Ephesians 3 – Facing PROBLEMS now and yet to come (Read vv 14-21)

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  (NIV)

The Apostle who described himself as the “chief of sinners,” also prayed the prayer above as testimony to the awesome God whom he served.  We have much to be thankful for and the best way to thank God is to accept the forgiveness He offers through faith in Jesus and then live a life that is an expression of your thankfulness.  God has showed us how.

So, it is your choice.  Having considered these 7 passages from the Bible, will it continue to be “Your” / “I” / “My Way” or are you ready for a wonderful change?  Need more information to consider?   Here is our suggestion:

• Begin reading the Gospel of John (4^th book in the New Testament) and continue reading the books that follow.
• As you start, ask Jesus to lead you in an understanding of His Word.
• If you are in the Rootstown area, stop in and visit Community Bible Church.

Enjoy the Journey!

 

Philippians 3:8-14  – PROBLEMS of the Past and ATTITUDE for the rest of your life

Especially 3:13b-14 " Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,  I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."  New Living Translation.

Mistakes made can have a way of trapping us and holding us back.  There may even be people who have judged you and keep reminding you of your past.  Plus, Satan loves to bring back those bad memories and failures and keep replaying them in our minds.  But realize this – no one had more to be sorry about and stuck in the guilt of the past than the Apostle Paul.  And yet no one presents a better example of a subsequent life lived for Jesus.  I've heard it said that the "Misery / Pain of the Past can become your Ministry / Passion in the Present." 

Consider the lyrics of Matthew West's song, "Do Something:"
I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”

Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, I created you!”

CHORUS: 

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

I’m so tired of talking
About how we are God’s hands and feet
But it’s easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
It’s alright, “somebody else will do something”
Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I want a fire
I wanna be the one who stands up and says,
“I’m gonna do something”

Repeat CHORUS

 
We are the salt of the earth
We are a city on a hill (shine shine, shine shine)
But we’re never gonna change the world
By standing still
No we won’t stand still
No we won’t stand still
No we won’t stand still

Repeat CHORUS

 

Colossians 3 - Guidelines for Living - a New Testament Summary

Colossians 3:12-17:  What does Jesus want me to do? 
 

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with

compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and

forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord

forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in

perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body

you were called to peace. And be thankful.   Let the message of Christ dwell among you

richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns,

and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever

you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to

God the Father through him.”   New International Version

Not long ago the phrase “W.W.J.D.” [What Would Jesus Do?] was very popular.  Perhaps you wore an arm band or had some other reminder.  Well, this passage is an expanded answer to that thought-provoking question.

Proverbs 3 –GUIDELNES FOR LIVING [a good Old Testament summary] (Read vv 1-12)
 

You have probably been told countless times, “It’s for your own good.”  When you accept the forgiveness offered to you through Jesus, besides a new relationship beginning, there is what the Bible describes as “repentance” - a change of direction, a 180-degree turn around.  Think of it as a new way of living – new guidelines.  Let’s face it; none of us have done a good job left to our own choices, so why not follow the direction of the One who knows best?  Consider how some of the guidance given here relates to what we have already considered in this blog:

• Trust God and follow his way (Romans 3; John 3),
• Not your own way (Genesis 3).” 

John 3 – RESCUE MISSION – What is the only solution provided to the PROBLEM?  (Read vv 1-5, 16-18)

Jesus spoke to this Jewish religious leader, Nicodemus, a seeker, about being “born again” – a concept that was even difficult for Nicodemus to understand.  But Jesus was talking about a person coming to a new life – a realization that Jesus came to rescue us from the separation and frustration our “I” choices have brought on us, and to offer us what the Bible describes as salvation or eternal life. God knew we could not clean up the mess we have made ourselves.  And He loves us so much He provided the way through Jesus for the mess we have made to be taken completely away.  The Bible expresses this as forgiveness of all our sins and an end of the separation they have caused between God and us.  He has invited you to begin a new life and to be adopted into His family to become His son or daughter. And unlike the problems many of us have had with our earthly fathers, this Father knows best!

God is inviting you to accept His gift of complete forgiveness as expressed in the first chapter of the Gospel of John:

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him,to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

John 1:11-12 New American Standard Bible

As Billy Graham has pointed out repeatedly, the way to forgiveness is to:

• Believe in Jesus.    [Hold onto Jesus in total trust that He is your only hope.]
• Receive the rescue that only He can provide you.  [Invite Jesus to be a part of your life.]
• Become a child of God.   [Be adopted into His Family.]

Romans 3 – SITUATION ASSESSMENT – How bad is the PROBLEM?  (Read vv 9-24)

It's bad – in fact it affects every one of us and there is nothing we are able to do about it on our own.   We could describe our condition today as:

·         “lost”                       [no opportunity for rescue]

·         “hopeless”              [beyond help or recovery]

·         “losers”                   [not what we want to be]

·       “screwed”                [pardon the slang, but for some this phrase carries a great deal of meaning]

·         “in a world of hurt” [a fatal condition]

·         “separated from God”  

·         “an enemy of God”

 Ever feel like “destruction and misery” are a part of your life and here to stay?  Have you ever longed for “peace” in your life?  Have you ever felt that your life was hopeless, and no matter how hard you tried, nothing would change? A co-worker had a sign on her desk, “Pretending to be Normal can be Exhausting!”  What if you could stop pretending and admit you need to be rescued from your “my” / “I” choices?

Genesis 3 – Presents the PROBLEM – How did we get in this mess?  (Read vv 1-8)

The “Mess” is what the Bible describes as death / separation from God, which is later described as sin. Notice the details here – Satan twists and distorts God’s instructions (v1); next he contradicts God  (v4); and then he puts a positive spin on it (v5).  Our problem, like Eve:

• We entertain / consider (I know I shouldn’t, but it looks so good.)
• We listen (It sounds so good, what does God know?)
• We believe the lie (I decide what’s best, not God.)
• Then we reach what seems like the point of no return (I want it, I deserve it, and I’m not going to be denied.)

We chose the “I” / “my-way” instead of obeying God.  The reaction of Adam and Eve – they tried to hide from God, and when that did not work, they passed the blame.  Today – different time, different place, but same story.

THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE – “CLIFF NOTES” version

 

Picking up and reading the Bible can be just as challenging as books like War and Peace. It even presents greater challenges as a collection of 66 books or writings in one volume, which does not necessarily lend itself to being read from cover to cover, beginning with the first (Genesis) and reading straight through to the last (Revelation).  Consider this a primer / the Cliff Note’s version – a quick way to gain an understanding of the message of God’s Word.

A quick look at 7 Bible verses will follow...