of your gifts: Use them passionately for God and the good of His people!</div>
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**Let's have a little <u style="font-weight: bold;">TRUE or FALSE?</u> pop quiz:**</div>
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<span lang="EN">1. Each believer is given a gift/service/activity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">2. Spiritual gifts are a manifestation of the Spirit in a believer’s life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">3. Gifts are meant to be for your own spiritual growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">4. You get to choose which gift/service/activity you have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">5. Each gift may have degrees or level of how much it is manifested in a person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN">A cumulative (yet not exhaustive) list of spiritual (God empowered) gifts, services and activities</span></b><span lang="EN">: </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">1)<b> </b>the utterance of wisdom, </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">2) the utterance of knowledge, </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">3) faith, </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">4) gifts of healing/healers</span></div>
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<span lang="EN">5) the working of miracles/miracle-workers</span></div>
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<span lang="EN">6) prophecy/prophets,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN">7) the ability to distinguish between spirits, </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">8) various kinds of tongues, </span></div>
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<span lang="EN">9) the interpretation of tongues,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN">10) </span><span lang="EN">apostles,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN">11) teachers, </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN">12) helpers, </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN">13) administrators,</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">14) evangelists,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN">15) shepherds-teachers (pastors),<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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16) service,</div>
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17) exhorts/encouragers,</div>
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18) contributes, </div>
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19) leadership,</div>
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20) acts of mercy.</div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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Remember, these are spiritually empowered gifts by God and not generic; they are meant for the common good of Christ’s body; you cannot possess these gifts--they possess you; these gifts will not be manifested in you without being a believer and as you seek to connect and be a part of the body of Christ.</div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><i>[Answers to pop quiz: T T F F T ]</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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Since God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, how should we then view one another? We should <b><i>have the same care for one another = one member suffers, all suffer together + one member is honored, all rejoice. God is not a respecter of persons, and we are to follow the royal law and not judge or discriminate against anyone as being worthy or unworthy "for the better seats in our house" (James 2:1-13). </i></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN">How would people with each of the 20 spiritual gifts respond to the following members: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<u><span lang="EN">Case Study A: </span></u><b><i><span lang="EN">one member suffers (from sin, another sickness, another relational loss)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<u><span lang="EN">Case Study B: </span></u><b><i><span lang="EN">one member is honored (good works, promotion, notoriety)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN">Remember the means: Faith & Knowledge.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN">Remember the results: Growing up (maturing), Joined together (unified), loved.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN">Question to think about: </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN">How is this aspect of the church-family different than families of the world?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-69298231138968552472018-05-16T12:10:00.001-04:002018-05-16T12:10:23.903-04:00What Could Be Better In My Life?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cAtQt9DmjZQ/WvxX5O9pcVI/AAAAAAAAlBU/dbo0xquQvWgeU_pW-cUV8e9_c90tXQKkwCLcBGAs/s1600/14442490473_c10dd48cf5_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cAtQt9DmjZQ/WvxX5O9pcVI/AAAAAAAAlBU/dbo0xquQvWgeU_pW-cUV8e9_c90tXQKkwCLcBGAs/s1600/14442490473_c10dd48cf5_m.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What would you say is one thing you wish was better about your life?</b></span></span> </div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;">Things on the other side of the fence hold an attraction to us--are temptations for us. It is part of our human nature. </b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">Some of that nature helps us to search for God. </b>Most of it betrays us.<br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">The temptation is for us to become covetous, greedy, self-absorbed, selfishly ambitious, and hold on to the belief that the good we have is the best--for anyone and everyone. </b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">One way we respond when we think something good we have is losing its street cred is by pretending that it is better than it really is. Mark records the prophet Isaiah's description of hypocrites in his gospel as:</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(1) honoring God with their lips while their heart is far from Him = </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How does this happen?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">(2) worshipping God in vain = </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">What does this mean?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">(3) teaching doctrines that really are just commandments of men. (</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mark 7:6-7)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you ever been surrounded by hypocrites? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ever been found among them?</span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
There is GOOD news, even GREAT news. Well, it is actually the BEST NEWS EVER!<br />
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God doesn't leave us where we are. He sent Jesus to show the way out and forward.<br />
