“A VIRTUOS WOMAN WHO CAN FIND: LOOK! SHE IS ALL AROUND YOU, EVERYWHERE!”

OPENING WORSHIP: Today, in honor of ‘mother’s day’, you will pick out a song and sing it or play it to your either your wife and or your mother!

BIBLICAL TEXT: PROVERBS 31:1, 10-31

The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him:

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. 

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens. 

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 

She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. 

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. 

She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

SERMON

Praise the Lord!  Welcome all and a very “happy mother’s day” to all the mothers and wives.

Praise the Lord! Amen!

Today’s sermon is in honor of all mothers and wives, however, we shall deal with the sermon in two parts: part A will address all children and husbands and part B will address all mothers. 

I am certain that most if not all are well acquainted with the above passage from Proverbs. I am also almost certain that for everyone who has read this passage, both male and female, they have approached it as an unattainable goal, something more like a heaven-like state or utopia: something desirable which is unattainable.  

In reality, the reverse is the case! Today, society is stumped by the multitudes of the ‘virtuous woman’ described in Proverbs 31! The problem is, we (men, women, children) do not see it, because we do not believe neither were taught that this was something to be found in an ordinary life. Many have attributed the verse, “her price is far above rubies” that mean that it is rare to find such a woman. 

What many have missed is the introductory verse, verse 1 which alerts us to the fact that this passage is a prophecy! It is something which had not yethappened  at the time of the prophecy, but which was going to happen! When? It did not say, but the King’s mother was alerting him and all others, to the attributes of a certain kind of woman that was to come in the future and because what was described literally makes that woman “superwoman or super-wife and super-mom”, all have relegated this prophecy to the same place as that of Superman; a fable, a myth; not real. 

And while the passage does not tell us how that virtuous woman came to be in existence, we will find today that the multitudes (!) of virtuous women all around have been created out of dire and the most undesirable of circumstances. And yet everyday these everyday virtuous women are being ignored and are almost invisible and unrecognized in their roles as “virtuous women”, even as Herculean as the task is of being a virtuous woman! 

What and who exactly is the ‘virtuous woman’? Let us interpret the Biblical prophecy to find out. 

Basically, the king’s mother starts out by saying, “such a woman is priceless, go on to treat her as such” (verse 10) and goes to explain why:

1.  The husband of such a woman knows that he has nothing to fear from her, she will not bring him to ruin and therefore he should trust her, because, she will always be inclined towards good for him and not evil.
2. She seeks productivity and does not despise earning a living. There is no end to the things she imagines and makes herself capable of doing, to earn a living.
3. While others are resting, she concerns herself with the future of her family and all who live under her roof and seeks their security.
4. She is business minded and profit oriented, never missing out an oppurtunity for enterprise.
5. She rises up to every occasion and challenge that life throws at her and meets it with courage and fortitude. She bears even the load that was not hers to bear and adapts to it successfully.
6. She sees and knows her worth even when others don’t and therefore she never gives up trying to succeed at her goals and what she does.

7. She commits herself to earn a living and creates a profession for herself.
8. Still, she is compassionate and reaches out to others in unfortunate circumstances.

9. She plans ahead for her family and provides what they need.

10. Still, she is able to look after herself and make herself look nice and presentable.

11. Her husband publicly identifies with what is honorable.

12. She is creative and always has a business proposition.

13. She is very strong and honorable even while waiting and looking forward to her great reward.

14. She is knowledgeable and is kindly inclined.

15. She never takes a break from looking after her family and constantly juggles all her roles, whilst maintaining the balance in her home.

16. Therefore, the children of such a woman should respect and honor her and

17. The husband of such a woman should think well of her and highly esteem her, because no matter what women have been known and esteemed for in the past, this ‘new’ woman’s attributes surpasses them all.

18. She should be praised and highly regarded, because above all these other attributes, she loves, serves and honors the Lord in all she does!
19. And finally we are told, O men and children of the future which is now, “treat such a woman in such a way that acknowledges all her efforts give her praise and recognition for all her efforts and input, amen!

 Men and children, reading these verses, you know this woman! I am sure all can identify their moms, wives, girlfriends, sisters and baby-mamas in these verses. The prophecy has come true: life has fashioned out of whatever circumstances caused them to be so, virtuous women, women who are virtually “super-women” in their responsibilities and the roles they play in our lives. It is therefore time to carry out the injunctions in verses 28-31 towards them, not only today which is a day set apart to do just that, but everyday, because they are super-women everyday.

And to you mothers and wives out there, I say this, there is a great and joyful reward for your role, there is a great reward for your commitment to your husbands and children, never give up! Do not rue the circumstances that have made you into this super-being, rejoice in it for the prophecy also foretells your rejoicing for your role in all of this. Continue in your strength towards looking after your family and do not relent even in your reaching out to others in unfortunate circumstances. For such a time as this have you been made and in due season you will enjoy the reward that is promised. Finally, do not neglect to look after yourself in the midst of all this, but take the time to still look good as always. Read and re-read these verses that describe who and what you are, because sometimes you will be the only one to remind yourself of your worth. Remember that you are strong and honorable; therefore hold on to that honor no matter what your circumstances are. God bless and “Happy Mother’s Day!”

ANNOUNCEMENT 

We are a ministry that greatly celebrates and appreciates women. If you know a woman, she can use some appreciation, so send us her name and address and we will send her a little gift as a sign of appreciation from you. International readers please include a phone number for you and her, so we can contact both of you for confirmation. 

Are you estranged from your wife and or mother and do not know how to get close to her to treat her according to Proverbs 31? Contact us at pastor@refreshingspringsministry.org and we will work with you to get you back on track with the wife or mother in your life.

CLOSING PRAYER

Great and wise God, we thank you, that in your wisdom, you have given us wives and mothers to be to us a part of what you are to us and to do for us, a part of what you do for us. We sincerely appreciate you and the wives and mothers that you have given unto us. We pray that you give us hearts that understand what they mean to us in this day and age and honor them according to your word in Jesus name we pray, amen.

POWER FOR LIVING

OPENING WORSHIP

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I was once lost, but now I’m found

Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace, that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did, that grace appear

The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come

‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home!

OPENING PRAYER

Praise and glory be to you our God, who has brought us through to this time. May your name be magnified and exalted in our praises. We love you O God, for from everlasting to everlasting you have been our help; help us now O Lord with hearts that are humble and yield and submitted to you in all things in Jesus name we pray amen.

Father, we give thanks to you for another wonderful oppurtunity to be gatehered in worship unto you. We ask that your Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our understanding and hides your word in our heart that in all things we might be empowered to live the life that Jesus died to give us in Jesus name, amen.

SERMON

Halleluya and welcome once again to our Sunday Worship. Glory be to our God who gives us all things. Greetings to you all in Jesus name,amen.

How was your Easter celebration? Is it over?

Surprisingly, today we will fix our eyes on that focus "Easter" because, although the celebrations may be four weeks old, Easter is not over. You see, Easter is the beginning of that eternity wihich Jesus died to give us; that restoration to our place in God; that restoration of a fellowship with God that was lost in the garden of Eden and as a result of our sins; that ability to live our lives on Earth in power as the "sons of God".

It was appropriate that this message come at this time, as the Easter baskets and Easter bunnies have taken a hide in the archives to await another year before reappearing. For some, the excitement of being a believer and of Jesus being alive may have also taken a hiding in the archives along with the bunnies, as the pressures of everyday life takes over.

But it should not be so! Why, you may ask; simly because the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, signified the existence and the continuity of the things He died to bring to us. So today's message is telling us "don't stop at Easter, keep on living!"

Living, implies living in the power of the risen Christ, hallelujah! Living in the victory over sin, the world and the devil that he died and rose so that we might have. Living in this power, involves reminding ourselves of what He died to give, so that we might continually remind ourselves that it is our everlasting right.

According to the Bible these are some of the things that Jesus Christ died and rose again so that we might have:

John 1:4: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Interpretation? Christ in you, means you will always have the Lord’s guidance, you never need to get lost again, for He your light will always show you the way. 

John 1:12: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

Interpretation? Yes your simple act of faith to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior was all that was needed for you to become reconciled to God eternally! You are a child of God! Don’t let the devil fool or deceive you; that simple act was everything you needed, you don’t need anything more!

 Luke 10:19: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” 

Now comes the trick question, what exactly is involved in the “power to become sons of God”?  

Power is defined as:

• ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.

• political or national strength
• great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force

• the possession of control or command over others; authority; ascendancy: power over people's minds.
• political ascendancy or control in the government of a country, state, etc.
• legal ability, capacity, or authority.
• delegated authority; authority granted to a person or persons in a particular office or capacity:

• a document or written statement conferring legal authority.

• a person or thing that possesses or exercises authority or influence 

According to these definitions, as a child of God, you have been delegated to operate with the attributes of God as manifested to us by Jesus Christ – the Son of God. Power to live a holy life everyday, power to live in truth everyday, power to demonstrate God’s love, compassion and will for mankind everyday, power to live in authority over sin, the devil and the forces of evil and the world; power to influence those in authority for God, power to live in victory. 

Now, nowhere did Jesus say that any of these benefits of believing in Him were temporary; no, they are permanent and are to be used in our everyday lives! 

Child of God, there is great power in you, not of your own ability, lest some of us say, I am not strong nor have any power. No! It is the power of God given to us through the Holy Spirit, which was given to us when we first believed (whether you speak in tongues or not!).  

We are told in the Bible to remind ourselves of these things, why? So that we might continually look up to these standards and by faith, take our part in this.  

We are to remind ourselves of these things so that at no time should we be caught up in the lie of the devil to disempower us and bring us to a place of defeat in our minds or our lives and where he can now manifest his destructive works in our lives. Walking in the knowledge of who we are and our authority (conferred on us by Jesus Christ), empowers for everyday living. 

