Giants

1. Hayden 7-25-19

The past few weeks have been an adventure as the Thursday morning Bible study has been tackling the issues that surround overcoming and conquering the giants that people face in life. Louie Giglio, well known Pastor and speaker, has been taking us on an odyssey of courage reminding us that, even though we may be facing giants that want to destroy us, they must fall to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The last couple of episodes we faced down giants of “fear” and “rejection.” We are looking forward to facing down more giants in upcoming Thursday morning studies. The office was packed this last study with 9 in attendance. But we have room for many more so if you have an open hour, join us every Thursday at 10:00am in the church office.

This study surrounds the Biblical account of David and Goliath and how this young faithful shepherd boy faced down and defeated the mighty giant Goliath. In the same way, we can face down giants also, but Louie puts a twist on who David really is. As the study points out, we are not David. it is Jesus Christ who is David, our champion. We do not become victorious by being David. We overcome by relying on our David—Jesus Christ!!

The Word tells us in Romans 8:35-37 says, ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” We are conquerors through Him! The Lord is David who has defeated Goliath and by relying on Christ and His shed blood, we become victorious over the giants that would want to take us down. As the Apostle John said in 1 John 5:4-5 – ⁴ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Be blessed even more!

Pastor Chris         

Miracle in Your Mouth

1. Hayden 7-11-19

Many years ago, before coming into the ministry, I was listening to a particular preacher speak on the power that was in the tongue. His foundational Scripture was Proverbs 18:21 that says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” I was especially intrigued when he uttered the phrase, “There is a miracle in your mouth.” Now I am not a “name it and claim it” kind of person, but if we believe in God’s Word and His instructions regarding the things we say, we must admit that there is power in the kind of language we choose to use. I believe in miracles and I believe it God’s power. And there seems to be a correlation between what we say and whether we see God move in our life or not.

As well as the verse in Proverbs, we can how important our speech is according to these Scriptures:

·         Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; (1 Peter 3:10),

·         Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29),

·         I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:36-37),

·         Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Psalm 141:3),

·         But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:8), and

·         If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless (James 1:26).

These are but only a few of the many references to the importance of ordering our speech to line up with what God’s Word says. When the 12 spies returned from scoping out the Promised Land that was to be their home, only Joshua and Caleb spoke positively about being well able to take the land. The other 10 spoke negatively about how they were too weak, too small, and too incapable of driving out the current inhabitants that stood in their way. Because of their words, those 10 never entered the Holy Lands. But Joshua and Caleb did. That day, there was power in their words and they were rewarded for ordering their speech to line up with the promises of God. We must do the same.

Be blessed even more and have a wonderful week!!

Pastor Chris         

Holy Fire

1. Hayden 6-25-19

The last few Sunday’s, Central Christian has been celebrating Pentecost. The Day of Pentecost is the celebration that takes 50 days after Passover and commemorates the time that Moses met with God on Mount Sinai and the birth of the first fruits of the harvest. It was also the day that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 120 disciples of the Lord in the upper room. On that day that Moses came down from the mountain, 3000 Israelites were condemned to die because of their sinful debauchery and disobedience to God’s law in one day, but after Peter and the rest of the disciples experienced this same Pentecost, 3000 people were saved in one day.   We find this account in Acts 2:1-4, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The Day of Pentecost was a day that changed the life of Christianity forever. The Holy Spirit had come! The Church now had the power to exhibit the life and miracles of Jesus to the rest of the world. The Old Testament foretold of this outpouring of the Spirit and Jesus confirmed that this was to be given. In 1997, Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York, wrote the book “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.” It documented the momentous change of a congregation that experienced such an outpouring of God’s Spirit to its members. I would suggest everyone take the time to read this account of what God can do in the life of a congregation that experiences the infilling of God’s Spirit. We still see God move in the life of people totally submitted to the God who created them, the God who saved them, and the very same God who loves them. Fresh wind and fresh fire can belong to anyone who desires all that God would give them if they so wanted it. Jim Cymbala focuses much of the text on what he believes was the catalyst for this outpouring of the Spirit to his church. Next blog, we will reveal to you what it was that Pastor Cymbala tells the world as to what he believes brought this Holy Fire to Brooklyn Tabernacle.

Be blessed even more!!

Pastor Chris