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A part of that journey is being reconciled to God (<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colossians 1:22-23) resulting in many genuine benefits. There are conditions we need to meet: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">(1) continue stable and steadfast in the faith (like Abraham), and (2) not shift from the hope of the gospel (of Jesus Christ) that we heard.</span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">It feels good to be reconciled.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">FAITH and HOPE "condition" us for being presented acceptable to God.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Faith and hope are so deeply a part of who we are and what drives us as humans; it is what our hearts hold most dear and what our minds think most about; it is at the center of our affections, dreams, and what we love. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We really need to get a grasp on this as people of God.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you unwrap something, you typically </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">toss the wrapping. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You desert it, leave it behind because it has done its job--you consumed what was inside.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Something similar happened in the Galatian church that absolutely astonished Paul--</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">believers had deserted</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> God by turning to a what they thought was better than the “good news” of Jesus. Why? Well, it has something to do with exchanging good for something we think is better--that part of our nature. thing again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you know what </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>distorted </i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">means? It means to change after the fact, to pervert, to make different than before. Ever been a victim of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>distortion</i>? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are many ways something can get</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> distorted.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Galatians’ faith and hope were in jeopardy--the Gospel they first believed was becoming a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">distorted--changed and perverted and made it into something it wasn’t intended to be (</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; white-space: pre-wrap;">Galatians 1:6-7).</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So let me go back to that human nature thing and ask, Have you ever abandoned something for what you thought was better only to discover later it was distorted later? You left the "good" behind for "a promise" of something better but somehow when you got it home it transformed into something less than what it was.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I describe the feeling I have in those moments as </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">betrayal</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One thing Paul wants to save the Galatian believers from (and you and me) is that feeling of betrayal. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">When it comes to the TRUE or PURE Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the TRUE and PURE Good News of His life, death, and resurrection, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO FEAR having the feeling of BETRAYAL! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There is nothing that HAS rivaled it, and nothing ever will. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Gospel is SO good and SO eternal and SO big, you will never exhaust its resources to the point that will you ever be able to unwrap it, consume it, and leave the wrapping behind--it is meant to be containerless for this exact purpose. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Containers are IDOLS--gods that can be cast away. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Paul sums up this experience of the true Gospel calling it, “the Promised Life” and it is God's purpose, God's holy calling for our lives (2 Tim 1:1-14). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you known someone who withstood the temptation of the human nature--who suffered for the Good News, who in those moments when things looked better over there, stayed with the Good News over here? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slow down here, and answer: What does it take </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to not be ashamed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of something?</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">No one goes out looking to be betrayed, scammed, spammed, or to be made to feel guilty or ashamed (v8). Paul wants to not only spare you these experiences, but he wants you to shift your eyes from those things to what is ahead of you to what he refers to as your "holy calling”(v9)--which is God’s purpose for your life. By God’s grace and power you will thrive through the suffering that comes because of the Gospel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Paul was convinced of this (v12)!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you want to join Paul in experiencing God’s purpose for your life, and experiencing the promised Life Jesus’ has for you, the first thing you need to be actively involved in is to never be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord (v8) by suffering for the gospel by the power of God alongside others who are doing the same--according to the pattern of faith and love Paul’s words taught you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Guard all the good that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who lives within you = The Promised Life. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You can read one final warning in Galatians 1:8-9.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>SO ... that one thing you wish was better about your life--will it increase your suffering for the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Will it make your faith and hope in him more real?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Take inventory:</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where is your heart? Are your faith and hope truly in Jesus and nothing else?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you need to give up some <b>hypocritical </b>practices of </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">honoring God with your lips while your heart is far from Him? Of worshipping God in vain?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of passing on traditions and doctrines that have nothing to do with what obeying Jesus is all about?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are you in danger of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>deserting </b>God by turning to what you think might be better than the “good news” of Jesus? Do you find yourself holding out as if there is <b>something better </b>just over the horizon than what you have in Jesus? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are there some containers that are IDOLS and gods in your life you need to <b>cast away </b>for the Promised Life in Jesus?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Have you been testifying to the Promised Life you have in Jesus so others can join in with you? </span></span></div>
