The Love of God For His People

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.

The Character of God

I believe the best way I can comprehend the character of God is by describing him as multifaceted When you think of a jewel you think of cuts and imagine on each cut you see the same jewel but because the angle has changed you see a whole different arrangement of light. In the same way God has many different facets to his personality.

Isaiah 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

1 Corinthians 2:9,10
However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

I believe God reveals his nature through his word and he anoints this information to our emotions by revelation. Once God has our hearts, he has us.

This spoken voice of God to our hearts is what should cause us to be arranged in the body. Every person hearing from God, obeying, working in their place of calling. God is a great administrator. Sometimes we have a hard time discerning the voice of God and must make time for this.

Jesus Christ is PERFECT THEOLOGY. When you've seen the son you've seen the father.

The facet of God's Character that I sense the most when I'm in his presences is his great love for me.

He sings over me Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Isaiah 65:19
I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

If Christ would die for me when I was a sinner, how much more do you think he loves me now that I'm righteous because of his grace?

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

If you think God is waiting to wack you in the head with a hammer you will have a hard time being sanctified. God is loving and expecting you to rise above personl sin, rise above disobedience, conquer fear, and become the person of God he's called you to be. I believe he will believe in you until you die.

Romans 2:4
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

It is the kindness of God that leads to changes in thinking and changes in behavior. We must be able to experience his kindness or repentance will be elusive at best.

The T.V. Show touched by an Angel would always conclude with one or more angels manifesting themselves to the people with a message of God's great love for mankind.

John 3:16,17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. God is not wanting to condemn anyone! His will is that not one person would perish but all would come to repentance. His desire means he's extending kindness to humanity at this time because God made the human heart, he knows what causes it to change. It's the revelation of God's great kindness to us.

This parable is often called the parable of the prodigal son however It more appropriately could be called the parable of the loving father.

Luke 15:11-32

• Longing
• Looking
• Running
• Hugging
• Kissing Father

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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Filled To Overflowing

By Donna Santini 


I was in a service one morning listening to a pastor deliver a great Sunday message when all of a sudden he stopped and said that he had to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. He began to prophecy and flow in the gifts of the spirit in an awesome way.  Many people were touched that day because of his willingness to be used and his obedience. He said one thing that has really stuck with me over the years. He said, under the unction of the Holy Spirit I believe, that many of us want to be used in the way God was using him but were we willing to invest what he’d invested to get there?

That statement caused me to stop and think but, to be honest, the impact of it didn’t really sink in until this morning, many, many years later. I remember hearing him make that statement and for a brief moment I had to scratch my head and think “Hmmm, would I be willing to invest as much of myself as he has? How hard could it be?”

As Christians, we often get this hyper inflated view of ourselves and our relationship with God. Kind of like the old saying “my eyes were bigger than my belly”. We listen to a message and that momentary feeling of elation causes us to excitedly make the declaration that we’re going to spend all our free time seeking God’s face, in His presence. And like most of us, we start out with good intentions of getting up an hour early to read the bible, to pray several times a day, to put on that soaking tape and just bask in God’s presence. Some people, like an inexperienced runner, start off running full force but then quickly become exhausted. Some, like me, have had grand visions of what I was going to do but never got off of the starting block.

I think you have to approach these or any goals in a realistic way. My biggest downfall was in trying to convince myself that I was going to get up at 4 in the morning to read the bible and pray and maybe fit in a workout session. First of all, I am not a morning person and second, I can’t seem to make myself exercise any time of the day much less at 4 in the morning! I’m like an old automobile that you have to crank start several times to get the motor going and then when it finally starts, you have to let it run a little while before putting it in gear.  So, to set a goal like that for myself was not realistic at all and ultimately set me up for failure. It started off with me hitting the snooze button several times and then finally hitting the off button then as each day progressed, I just stopped setting the alarm for that all together. I never got off the starting block!

I was listening the other day to one of my teaching cd’s and the lady was talking about discipline. I dreaded starting that cd only because as Christians we really have gotten so spiritually and physically lazy in doing the work of God and disciplining ourselves in every area of our lives. I’ve heard, as I’m sure most all of us have, that wise crack about how we’re to “buffet” our bodies not “buffet- as in all you can eat” yet many of us engorge ourselves on the things of this world until we are so full of junk that there’s no room for anything spiritual to survive. One of the things she said made perfect sense. It was one of those “why didn’t I think of that” moments. She was talking about how she listened to teaching cd’s, the word of God on cd’s, on a daily basis and had to decide when she could devote the time to doing that. She looked at her schedule and said, “Well, I can put a cd on while I’m getting ready for work and while I’m driving.” That worked out great for her. Her spirit was getting fed every day because she was hearing the word of God.