Here are some things we can do to help us walk knowledgeably:

§  make it a daily habit to have fellowship with God through reading the word of God, the Bible and praying

§  join the corporate body of Christ by joining or becoming a member of a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church

§  consistently fellowship with other believers through your Church programs, e.g. Bible Studies, Sunday Worship and any other programs which your church through the grace of God, provides for you 

As you do these things you will find yourself and your life at a level of victory that can only be described as living in amazing grace and the power of the risen Christ. May God bless you in Jesus name, amen.

CLOSING PRAYER & BENEDICTION

 Dear Father, please keep us in knowledge and power of that which we have learned today in Jesus name, amen. "Unto God's gracious hands I commit you, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, now and forever more in Jesus name, amen".

"HOW TO FIGHT YOUR BATTLES"

CALL TO WORSHIP:

To Him who sits on the throne and unto the Lamb

To Him who sits on the throne and unto the Lamb

Be blessings and glory and honor and power forever

Be blessings and glory and honor and power forever

To Him who sits on the throne and unto the Lamb

To Him who sits on the throne and unto the Lamb

Be blessings and glory and honor and power forever

Be blessings and glory and honor and power forever

Be blessings and glory and honor and power forever

Be blessings and glory and honor and power forever

Be blessings and glory and honor and power forever

WORSHIP SONG: "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as You mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will life my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

OPENING PRAYER: With our hands lifted up and our hearts filled with praise and with a heart of thanksgiving we come blessing You O Lord. Come therefore O Lord and wash our hearts and make us willing vessels for Thy will in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

“It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”

SERMON

Praise the Lord! You are welcome in Jesus name, to today’s ministration. Say to yourself "I am blessed in Jesus name", amen!

Today Friends we will look at how to respond and deal in areas common to all, i.e. in times of crisis, fear, tribulation, trouble, tragedy, etc.: How to deal in the battlegrounds of our lives.

In doing this we shall use for our example and guide the on-going story of the children of Israel under the rule of King Jehoshaphat. When the nation was faced with a national crisis that threatened to wipe them all out (worse than the events of 911), King Jehoshaphat’s first response was one of fear. It was a well-justified fear; for the enemies outnumbered and out-sourced them. However, it was not a mindless fear that left in a state, but it was a fear that had him and the whole nation running into the presence of our God to seek His face (direction) and His help.

The result was an assurance from God that this was His personal battle and they were not to be anxious because they would be victorious in the battle against their enemies.

Responding to this message with appreciation and praise for God, the next morning King Jehoshaphat drew counsel of his people for the battle plan. Now what is interesting, is that in most battles, the strongest platoon is put up front; however, in this battle plan the people suggested replacing this position with the “Praise-Singers”- those whose sole job it was to sing the praises of God (this was an office that was established by King David himself and upheld by his son Solomon).

As the army led by God’s Praise-Singers marched forward to confront the enemy, the Praise-Singers went into action singing the praises of God and immediately the Spirit of the Lord laid ambush upon their enemies and they fell upon one another and killed one another in the ensuing confusion. All this happened without a single soldier from their end using their sword! All the soldiers had to do, was to gather the spoils of the battle (verses 23-27). And they all returned with much rejoicing.

Lessons, which we learn from the ongoing passage, include:

1. Make running immediately to God when confronted with problems, our first response to problems.

2. Seek direction from the Lord as to how to solve the problem, this also includes laying all your cards down on the table before God as Jehoshaphat did.

3. No matter what the direction the Lord leads you, make praise of God your first line of defense.

Several accounts in the Bible, have shown ‘praise’ to be a very powerful weapon, powerful enough that God has sometimes asked His people to use this as their primary line of defense and or attack (e.g. in the Battle of Jericho, Joshua 6:1-20).

If praise is therefore such a powerful weapon, we should begin to give more room to it in our lives and develop our weapon for the day of battle. The Israelites Praise – singers did not just magically appear, king David appointed them. He established their role and demanded that this be observed forever. He did well to do this, because He was one who did not spare praise for God, even in dire circumstances. He was like Job whom even when confronted with the worst of all situations, he could still find room in his heart to praise God.

This can only come from being faithful to remember and give God the praise He deserves for the role He plays in our lives. The one who does not know how to daily appreciate God, nor see the hand of God in their lives, will find it very hard to praise God and will therefore lose this very special form of defense in their lives.

God does not intend for us to be stressed, but we will neither know nor experience His peace except we have the attitude of going to God with our problems and seeking His face. A lot of us are fighting battles that really are God’s battles, but we do not know it and keep trying to fix it on our own and eventually either become worn out or embittered.

How can you tell if a battle is the Lord’s or yours? I would say, go the ways of King Jehoshaphat: assess the problem, is it out of your capacity and yet you are required to deal with it? If so, that is a clear case for God seek His help and then set out to do as He directs with praise for Him in your mouth and heart and watch your victory ensue!

Are you facing a situation today that seems too big for you to handle? Follow the above guidelines from the Bible always and see how your victory will ensue.

PRAYER

Father we thank you that You always care for us and that You always have our best interests at heart. We thank You for Your word which has come to us today and we ask in Jesus name that You give us a humble heart to approach You with our problems instead of trying to solve it ourselves. We ask also that You give us hearts that trust You and are grateful and wise to praise You in every situation in Jesus name, For all this and all Your other wondrous works in our lives, we give You praise O God in Jesus name, amen.

Closing and Benediction

"Unto God's gracious hands I commit you, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, now and forever more in Jesus name, amen".

ADDITIONAL READING: 2 CHRONICLES 5:12-14, I CHRONICLES 23:4-5; I CHRONICLES 15:16;

Questions, comments, contributions, e-mail us at pastor@refreshingspringsministry.org

STOP! IT IS TIME TO REFRESH!

SUNDAY WORSHIP, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2007

OPENING PRAYER

Father God, we thank you  for another day in which to stop and reverence you. We thank you that you are here with us according to your promise. We thank you for all the seasons of our lives and we ask that through today's message, we may be better equipped to live the life that you want us to live in. We ask for hearts that are good ground for your word to grow. Cleanse us from every sin and blemish and present us a holy vessel ready for your use. In Jesus name we ask all this, amen.

CALL TO WORSHIP

OPENING WORSHIP SONG:

"TRADING MY SORROWS"

I'm trading my sorrows,
I'm trading my shame,
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord.

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord, yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord,
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen.

I'm trading my sickness,
I'm trading my pain,
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord.

I am pressed but not crushed,
persecuted not abandoned,
struck down but not destroyed,
I am blessed beyond the curse for His promise will endure,
That His joy’s gonna be my strength.

Tho’ the sorrow may last for the night, His joy comes with the morning.

SERMON TEXT:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Deuteronomy 5:12-14

Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

Six days thou shalt labor, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

Leviticus 25:6

And the Sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourned with thee,

Isaiah 58:13-14

If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

SERMON

Praise the Lord and welcome to today’s sermon in Jesus name. Amen.

It is only February, but I am sure that there are many who already feel like its been a year. Gone is the verve with which you faced the New Year and made all those noble resolutions. When you find it hard to maintain or work at the resolutions, which you made barely two months ago, you know it is time for ‘refreshing’. When you find it increasingly difficult to wake up in the mornings and face the new day, it is time for ‘refreshing’. When you increasingly get aggravated by things, which in the beginning you just shrugged off, it is time for ‘refreshing’. You name or describe whatever symptoms of irritation or tiredness that you exhibit. Whatever they are, they are your monitors for ‘refreshing’.

What does refreshing mean? My favorite dictionary defines ‘refreshing’ as

1. To renew the vigor or energy of (oneself or another), as with food, drink, or rest.

2. To stimulate (the memory)

3. To reinvigorate or cheer (the mind or spirits).

4. To freshen in appearance, color, etc.

5. To take refreshment, esp. food or drink.

6. To become fresh or vigorous again; revive.

All these definitions point to one thing: the act or process of getting back to the initial top form or the replenishing of resources, which have been depleted through use.

Everything that was created, including the human form was not created to go on and on and on like the Energizer Bunny. It, like the earth from which it was made, needs regular times or periods of ‘fallow’ [i] . However, whereas the average plot of land might require being left to fallow every two or more years, the human form being definitely of a much smaller area, has been assigned by its creator a regular “one day out of every seven days” in which to fallow. This means that every one day in seven we have to “not be in use”, “be inactive” and “let our creative energies lie” in order for energies, productivity, verve and zeal to pursue our goals, work and or resolutions.

A land that is not put to fallow regularly, experiences reduced productivity; poor quality of crops and a draining of the soil’s properties that overtime renders it unproductive, it becomes like desert soil upon which nothing but thorns and cactus can grow. It is no longer able to sustain the production of those crops that give your body nourishment. This is the exact same thing that happens with the human body that neglects its cycle of fallow.

In order to use the body at its optimum performance level, we do need to follow the instructions from the Manufacturer. Just as you would never attempt to disregard the instructions in the owner’s manual for the use of your equipment, you should never attempt to neglect the instructions from the manufacturer of your body on the use and maintenance of your body.

This time of refreshing was mandated by the One who made the human body. After God made the world, He gave the manual on how it was to operate and one of the instructions was this “ Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.” Exodus 35:2. “Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings”, Leviticus 23:3. He has made observation of this one day in seven to rest, synonymous with honoring Him. Therefore if you are a Christian and neglect habitual observations of this, you not only compromise your productivity but you also dishonor God. Hello?

Jesus typified this for us while He was on earth: although He was God incarnate with supernatural powers, He often left His Disciples and the people to whom He ministered to take some time to rest and refresh. Jesus had no ‘alternate’. He differed from the rest of us in that, He was the only one who could do what He was assigned to do. One might say, “He was indispensable”, no one could either replace Him or take His place! Yet He could take the time frequently to rest and refresh.

On earth, there is always more than one person trained or equipped to do what you do, hence we are often told, “no one is indispensable” (in fact if you were to drop dead today, the work would still go on uninterrupted!). What then, is our reason (or your reason) for refusing to take the time to refresh weekly?