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<b>Don’t ever be ashamed </b>of the testimonies Jesus has given you. </div>
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<b>Guard them </b>by speaking up about them. </div>
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The Spirit <b>will give you more </b>of the Promised Life to experience. </div>
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Stay faithful; stay hopeful. Jesus has done everything you need to be so. --Amen.</div>
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kk</div>
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-64323040384145687002018-05-12T05:22:00.000-04:002018-05-12T05:22:24.128-04:00Not all Christians Will Go to Heaven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Not all Christians will go to heaven? What!?!<br />
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I posted a while back about a lady who asked her pastor why she should become a disciple because she was already a Christian.<br />
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My pastor preached recently on the growing body of people in our society who call themselves Christians but do not attend church.<br />
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My children have spoken to me of teachers in school speaking about religions and listing Christianity among other religions.<br />
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With these statements in mind, I have come to the conclusion that not all Christians will go to heaven.<br />
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You can call yourself a Christian, and while this should express faith in Jesus Christ, it evidently means that you subscribe to a system of beliefs I would call "the religious practices of Christianity." Among them is the belief in Jesus Christ, which amounts to believing that he existed, walked this planet, did good, performed miracles, died, and was resurrected, ascended to heaven, left behind some disciples (who became apostles) who carried on in belief and spread the message of Jesus to others so they could believe in these things too.<br />
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I have met many, many people who subscribe to such a position. Among them are people who have attended church most of their lives. But they lack something: an authentic encounter with the living Christ. They do not have the marks of one who has met him, who know him personally, and who have the knowledge that He knows them deeply too. This goes beyond conversion, but to true discipleship. Paul tells us in Romans that if we do not have the Holy Spirit within us, we do not belong to Jesus Christ. I want to belong to Jesus. I do know I have the Holy Spirit. I do not always follow Him the best I can.<br />
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I heard someone say this week, "There are still two types of Christians: good ones, and bad ones, but they are both still Christians." I agree. There are bad Christians who will go to heaven.<br />
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I do not want to be Christian, nor to be A Christian, but rather a follower of Jesus Christ which I would call A disciple.<br />
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What if I flipped what the woman said to her pastor and made it sound like this, "Why become a Christian when I am already a disciple?" This actually makes more sense to me than the inverse. To me, however, and in actuality, the two are synonymous and I find that true in most of my conversations.<br />
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Now, my point about going to heaven is rather tongue in cheek in some ways. Christianity, or rather being a disciple, should never have been about going to heaven. This emphasis has clouded the true meaning of following Jesus today. It has lifted our eyes too high and set them on the afterlife. This has done a great disservice. The best I can construct is that this emphasis is highly regarded by revivalism, to which circles I had belonged. I do believe in reviving, in revivals as an approach to evangelizing, but I do not subscribe to many of the statutes revivalism is built on. Gordon Smith writes <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/beginning-well-christian-conversion-authentic/gordon-smith/9780830822973/pd/22976" target="_blank">a good deal on </a>this in a couple of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Conversion-Rethinking-Christian-Initiation-ebook/dp/B00B853TWC" target="_blank">his books on conversion</a>. Conversion is about Jesus, not heaven.<br />
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Smith rebuts revivalism by looking at Romans 12:1-2, that the living sacrifice we are to be is to be "laid on the altar," but the mind of a believer is also to be renewed. Revivalism is only built on the first part, which leaves the whole incomplete. Add to revivalism's emphasis on the individual (I can be saved by my own decision to accept Jesus) the move toward private and personal makes it more problematic for people seeing a need for the corporate body--the church. Could it be that revivalism has actually had the counter effect of making people believe Christianity is such a personal and private affair that a convert does not need to go to church to be/stay one? While conversion is a subjective experience and a personal encounter with God, it was never intended to be a sort of stillborn event but one where the church was seen as the midwife to God bringing the new "born again" child into the family. It is a both-and moment, individual and communal, private and corporate. The family of God is made up of all who have the same experience of being born again.<br />
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Whatever we need to do to create a common language to communicate a common understanding of what a believer is, a disciple is, a Christian is, and hopefully unite all of these understandings, I want to be a part of that. Conversion is just the beginning--and it can be a very good beginning if we start it off well. Hopefully, we will find all is well that begins well.<br />
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-36967612957634428022018-05-09T04:29:00.000-04:002018-05-09T04:29:15.378-04:00What if I never had to sin again?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What if I never had to sin again? Part 1.<br />
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I have been pursuing some answers to my sin problem--or my overcoming sin problem, that is of being able to move beyond forgiveness to developing patterns in my life that keep me connected to God and all that that means.<br />
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Isn't that called Sanctification? Well, most likely, but stating the word now locks me into a theological debate I do not want to get involved in. But yes. I purchased a book not too long ago entitled, The Five Views of Sanctification, which basically has each view beating up on all of the others in Jesus' name while rising to the top. I bought it because it added yet another feather into the hat of my search for perfection--it continues in humanity too. It is a viable question of merit.<br />