Why is it that as Christians we’re made to feel like we’re missing the mark if we’re not rising before the chickens? Does God love me any less or think worse of me if I spend time in His word in the evening as opposed to the crack of dawn? I don’t think that is as big of an issue to Him as it is to people who can have a tendency to be a little overly zealous in their religious beliefs and how they think things should be done. I believe God is overjoyed with us when we spend time in His presence, day or night. Do I take time to pray every “morning”, even if it is brief? You bet! Why? Because that is something I can do even when I’m going about my day and I need that personal time with God. I can’t always open the bible and spend an hour in His word any time of the day but I can pray anytime, anywhere, and it brings me to the throne room of my Father. Then, for me, in the evening before I go to bed when I’m not a walking zombie, I can sit down and spend time getting to know my Heavenly Father in an intimate way by reading His word.

A few years back the Lord spoke to me and told me that I needed to remove myself from the things that were keeping me from operating fully in the gifts He’d given me. What all did that encompass? Well, the first thing that came to mind was the physical things; tv, computer, and my new smart phone with all it’s neat gadgets and games. Immediately my flesh went into panic mode.  I don’t watch a whole lot of tv so that didn’t seem too bad but my flesh screamed out “you can’t give up the computer! After all, you do all your work on it and remember that book you started writing, you’ll need it to do any research.”

The iphone was new, uncharted territory. I’d just gotten it for my birthday and at first it was just a phone because, unlike any child born today, I wasn’t born with the “I know how to operate any cellular device ever created even though I’ve never seen it before” gene.  Then my daughter who was born with that gene and who already had one of these high tech devices decided to download a bunch of new apps for me to play with. Well, it didn’t take long for me to find phase 10, spades, family feud, words with friends, draw something, and a host of other games that started consuming the biggest majority of my free time. The sad part is that we really don’t realize just how much time we waste with all of these things that have no eternal value.   Does that mean that we should never watch another tv show, ever get on the computer, or have any cool smart phones? Not at all.  Those things are not bad if done in moderation. They just don’t need to consume us or our time and when God has to tell you that you need to remove yourself from them, you’re probably spending way too much time on them!

As I sat here this morning looking over the prophetic word the Lord had given me a few years back, it suddenly hit me that the physical things aren’t the only things that keep us from operating in the gifts God gives us. He tells me, in this prophetic word, that I try to compare my accomplishments and talents to that of others around me. Even going so far as to tell me to STOP IT! He reminded me then that I am uniquely and wonderfully made just the way the way I am; a diamond in the rough. How many times has that kept me bound and ineffective for God? Let’s get real, there is always going to be someone who is prettier, sings better, and is way more talented then we could ever imagine. Chances are we are never going to be THE absolute best at anything. The moment we start letting that be a deciding factor in our decisions is the moment we cut the power cord of our lives. We will never accomplish anything if we are always comparing ourselves to others. It will leave us feeling totally defeated and unworthy all the time.

The next thing I read was that fear was keeping me from being used in those gifting’s. As God put it, “Fear and feelings of inadequacy had kept me from operating in those gifts to my full potential”. “Why are you fearful?” He asked. “Have I given you a spirit of fear?” 2 Timothy 1:7 says specifically that He has not given us a spirit of fear.  The next statement caused me to really stop and evaluate my heart and motives. “Who is it that you seek to please? Man or Me?” Wow! That hurt a little only because I’d been trying to convince myself that it was all for God but the fear of what other people thought controlled my emotions and actions more than God’s approval. God is not going to force himself on us or make us use the gifts He’s so generously given us. We can toss them by the wayside and never be effective or we can use them to further the kingdom of God. The choice is ours.

His gentleness touched me so much in His next sentence to me. “If you will allow Me, I will use your words and they will be like manna from heaven”. If you will allow Me. Not, “Do what I say or else I’ll smite you.” as we tend to view Him. Like a true shepherd, gently, ever so gently, leading His sheep. The choice was mine to make. Would I allow Him to use me? That would be like a jeweler saying, “If you will allow me, I’ll give you this gorgeous diamond ring”. Hello??!! Who wouldn’t want something like that that is of such great value? What woman wouldn’t love to get a diamond ring? But more on the spiritual aspect of it, why would I not want to allow God to use me in such a powerful way? The “treasure of great value” is in the honor of God even wanting to use me in the first place. What a privilege and honor to have the King of Kings, the great I AM, want to use me! All He asked from me and from all of us is that we are obedient.