Some choose to wait until their “vacation time” for this, but I tell you today, that you are pushing it! You are pushing your body, your talents, your creativity and your life beyond what the Manufacturer has built it to handle. What do you think will happen sooner or later? While I leave that to your imagination, take a look at marriages that are failing, kids that are erring, work quality levels that are dropping, decreasing responses to serve the Lord among other things and we will find that behind it all, are people who either choose not to or do not observe this rest. Have you ever heard the saying "everything looks better after you rest"? Try it! Begin to rest more and you will find that suddenly, you are successfully able to bring back the quality and productivity to all those areas of your life and more .

Some have chosen to 'live fast and die young' but, when the roll is called I wonder if they will find that what they lived fast and furious for, holds up to what is counted as valuable in the end.

There is nothing to be gained in breaking the machine. You get more for your money by following the user's instructions. You get more out of your, marriage, family, work, friends, talents, etc. when you follow the instructions for operating your body system.

Finally, if you use the system in a way that jeopardizes its productivity, you are not entitled to either a repair or refund on your warranty. Same way with the Lord, hence He issued the warning to observe the Sabbath  (a day set apart for rest and honoring God). Whatever gets broken or destroyed while you neglect these rules, you are entirely responsible for. Some have broken marriages, relationships with their children, lost opportunity for career advancement, missed out on God-given opportunities to enrich their lives while ignoring this instruction.

While the basic reason for most people’s ignoring this rule is trying to achieve maximum productivity, a lot are very busy producing sufficient quantities of 'nothing' that is of no use to either themselves or their families!

If your goal is to be more productive and successful in the areas in which you operate (home, office, church, play, work, creativity, etc.) I hope that after reading this, you will realize that the path to maximum productivity is that which helps you to get the best out of all your endeavors: “fallow”, “refresh” periodically, take one day out of every seven to rest. You will refresh every aspect of your life in that one day; perspectives will be enhanced, and when you come back you will be surprised that your productivity will be of the highest quality. Choose today not to ignore the Manufacturer’s instructions anymore.

For those who fear that either the world or their world will fall apart while they rest I say, "learn to trust the manufactures's instructions for making your life work to its best and make the Psalmist song from Psalm 23, your companion" (I have atttempted to break it down in italics):

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want (I shall lack nothing, He will make sure I have everything that I need/ require).

He makes me to lie down in green pastures (He supplies my needs):

He leadeth me beside the still waters (He gives me times of rest).

He restores my soul (He refreshes me):

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake (He puts me on the correct path).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (With Him, I have nothing to fear!).

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies (He ensures my success):

Thou anointest my head with oil (He honors me); my cup runneth over (I am exceedingly blessed).

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (all these His blessings will continue all the days of my life): and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (and by this I will always be part of His kingdom/ family/ people).

Nothing that you will ever want or ever need is missing from these things that God does for the one who allows Him lead them or direct their life. By this, I mean those who will allow themselves follow the owner’s/manufacturer’s manual. So if you want success, “Refresh!”

Finally, God will sometimes force a fallowing or refreshing on us in order for our lives to be productive. This might come in the form of something that prevents us from continuing relentlessly in our pursuits. For some, because this goes against the grain of their endeavors and pursuits they will regard it as a negative, and they will realize only in retrospect, that God is trying to prolong and maximize your productivity. Let us look at some of the ways that God forced His people to fallow and to let their resources fallow:

Leviticus 26:33-35 “And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her Sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her Sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your Sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her Sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.”

May we not allow the Lord force a time of rest and refreshing from us. Look to His promise in Isaiah 58:14 and know that He will take you higher than you could ever take yourself if only you will follow His instructions for rest.

Take a moment to reflect and acknowledge before God, the ways in which you have allowed yourself to be driven by ignoring this instruction. Repent and ask the Lord’s forgiveness and then ask for direction and the grace to honor the manufacturer’s instruction for your life from this moment onwards. Remain blessed in Jesus name, Amen.

Closing and Benediction

"Unto God's gracious hands I commit you, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, now and forever more in Jesus name, amen".

Have a wonderful resting day.

Questions, comments, contributions, e-mail us at pastor@refreshingspringsministry.org

For further reading: Exodus 31:13-16; Leviticus 19:30; Deuteronomy 5:12; Nehemiah 10:31; Nehemiah 13:15-21

[i] Fallow: land that is plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated; not in use; inactive; creative energies lying fallow; land that has undergone plowing and harrowing and has been left unseeded for one or more growing seasons;

SERMON: ADD THE FLAVOR TO YOUR LIFE

OPENING PRAYER:

Father we welcome You to today's ministration in Jesus name. Please be in our midst according Your promise and help our hearts to recieve in Jesus name, amen.

WORSHIP:

"Healing Rain" by Michael W. Smith

Healing rain is coming down
It's coming nearer to this old town
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It's bringing mercy, it won't be long

Healing rain is coming down
It's coming closer to the lost and found
Tears of joy, and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus' name

Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain

Lift your heads, let us return
To the mercy seat where time began
And in your eyes, I see the pain

Come soak this cry heart with healing rain

And only You, the Son of man
Can take a leper and let him stand
So lift your hands, they can be held
By someone greater, the great I Am

Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain

To be washed in Heaven's rain...

Healing rain is falling down
Healing rain is falling down
I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid...

SERMON TEXT: JOHN 2:1-10

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

PRAYER

“Open the eyes of our understanding and give us light through your word in Jesus name, amen.

SERMON

“Adding the sweetness to our lives”, an interesting topic with an interesting passage of scripture. In this scripture, we come upon Jesus as a guest at a wedding celebration.

Jesus was not neither one of the wedding planners, nor was He part of the wedding party, neither was He part of either the bride’s or the groom’s family. He was just a guest.

Yet we see His mother Mary come to Him with a problem that was more the problem of the bride or groom’s family: they had run out of wine! One may wonder what business it was of Jesus’ mother. Why did she get in involved? No where was it stated that she was either part the party- organizers or that the party-organizers sought her help or her intervention. So, it is safe to assume that she was concerned because, she was a neighborly person. However, her concern did not stop there. She went further to try to do something about correcting the situation that wasn’t even her own problem! Talk about being a good neighbor! However, since it was something out of her capacity (I mean we are probably talking about large sums of money to purchase some good wine and by then all the guests would be gone and the bride and groom and their families would have probably been disgraced).

Luckily for them, they had not only invited Jesus to the party, but Mary knew what Jesus could do and she approached Him with the problem and her instruction to Jesus’ Disciples, showed that she had the confidence that He was going to do something to rectify the situation.

Let us note that although Jesus by His answer to His mother had not planned on performing any miracle at that party, He however, inclined to His mother’s request and proceeded to rectify the situation.

Worthy of note, is Jesus’ method of solving the problem. He used something that was readily available and simple and uncomplicated to obtain. For as we have already noted, even if anyone had the money, where was the time to go purchase the commodity they lacked? The wedding was already on; people were already drinking and eating! This was an emergency! Call 911!

So Jesus asked the disciples to take this very simple and readily available commodity, water, and fill up the water pots with it and serve it to the guests! I would have been hard put to comply with such a request because it would have seemed a senseless thing to do. Serve the guests with water when they were expecting wine? Good enough, Jesus’ mother had pre-empted this kind of response (perhaps from knowing that Jesus could do the most extra-ordinary thing from the most ordinary)

End result? According to the Master of Celebration of the party, it was the best wine they had ever tasted!

In order to understand what Jesus did, we need to look at the properties of the what He started with and what He ended up with. First let us start with the water:

Water is a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H 2 O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C and boiling at 212°F or 100°C, that in a more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. Wine on the other hand, is the fermented juice of grapes used esp. as a beverage, made in many varieties, as red or white, sweet or dry, and still or sparkling, and containing no more than 14 percent alcohol. It is something that invigorates, cheers, or intoxicates.

So whereas one (water) is tasteless and flavorless, lacking the power to stimulate, the other (wine) is tasteful, sometimes colorful and has the power to influence you. No wonder the MC was moved to describe the pleasure he got from the wine.

How do you turn something that has no flavor into something flavorful and pleasant to the palate? Probably if one were given enough time, one could come up with solutions such as adding flavored drinks to the water e.g. cool-aid; one could make lemonade or iced tea, etc. but this was an emergency situation, they did not have the time for those options, they needed the solution now.

As I preach to you today, I do not know if there is such a situation in either your life or in someone else’s life that you know, in which you recognize or have been informed that the flavor has gone out of their lives: it maybe the flavor going out of the marriage, job, spiritual walk, parenting, living, etc. And probably given enough time, you all might come up with some solution: counseling, changing jobs, changing church, taking up a hobby, taking a vacation, etc. however, you will agree that all of these things need time and other variables in order for their positive effect to be felt. How then do you live between now and those solutions?

1. Luckily for you, if you have invited Jesus into your life, He is already present at this ‘party’ of your life. And if you haven’t, correct the situation immediately.
2. Next step is to borrow a leaf from His mother Mary and approach Him with the problem.

3. And then, be as confident as she was that He will do something about the situation.

4. Purpose as per her instruction to do whatsoever He requires us to do to rectify the situation. One of the greatest problems that we have as human beings is that of always trying to rationalize things: if it doesn’t make sense to us, we won’t do it. Well wake up and smell the message “my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”. All the rationalizing in this world will still not be enough for you to see where God is going with His method! You will never be able to fathom His ways. The Bible describes it, “as footprints on the sea”! How do you see footprints on the sea? You simply can’t! Therefore stop trying to figure out how He can solve your problem by something so simple and mundane.

If your life is going to regain its flavor, you are going to have to trust God to use the most mundane of things to rectify your situation. It may be a case of a simple apology, a change of method or decision, a change of plans or attitude, etc. I do not know what the Lord might be or has been telling you to do that you have rejected on account of it being to simple, insignificant or irrelevant to your case (what relationship does water have with wine?), but realize that God will use what you readily have available, and it might be something that looks insignificant. God’s way is often so simple that we too often miss it. But if you will today determine to take Mary’s advice and do whatsoever He directs, you will not only regain the flavor in your life, but you will have walked into the best part of your life. If you thought you had experienced the best there is, you were wrong, because you have never tasted anything as good as what He will change your situation into.