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Perfection? Another theological term I do not want to debate (but discuss? Yep). It doesn't mean to me what it means to so many others. To me it means responsibility to the best I am able. Some would say it is the Garden of Eden. I would say if Eden was perfect by some definitions then why did it need to be kept, tended, have dominion taken over it by Adam? Well, because each of those activities are a part of what it means to maintain the perpetual status of perfect. Perfection doesn't mean "not able to happen," but when that which is able does happen, we learn and grow from it. We identify the things that do not belong, like weeds, and dispose of them while learning to bring to health the things that should remain. To me, my own heart is the Garden of Eden of must tend.<br />
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So when someone speaks of sinless perfection, it doesn't mean I am not able to sin, or even that I do not sin, but that I need not sin. With each temptation I can have the victory that is offered to me to overcome it (given to me from the outside in another, Christ, on the inside by His Spirit within). The renewing sense of my inner person becoming reoriented toward the God's ways and actions in the world--His being glorified--His given the opportunity to reveal Himself in all He is and create something to which I respond to Him--this is the new creation of me. But it cannot happen if I am not understanding what is for me and what is against me.<br />
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I was created. I was created for God, and to live in a world He created for me to live in. Which means God has things set up in this world for me to meet Him, so He can reveal Himself to me, because He loves me and wants to know me and wants me to know Him. But there is another world that seeks to move me away from God. Let's call it Chaos. It could also be called Void.<br />
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In creation's first moments, it was void and in chaos, and in darkness. This world, or part of the world, still exists. God spoke into it and his world came into being in the midst of the other--order came out of chaos, light came into the darkness, and real matter took up space in the void. But darkness, void, and chaos all still lurk within the created order to undo and reclaim. I call these tactics the appetite of greed--or consumerism. Most if not all governments seek to make some order within the chaos by borrowing from God's laws and creative powers to make things work for themselves. Sometimes these laws work. Many times they do not. It is at the most self-serving times they do not; and during the selfless times that they do. Let me move back to the center of speaking about never having to sin again.<br />
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If I never had to sin again, I would want that. I have four children, and if in some way I could have them to always chose what I have taught them as right, I would want <i>that</i> too. If I, being as messed up as I am, desire such a good thing for my own children, is it to far of a stretch for me to believe God not only wants <i>that </i>for me, but has actually created a way for me to have <i>that</i>?<br />
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Samuel Powell (I ran across his book Discovering our Christian Faith, for a course I taught in Theology) speaks of the Forms of Sin--how we seek completeness and fullness in realities other than God. Sin is the power of chaos, darkness, and void inside of a human being--inside of me. To me, these forms do two things: first, they keep me from seeing how God has set up the meeting places for Him to reveal Himself to me and therefore keep me from responding to God, and also tempt me to live in my own world--a world that looks to me like I am creating, but in actuality it is the world Chaos, Darkness, and Void are using me to create and therefore, a lie. It might be good for me to interject here that Satan is the Prince of Darkness.<br />
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Powell gives the following Forms of Sin: Foolishness, Unrighteousness (Lawlessness), Injustice, Idolatry (Misplaced Trust), Hubris (I am God), Familiarity (Robbing God).<br />
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Powell makes this statement that I am still chewing on: "To be authentically human is to be oriented toward God. Without this orientation we are a distorted version of our true being. So to say that we are created from nothing is to say that human existence, considered apart from our orientation to God, is void and that we become truly human only as we exist in orientation to God. Unless we are oriented toward God, our existence reverts to the nothingness from which we are created."<br />
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Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing." (John 15)<br />
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Paul learned, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4).<br />
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Sin then is disorienting. Sin seeks to create a copy of the world God has created (a distorted world) where Chaos reigns. It is not a second world, but a lesser world within God's world--a matrix of lies and corruption. John's gospel and letters calls this matrix, the world. It is the system that opposes the revelation of God, and which keeps you from responding to Him.<br />
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Note: Sin is not infirmities, not finiteness, not temptation. All of these things affect us as a part of being created. We are ignorant, make mistakes, and errors in judgments, and physical frailties. None of these are sinful, but only a result of our being created and finite.<br />
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The consequences of living in the matrix--the lesser world where chaos reigns, are: Alienation (spiritual death, judgment (people loved darkness rather than light), muted creation), and Corruption (wrong desires, loss of freedom, distorted thinking, unethical conduct, wickedness).<br />
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So where does this lead me?<br />
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God's grace. Repentance, faith, and hope in the grace of God is a continual invitation to me.<br />
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Part 2.</div>
Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-50614021027680754092018-05-06T17:20:00.002-04:002018-05-06T19:26:38.661-04:00Review: Evangelism More Caught than Taught<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #363636;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I teach Evangelism & Discipleship I & II online for a Christian University in Ohio. I was looking over an assignment that really threw me for a curve because the exercise goes against what the course is teaching.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The course uses as one of its textbooks, Becoming a Contagious Christian: Communicating Your Faith in a Style that Fits You, which teaches that there are several ways of evangelizing referred to as "styles" and that there isn't only one acceptable way. Those styles are: Direct style, Intellectual style, Invitational style, and Serving style.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Then the course has students read an article that emphasizes one style (Direct, or perhaps Intellectual) and asks them to attempt to do so. <a href="http://evangelismexplosion.org/evangelism-more-caught-than-taught/" target="_blank">The article </a>gives the following statement for its rationale:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"We are dedicated to equipping people for evangelism, not because large numbers follow us, but because it is the command Jesus gave to His followers. <b><u>We don’t take others with us for OJT </u></b>because it’s convenient, comfortable or easy, but <b><u>because it is the Biblically mandated</u></b>, time-tested, and historically proven means of producing disciples." </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This runs counter to the teaching in the course that was previously laid down as foundational. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This article pulls from Dr. D. James Kenedy's Evangelism Explosion material which is hung on four principles: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #363636;">1) Every Christian is to be a witness, 2) </span><span style="color: #363636;">It is the responsibility of the Pastor to equip the saints, 3) </span><span style="color: #363636;">Equipping is best done by on-the-job training, 4) </span><span style="color: #363636;">Training soul winners is </span><span style="color: #363636;">spiritual multiplication--and Scripture verses are given in support for each of these. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">OJT is one method. EE states it is the best method, which means it may not be the only one, but (in Kennedy's debateable opinion) it is the best method. I am not saying I disagree. I am just seeking to establish consistencies. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I agree that everyone who comes in contact with Jesus Christ and has a conversion experience where they are forgiven of sins and receive the Holy Spirit, will be Christ's witness (Acts 1:8-9). Therefore, every Christian is a witness (I speak about the difference between a religious Christian and a true disciple <a href="http://nextgenkent.blogspot.com/2018/03/i-just-want-to-be-christian-i-dont-want.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Paul writes the Ephesians that God has given the people of Christ, his body, the Church, people to equip them for ministry: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers (4:11-13). Jesus sends out his Jewish disciples into a Jewish area with specific instructions to preach the kingdom to only Jewish people in the way he has modeled but also with specific instructions on how: preach the kingdom, heal the sick, and cast out demons in my name. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A walk through the book of Acts will show different methods are initiated when the disciples evangelize. There is Peter preaching, Peter with Cornelius, Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch, Saul/Paul and Jesus and later Ananias, Paul with Lydia and the Philippian jailer, Paul on Mars Hill, and a few more. None of these are exactly alike; there are principles that can be gleaned from each that are similar across the board. However, Paul changed his method, or his style, to meet the challenge of the people on Mars Hill he was speaking to so that "by some means I might save some." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Maybe I am wrong in thinking that asking students to try a style that isn't there own or comfortable with runs counter to the training they are receiving. Maybe not.</span></div>
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-89231853392710245092018-04-29T21:41:00.001-04:002018-04-29T21:41:52.176-04:00Name-Drop the Right Name<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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You have no doubt been in circles where someone has name-dropped. Perhaps you have done so yourself. I know I have. I happen to know some "big names" in some areas of ministry that I can drop at times to gain a hearing. To be honest, I don't know why I do it. And even more honest, I don't think it has ever done anything for me.<br />
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I teach evangelism and discipleship courses for OCU (is this name-dropping?) and have done so now (online) nearly ten times. One of the projects in the class is for students to write out their testimony as if speaking to a non-Christian who might be interested.<br />
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Did you catch that last part? Write it out for someone who doesn't know, or perhaps has never heard about, God, Jesus, the need for salvation, and how God has answers for their life's problems.<br />
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I've graded over 150 of these testimonies and just started keeping track of some patterns I am seeing. One of the things I am hearing over and over again is:<br />
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When evangelizing, be sure to drop the right name.</h4>
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I wanted to give the current class a list of ten things I have learned from their writing their testimonies this time around. I thought I would post them here first.<br />
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We all have a story--a timeline of where we have come from and how we have arrived at where we are today. When this story includes Jesus, it can be developed into a testimony. As I have read several testimonies, here is a list of ten things I am learning from the process of writing a testimony:<br />
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1. Right friends/relationships vs. Wrong friends/relationships. --<i>It is true, show me your friends, and I will tell you your future.</i><br />
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2. Family examples had a prominent impact--both for good and for bad.<br />
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3. Raised in a Christian home doesn't automatically make you a Christian.--<i>There has to come a time when you claim the Name of Christ for yourself. </i><br />
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4. Activity/Service in your local church helped you to stay away from using your gifts for the world; and vice versa. --<i>Where there was no ministry opp for you to use your gifts in your local church, you found acceptance in using them for the world.</i><br />
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5. Identity, who you are, who you are becoming, was a major theme in most all of your stories. --<i>I haven't thought about/reflected on this long enough yet; still chewing on this one. </i><br />