What He said to me next has always stuck with me and has changed how I view myself and the gifts He’s given to me. “It doesn’t matter whether every note is perfect or how nervous you were, whether you felt it went badly or was a success. All that matters is that you are obedient to do what I’ve called you to do.” Then there was a promise of what He’d do if I would be obedient to do what He’d called me to do. He finished the word off with this. “Let me use you, flaw and all. I don’t need or ask for perfection. I ask for a willing heart.  I love you my child and desire only the best for you and always have.”

You don’t realize how much pressure that took off of me. All of a sudden I didn’t feel like I had to be perfect. God had made it perfectly clear that regardless of how good or bad I felt it was, He would anoint it. It would be like delicious nectar He said. Good or bad, no need for perfection on my part. All He was asking of me was a willing heart.  How much simpler could He have made it? Be willing, He’ll anoint, and blessings will flow. That was a major turning point in my life when I realized that as long as I was willing, so was He. It set me free from the bondage of fear, inadequacy, and comparing myself to others.

What the enemy wants to do is keep us bound by so many fears that we do nothing to encourage our spiritual growth or that of others. What he wants to hear us say is something I once said out of embarrassment and frustration while operating in God’s gifting’s and that is “I’m never going to do this again!”. God didn’t even miss a beat. He told me “That’s what the enemy wants you to say”.  If the devil can keep us defeated, we will never be a threat to him. The picture God gave me was of a toaster. You can buy a top of the line toaster, put toast in it and push the lever down but if it is not plugged in; it will never do what it was intended to do which is toast the bread. That toast will sit in that toaster until it becomes hard, crusty, and stale.   As Christians, if we’re not plugged into our power source, God, we are no different than that. We can walk around pretty on the outside but powerless on the inside.

God’s proven good on His word to me too. Whether I’ve felt it was good or bad, He’s anointed it and when I took my focus off of what man thinks and to what God thinks, it even changed how I felt about worshipping Him. It was no longer about how well I sang that morning. It was about how much God was rejoicing because I was obedient. No longer do I cringe if I miss a cue or forget the next word, I just inwardly smile and just remind myself that to God it is all good. It is a wonderful fragrance to Him, a soothing aroma, a sweet smelling incense to Him; no matter what WE think of it.

As I sit here rejoicing in the prophetic word my Heavenly Father gave me so many years ago that still pertains to me today and the new revelations that tie in with it, He’s reminding me of the desires of my heart that I truly desire today as much as I did those many years ago when I first heard that pastor say what I was thinking: “Many of us want to be used in the way God was using him but were we willing to invest what he’d invested to get there?”

I’m reminded of the story in Acts 19:11-12 where God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that touched him were taken to the sick and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. And like a kid in a candy store, my eyes glaze over and I begin to drool and I think of just how awesome that would be. To be so filled with the presence of God that people could be healed just by touching me. That would be totally amazing I tell God and then He asks me: “Are you willing to invest what Paul did to get there?” At first I got excited and loudly exclaimed, “Yes! You can count on me God because I want that so badly. I want my life here to count for something more than what it has. I don’t want my life to end and realize that I made no difference in this world. I want to have an eternal impact on people’s lives. I want to be the vessel that you can use to pour out Your glory. I want to walk on water. Well, I say to God, maybe not the last part, I got carried away a little there.”

Immediately, in one thought, the enemy throws every fear, every failure, every broken promise I’ve made to God in my face. I am suddenly hit with that horrible feeling you get when you’re stuck in the pit of despair. He reminds me of the prophetic words God has given me in the past and how I’ve not done them. He reminds me of the exact words that I’ve told God. “I feel like I’m not worthy of Your love at all God, You can’t even trust me to do anything you say.” I remember the tears that fell when I said that. The feeling of total worthlessness and shame I felt when saying that. In one instant that excitement fades because I do remember all the times I’d started out totally excited and ready to run the race and like the story about the tortoise and the hare, I fell asleep at the starting line.

Just as quickly, the Lord reminds me that there is no statute of limitations on Gods word or His promises to us. I’m sitting here feeling shame over my past and God is reminding me that today is a new day and that His promises are new every day. He shows me the things that the enemy has tried to keep me from seeing such as the little things that I’ve done that made a difference to someone and the areas of my life where I have been obedient to Him.