I want you to pray today to ask God to begin to give you an obedient spirit to do as Jesus’ disciples did at the command of Mary, His mother, so that you might recover the lost flavor of your life.

May God bless you as you do so and do not forget to write and share your testimony that it might be added to the account of the miracle at Cana, so that someone else may read and be inspired. God bless you in Jesus name, amen.

For responses and questions regarding this sermon, please e-mail us at pastor@refreshingspringsministry.org

"A LITTLE IS ALL YOU NEED" 

TEXT FOR CONSIDERATION

Galatians 5:9: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

SERMON:  

What is leaven? Leaven is defined as:

1. a substance, as yeast or baking powder, that causes fermentation and expansion of dough or batter.

2. fermented dough reserved for producing fermentation in a new batch of dough.

3. an element that produces an altering or transforming influence.

4. to add leaven to (dough or batter) and cause to rise.

5. to permeate with an altering or transforming element.

 The chemical definition of ferment or yeast is "a substance in a state of putrefaction, the atoms of which are in a continual motion."

We find the most common use of leaven (rising ingredients such as yeast and or baking powder) in the production of cakes and breads. For the purpose of our sermon, I would like us to look at one recipe out of many for either one of these groups (cakes, bread).

RECIPE FOR WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

1¼ cups warm water (110 degrees F/ 45 degrees C)

1½ tablespoons instant powdered milk

1/3 cup honey

3 tablespoons margarine, softened

2 tablespoons white sugar

11/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

¼ cup cornmeal

2 ½  teaspoons active dry yeast

RECIPE FOR CARROT CAKE

2 cups white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1-teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (3oz.) package cream cheese

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

In both recipes, we find that the both the amount and the type of measure (highlighted) of the active rising ingredient required is very small and almost insignificant compared to the amount of all the other ingredients. Though small the amount, without this ingredient, you would not have the perfect cake or bread. Its presence is required to make the recipe work!

Another quality of leaven is described in the Bible, namely, its secretly penetrating and diffusive power. In this respect it was emblematic of moral influence generally, whether good or bad. Hence our Savior adopts it as illustrating the growth of the kingdom of heaven in the individual heart and in the world at large: because (1) its source is from without; (2) it is secret in its operation; (3) it spreads by contact of particle with particle; (4) it is widely diffusive, one particle of leaven being able to change any number of particles of flour; and because (5) it does not act like water, moistening a certain amount of flour, but is like a plant, changing the particles it comes in contact with into its own nature, with like propagating power.

We will consider our sermon today, in the light of all these definitions and meanings of leaven or yeast or any other form of raising flour. We will consider leaven as something from an external source that has the ability to hide within a substance and penetrate, diffuse / spread to a wide area and change the particles it comes into contact with and leaving the evidence of its operation as the expansion of the substance.

In Matthew 16:5-8 we read “And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

In the above text Jesus referred to the doctrine (a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated; a body or system of teachings relating to a particular subject) of the Pharisees as ‘leaven’. Why? This is because; doctrines have the ability of influencing people to the manifestation of a particular behavior or lifestyle. Therefore Jesus was saying to His disciples (and us today) to beware of doctrines of people who do not live pleasing lives to God. (Read the preceding verses of Matthew 16).

Yet again, in Luke 13:20-21 we see another reference to leaven as the ‘gospel’ or the kingdom of God; that which has the ability to influence unto expansion:  “And again he said, whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” 

Yet again, in I Corinthians 5:6-8, we are told that before Christ came into us, we had (old) leaven, which is described as the leaven of malice and wickedness. We are therefore advised to celebrate our salvation / our lives unto God as unleavened bread. What does this mean?

In the old testament, God required food offerings and sacrifices to be unleavened:“Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven Exodus 34:25a. And the celebration (mandated by God) of the Israelites deliverance was to be with unleavened bread or food: Exodus 12:15-20 “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread”.

Why is all this? Considering the effect of leaven, one might rightly conclude from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that leaven also symbolizes pride (a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority; conceit; arrogance; conduct, bearing, etc., displaying such an opinion):  “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened”, verse 6-7a.  Paul is in effect saying “get rid of that which makes you puffed up or proud and become unleavened.

However, the only way  to become unleavened as a Christian, is to take on or receive Jesus Christ which is synonymous with eating unleavened bread. “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us”, verse 7b.

We are also made aware of different kinds of leaven “good and bad”. In verse 8, we are told

“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

This brings us to a very crucial point: identification of good and bad leaven (influence). The Bible is telling us that there is a good and there is a bad leaven – that which is so small as to be insignificant in quantity and or measure, which hides itself in us and mixes with our temperament, attitudes, behavior, beliefs, etc to produce a overall change and effect in us.

What have we unknowingly or knowingly ingested that we thought was insignificant and could be of no harm? Was it that which tended towards the manifestations of the flesh (adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like) or was it that which tended towards the manifestations of the spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance).

How do we identify between the good and bad leaven? By identifying our overall behavior, attitudes or beliefs, etc. what are you manifesting, professing or displaying? Does it fall under the Bible’s categorization of malice and wickedness or does it fall under the Bible’s definition of sincerity and truth?

Whatever, the influence is, please be aware that that which you allow into you, can influence you greatly to an overall greater production of its type, whether good or bad. A little leaven leaveneth the whole bread. Once you introduce any behavior to your system, it has the ability to secretly take over you. You do not have to take or practice it in large quantities, for it will hide itself in you and only manifest after it has attached itself to your system and caused a reproduction of itself in you.

Consider drug or porn addiction, to name a few. It all starts with one snort, sniff, injection, one look. No one who is addicted started by saying, “I want to become an addict”. No. What they must have said would have been something like this “I want a taste”. After all, a little can't hurt, right? Wrong!

Be careful what you taste. An Urhobo (a Nigerian tribe) proverb goes like this “do not taste, that which you forbid”.

Today’s sermon is calling us to strictly take a look at our behaviors and practices. What do you want to manifest? Many have fallen and become entangled in sin as a result of one trial. Many have also found new life in Christ as a result of one trial. What are you trying / tasting and what will you be trying / tasting in your life? Will it lead to entanglement with sin and therefore death and damnation, or will it lead to salvation and new life in Christ?

Watch carefully what you attempt to try or taste. A little leaven leaveneth the whole bread. Taste the wrong thing and you could find yourself very far from who you wanted to be or who you thought you were: a little lust, a little lie, a little deception, a little hatred, a little racism, a little judging, a little gossiping, a little maliciousness, a little snideness, a little impatience, a little flirting, a little phone sex, a little ....., a little......etc. 

Thankfully, if you find yourself manifesting what pertains to what the Bible calls ‘old leaven’, you can go to Christ and have Him take it out and replace it with Himself: that state which God (the sacrifice) requires us to offer ourselves and live unto Him.

Thankfully whether good or bad leaven, a little is all you need. I do not know in what areas of your life you have desired change, but I tell you today as I know it from the Bible, “a little of all these qualities is all you need”: a little faith, a little prayer, a little niceness, a little kindness, a little smile, a little generosity, a little patience, a little commitment, a little communication, a little love, etc. is all it takes.

I therefore challenge you today - pick whatever quality you have ere desired and just start to practice a little of it and very soon you will find yourself manifesting a great deal of it.

May the Lord give us the grace to rightly discern and choose between bad and good leaven from the day forward, because your productivity in Christ and your eternity will be as a result of this. May God bless you in Jesus name, amen.

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME!

OPENING WORSHIP

We are gathering together unto Thee

We are gathering together unto Thee

Unto the Lord shall the gathering of His people be

We are gathering together unto Thee

We welcome you to today’s worship in Jesus’ precious name. May the Lord be glorified in that He has brought us through the past week, that we are able and willing to seek Him by being in His presence this morning. Let us pray:

“In an attitude of worship, reflect on reasons which you have to be thankful to God and just open up and give Him thanks for those very reasons.

Jesus taught that one component of our prayers, should be the asking of forgiveness of our sins, even as we forgive others. Reflect: “are there any with whom you are upset and have not forgiven or find it hard to forgive?” Begin by asking God to help you to forgive anyone whom you have not forgiven and then confess your sins known and unknown and ask for forgiveness. Take as much time as you need in doing this.

SERMON

SERMON TEXT:

Matthew 10:38-39: “ And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it”.

Matthew 16:24-27 : “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works”.

Mark 10:21 “ Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Luke 9:23-26 : “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels”.

Praise the Lord and welcome.

Today, our sermon will encourage us to take up our crosses and follow Jesus. This is because Jesus Himself tells us in the above verses that unless we do so, we cannot follow Him. In order words, if we do not take up our crosses and follow Christ daily, we cannot call ourselves His disciples.

What is my cross? You may ask. And how do I take it up daily and follow Christ?

In order to know and understand our crosses, we might need to look at the definition of ‘cross’.

Webster’s College Dictionary (my favorite), defines ‘cross’ (other than the physical two intersecting structures) as: 1. an opposition; thwarting 2. an affliction; misfortune; trouble. 3. to oppose openly; thwart 4. a person or thing that is intermediate in character between two others. 5. a place of crossing.

According to these definitions, our crosses could then be defined as thing(s) which: 1. oppose or thwart us 2. things that afflict us 3. misfortunes 4.troubles 5. being openly opposed or thwarted 6. to be intermediate in character between two others 6. a place or point of opposition.

