tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81128853189312674802024-02-18T23:32:37.445-08:00TG Live - A Jesus-Centered ChurchTim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-86541924118255262432014-07-22T09:48:00.000-07:002014-07-22T09:48:36.379-07:00For His Name's Sake - Promised ScripturesLast Sunday, I screamed a whole series of many Scriptural notions about the Glory of God and His Great Name's Sake. Thanks to Ben Durbin for putting this together. I thought you might like to see the Scriptures that support such notions.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God chose his people for his glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ephesians%201.4-6" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ephesians 1:4-6</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, cf. vv. </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ephesians%201.12" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ephesians%201.14" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">14</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, NASB)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God created us for his glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, every one who is called by my name, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">whom I created for my glory.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Isaiah%2043.6-7" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Isaiah 43:6-7</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God called Israel for his glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Isaiah%2049.3" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Isaiah 49:3</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Jeremiah%2013.11" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeremiah 13:11</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God rescued Israel from Egypt for his glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works . . . but rebelled by the Sea, at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Psalm%20106.7-8" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Psalm 106:7-8</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God raised Pharaoh up to show his power and glorify his name:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Romans%209.17" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romans 9:17</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God defeated Pharaoh at the Red Sea to show his glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will get glory over Pharaoh</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and all his host; and the Egyptians </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shall know that I am the Lord</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> . . . And </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Exodus%2014.4" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exodus 14:4</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Exodus%2014.18" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">18</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; cf. v. </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Exodus%2014.17" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">17</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God spared Israel in the wilderness for the glory of his name:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. (Ezekiel 20:l4)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God gave Israel victory in Canaan for the glory of his name:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">making himself a name</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Samuel%207.23" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 Samuel 7:23</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God did not cast away his people for the glory of his name:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord . . . For the Lord will not forsake his people, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for his great name’s sake</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (l Samuel 12:20, 22)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God saved Jerusalem from attack for the glory of his name:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For I will defend this city to save it, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for my own sake</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and for the sake of my servant David. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Kings%2019.34" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 Kings 19:34</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; cf. </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Kings%2020.6" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20:6</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God restored Israel from exile for the glory of his name:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thus says the Lord God, It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for the sake of my holy name</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.. . . </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. . . . And the nations will know that I am the Lord. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ezekiel%2036.22-23" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ezekiel 36:22-23</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; cf. v. </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ezekiel%2036.32" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">32</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus sought the glory of his Father in all he did:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is true, and in him there is no falsehood. (John 7:l8)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus told us to do good works so that God gets glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">give glory to your Father who is in heaven</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Matthew%205.16" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matthew 5:16</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; cf. </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/1%20Peter%202.12" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 Peter 2:12</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus warned that not seeking God’s glory makes faith impossible:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">seek the glory that comes from the only God</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">? (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%205.44" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John 5:44</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus said that he answers prayer that God would be glorified:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that the Father may be glorified in the Son</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2014.13" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John 14:13</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus endured his final hours of suffering for God’s glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’ (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2012.27-28" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John 12:27-28</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Father, the hour has come; </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">glorify your son that the Son may glorify you</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2017.1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John 17:1</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; cf. </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2013.31-32" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">13:31-32</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God gave his Son to vindicate the glory of his righteousness:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood . . .</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to show God’s righteousness</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> . . . It was to show his righteousness at the present time. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Romans%203.25-26" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romans 3:25-26</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God forgives our sins for his own sake:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I, I am he who blots out your transgressions </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for my own sake</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and I will not remember your sins. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Isaiah%2043.25" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Isaiah 43:25</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">your own name’s sake</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Psalm%2025.11" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Psalm 25:11</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus receives us into his fellowship for the glory of God:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for the glory of God</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Romans%2015.7" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romans 15:7</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son of God:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He will glorify me</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2016.14" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John 16:14</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God instructs us to do everything for his glory:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">do all to the glory of God</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (l Corinthians 10:31; cf. 6:20).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God tells us to serve in a way that will glorify him:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whoever serves, [let him do it] as one who serves by the strength which God supplies – </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in order that in everything God may be glorified</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (l Peter 4:11)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus will fill us with fruits of righteousness for God’s glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is my prayer that . . . [you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to the glory and praise of God</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Philippians%201.9" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Philippians 1:9</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Philippians%201.11" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">All are under judgment for dishonoring God’s glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They became fools, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Romans%201.22" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romans 1:22</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Romans%201.23" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">23</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For all havesinned and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fall short of the glory of God</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Romans%203.23" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romans 3:23</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Herod is struck dead because he did not give glory to God:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he did not give God the glory</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Acts%2012.23" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Acts 12:23</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus is coming again for the glory of God:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Thessalonians%201.9-10" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 Thessalonians 1:9-10</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jesus’ ultimate aim for us is that we see and enjoy his glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to see my glory</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2017.24" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">John 17:24</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Even in wrath God’s aim is to make known the wealth of his glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, [God] has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, in order to make known the riches of his glory</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Romans%209.22-23" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romans 9:22-23</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">God’s plan is to fill the earth with the knowledge of his glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the earth will be filled with </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the knowledge of the glory of the Lord</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as the waters cover the sea. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Habakkuk%202.14" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Habakkuk 2:14</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Everything that happens will redound to God’s glory:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From him and through him and to him are all things. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To him be glory forever</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Amen. (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Romans%2011.36" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romans 11:36</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In the New Jerusalem the glory of God replaces the sun:</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b5d96a26-5eea-b3ff-6d4f-0d281532a20d"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the glory of God gives its light</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and its lamp is the Lamb (</span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Revelation%2021.23" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Revelation 21:23</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">).</span></span></div>
<br />
To Him be the Glory. May we live for His Great Name's Sake -- making disciples who make disciples.<br />
<br />Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-84667241044858485742014-02-23T14:11:00.000-08:002014-02-23T14:11:37.705-08:00Letter to the church @ LeadingtonMany of you have asked for a transcript of the letter to the Leadington church that I read today.<br />
Here you go:<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Grace and peace to you in name of our great Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">It is by Him alone that we have hope, and it is for His great
name’s sake that you pursue Him together and love each other well. You
are thriving! Your elders are shepherding you well. Ben is guiding
you through the Word with skilled precision. You have staff and cell
leaders that deeply love Christ and you. The focus is the Gospel.
And, <u>MOST</u> of you are on mission. You showed last week that
you are going to honor God and worshipfully give to make your house payment and
plant churches that plant churches. Stay with Jesus and Jesus alone.
Humbly stay there --- thrive there. LOVE GOD! I leave you with two
warnings and an encouragement: 1st, your heart is prone to wander. Look to the
cross today for your identity and look there again tomorrow. Jesus will never
let you go, but you will try and get away. Sin crouches at the door, but
Jesus has crushed it – <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">TURN TO HIM. 2nd warning, false teachers and hatred are
present. Hard times will come, but Jesus has won the victory. Joy WILL come in
the morning. Love each other and keep the wolves off of each other. LOVE
EACH OTHER.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Our hearts are prone to wander.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">And the encouragement, God does not leave unfinished business.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">He promised that he will never leave nor forsake you AND he has