“You are a new creation” He says “fearfully and wonderfully made in My image. You are my child and I love you so much and I want you to know that you are the apple of My eye and I love you more than you could ever fathom. You see your failures. I see your potential. You see a life that’s been wasted. I see a field that’s being prepared for a bumper crop. A field that was so overgrown with the weeds of life that the process of getting it cleared and ready for planting has been a long and tedious process; that is a work still in progress. Underneath the weeds and thorns is a soil so rich and full of nutrients that when the time is right will produce a field of glorious proportions. You see no further than today. I already know your future. I know the great things you will do in my name. If I felt I couldn’t trust you then I wouldn’t require so much from you. I am not a God that I would set you up for failure. I am not one that would lie. My desire is your desire. I so want to fill you to overflowing. How my heart rejoices because I see what you cannot see as of yet. My heart rejoices because I’ve already seen you overflowing! I know what you will become and who you will touch. My child, pay no attention to the enemy who would try to keep you bound by the past mistakes. Remember that the moment you asked for forgiveness it was no more. Why are you crying over things that are not? Rejoice that your name is written in the Lambs book of life my child! Rejoice that you have been given a great destiny and purpose in this life and that not one moment of your life is unredeemable. I rejoice at the mere thought of you. Can you believe that? You said the other day that you couldn’t understand why I loved you so much. You were crying and as your Father, it broke my heart. My love for you isn’t based on how you feel about yourself which is exactly why you said that to me. I see your heart. I see your potential. I see what will be, not what is.

My children perish in part because of a lack of knowledge but they also perish because they choose to believe the lies that the enemy keeps feeding them. They get to feeling so ugly and worthless that they shrink away from my love like Adam did in the garden when he had sinned. They want to hide themselves not realizing that there is no place they can hide from me. I reach out my hand daily to pull my people out of the pits they’ve felt trapped in but so many of them refuse to take it and believe that they are loved with an everlasting love. They refuse to believe that I loved them so much that I was willing to sacrifice my only begotten son to pay for their freedom with His blood. Why can’t they believe that they are treasured so greatly? They’ve been invited to the banquet but they’ve chosen to feast in the gutters. My people need to rise up and proclaim the good news to the captives. My call to my people is will you be my hands and feet? Will you be salt to a tasteless world? Will you be light in the midst of total darkness? Will you go outside your four walls, outside of your little box to make a difference to even one person? All I need is a willing heart. A kind word spoken to someone who is hurting is manna to their soul. Does that mean that I’m requiring every person to go to the ends of the earth to proclaim the gospel? No. But it does mean that we can start right where we are. If you will just open your eyes, you will see that there are many hurting, broken people right where you are. My child, I am calling you to make a difference right where you are, flaws and all. So my question for you is “Are you willing to make the investment to get to where I need you to be?””

As I sit here and ponder the awesomeness of God and that He would even take the time to speak to me, I am almost at a loss for words. You notice I said “almost”. I am a woman, so therefore, hardly ever at a total loss for words! God also gives us a sense of humor.

I have to seriously ask myself that if it truly is my desire to be used by God in a mighty way, am I willing to do what it takes to get there?  Am I willing to invest myself, my time, in God’s word, God’s presence on a daily basis? Am I willing to pour myself into my relationship with my Lord and Savior? Am I willing to lay down my desires, my will, my life, my heart for my King? I have to be willing to empty myself so that God can fill me with Himself.

What comes to mind is what the word of God says about new and old wine skins. No one pours new wine in old wineskins because it will burst the wineskin. It’s the same way with us. His word says that we must decrease so He can increase. That just means that our will and our desires need to be placed at the feet of Jesus so that we can be filled with His will and desires for our lives. A person who is full of the things and desires of this world has no room for kingdom treasures. As the bible says, you cannot serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other. The bible refers to this in the context of God and money but I believe that whatever controls us whether money or some other means has become a master in our lives. What it really boils down to is am I “willing”? Are we as Christians willing? God wants a “willing” heart. Am I willing to allow Him to use me? Am I willing to lay down my life for my Father? Am I willing to be used for God’s purpose, good or bad? Am I willing to step out of my little world to make a difference to a dying and hurting world? Am I willing to invest my time, my life in getting to know my heavenly Father so intimately that I walk around filled to overflowing?  It's a question we all have to ask ourselves.   It starts with obedience and a willing heart.  
   

Being So Heavenly Minded You are Perfectly Earthly Good. Part 1

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.
Where is your mindset?

