I'm pasting below the text of an email someone sent me a few weeks back.
Just wanted to share some notes from Pastor Love's Bible study- he preached from John chapter 5. The man who had been afflicted for over 38 years and he was down at the pool of Bethesda which means: "House of Grace" . Just to wrap up this is where Jesus says to him"Rise up and walk" He did after 38 long afflicting years!!
No matter what the condition a person is in or what they have gone through- Anything can happen and is possible w/GOD.
However, we seem to limit GOD when we judge things based upon the past either with ourselves or others.
We need to keep believing God
The presence of Jesus keeps changing everything /everyday- we really need to STOP limiting GOD.
The man in John , chapter 5 was only looking at his problem which he had been doing for 38 years. (Pastor Love joked most of us- himself included- would be frealing out after 38 minutes let alone 38 years !!!)
Stop putting GOD in a box and Start believing HIM.
Don't make an evaluation of God based upon past experiences (Pastor Love was sharing about an Outreach experience recently at the Inner Harbor- A man's former father-in-law who is a Pastor was very legalistic and the guy never heard about God's grace & mercy therefore his evaluation of GOD was extremely negative because he thought he could never measure up but toward the end of the conversation- his attitude change and now he wants to know more- Praise GOD!!-this is short version)
None of us are perfect-only GOD is
By faith we need to start seeing opportunities instead of seeing/confessing the obstacles.
We say 'I can't" but God says "I can"
We need to tell GOD our requests- be forthcoming , don't tell GOD well I don't think this is possible because of this past issue, etc- Don't limit GOD. He is ALL POWERFUL & ALL KNOWING.
When GOD is present-anything can happen-don't limit Him or put Him in a box.
The presence of GOD changes everything.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Law vs Grace (a big 10-4)
These are notes from the Tues. eve. Bible Study held by Greater Grace of The Chesapeake at Frank's Pizza in Havre de Grace, MD. Pastor Wright led the study.
There was legalism at the church of Jerusalem. Many insisted that believers needed to be circumcised.
Acts 15 - Paul was called to preach to the Jews and Peter to the Gentiles. The law was never given to The Gentiles. A person who is or was Jewish can tell you what it is like to live under the law but someone who has never lived under the law cannot describe it.
The Gospel was sent for the Jews and The Gentiles. Note that Peter was called to the Gentiles. He went not just to a Gentile's house but to a tanner's house, a tanner where there were dead animals. (He had the freedom to be there).
If the matter of the Judaizers (circumcision)had not been resolved, Christianity would have just been another sect (like the pharisees and the Saducees).
They purified their hearts by faith. Romans 10 those who lived under the law had great zeal but not according to knowledge. Verse 11 says "But we believe that through grace..." Moral light doesn't save a man but it keeps a nation.
Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law". The law keeps the old sin nature in check. It shows sin to bee exceedingly sinful.
The law binds you to itself. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law. Romans 8:4.
Jesus fulfilled the law in us. There are grounds for conviction (from the Holy Spirit) but there are no grounds for condemnation. (Romans 8:1).
Romans 10:4 Christ is the end of the law. He cam to put an end to the law and that's the beginning of grace. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and enables us to grow.
My thoughts: I am old enough to remember back in the 1970's when everyone had CB radios. The expression 10-4 was very popular. When you said "10-4" it meant that you were acknowledging receipt of a message. When we wanted to emphasize or exaggerate an acknowledgement, it was a "big ten-four". I remember years ago hearing a pastor say that Romans 10:4 is a "big ten-four". And it sure is! Message received and acknowledged BIG TIME.
There was legalism at the church of Jerusalem. Many insisted that believers needed to be circumcised.
Acts 15 - Paul was called to preach to the Jews and Peter to the Gentiles. The law was never given to The Gentiles. A person who is or was Jewish can tell you what it is like to live under the law but someone who has never lived under the law cannot describe it.
The Gospel was sent for the Jews and The Gentiles. Note that Peter was called to the Gentiles. He went not just to a Gentile's house but to a tanner's house, a tanner where there were dead animals. (He had the freedom to be there).
If the matter of the Judaizers (circumcision)had not been resolved, Christianity would have just been another sect (like the pharisees and the Saducees).
They purified their hearts by faith. Romans 10 those who lived under the law had great zeal but not according to knowledge. Verse 11 says "But we believe that through grace..." Moral light doesn't save a man but it keeps a nation.
Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law". The law keeps the old sin nature in check. It shows sin to bee exceedingly sinful.
The law binds you to itself. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law. Romans 8:4.
Jesus fulfilled the law in us. There are grounds for conviction (from the Holy Spirit) but there are no grounds for condemnation. (Romans 8:1).
Romans 10:4 Christ is the end of the law. He cam to put an end to the law and that's the beginning of grace. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and enables us to grow.
My thoughts: I am old enough to remember back in the 1970's when everyone had CB radios. The expression 10-4 was very popular. When you said "10-4" it meant that you were acknowledging receipt of a message. When we wanted to emphasize or exaggerate an acknowledgement, it was a "big ten-four". I remember years ago hearing a pastor say that Romans 10:4 is a "big ten-four". And it sure is! Message received and acknowledged BIG TIME.
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