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6. Everyone wished they had given up and surrendered to God sooner and lived for Him sooner because it would have spared them the waste and helped them experience peace in life. But that couldn't either be seen as an option or heard as important early in their life. --<i>Why? What can we do about this? I understand some will have to go the way of hard-knocks, but could others be persuaded to stay faithful?</i><br />
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7. How we are with God is how we are in relationships.--<i>On the outs with God leads us to be on the outs with those closest to us; closer to God leads us to be closer to others.</i><br />
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8. The power of God to keep you from sin is just as great if not greater than the power to deliver you from sin.--<i>A life kept from sinning has opportunities available that a life delivered from sin does not. NEVER think your testimony is less significant because you were not delivered from a sinful lifestyle and somehow think you can't relate to others; the glory in your life is very powerful for Jesus Christ, and will be revealed in due time. STAY FAITHFUL! </i><br />
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9. Many of you heard God speaking to you...in your own way. --<i>God knows what you need to hear from Him. I have heard him speak to me audibly in my spirit only a few times, but it was distinct, inarguably him, and highly relational--that is, in an I knew He knew I knew what He was talking about when He spoke to me sort of way.</i><br />
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10. Several of you found it hard dropping your "christianese" in your testimony, but you must. <i>I am a bit perplexed as to why it is so ingrained as you feel the need to tell you've been saved, baptized, and sanctified (with specific dates). There is a line in your syllabus that asks you to ask yourself, "What was my life like that will relate most to the non-Christian?" When I read some of your opening sentences, I was left wondering how those things would be taken by a non-Christian. I believe it would confuse them, cause them to be sidetracked and probably not listen to the rest of your testimony because they are thinking of what "sanctified" means. Those things mean nothing to someone who is in pain and needs relief of their sins. </i><br />
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One of the challenges of this course, is to speak in a tongue non-Christians understand. It is the incarnational way, the leaving of where we are to go to them and speak in a way that they can hear.<br />
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My challenge would be two-fold for you to reflect on: 1) to drop the Christian titles and classifications when outside your church group in the world of those who need to hear about a Savior who loves them so much and can heal and deliver them, and 2) to drop the Christian titles and classifications when inside your church group for there are those need to hear more about a Savior who loves them so much and can heal and deliver them and less about you (and dates).<br />
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So what principles can we pull from in these ten things? God desires that all should come to him and that none should perish. His general grace and the light of the knowledge of Him is available to all. Growing is a process that takes time, so while you are growing, be sure to fertilize by choosing your friends wisely and finding good adults who will invest good words into your life.<br />
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Let the rains in your life help you to grow (better and not bitter) and keep yourself under the sunshine of God's love as you grow--claim His name as your own--surrendered to Him at a young age (it is why the adults have invested their wisdom in your life). <br />
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It is never too early to serve and use your giftedness for the kingdom of God--it will keep you connected. God is faithful, even when we are not, and there is always a road back to Him; however, the road back isn't as good as the staying home in the first place. Stay humble as you share your story in everyday terms--but share it often. Never become "somebody" in a very small bubble in your church group--this will distract you from being somebody God can use anywhere and everywhere.<br />
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And when evangelizing, drop the right name--it is more about the name of Jesus than any other, including your own.<br />
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Never forget that.</div>
Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-52493613491965471382018-03-22T07:58:00.000-04:002018-03-22T07:58:14.464-04:00What's in a Seed, Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">In part two of this discussion of What is in a seed, I decided to research a little about the </span></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">effects of a seed's environment</b>. Here are some things I learned.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">1. When a seed grows in an alternate environment and survives, it is said it has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>adapted.</u></b> How many times have you adapted? Whether we like it or not, adapting is a part of life. Our attitude about it is something we can control.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">2. Some seeds planted in harsher environments, and live, can have its DNA restructured to become a hardier plant for that environment in the future. This is simply fascinating! It reminds of what James tells us in those first few verses in his opening chapter about counting it all joy because of those trials and what they produce!</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">3. The seed within the fruit of a plant gains information from its “mother” about what she experienced in her environment to better suit it for the next generation (this is called maternal environment effects). <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Experiences modify the DNA</u></b> and impact which genes are expressed in the next generation. Wow ... okay, just ... wow! If it does this in the natural world within a seed, just think of what this does for spiritual seed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Looking back on part 1 and now part 2, I am trying to glean some truths and principles from studying What's in a seed. I am sure this list is only a drop in the ocean!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Within every seed is the history of all previous seeds, and the promise of every future seed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">You will reap <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">what </b>you sow (quality/like/kind), you will reap more than you sow (quantity)--the size of the seed does not determine the size of its product.