Most Christians are of the opinion that having become a Christian, one’s troubles, heartaches, difficulties, illnesses, etc in the world should disappear. Many labor in the hope that by continuing faithfully in prayer and serving the Lord, the day will come in this physical life when all these troubles will disappear. Most consider that the living in the victory of Jesus’ sacrifice means an absence of these hurdles or obstacles in their lives. Many find that serving and praying as faithfully as they will, these troubles do not disappear. They become disheartened and discouraged. What has happened? Has God left them? Have they done something wrong for which they are being punished? Most tend to go with the latter, blaming themselves and self witch-hunting as to the real reason for their particular calamity. Others, still further discouraged, begin to slip in their faith to the point of backsliding, questioning their faith, the love of God for them and the truth about the whole Gospel.

In truth, are Christians meant by God, to deal with and have these calamities which constitute heavy loads that we might bear? And what could be the purpose for such a deal? After all, the faithful song goes “burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near”. Why then would the Lord want us to have burdens that parade as oppositions to our faith, hope and character in Christ? And sometimes like Paul, we are caught in places in our lives, where our lives are a far cry for what we desire for ourselves and even sometimes far from the life we think and believe God wants for us: and this where we really do need this sermon.

Before we continue, I would like to stop and give an opportunity for every one to pick up on all the situations of constant aggravation, which like Paul’s seem the “messengers of satan, sent to buffet us”, “thorns in our flesh”. Things that make us wish we had any other life other than ours. Areas where we think and say, “it should not be so hard”, but it is. Whatever these situations might be, whatever in your life constitutes any of the definitions that we have given, take a moment to bring them to the forefront of your mind right now, because I want to speak to those situations and give you the power from the word of God to deal with them once and for all.

It is true that Jesus died to free us from the power of sin and the devil. We are granted unbelievable privileges, healings and miracles. So why then do we still have to deal with lots of imperfections in our lives that seem to deny the victory that Jesus purchased for us? Often, many of us have asked the Lord, over and over to take this burden away from us and yet it still persists. And why above all else would Jesus say that we must continue to serve and follow Him with all this baggage and that we cannot be called His, except we do?

Well, part of the answer lies in us going back to consider the cross which Jesus Himself bore for us. A cross which, when Peter found out Jesus was to bear, he violently protested; at which he was reproached by Jesus. Actually, Peter received such a stern rebuke from Jesus at this, than he did for denying Jesus. Jesus did not deserve the shame and the humiliation any more than you do now.

Today we can appreciate the purpose of Jesus being on that cross. The place where He confronted satan and took our place and satisfied the scales of God’s justice for our lives.

However, the road that led to that cross was not one strewn with glory. Instead it was wrought with shame, disgrace and humiliation. He was surrounded by the mockery of his opponents, challenged by his captors to prove all that He had ever said He was! Have you ever been in that place in your life, where you feel you are being put up in full view of everyone and all they can see are limitations which you or they probably believe should not be in your life, considering that God is on your side?

I was in such a place as my marriage fell apart and ended in divorce. Divorce was not part of the testimony I would have written for myself as ‘saved and sanctified’, ‘full of the Holy Ghost’, and as a minister of the Lord. I felt judged by the world (Christian and non-Christian alike) as to the evidence of this (seeming) destructive element in my life. My testimony was challenged; I felt like I was supposed to walk with my tail in between my legs in shame. I felt like I had been judged as a Christian and found wanting and this was the evidence of the judgment.

Are you in such a place in your life? What is it that you face that seems to defy the ‘armies of God’ in your life? Is it debt, poverty, divorce, childlessness, unemployment, children gone bad, unhappy marriage, failure of any kind (academic, marriage, economic, even spiritual)?

Whatever it is, I come to tell the words of Jesus and God’s response to Paul in the same situation:

1. let it stop being about you; you are just part of a bigger picture
2. you must go on in spite of your imperfections or what you face or what faces you.
3. you must develop the spirit of acceptance towards your situation, not because God cannot change it, but because of the future glory that it will bring.
4. you must not doubt the verity of God or the soundness of your faith as you deal with this
5. you must develop an attitude of glorying in your tribulations, yes wake up every morning and say cheerfully “hello debt”, “hello disease, how are you doing”, to whatever assails, thwarts or opposes you.

It is not only in salvation that our God is glorified, but He is also glorified in our weaknesses, in our failures, in our lacks, etc. because the world needs to know that you do not have to be perfect to enjoy the love and grace of this God. Success of any kind does not necessarily depict God’s favor and this is too often missed by us and so we strive and pull and fight for success, making it synonymous with our salvation. No wonder, failure of any kind becomes hard to deal with and cripples some.

However, when we allow ourselves to exist in this God-allowed state (I say allowed, because although you have asked Him to change it, He hasn't), we give the more glory to God and give hope to the hopeless who have thought that they were out of God’s book. We become like Christ, in that we are allowed to experience the calamities which befall others in our world and therefore we are put in positions to become better ministers of the gospel. Better equipped to bring the love of God to all the suffering and needy.

Often, there is no one standing beside you to cheer you on, just as there was no one beside Jesus to cheer Him on during His ordeal and all the way to the cross. But the Bible says that Jesus got through by focusing on the end result, where we are now: the great hope that we have in life is because of His temporary shame and death.

You might be enduring a situation, because of your future, the future of your children, the future of a dream, of a hope. That is enough! AND TODAY I TELL YOU THAT IT IS WORTH WHATEVER YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. ONLY YOU MUST STILLL PRAISE THE LORD THROUGH IT ALL. Problems are no excuse for not serving the Lord. Jesus says if you cannot continue your discipleship in spite of your problems you cannot follow Him. Make serving and following the Lords paramount. Determine, that “nothing shall separate you from the love of Christ. Not tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord"

Some of us will never wear a crown for the Gospel, but lots of us will hopefully wear a crown for fulfilling our God-given purpose, carrying our hurts, burdens and loving the Lord regardless. I Peter 1:7: “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

Finally, I leave you with these beloved words from the Bible to cheer you up each day as you face whatever it is you face:

Romans 5:3-5: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”.

Romans 8:18: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 12:7-8: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

I Peter 1:7: “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong”.

I Peter 1:24: “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:”

I Peter 4:13 “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy”.

Revelations 1:6: “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”.

I Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: “

So faithful believer, what does it mean to “take up your cross and follow Christ”? simply put, knowing what you know now, it means donning on your best clothes and wearing whatever your reproach is, like a badge on your arm and declaring you are still for Christ! Herein lies the power of the cross. For this is what defeats the devil: that we love God even to the death and not for the things that He can do for us.

It means hanging in there with Jesus no matter what. You may not be the best there is, but at least you are there, giving your two cents worth and trading with your five or three talents. It means not throwing in the trowel because you miss the mark, it means persevering with your imperfections and all.

It means your willingness to endure the loss of dreams, possessions and whatever else you find lacking in your life and still profess the Lord, no matter the situation! As long as you still have Christ in your, you are okay! You must be willing like Paul to count it all loss that you might better gain Christ.

To do otherwise, by which I mean the insistence to change our situations to the ones that we rightly or wrongly desire, could cost us our salvation and then where would that leave us? I will share a personal story in this light. After my divorce, I found myself striving so much to recover my marriage at all cost, that I went as far as engaging in sexual relations with my ex! I was therefore blinded to the legal and sociological meaning of the word ‘divorce’ all because my psyche refused to accept divorce! I refused to accept that I could be a full-fledged christian and still go through a divorce. In my pride as a christian, I thought it was a term that should not exist in my life. Therefore, instead of taking up this cross and following Jesus, I kept trying to put it down and re-enter my marriage by all means. But it refused to be put down, because, as Jesus already knew and taught us "it is easier to carry our cross and follow Him, than it is to throw down the cross and follow Him. This is a spiritual mystery, but it is true: it is easier to accept your (seeming) failures and disappointments and live a life that is pleasing unto God, than it is to deny them and become perverted in the bargain. God has a plan for our failures, for as He told Apostle Paul, God's strength is perfected (shines through) our weaknesses and failures and disappointment. Will you not let God's strength and power shine through your life, by accepting whatever losses, tribulations, failures, etc. you are dealing with? If we will allow God's power shine through our "cross" situations, we cannot fail but win, because we know "that all things work together for good for them that love the Lord and are called according to His purposes". So don't be afraid to let the world know that you failed (as you or they might think), rather accept your limitations and let God be God! Because, just as He saw Jesus at the cross and let Him go through for the greater good, He also allows us go to our calvaries for our greater good.

Moreover God has never been defeated yet and if you will let His purposes for your life be, you will find out that you are on your way to a greater cause and victory! You cannot fail, because He cannot fail!

A situation might not be working out, but in God's book, it does not mean that you failed, it just means you are putting down your high and mighty prospects to accept a temporary much lower position, that He has destined to kick you into an all-time homerun. Allow yourself to be weak, so that you can see God be strong for you. Yield your failures so He can give you His successes.

Carefully examine the ‘thorn in your flesh’, that you are so determined to fix. Remember that God will sometimes allow negative situations in our lives, therefore when you fight that situation, you are fighting God. And as Jesus asks "who can fight against the pricks?". Can you fight God? Does anyone think that there was any battleplan that Job could have come up with that was better than his acceptance of situation as coming from God? He rightly understood, that sometimes God allows you experience pain and loss that you may not deserve, but He knew the truth that it was better "to praise God, even if God slayed him", because he believed in the goodness and righteousness of God to bring justice to the upright. Job knew that God sometimes allowed negative circumstances; he did not understand it, but he knew and accepted it and our righteous God showed His strength in the end.

 Therefore, we should not allow ourselves to feel inadequate as Christians because of our un-satisfactory situation (our cross). We should  rather be proud to say to the world “I am a Christian and poor”, “I am a Christian and divorced”, “I am a Christian and unemployed”, “I am a Christian and barren”, “I am a Christian and terminally ill”, etc. Say to the world "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh, blessed be the name of the Lord", because God has chosen to use you and your special situation to glorify you and Himself. Do it so His power can shine through you! God bless you in Jesus name, amen.

Let us pray to God the Father for the grace to accept, and endure and carry our crosses and follow HIm daily, from this day forward in Jesus name, amen.