Colossians 3:1,2
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

When we are truly heavenly minded, there is a practical component that plays out in our lives that sheds abroad love and goodness to everyone we come into contact with.

People who are so heavenly minded they are no Earthly good are not truly heavenly minded. They may have knowledge or some type of pseudo spirituality but they are not truly connected to heaven.

As a consequence of us being seated with Christ in heavenly places, (Ephesians 2:6) we are to have our minds set on this reality.

I believe my spirit is alive in God but my mind needs to be renewed and washed to a different reality that is found in Christ. The course of my life is set by this mind so it’s imperative that I make it submit to heavenly realities.

We are instructed to take every thought captive and demolish wrong thinking.

2 Corinthians 10:4,5
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Sometimes, in order to tell us what to do, the Bible will also tell us what not to do. Here in Colossians 3 we see a list of where our mind and thus behavior will be if our thinking is not heavenly but still connected to our earthly nature.

Earthly Minded Behavior
 1.  Sexual immorality     
 2.  Impurity                    
 3.  Lust                            
 4.  Evil desires               
 5.  Greed = Idolatry      
 6. Anger
 7. Rage
 8. Malice
 9. Slander
10.Filthy language

Sexual Immorality

Sexual immorality, impurity, and lust would be any thought or action of lust directed toward anyone you are not married to. The only Biblically sanctioned sexual relationship is a marriage between a man and a woman.  All other sexual fantasies, meditations, or actions are sin.

Hebrews 13:4
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Job 31:1
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.

Matthew 5:27,28
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Evil Desires

• Wanting the wrong things.
• Having my focus and ambition set on things that are outside of God’s plan for my life.

Greed=Idolatry

When a person is looking for money to do for them what God wants to do then they are greedy idolaters.

Matthew 6:24
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Anger, Rage

Angry for selfish reasons.

James 1:19,20
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Ephesians 4:26
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

Jesus healed Angry

Mark 3:5
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Malice
Harboring bitterness, lack of moral excellence, of poor quality, vengeful.

Slander
The utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another's reputation through spreading their innuendos and criticisms in the church.

Filthy Language

Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Where is Your Mind Set?

Part 2

Heavenly Minded Behavior

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 

 

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
View Larger Map

Whatever Happened to the Polarizing Jesus?

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.
Matthew 10:34-39
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father,     a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c] 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Polarizing - to break up into opposing factions or groupings.

It would seem that many in the Church today, in an effort to keep or attract large crowds, would avoid polarizing truth due to it’s nature. However, Jesus, the one we’re all following embraced and dove head first into speaking and living a life that polarized people.

Do we polarize just for the sake of being polarizing? No, we have to be people of truth and honestly share the concepts of life from God’s word in love.

Ephesians 4:15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Relevance
An Example to Us

• Gaderene Demoniac
• Lazarus
• The Old Testament Prophets
• The Cross

I believe God’s called me to be a pastor but in the midst of this calling is maybe a higher calling to identify things in the Church that will keep her from stepping into her destiny.

Fullness in Christ.
I’m called to identify these issues and challenge individuals and leaders to become more Bible centric and Holy Spirit centric in a church that’s seemingly becoming more and more people centric and thus more and more ineffective at reaching multiple generations for Christ.

Reformation is my goal. If you’ve ever read the book of Acts and thought, “Wow, I don’t see that going on at my Church, but I’d sure love to!” Then you and I are in the same vein of thought. Unfortunately for the Church, it seems that many are content to develop systems that attract people at the expense of experiencing God’s power.

Why polarization? Well, if you want to see a stark contrast between something in the life of Jesus and the lives of many in Christian leadership today it’s this subject. Perhaps if we address this issue it will move the Church of Jesus Christ more closely to the original, Jesus himself, and thus bring about a portion of this reformation.

Many leaders today seem to fear polarizing subjects. Why? Well, by their very nature they divide people. When the goal is to attract as many people as possible to the Church speaking about polarizing truth tends to push against this modern Goal.

Did Jesus want a big Church? YES, YES, YES!!!!! However his methodology was radically different from most anything you and I have ever experienced. Jesus, in our modern Church systems would be considered revolutionary, however we must make every effort to follow his example.

Luke 9:23-26
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Who polarizes people?

People who are principled. These people operate by a rule or code of conduct that governs their behavior.

People who are cameleon tend to not polarize. Politicians do not want to polarize the electorate because it will cost them votes. Leaders, who want to attract large crowds at the expense of polarizing truth, take on a political flavor that I find unChristlike.

Why would a leader in a Church not address polarizing issues?