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Seeds are mysterious, miraculous, even “magical”--there are some things about seeds we do not understand = we know enough and we learning more all the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">The power of the seed cannot be experienced until and unless it is sown<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">There are various types of seed; there are various types of faith<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Future seeds can become stronger and more powerful than past seeds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">The environment has much to do with the success of the harvest (the product of a seed). For example: A sower went out to sow and some fell = path, rocks, thorns, good ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">We do not control the harvest, we prepare for it = make room for it and adjust our schedules to when the fruit arrives. The same is true of a church--we must adjust to each harvest as well as being a part of God’s plan of seeing that fruit refined in holiness for future generations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">The legacy of Jesus is yet to be seen in you and me. The legacy of your faith is yet to be seen in your children and your own household—but it will be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">You can have other children = those you bring to God by adoption and leading them to Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">I want to shift gears just a little and take you to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Acts 8:33 </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">where </span>Philip picks up on a teaching with the Ethiopian Eunuch about Jesus from a very strange passage: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Isaiah 53</b>. “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Who can speak of his descendants? </u></b>For his life was taken from the earth.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">The passage is brilliant in its timing and application because it meets the eunuch where he is<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--who can speak of eunuch’s descendants? </i>Philip shares that Jesus meets him there because Jesus was the sheep who was slain without offspring too--slain for the sake of the eunuch. Jesus came <b><u>not </u></b>to have offspring himself, but to gain offspring and descendants (brothers and sisters) <b>for his heavenly Father</b>--OUR heavenly Father!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">GOD himself purposed every seed, its kind, power, shape and destiny. It was GOD who created the ground and the womb for seed and give it what it needs to help seeds move forward to their destiny. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">A harvest is the end and also the beginning of the ongoing cycle of reaping and sowing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">The legacy of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>our church</u></b> has yet to be seen; however, we have glimpses of it <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>in our elders.</u></b> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #23221f;">Those who have gone on before us.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #23221f;"> </span><b style="color: #23221f;"><u>Who have your elders been in sowing seed into your life?</u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Will it be a legacy you leave behind for those who come after</span></u></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"> you; after you are gone, will the faith seeds you have sown have their best chance?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">What comes out of a seed is what has been put into by prior seeds. We have a responsibility for what <b><u>we</u></b> put into our seed (holiness, character, hope, faith, love). YOUR character development--the quality of the person <b><u>you are</u></b> and the quality of person <u style="font-weight: bold;">you marry </u>will bear resemblance in the seed to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">PRAY</span></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"> to the LORD of the Harvest, to send forth laborers and disciplers into the harvest fields.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">For more information on maternal environmental effects, see:</span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.newphytologist.org/blog/environmental-effects-plant-biology-across-generations/"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc;">https://www.newphytologist.org/blog/environmental-effects-plant-biology-across-generations/</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">It is a great read about how the mother plant adapts to her climate and nutrients which effects the next generation of seeds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This spoke to me about the structure of the church and how we need more <u>intergenerational educational</u> opportunities.</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27036635.post-50294706900628858282018-03-20T08:59:00.000-04:002018-03-20T08:59:17.711-04:00What's in a Seed, Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Wikibooks_planting-pumpkin_seed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="322" height="219" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Wikibooks_planting-pumpkin_seed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Several years ago I partnered with a pastor in Kokomo, Indiana and will never forget something he said in one of our staff meetings. He talked about topics, and sermons series, and what he had been meditating on. Then he said, "Like, what's in a seed? I can't get my head around that."<br />
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Apparently such statements hit me at my core and challenge me to try and figure it out too. Almost ten years I have been trying to get my head around that subject too: What's in a seed?<br />
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The Bible has many things to say about seeds, harvesting, reaping, and leaving behind.<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Genesis 1:29 <u>“every seed</u> is
for you” --God created every kind of seed and their purpose; </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Genesis 3:15</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">“between </span><u style="text-indent: -0.25in;">your seed</u><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> and her seed”--the
fruit of the womb, children, are referred as seeds; </span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Genesis 8:22 “<u>seedtime</u> and
harvest … will never cease”--as long as there is an Earth.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN">So, I wondered about the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>intended environment</u></b> for a seed--about the soil or a womb. </span>I believe there are some things we assist with in making the environment for a seed more effective like choosing a good spot, or enhancing the soil. However, I wondered if anything be done <b><u>to guarantee</u></b> a seed will grow? Produce? Anything about its
outcome? </div>
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I don't think so. </div>
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We do our part: plant, water, keep away things, add other things. But it is God Who gives the increase. Plants respond... to the soil, the sunlight and the water. There is also what is inside that makes a difference.</div>