You may e-mail us at pastor@refreshingspringsministry.org either for questions or for further teaching on this sermon. We will be pleased to either elaborate  on the sermon or to answer any questions you many have. You may also e-mail your comments and thoughts on the sermon.

And finally as always: "

"Unto God's gracious hands I commit you, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, now and forever more in Jesus name, amen".

“WHAT DENOMINATION ARE YOU?”

SERMON TEXT: JOHN 4:3-30; JOHN 4:39-43

He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.

And he must needs go through Samaria.

Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, “Give me to drink”.

(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

Jesus answered and said unto her, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (compare Isaiah 12:3-6)

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

And upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, “What seekest thou? Or, Why talkest thou with her?”

The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

And many more believed because of his own word;

And said unto the woman, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world”.

Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee".

MAY THE LORD BLESS THE READING OF HIS HOLY WORD IN JESUS NAME, AMEN

SERMON

You are welcome to today’s service in Jesus name. Amen.Praise the Lord! I hope you all had a beautiful and wonderful week last week. If you keep and walk in His word, it is your right to live in victory! Amen and Praise the Lord!

I love today’s worship song, by the Newsboys. I loved it from the first time I heard it. I loved it because; in this one song they were able to portray the universality of the culturally different people that worship God. Whenever I listen to this song, I always feel myself being lifted up and out of myself, to be caught up with Him in the sky along with other believers from around the world (I Thessalonians 4:17). And always for a moment, I become speechless as I behold this gathering.

This song is very apt for today’s sermon, as we consider the question of denominations. “What denomination are you?” This is a question we often come across as we meet and interact with other believers in the Body of Christ. It is a subject that often creates division and segregation within the Christian community. Anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time, is sure to have come across this subject in one form or the other.

But today, we are going back to the Bible to find out which denomination we belong to.

My favorite Webster’s dictionary, defines ‘denomination’ as: a religious group, usu. including many local churches; one of the grades in a series of designations of quantity, value, measure, weight, etc.: bills of small denomination; a name or designation, esp. one for a class of things; a class of persons or things distinguished by a specific name; the act of naming or designating a person or thing.

Therefore, according to this definition, Christianity today, comprises of several religious groups. Also according to this definition, denomination denotes a series of quantity, value, measure or weight. This is the reason for the many different stances of Christian folk, with some as extreme as those who claim they are the only true Christians accepted of God!

Christianity embraces denominations that differ in creed and practices, so much that one wonders if they all serve the same God. You can hear folks proudly declare, “I am Catholic’, “I am Pentecostal” (I fall into this category), “I am Baptist” and so on and so forth. In some cases, it is so severe, that there can be no inter-marrying between members from different denominations! It is considered as not only ‘taboo’, but also a betrayal of one’s faith!

But who came up with all this categorizing and weighing?

To help us understand where we are coming from and where God wants us to be, let us consider our biblical text for today:

‘Samaritans’ was the name given to the new and mixed inhabitants whom Esarhaddon, the king of Assyria, brought from Babylon and other places and settled in the cities of Samaria, instead of the original inhabitants whom Sargon had removed into captivity (2 Kings 17:28). These strangers amalgamated with the Jews still remaining in the land, and gradually abandoned their old idolatry and adopted partly the Jewish religion (Ezra 4:2).

Enough history occurred between the Jews and the Samaritans, to render them arch – enemies who were constantly feuding (Ezra 4). Yet, they became deeply ingrained with the Jews (E.g. Isaiah 7:9a “ And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son”).

The Bible tells us that Jesus being compelled to go through Samaria, met this Samaritan woman at the well and instead of observing the feuding element, He dared to not only talk to her, but to also make a request of her, much to her amazement! The ensuing discussion between them, revealed one of the causes for the historical feud – the Jews believed that they were the only ones who had access to and worshipped the true God.(Does this sound familiar?). And technically, they were right, if you consider the history of the Samaritans and Jesus’ response to her accusation. Also consider the fact that God first revealed Himself to the Jews and went to great lengths to teach them what was an acceptable mode of worship to Him.

However, it seemed that Jesus had a new development to share with her as He informed her that it did not matter who you were, what your ethnicity was or where you worshipped God. God was not concerned with any of those. He revealed that God was more concerned about the state of your heart.

His revelation led to the breaking down of barriers and the Samaritan woman subsequently accepted of Jesus. And true to form for those who accept Him (Isaiah 12:3-6) she immediately ran to inform and invite others (Samaritans) to do the same and they did.

Jesus’ Disciples were very puzzled at Jesus’ not observing the historical ‘family feud’, but none dared to ask Him why. Therefore, the answer to their puzzlement came only after His ascension; first through Peter and later on, through Paul.

Clearly before Jesus’ time, there were religious divisions between people who even served the same God. Therefore, what Jesus did at this well, was to erode the segregation between these two groups of people who loved God (one as a result of their heritage and the other as a result of conversion) and thus modeled what was to be for us, the true worshippers of God: “those who worshipped God in spirit and in truth”.

Maybe to understand this, we should look at the meaning of ‘spirit’, ‘truth’ and 'worship'. ‘Spirit’ is defined as: the animating principle of life, esp. of humans; vital essence; the incorporeal part of humans, or an aspect of this, as the mind or soul; an attitude or principle that pervades thought, stirs one to action, etc; the soul or heart as the seat of feelings or as prompting to action.

‘Truth’ is defined as: the true or actual state of a matter; conformity with fact or reality; verity; a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like; the state or character of being true; actuality or actual existence.

And 'worship' is defined as: "to render religious reverence and homage to; reverent honor and homage paid to God; formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage; adoring reverence or regard; to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing)". (Let us go further to the meaning of 'reverence': a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration; the outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence.; a gesture indicative of deep respect).

Now knowing and understanding the meaning of the words which Jesus used to describe the criteria for being a true worshipper of God, we can go further to examine and analyze the development and existence of factions within Christianity and what the Bible still has to say about them.

The first case we shall look at is from Acts 10:1-35: “ There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel which spoke unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean”. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common”. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, and called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men, which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?

And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the seaside: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him”.

I have emphasized in bold, God and Peter’s words which show the Jews’ position as far serving God was concerned. And even though Peter was shown the new way of Christ, he still fell gave in to discrimination later on. This was as a result of the former laws of circumcision, which God had given the Jews as a visible way of marking themselves as His. Even with the preaching of the gospel of Christ, this law was still in operation and if your male was not circumcised, even though he had accepted Christ, the brethren did not accept him. The Apostle Paul was the Disciple used by God to remove this barrier of segregation (which became a big issue for the Jews) by teaching that once you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, you have “… put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” and in Whom “ there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:10-11)

But all this still did not bring about the cessation of segregation or factions. They continued, as we read in I Corinthians 1:11-13: “For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” (emphasis mine)

Paul went on to chastise these factions thus:“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building". I Corinthians 3:3-9 (emphasis mine).

Paul’s discourse above helps us understand that factions or groups or denominations arose as a result of who preached the gospel to you for or at your conversion. It seemed that these groups arose as the converts tried to identify with their preacher and called themselves followers of such. This is not much different from the existence of factions or denominations in our time. People are still trying to identify their faith with whoever preached the gospel to their conversion. But Paul says that this practice is wrong  and sinful!(carnality is synonymous with 'sin').  We should rather be identifying our faith with the One who died to save and give us this new life and not with the people who preached! Therefore according to his text, there should not be all these titling of denominations, we should all simply be Christ’s.

Paul goes further to warn about the dangers of persisting in this error: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”, I Corinthians 3:11.

And he concludes by advising,

"And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? " I Corinthians 4:6-7.

As Christians, has Paul advised, “…. that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” I Corinthians 1:10.

“Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's” I Corinthians 3: 21-23.

Whatever the reason for our factions and denominations today, it should not be to identify which is the true Christian for that is God’s job and He has done it well. We are told in the Bible, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his “ 2Timothy 2:19a. And also, “But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” I Corinthians 1:24.

So do not let your concern be any longer about what denomination you belong to, for it has nothing to do with your salvation. The important identity is that which has been given by God: “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” 2 Corinthians 1:22.

Therefore, go forth today henceforth, showing yourself to have received and learned that which Jesus and Paul taught, and remove all barriers between you and other Christians. Love them, accept them, receive them because, “in every nation (or church) he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” Acts 10:35.

And be secure in this knowledge that:

“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (emphasis mine)

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” Ephesians 1:9-14

"Father we thank You for Your word, which You have given unto us. Please wash us clean from every doctrine that is not the doctrine of Christ and make us to be this day and henceforth, the doers of this word and not the hearers only. In Jesus name we pray, amen".

CLOSING AND BENEDICTION

"Unto God's gracious hands I commit you, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, now and forever more in Jesus name, amen".

You may e-mail us either for questions or for further teaching on this sermon, using our contact form. We will be pleased to either elaborate  on the sermon or to answer any questions you many have. You may also e-mail your comments and thoughts on the sermon.

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: JOHN 4:35-38; I CORINTHIANS I: 24; EPHESIANS I :13; GALATIANS 2:3-16; 3:26-29; COLOSSIANS 3:10-15;

BEING THANKFUL FOR MANNA

You are welcome to this Sunday, January the 14th, 2007 worship in Jesus name,amen.

OPENING PRAYER: Father, we come with a humble heart  right now; acknowledging your greatness and your majesty. We declare you God in our lives and we ask that as we come to seek you in this service, You will be found of us according to your promise in Jesus name. "Where two or three are gathered in your name, there You are in their midst" - Lord now fulfil  your word for us, be found in our midst and give us a fresh revelation of Yourself ,we pray, in Jesus name,amen.

Lord we thank you for a wonderful and blessed week; for your mercies that did not fail us; for your provision of our needs, healing of our sick and sparing of our lives, we say "thank you" in Jesus name. Amen.

