As Brother John concludes a four part study on Gideon, we are shown the importance of the decisions we make in our lives. As the fifth judge of Israel, Gideon failed in many ways. Through sin and temptation he made many wrong decision. Yet, despite his problems and failures, we should not forget the story of Gideon. His life shows us that even when we fail in life we are still great in the eyes of God. Not because of anything we did but because of what Christ accomplished on the cross.
Gideon (Part 3 of 4): Talents
March 31, 2012 By
God’s amazing grace towards us is the reason why He sent His Son to die for our sins. Not because of anything that we have done or anything that we deserve, but because of His love for us. His grace also has given each and everyone of us talents that we are to use towards His glory. As Brother John continues with a four part series on Gideon, we see how the Lord demands Gideon to use his God given talent to save Israel. In the same manner God does not want us to bury and hide our talents, but to exercise and grow the gifts which He has given us.
Gideon (Part 2 of 4): So Big
March 22, 2012 By
How big is Christ in our lives? Life with a shrunken god brings anxiety, worry, and fear of others’ opinions. A shrunken god won’t help withstand temptation to do wrong. A shrunken god cannot hear prayers and is no help at all. But the scriptures say we serve a big God. So big, that He is larger than our problems and our fears.
Pastor John points out that Gideon was a fearful man with a small view of God and of himself. But in Judges 6:16, the story of Gideon takes a crucial turn. God tells Gideon, “And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee.” Not only is God so big we can’t comprehend Him–He is with us! One of His names, Emmanuel, means “God with us.” His presence makes all the difference.
Gideon (Part 1 of 4): Game Changer
March 21, 2012 By
After forty years of rest from its enemies, Israel again did evil and the Lord delivered them into the hands of Midian. Israel cried out to God for help, and God answered by sending them their fifth Judge, Gideon.
When approached by an angel of the Lord, Gideon responded with doubt, but God was not dissuaded in saving Israel. Through Gideon, we see that God is not deterred by our shortcomings or inabilities.
God was not limited by Gideon’s lack of faith, but Brother John explains the importance of exercising our faith in a sovereign God. The works of Christ were without doubt great. Yet, He tells us that through faith and service to others we have the ability to do even greater works.
Deborah: The Female Judge
March 10, 2012 By
Deborah, one of the many amazing women mentioned in scripture, was Israel’s fourth judge. She was the wife of Lapidoth and a prophetess of God. As Brother John explores the story of Deborah, we see how women play a vital role in the kingdom of God. This story not only shows the courage and faith of Deborah but it also tells of Jael, another women who would become an even greater hero.
Coy Thomas: Faith
February 27, 2012 By
Elder Coy Thomas turns to Hebrews 11 to explore the topic of faith. Modern dictionaries incorrectly define faith as irrational belief rooted in mysticism, in contrast to rational thought. Yet God’s word teaches that we strengthen our faith by study and analysis of the truth.
The bible defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. The greatest hope of a follower of Christ is for our own eventual resurrection from the grave and translation to eternal glory. What is the substance of that great hope? What historical evidence could give us assurance of our own resurrection as yet unseen? The origin of our faith is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The empty grave is evidentiary; it is a historical fact. The resurrection of Christ is not our own resurrection, but on its sure foundation we can place our trust in the eventual certainty that we will be raised from the dead to meet our savior as He promised.
Those who exercise faith and resort to God’s word for guidance will gain much more than the anticipation of eternal glory. They will be rewarded with fullness of joy throughout life’s journey.
Ehud: Two-Edged Sword
February 15, 2012 By
After being under the oppression of Eglon for eighteen years, the children of Israel once again cried unto the Lord for a deliverer. The Lord raised up Ehud, a left-handed Benjamite. He would become Israel’s second judge, following Othniel. Through Ehud, Pastor John shows us God’s permissive will and control over all things including our own infirmities and shortcomings. We also see the importance of remembering God’s gifts in our lives.
Othniel: It Only Takes One
January 30, 2012 By
Pastor John continues a series examining the judges of Israel with a profile of Othniel, the first judge.
The story of Othniel is in Judges 3:7-11. It begins with the disobedience of the children of Israel. Verse 7 says the problem began when the children of Israel forgot the Lord. They forgot His goodness and His mercy. We tend to do that. Forgetting the goodness of God causes tension, anxiety, and worry. It pulls us away from God. Remembering saves us.
The children of Israel forgot God. They turned to the false gods of the pagan world, deities of crops and fertility. These were the paths to wealth in that day. Too much success leads us to forget God. There can be blessing in struggle, and there is danger in prosperity and ease.
God allowed an oppressor to arise: Chushanrishathaim. His name twists the modern tongue, but is rich with meaning. The “-rishathaim” suffix is taken to mean “doubly wicked,” while “Chushan” identifies the king as a Cushite, perhaps descended from the evil Nimrod.
But God’s mercy is great. When Israel cried out, God raised up a deliverer in Othniel, a man of the tribe of Judah. Before fighting the oppressor, the text says that Othniel judged Israel. We may need to repent and reform before we are granted deliverance from oppressive situations in our own lives.
Othniel was nephew to Caleb, having the pedigree of a leader. Yet deliverance came from God, not because Othniel came from a notable family. As verse 10 records, “the Spirit of the LORD came upon him,” and Israel was delivered.
Waiting by the Pool
January 30, 2012 By
John 5:1-9 records the story of a lame man healed by Jesus after 38 years of waiting for healing from another source. Many sick people waited by the pool at Bethesda in Jerusalem for the chance to be cured. Scriptures say that from time to time an angel came to the pool and disturbed the water. The first person who touched the water after the angel’s visit would be cured of all sickness.
Pastor John points out that the pool of Bethesda helped only those who could help themselves. Only those well enough to win a race to the pool could hope for healing from that quarter. After 38 years, it was clear the lame man had little chance of winning that race. The hope offered by the pool had become hopelessness for him. It was not a good life, but it was predictable. And so it was that when Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be made whole (John 5:6), the man did not say yes. Instead, he explained how the pool offered hope, but the hope could never be his.
This man thought happiness could only come from the pool. Jesus surprised him with healing and deliverance. Pastor John poses a question: what is your pool? What do you think will make you whole? We wait by many pools, sometimes for years: marriage, children, a job, a promotion, a salary, a body shape, a set of friends. Consider the lesson in this healing. The man did not earn it. His actions and words did not commend him to Jesus; he did not even say to Jesus, “Yes, I need healing.” Yet Jesus did heal him fully. Let us stop waiting by the pool and turn to Jesus.
Shamgar: From Plain to Precious
January 25, 2012 By
In our culture, we tend to look up to those who possess the greatest talents, wealth, and fame. We have a difficult time finding contentment with being average. How does God view those of us who might not have the gifts that make us stand out among the rest?
In today’s message, Pastor John, answers this question as he explores the life of Sham-gar. Through Sham-gar, we see how God takes someone plain and ordinary and uses him for something wonderful.