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<span lang="EN"><b>I then wondered, What does the Bible say about </b><b style="font-style: italic;">anything being done in preparation to give a seed its best chance? </b>Jeremiah and Hosea helped me some here:</span></div>
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<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">Jeremiah 4:3-4, “</span></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f; text-indent: -0.25in;">For thus
says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "<i>Break up your fallow ground</i>, And do not sow among thorns.”--remove
them or relocate them;</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Hosea 10:12,
“</span></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f; text-indent: -0.25in;">Sow <i><u>with a view </u></i>to
righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; <i>Break up your fallow ground</i>, For it is time to <i>seek the LORD </i>until He comes to rain righteousness on you.”</span></li>
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<b><span lang="EN">When God, the first sower, created a seed, His intentions were for it to grow, but more than that--to become fruitful, that is, to create more seeds. This helps me to understanding that God is a life-giving God, a perpetual life-giving God, an abundant life giving God. What God puts life into cannot be changed. </span></b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">When I was in elementary school all students took home 4 packets of seeds. 3 packets had names on them, but one of the packets of seeds remained a mystery. How am I supposed to know what seed has been sown? I remember speaking to my teacher who told me that the mystery packet held the same seed as every other student's mystery packet and if I guessed it right she would tell me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">I never guessed it right.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">SO, how would I tell? I had to wait to see. What I sowed would show up in what was planted. (They were radishes!) </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">What’s in a seed? In EVERY seed is</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN"> the history of each seed that came before it. The one's sown in the ground AND the ones born from a womb.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">We are
surrounded by products of seeds--YOU are the product of a seed--a woman provides
the egg, the man the seed; the traits of each previous parent are inserted
into that union and what is produced is a similar harvest. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">The NEXT GENERATION
of a seed’s quality and potential quantity for the future is a PROMISE (this is an entirely tangental study, but a fruitful one).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">Romans 1:3, </span></span><span lang="EN">The Messiah was <u>the seed of David</u>. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Why is that important?</u></span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The seed of
Moses’ <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>leadership</u></b> was passed
on to Joshua = the Legacy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The seed of
Jesus, the Holy Spirit, is passed on to the believers of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>His Church</u></b> = the Legacy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN">Your</span></u></b><span lang="EN"> seed is passed on to
your <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>children</u></b> = Your Heritage
and your legacy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">A Minister’s
seed is passed on to the people in his or her church. = Legacy (such as our Pastor's)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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God wants <b>godly
offspring</b>--people of a more quality in their faith in each subsequent generation.
That’s one reason God HATES divorce: <b>Micah
2:13-16, </b>And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD’s altar with
tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or
accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?”
Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom <b>you have been faithless</b>, though she is
your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, <b><u>with a portion of the Spirit in their
union</u></b>? <b><u>And what was the one
God seeking? Godly offspring. </u></b>So guard yourselves in your spirit, and
let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who
does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel,
covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves
in your spirit, and <b>do not be faithless</b>.”</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN">You
were reborn, born again, by the SEED of the Holy Spirit within you: <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">1 Peter
1:23, tells us that we were </span></b><span lang="EN">“born again of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>imperishable seed</u></b>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">And the Holy Spirit, as you grow in grace and
knowledge of Jesus (2Pe 3:18), transforms and conforms you to the image of
Jesus as he makes you a mature child of God! (Romans 8:29) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">1 John
3:9,</span></b><span lang="EN"> “<span style="background: white; color: #23221f;">No one who is born of God practices sin, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>because His seed abides in him</u></b>; and
he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">There is <u>only so
much </u>we can do. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, </span></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">I planted, Apollos
watered, but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>God was causing the
growth</u></b>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Does this bring you
comfort or frustration?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Mark 4:26ff, </span></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">And he said,
“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He
sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>he knows not how. </u></b>28 <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The earth produces by itself</u></b>,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the
grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Faith in many ways
is a seed; Matthew 17:20, </span></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">And He said to them, "Because of the
littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>faith the size of a mustard seed</u></b>,
… nothing will be impossible to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;">Galatians 6:7-9: Sow
and reaping needs to be done in wisdom (knowledge gained from practice) and
with responsibility. </span></b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #23221f;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kent Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559808568688796747noreply@blogger.com