Lord please forgive and correct all sin and error in our lives, in Jesus name we pray, amen. Lord also, we ask that you make us willing and ready to do your will at all times, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

OPENING WORSHIP

"HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD" by Chris Tomlin 

 The splendor of a King
Clothed in majesty
And all the Earth rejoice, all the Earth rejoice
He wraps Himself in light
And darkness tries to hide
It trembles at His voice, trembles at His voice

refrain:
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, if all will see
How great,how great is our God

And age to age He stands
And time is in His hands

Beginning and the end, beginning and the end

refrain:
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, if all will see
How great,how great is our God

The Godhead, three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, if all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of our praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

refrain:
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, if all will see
How great,how great is our God

CALL TO WORSHIP:

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, if all will see
How great,how great is our God

"How great is our God". This is a call to think and reflect on how great God has  been in your life. At the birth of your child (children), in the getting of that wonderful job or promotion. How in the little ditties of  life, He  manages to let you know that He loves you and that He is there for  you. How many countless breaks have you had of His pardon, mercy, grace and love. How often have you stopped to think how He much He must care for you.

David did - he often stopped to reflect on the evidence of God's love and care for him. It caused him to proclaim "who am I, that you care so much for me", Psalm 8:4 (paraphrase mine).

Acknowledging the greatness of God in your life, opens the doors to experiencing His greatness in a very personal way. Make a committment today, to be committed to recognising God's hands in everything and acknowledge His greatness in all things, even the simple things.

SERMON: BEING THANKFUL FOR MANNA

SERMON TEXT: EXODUS 15:27; 16:1-18, 35. NUMBERS 11:4-10,16A-20,31-34

PRAYER:

"The entrance of your word gives light, it gives understanding to the simple". Lord please prepare our hearts to receive and understand your words, that we might be fruitful doers of your word and not hearerss only, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

EXODUS 15:27

And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

EXODUS 16:1-18

And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: (emphasis mine)

And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?

And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD

And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. (emphasis mine).

This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

EXODUS 16:35

And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. (emphasis mine)

NUMBERS 11:4-10

And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

NUMBERS 11:16A-20

And the LORD said unto Moses, .......................

And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

NUMBERS 11:31-34

And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

MAY THE LORD BLESS THE READING OF HIS HOLY WORD.AMEN

SERMON BY PASTOR TEGA SWANN

Our text this morning, takes us back to the sojourn of the Israelites through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.  Their journey was directed by God and often, He would cause them to remain at one location for a period of time (so it was not that they were walking everyday, for forty years to the Promise Land).

At this particular point in time, the Lord had led them to Elim, a place surrounded by twelve springs and seventy palm trees! Wow! What a vacation! I wonder what the Travel Agencies of today would charge for a vacation at such a location.

This was typical of the Lord to cause the Israelites to camp near natural resources and if there were no natural resources for their survival, He supernaturally provided for their needs (e.g. making bitter waters, sweet (Exodus 15:22-25) and water from the rock (Exodus 17:1-6)). This gives us an insight into God's nature - that of caring for what He has made. This aspect of His nature was also confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 6:25-32. Even way back at the beginning of creation, He made sure that everything which He had created had what it needs to survive (Genesis 1:29-30; 2:5-6).

I am painting us this picture so that we might have a good understanding about the God we are talking about and the situation of the Israelites, which we are reviewing.

God had taken care of them so far; they lacked nothing.

However we come to this point in time, when the Israelites stirred themselves up to a state of discontent. They began to lament and crave the 'goodies' found in Egypt, which were lacking in the desert. Duh! Who expects to find a grocery store or a Lord's in the desert? Or which soldier goes to war with a bag of his best clothing and an expectation to wine and dine and live life as he did on his homeland? None, because in the process of transition, before you get to the final stage, most things are, if not everything is makeshift, i.e. temporary.

Apparently, the children of Israel had very little knowledge of this, because they expected to dine and wine and live as they had in Egypt, slavery and all.

Even though the Lord found them at fault in this, He went on to provide for them the necessary parts of their cravings. Notice that He did not fulfill their requests for olives and spices, etc. He did not pander to their childish request (childish, because they were not thinking strategically like grown men in their situation).

These people became the only people to have eaten bread that was from heaven! And it is amazing to note that whenever their needs were supernaturally met, the Israelites never stopped to marvel at it all. They just went ahead to fulfill their need without a thought for the God who made it possible. This trait of 'self-absorption' and 'selfishness', caused them not to grow in their understanding and knowledge of God and therefore, they were never able to act right towards God.

How would you react today if God met one of your needs in a super-natural way? Would you just happily take your gift and then be on your way? This should not be our only reaction, but we should also take the time to ponder the wonder of the provision. In so doing we are seeking to understand God and His response will be, to make more of Himself known to us and this will result in a better relationship between us and God.

We could and should even bring this home to our relationships with our fellow human beings. When someone does something for you or gives you a gift, letting our response go beyond a 'thank you', to dwelling on the character and nature of the person who has done this to/for you, will provoke a desire to know this person better and lead to a (n) improved relationship; with strangers becoming friends and friends becoming even closer friends. To do any less would be criminal because, just having our desires gratified and then be on our ways, would make us just as self-absorbed and selfish (as the Israelites were at this time) and destroy any relationship bonds and any opportunities there might have been for good relationships to form. 

Therefore lacking the right response to the awesome provision of God in their lives, the Israelites hit yet another hurdle. The non-Israelites in the midst of them stirred them up to rebellion against God and Moses, because although they had necessities, they lacked luxuries. (Now bear in mind where they were physically. Were they in a situation where lacking luxuries should have been an issue?)

Again, we must consider the basis for this new development. The first time, they rose up a cry by themselves. This time, the strangers in their midst incited them to it. How typical, when one does not know nor understand with whom they deal - it will always be easy for outsiders (people outside of the relationship) to create problems in the relationship. They will easily help you point out all what is lacking in your relationship (either without an understanding or a complete disregard for what point you are at in the relationship). And sadly, because you also have not bothered to know the person with whom you deal, beyond what you get from them, you will foolishly fall prey to this incitement and commit actions and or develop attitudes that lead to destructive results between you and whomever.

What was so terrible about 'the bread from heaven’, which they ate? It was completely filling without leading to either obesity or under-nourishment (Genesis 16:18). We can imagine also what other effect it would have had on their bodies, considering that there are not ugly pictures of heavenly bodies! Would that we could find such a food for our 'diets' these days. It would probably cost the earth! But no! Those who have become our friends and companions have ignorantly compared to what we have to what they used to have and have told us that we have been short-changed and should not accept this. Therefore we will not! However, what both you and your companions have missed out on, is the stage which you are at in your journey. Have you arrived yet or are you still in transition?

The answer to this matters, because, if you are still on your journey, you need the wisdom the Lord shared with us last week in the sermon "A NEW BEGINNING". Get wise so that you might live longer and get yet some more blessings from the Lord!

For the Israelites, their foolish behavior provoked God to grant them their desire for meat, but the Bible says that "And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague" (Numbers 11:33). 

What a terrible repercussion! Does it remind you of the adage "be careful what you wish for"? I would like to add to that by saying, "think carefully before you make your wish". Is what you are wishing for really necessary, especially for the point that you are right now? Are you at your final destination for this situation, or is there still more road to travel before you get there?  Also think about the possible outcomes that might occur as a result of your wish. If you are not at your final destination and or, if there are negative possibilities, you may want hold off on making that wish or request. 

We need to grow to incorporate into both our spiritual and earthly living, the attitude of being grateful for what we have now, even while looking forward and or hoping for what we do not have. We should be careful in how we go about hankering after what we do not have, lest it not only cost us the good that we already have, but also deprive us of the opportunity to ever get to our finish line.

In order to 'arrive' therefore:

"Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7). Without wisdom, you cannot make it spiritually or physically (Matthew 25:1-12). Wisdom is the key to avoiding the pitfalls of the Israelites (and any of your own!). But how do you get wisdom? You ask God for it! (James 1:5) And you get in return not only wisdom but also Jesus Christ (“who of God is made unto us wisdom..." (I Corinthians 1:30b; consider also the "Three Wise Men". Their wisdom caused them to seek Jesus through 'thick and thin').

Know this though, anything outside of God's wisdom, still counts as foolishness and leads you back to the destructive pit (I Corinthians 1:20-24; 3:19; James 3:13-17)).

The second thing to have for your journey is ‘CONTENTMENT’. In I Timothy 6:8 we counseled thus, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content”. Again, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Hebrews 13:5.

 The Lord not only knows where you are trying to get to: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end" (Jeremiah 29:11), but He is well over and able to get you there "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think..." (Ephesians 3:20, emphasis mine). Again, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19. Talk about heavenly supply!

Do not allow what you do not have today, blind you to what you already have. Wealth and comfort and all that comes with it is good, but do not make that your priority or your goal because as the Bible says “they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” I Timothy 6:9. Riches should be a blessing from the Lord (Matthew 6:33) and not our reason for being!

Make the commitment today to start to appreciate both the givers and the gifts in your life and watch how your relationship both with God and with man blossom and rise altogether to a new sublime level. 

PRAYER:

Father we ask your forgiveness in any way in which we have not honored the gifts that either your or our fellow men, have given unto us. Create in us today, a right response to what we receive and have already in our lives and give us the wisdom to wait like the wise virgins for the fulfillment or your word and our hopes and dreams, in Jesus name, amen.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS

God mandates tithing and the giving of offerings to the church. Whether you are tithing with your home church or with us (for explanation, see last week's sermon), prepare what you are giving to the Lord, by singing with us:

"We bring the sacrifice of praise / Into the house of the Lord / We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. / As we offer unto you, our sacrifices of thanksgiving/ As we offer unto you, our sacrifices of praise". (repeat as needed)

PRAYER OVER TITHES AND OFFERINGS: "Glory be unto you our God, for all your marvellous works in our lives. Please receive and bless  our tithe and offerings and make the blessings of the tither and the giver available in our lives, now and forever, we pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Please give your tithes and offerings to your home church and if you want to join our church on the web or wish to give a free will offering, you may mail either or both your tithe and offering to REFRESHING SPRINGS MINISTRY, P O BOX 433, GREENBELT MD 20768. ALL TITHES, OFFERINGS AND GIFTS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE, SO BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.