• The crowd validates them as a leader
• How many are in your church?
• The money from the crowd is attractive
• The world and many in the Church judge a crowd as successful and with success comes influence / power.

Warning to the Teachers of the Law

Mark 12:38-40
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

So, in the Church, if we’re not principled but more driven by a motivation to be politically correct lest we offend the crowd will we ever be able to have integrity within ourselves? Will we ever be able to address difficult issues? Will we ever be able to say, this is the direction we’re going to go? We’d love you to come with us but if not we bless you to go a different direction?

Will you also go? Peter and the other disciples couldn’t go because they were on board with Jesus due to the revelation that He was “the Holy one of God”. John 6:53-69

There is no Church in our country that I’ve ever visited and thought, man they’ve got it! There are some very cool things in the Body of Christ in the U.S.A. yet one thing I’ve noticed we seem to be sweeping under the rug are the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, built his ministry around manifestations of the Holy Spirit!

John 4:48
“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

Jesus Christ the Great Polarizer

The Gaderene Demoniac-
Luke 8:26-40

• For most of us we see this story and see a man who needed help and Jesus helped him and set him free.
• Jesus in this story, because of the supremacy of his Kingdom overturns the kingdoms of darkness.
• People attached to that kingdom will become angry with Jesus when he does this! The demoniac is free but the pigs are dead!!

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
What we see is a great miracle but amazingly not everyone is excited about it.

The Pharisees have turned their hearts against Jesus and consequently the miracle only serves to further harden them against him.

They conclude that now they not only have to kill Jesus but they’ll have to kill Lazarus also because he represents the authority of the kingdom of God over their religious systems. John 12:10

The forefathers of the Pharisees also were guilty of killing the prophets. (Luke 11:47-48) Why would they kill them? Their message was true and polarizing so some people didn’t want to hear it. One way to silence a voice is by killing them.

The Cross

The Cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what happens to polarizing leaders. Everywhere Jesus went he pushed people into the worship column or the “I hate him” column. I can’t see many people seeing Jesus’ ministry and saying, “ho hum”.

In Conclusion: If any man would come after me, he must take up his cross, deny himself and follow me. What good would it be to gain the whole world and forfeit one’s soul or what can a man give in exchange for his soul.

Take up his cross… stand on principled truth that will polarize.

How about you? How about me? Does our life polarize people like Jesus did or have we conformed to a modern religious system where our main goal is fun and the comfort of people?

Jesus, help our generation get back to the roots of our founder.
   

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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You Can Never Fall

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Thesis: There is grace available to the believer as the believer pursues God. This pursuit will release increasing virtue to the believer and prevent the believer from falling or stumbling away from God.

When I was a younger believer in Christ I can remember how strong the world would pull against my new faith. The things of my past would call to me and try and get me to go back to my old ways. When I came across this passage in 2 Peter 1:10, 11, I was very excited because I realized the only reason I could fall was if I walked away. No one and nothing could snatch me out of God’s hand or will. (John 10:29)

My own spiritual success or failure was not based on random chance or the will of the devil. God had made a way for me to overcome and be fruitful for him.

Victim Mentality:
People with a victim mentality, through their own limiting beliefs, have settled into becoming victims of their circumstances. They feel powerless to make changes in their lives because they think that the elements of their lives are out of their control. Having a victim mentality requires a giving up of most, if not all, personal responsibility. When we allow ourselves to be victims, we are letting the people and circumstances in our lives dictate how we will feel, and ultimately, who we will be.

What is attractive about the victim mentality is that things are not the victims responsibility and there is a certain kind of false security and peace in embracing the idea that, “things are not your fault.” However, this double edged sword will also prevent the person with the victim mentality from achieving and overcoming obstacles that they face.

OK, so we have to confirm our calling and election.

Confirm: to give new assurance of the validity of to make sure we’re called.

Calling: a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence

Election: Chosen by God to have eternal life

I believe God doesn’t want anyone to perish and makes a way available for all people through Christ.

2 Peter 3:9b
(The Lord is) not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance

Matthew 18:14
In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

What are the other 8 things we must walk in?

Add to Faith – Goodness – Knowledge – Self-Control – Perseverance – Godliness – Mutual Affection – Love.

2 Peter 1:8
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We must add to our faith-
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

The Disciples one day after Jesus was teaching on forgiveness specifically asked Jesus in Luke 17:5 to increase their faith!

Speak the Will of God
Jesus immediately started speaking about how to release faith.

Luke 17:6
He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

I believe we have not because we ask not (James 4:2b) or in this case we have not because we aren’t declaring things in faith.

Hear the Message about Christ

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Pray in the Holy Spirit

Jude 1:20

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

1 Corinthians 14:4a
4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, Prayer and Fasting

Matthew 17:17-21
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 21 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer *and fasting.

After adding to our faith we must add to goodness

Goodness - or as some versions put it ‘moral excellence’. It is the ability and desire to stand up for, and display that which is right to a country that is rapidly declining morally.

Knowledge - primarily, a seeking to know, an enquiry or investigation. Knowledge, especially of spiritual truth.

Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

1 Corinthians 2:7-10
7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen,     what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—     the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Jeremiah 33:3
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Add to your Knowledge Self-Control: restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires

It’s relatively obvious that not every impulse or desire should be acted on. Self-Control will help us to see the ultimate outcome of our choices and empower us to choose correctly. These choices governed by self-control will bring about God’s best for our lives. The list of people who have brought destruction to them selves because of a lack of self-control is immense.

Add to your self-control, perseverance-

Perseverance is a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : steadfastness

The best source of perseverance is knowing the will of God for your situation. If you don’t really know what the Lord’s direction, is circumstances will have a big influence in your decision making process. However, when the will of God is settled, the course of action, no matter how clouded with difficulties, will stay at the center of the mind of the person with perseverance.

Acts 5:40-42
His (Gamaliel’s) speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Add to perseverance godliness-
Godliness, simply put, is having the character and nature of God expressed in and thus through our lives.

Jesus Christ is God

John 14:7-9 7 
If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Jesus Christ is perfect theology. The perfect representation of God. Jesus was perfectly godly, walking in full godliness.

Hebrews 1:3a
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being,

Ephesians 4:11-13
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Godliness is part of the covenant and available to the follower of Jesus Christ.

Add to your godliness mutual affection / brotherly kindness:

The emphasis here is human to human relationships. Feeling a tender attachment or fondness for one another. Being of a sympathetic or helpful nature toward one another. This is brotherly kindness / mutual affection.

Let’s face it, who doesn’t want people to behave this way toward them? The more challenging question is do we behave this way toward others? As Christ is forming in us, we will act more and more this way.

And to mutual affection love – The most excellent way.

We will perhaps visit this subject next Sunday. It’s really too large to do justice to and still be mindful of your time this week.

2 Peter 1:8-9
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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The Power of God is Available

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.   2 Peter 1:3,4
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

1. His divine power has been given
2. Everything we need for a Godly life is available
3. It comes through knowledge of Him
4. God has called us by his own glory and goodness
5. Through the promises of God we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

1. His divine power has been given

In a spiritual battle, you on your own, are not equipped. You need God to equip you for this kind of thing. One of the ways God’s divine power has been given is through his word.

A. God has given his word
The Word of God that’s personalized and memorized is the Word of God that can be utilized. The    anointing is not on the chapter and verse but on the principle and precept.

One of the tactics of the enemy is to get you to believe a lie.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

The Word of God has a sanctifying effect. Sanctify means to set apart to a sacred purpose or to free from sin. To progressively take on the image of Jesus Christ inwardly and thus outwardly with our thoughts, attitudes and actions.

Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Jesus wielding the word of God
   *The Lust of the Flesh, Hunger

Matthew 4:4
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Deuteronomy 8:3

The pride of life, arrogantly testing the Lord in regard to a satanic attempt to twist Psalm 91:11, 12

Matthew 4:7
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Deuteronomy 6:16

The lust of the eyes, all the splendor of the kingdoms of the world.

Matthew 4:10b
For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Deuteronomy 6:13

B. Authority has been given

Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Authority over satan

Luke 10:18-20
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

1 John 4:4
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

2. Everything we need for a Godly life is available

God has made resources available through his Word and by his Spirit to allow you and I to live a Godly life.

There are two main points to living a Godly life.

• Not doing the sinful things you used to do.
• Start doing the Godly things you haven’t been doing.

To generate an exhaustive list of sinful and Godly behavior at this point would take the rest of the day. Allow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit speak to you about the sins you need to let go of and the Godliness you need to pick up. I believe he’s already spoken to you about these issues and he wants you to receive grace so you can become the person He wants you to be. The person you want to be.

3. All these resources come through our knowledge of Him

We must spend time in the presence of God if we’re to have “heavenly downloads” of knowledge.