Also you may e-mail us either for questions or for further teaching on the sermon, using our contact form. We will be pleased to either elaborate  on the sermon or to answer any questions you many have. You may also e-mail your comments and thoughts on the sermon.

CLOSING AND BENEDICTION

Unto God's gracious hands I commit you, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, now and forever more in Jesus name, amen.

A NEW BEGINNING

We welcome you to this our first worship on the web experience.

OPENING PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we welcome You into our midst in the mighty name of Jesus. We ask for a manifestation of your presence in this our worship to as many as are gathered on the web right now on our web service in Jesus name. Amen.

Please join us as we lift our voices to sing:

                                                         Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, How great thou art, how great thou art. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee,. How great thou art, how great thou art.

verse.

O Lord my God, when I awesome wonder, consider all the works  thy hands have made. I see the stars I hear the roaring thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

refrain

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee.; how great thou art, how great thou art. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. How great thou art, how great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, my Savior to thee. How great thou art, how great thou art. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. How great thou art. How gre-a-t thou art!

CALL TO WORSHIP

As this song still echoes in our hearts, let this be your moment of reflection. Reflect on all the wonderful things, oppurtunities, blessings, in this world of ours. All the marvellous things that God has done, that we cannot explain. The re-assurance of His love towards us in so many ways and most importantly, that we made it into this new year.

Pause a take a few minutes to give Him praise, for sparing your life into this new year. Praise Him, yes praise Him, for He could have chosen for you not to be here,but He chose instead for you to be here.

Begin to ask the Lord to give you a revelation and understanding about His purpose for your life on earth here. Take some time right now to pray passionately about this: for this is one of the most important requests you could ever make for yourself.

Finally let us pray together as the Psalmist prayed "Lord teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, in Jesus name. Amen"

THE SERMON: A NEW BEGINNING by Pastor Tega Swann

SERMON TEXT: ISAIAH 65:17-25

Happy New Year once again all! I heartily welcome you to this first service on the web, you are welcome in Jesus name. Amen.

It gives me great joy to welcome you to this service, as we have equally waited and longed for this experience. And more so that it has pleased the Lord to make it happen at the beginning of this new year. Amen and "thank you Lord".

It is a wonderful thing when what we have hoped for, prayed for  and waited for, finally comes to pass. It gives one that feeling of having succeeded at something; because you have crossed into a place of positive change from the former situation. Praise God! Hallelujah.

This brings me to the Lord's message to us as we start the new year; " A New Beginning". 

Let us open to our text in the book of Isaiah (old testament), chapter 65, from verse 17 to 25.

As we read, may the Lord bless the reading of His holy word in Jesus name. Amen. And may our hearts open to receive His word and bring us understanding ad enlightenment for our lives in Jesus name. Amen.

THE WORD:

"For behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD".

May the Lord bless the reading of His holy word in Jesus name, amen.

Hallelujah! The Lord wastes no time in informing us about His plans for us. In verse 17, He calls us to note what He is doing: making our new heaven and new earth. What does this call to mind?  

'NEW', indicates change. According to Radom House Webster's College Dictionary, "new" "describes  things that have not existed or have not been known or seen before. NEW refers to something recently made, grown, or built, or recently found, invented, or discovered: a new car; new techniques". In this sermon, our heaven I will refer to as our concept of , understanding of and relationship with God ; and our earth, our life as we know it and live it here on earth . Therefore the Lord is saying to us that in this new year, He will make our concept and understanding and relationship with Himself new; also He will make our lives as we have both known and lived it on earth new.

I am gettting all excited already, because I know of lots of areas in my heaven and my earth that I would greatly appreciate change in.

He further punctuates His plan by saying that the former or the things of the past shall neither be remembered no come to our minds in the face of the newness which He will create.

Wow!  Is this creating as much of an anticipation in you right now, as it is doing in me? It better be, because, I am very certain that just like me, a lot of us (if not all of us) have things and situations in our lives that we would prefer to leave behind and not remember; or things that have been in our lives that we would prefer not to have in our lives anymore. Hallelujah! For if you are in such a place (as I am) please join in shouting hallelujah to the Lord, because what we have preferred but cannot do, He is, in His new year message to us, promising to do. Wow! I am ready to be made new! Are you? 

However, we encounter a 'but'  in verse 18. "But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy".

The word 'but' in the dictionary indicates something to the contrary.  Why would the Lord use the word 'but' in a situation that clearly promises positive change. (Jerusalem by the way refers to the dwelling place of the Lord (I Kings 11:36) and which is now represented by you).

The use of the word 'but'in verse 18, gives the indication that what we might see as this new beginning is created, might provoke in us something other than joy. Hence the use of that word. But why?

The answer lies in the body of this sermon. The Lord gave me to understand something that happens in the process of making new. He shed light on my understanding by referring me to something that happens when we either build new from the beginning or from something that was already in existence. In both instances, the first step always almost involves either preparing the ground to lay the foundation for the new building by removing and pulling down of all the previous structures on that ground, which may include but not limited to trees, shrubs, grass, buildings and whatever else might be upon that portion of land that we want to build upon.

Thereafter, comes the process of digging and laying the foundation o what we plan to build on tha portion of land. And although our blue-prints created for us by our architect, give the picture of the beautiful structure we are trying to build, at this stage the place looks nothing like the finished structure.

All we can see at the first and second stages of our building, is rubble and a lot of mess.

Hence the caution "but". The Lord is warning us that although He is building this beautiful new structure that is bound to create joy in us, what we initially see as the evidence of this change will resemble the rubble of clearing the land and will in no way look like the finished work which He promises in verses 18-25. He is teaching us this right now, so that we do not become the  people who cry out as the year progresses "God you have promised me ........., but why is so and so  happening? This looks nothing like what you promised me" .

Before you are finally in the finished product of your promised change, you will experience changes that will at times seem like disorder. When you are in this stage, please stop and either visit or picture a construction site and remind yourself that just as the builders end result is not the rubble you see at the site, so the finished picture of your situation is not chaos but somethng of beauty and good  purpose; and wait with the joy that the Lrod advocates in verse 18 for the finished product.

For He promises that the finished product will be

• one of joy and not of sorrow
• one in which He will rejoice in you (and not be displeased with you)
• one in which your children live to fulfil their purpose and not die prematurely
• one  in which you will prosper to own your house and not lose it to foreclosure or anything else
• one in which you will reap success in your career and not frustration
• one in which you will not be usurped, but will eat the fruit of your labor
• one in which all of these blessings will last for all time and shall not be terminal
• one in which you will not work in vain
• one in which your efforts will be appreciated and not be cause for trouble
• one in which both you and your children will continually bring forth the blessings of God, because you are a blessing
• one in which your prayers are readily  answered
• one in which h the Lord pays attention to what you say
• one in which you will be safe in every dangerous situation
• one in which the devil will be restored to his rightful place: having no power over you and under your foot and eating dust
• one in which the devil will be unable to hurt or destroy you

Father we thank you for your wonderful plans for us in this new year. Please give us the grace to remember this your word to us throughout the year and live in it it Jesus name. Amen.

I would like to remind us that thiis word is to the children of God - those who have accepted the Lord Jesus into their lives. For those who have not, you cannot recieve this blessing. In order to recieve the lord Jeusus into your life, you must believe and accept that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23) in need of His grace and invite the Lord Jesus into your life to be your life to be your Lord and Savior. If you do this, you have automatically  been added to the lists of recipients of this His blessing.  But it does not stop there. Continue in your decision by identifying and aligning yourself by membership in a church where you can build on the decision you have taken today and continue the process to be changed into the image of who God wants you to be - the image of Christ ( 2 Corinthian 5:17). For any one who made this decision to work with the Lord this year, we are willing to be your partners in your walk, please write to us and let us pray with you. May God bless you in Jesus name. Amen.

TITHES AND OFFERING

This ministry is a church and therefore we take tithes (ten percent of what we earn)and offereing (free will offeringg).However, if you belong to a church, please pay your tithes and offering to your home church. However, if you have been blessed by our ministration and have no home church, you may give your tithes (only if you have no home church) and offering. All tithes and offerings should be made out to Refreshing Springs Ministry and mailed to Refreshing Springs Ministry, P O BOX 433, GREENBELT MD 20768.

PRAYER OVER TITHES AND OFFERINGS-" Father out of all that you have given us, we come bearing our gifts of tithes and offerings. Thank you for all our bountiful gifts and blessings in Jeus name. Please recieve now our tithes and offering and blesss us according to your word in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10-12. Therefore now Lord, open up the windows of heaven and pour out on us a blesssing such that there is not enough room to recieve it. Rebuke the devourer for our sakes, that he does not destroy the fruits of our ground nor our vine cast her fruit before its time in the field.That all nations shall call us blessed, that we may be a delightsome land. In Jesus name, amen.

CLOSING AND BENEDICTION

Unto God's gracious hands I commit you, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, now and forever more in Jesus name, amen.

CHURCH ON THE WEB

Welcome and thank you to everyone who believed and waited and prayed for us to start our "Church on the Web" experience. We are pleased to announce that three months after the initial notice, we now have the both the priviledge and unction to start. May God bless you, all our faith partners in Jesus name.Amen.

As earlier stated, you may join us Sunday mornings for the word ,Tuesdays for Bible Study. We are currently working on our broadcast, therefore only the written message is available now. But by the grace of God, we will grow from here to include a live broadcast and whatever else His grace permits us to.

To keep up with both current and past please go to our 'SUNDAY WORSHIP' page for Sunday publications and 'Bible Study' page for Bible Studies.

Remain blessed.

Pastor Tega Swann