Revelation knowledge is the foundation of the Church

4. God has called us by his own glory and goodness

We have been called out and chosen by God to be his son’s and daughters. What an incredible privilege and responsibility to be chosen by God!

Colossians 3:12
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Because we’re chosen by God and on the receiving end of perfect love, (1 John 4:18) we should manifest in our lives compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Galatians 4:6
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

5. Through the promises of God, we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

We need to know what God has promised us individually. We can know these promises by the Word of God and they should be confirmed by the Spirit of God.  What has God promised you?

When something better is presented it’s easier to let go of what we have or what we’ve been clinging to that is sinful or a wrong way of thinking. When God’s promise for your life is real, a pursuit begins toward the promise and other things that are of a less noble nature tend to fall off or away from you as you start and continue in your pursuit of the heavenly promises God has given you.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Galatians 5:16
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

In Conclusion:

1. His divine power has been given
2. Everything we need for a godly life is available
3. It comes through knowledge of Him
4. God Has called us by his own glory and goodness
5. Through the promises of God we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

Our “job” is to get under the spout where the glory comes out. John 6:29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” Our pursuit of God is a faith pursuit. We are pursuing his heart and there we will find all the empowering knowledge we need in order to live upright and Godly lives!
   

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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Right Relationships Within the Body of Christ

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.   Thesis: The very windows of Heaven will open or close based on how we relate with one another.

The Importance

Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

1 John 4:20
20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

1 Corinthians 11:29, 30
For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Vertical Relationship: Going Up

How to get the most you can get out of people in spiritual authority.  Honor them and the gift that they walk in.

Matthew 10:41
41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.

You could also read it like this:
41 Whoever does not welcome a prophet as a prophet but welcomes him as a welder will not receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a laborer at Ideal bakery will not receive a righteous person’s reward.

I believe that you can pick other spiritual gifts as well and they also apply. Evangelism, Apostleship, Mercy, Administration, you name it.

To sum it up, honoring the office that a person carries, will open up the blessing of that office.

Luke 4:22
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

Mark 6:2, 3
2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Teaching Ministry

• Amazement by the people who recognized his source of information was divine.
• Great wisdom flowing forth from Jesus
• Signs, wonders, and miracles accompany the ministry of the word!
• His vocation and family come up and the people become offended. They now reason that he’s just like them and they lose their ability to receive from the gifting that is obviously present.

Mark 6:4-6
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Attitude of familiarity = Lack of Faith

Miracle’s get stifled in this environment. Even Jesus Christ, the God Man, Son of God, The sinless Christ was limited by it.

So honor should be the culture. Honoring the men and women of God in your midst. This will open the way for their gifting to flow to you. If you dishonor them it will stifle the flow of the Holy Spirit. It happened to Jesus and it will happen today.

Vertical Relationship: Going down

Now let me speak to the men and women in the house of the Lord who have some measure of spiritual authority in the ministry. Maybe you have a title or a specific function where you’re responsible for people in some capacity.

Humility and mutual honor should blanket every relationship within the body of Christ. There shouldn’t be an attitude like Big “I” and little “you”.

Matthew 23:5-12
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

I believe this passage is to be interpreted in light of the attitude behind it. Let’s take a look at the spirit behind the instruction. It’s pride. Can you call someone in ministry by any title. Well, if you interpret this passage literally you can’t. So no more pastor, teacher, bishop, prophet, father, whatever. However, I don’t believe the primary issue here are the titles but the response in the heart of the person with the title.

When you approach someone in spiritual authority and call them say, “pastor”. Are they o.k. with you calling them brother? They should be.  If they aren’t, there’s a pride problem. However, for their benefit, if they view you as a brother when they need the pastoral anointing it might not be available for them. If they see you just as they are, they will have a friend’s reward. That is fine but if you need a prophetic word the heavens might be as brass for that prophet if you see them as familiar. If you need a healing you might not receive it due to this buddy, buddy attitude.

1 Peter 5:5
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Don’t Lord over People

Matthew 20:25
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Lording over People

1 Peter 5:2
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

Revelation 2:6. In the letter to the Ephesian Church John writes. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. I believe history bears out that the name Nicolatian refers to conquering people. The sect was inclusive of more depravity than just this but I believe this was one component of it.

Horizontal Relationships

Binding and Loosing

Matthew 18:18
v’s 15-17 deal with conflict resolution between brothers and sisters. 18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[f] loosed in heaven.
v’s 19-20 deal with the prayer of agreement. Conclusion: The very windows of Heaven will open or close based on how we relate with one another.
   

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
 Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
View Larger Map