said that HE will complete the work that HE has started in you. Cling to
Him and Him alone. Rest in His great promises.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Your humble servant, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">tim</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-947424904135697342013-12-30T11:33:00.000-08:002013-12-30T11:33:21.049-08:0090 Days or 90 Seconds of the Gospel?... Yes! And, 90 minutes! Part 2Hypothetical: I jump into a cab and the trip is going to take a few minutes to cross town. Is it worth my time to give a declaration of the Gospel to the cab driver? We have trained this out at The Bridge and it is probably the most common way that the Holy Spirit saves people. The Gospel is declared (maybe in the form of your 90 second testimony...I once was...then, Jesus...now I am), and the Holy Spirit saves people. So, the answer to the question is yes. We will not negatively affect someone if we love them with Good News. Remember, we do so with gentleness and respect.<br />
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But, what if you get on a plane and will sit next to someone for 3 hours? This provides the opportunity for a 90 minute Gospel presentation. Let me give you an example. I was on a flight to Salt Lake City one time and found myself with a young man who had just completed his Mormon mission in Detroit. He was returning home to start college I listened to his story to understand his perspective and knew that we had 90 minutes, so I asked him to give me the complete message of his mission. I listened carefully to his description of the 3 heavens and the other 2 or 3 post-death destinations and determined for certain that his teaching from the Book of Mormon was that good deeds from others could move people around in the afterlife. I, then, asked him two questions. "Do you believe this book?" I had a Bible in my hand. From his training, he told me that he did. And, "Did you know that a lot of what you just told me over the last hour (I just listened for an hour, more on that in a minute) is in contradiction to the Bible, our final authority as Christians?" He said that he was not aware of contradictions, and I believed him because I did not believe that he had ever read the Bible. I showed him in Luke 16 where a chasm was fixed in the afterlife between Lazarus and the rich man and that no movement was ever allowed - once to die and then judgment. Then, I told him that the reason that no movement was necessary was because of the sufficiency of Jesus' work on the cross and no good merit by any person was necessary to change our locale because of His magnificent work on our behalf. In the last 5 minutes that we had, I prayed him through the Gospel and simply asked him to continue to pray that the Holy Spirit reveal the truths of the Bible to him about the true Gospel. I did not rail against what he believed, but I did brag on the glory of the Jesus of the Bible. He thanked me as we left, and although I will probably never see him again on this version of earth, I am looking forward to possibly seeing him in the one true heaven -- the one that does not require good works to attain. I left him to deal with the Holy Spirit and the Gospel -- a good team when on mission.<br />
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That is a 90 minute Gospel mission.<br />
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Then, we should all be working on 90 day Gospel presentations where we are getting to know someone at work, at school, in the coffee shop we frequent (somebody has to do it), or in the foreign land we have been sent. Relationships are important and filling needs in the relationship out of true love essential, but without Gospel proclamation, no mission has happened. If it gets much beyond 90 days without finding what Tim Keller would call the "defeater beliefs" and work the Gospel -- the good news of Jesus -- into those defeater beliefs, we may just be walking in unbelief of the abilities of the Holy Spirit to win the day and in some kind of people approval idolatry sin. Or, in other words, chicken.<br />
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Listen! Listen more than you talk. In the 90 minute and 90 day efforts, we have time to answer the questions that this person has rather than the ones we want them to have. To learn the questions we must listen. And, PRAY! In prayer, the Holy Spirit will determine the day and the course to take to bring the Gospel to bear. Also, we ask the Holy Spirit to save this person. I had two running prayers that day on the plane. Well, three. After asking God to keep the plane in the air (I figured I could have more mission if actually alive), I asked him to provide me someone to share his great story with. Then, I just bluntly asked Him to save the young Mormon. I look forward to seeing one day if God's glory was revealed in salvation on some day that I never even knew about with a person that I cannot remember his name.<br />
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Remember, one of your identities as a child of God is as a missionary. That means you are a lover of people and a presenter of the Gospel -- the good news that we are in a spiritual nightmare of our own doing and Jesus came, lived sinless, died sacrificially, rose again in victory, ascended, and is returning. These 90 second, minute, and day proclamations are what you were reborn to do. Jesus was a missionary and learning to do this and doing it makes you like Him which brings Him glory.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-63844479298887940542013-12-30T08:19:00.000-08:002013-12-30T08:19:56.415-08:00Year End Giving or Anytime GivingI know that we teach giving our resources to the local church as a very worshipful reaction to the Gospel, and that is very true. God gave His only son and Jesus willingly gave up His life, so that makes us great givers as the Gospel presses in. However, that does not mean we have to park our brains as we worship. If you have invested some of God's money in the stock market, this has been a very good year. Most mutual funds and stocks have done very well, so I want to make you aware of a double tax break if you donate the stock and not cash to your local church. You get to write the entire amount of your donation off AND you do not have to pay the 15% capital gains tax that is applied to the profits of the investment. If this sounds attractive to you as you give so that God may be worshiped and His mission of Gospel declaration can go out, you have about 24 hours to call your broker to get it in on 2013.<br />
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But, if not, you know have knowledge for 2014.......<br />
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Glory to the King!Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-12319010325471694092013-11-24T17:54:00.000-08:002013-11-24T17:54:16.217-08:00Conquering Addiction Goes Viral<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
While more than a year of prayer and preparation went into starting the GAP ministy, it was on November 4, 2008 that we launched our first Conquering Addiction (CA) course and that we started our relationship with the Community Supervision Center (CSC) residents. Five years ago! So many stories and relationships in those five years! And so many of YOU are a part of this history! It would be impossible to recount all of the GAP connections with all of those who have taken or taught CA, led a table, helped with childcare or hospitality, encouraged, mentored, welcomed or given counsel to someone, given rides, donated a coat or shoes, prayed, brought food, etc., etc., etc. etc. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME WAY IN GAP'S FIRST FIVE YEARS! And thank you Village Church in Texas for allowing us to teach your amazing curriculum!</div>
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Here are a few details for those who are interested in reading more:</div>
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GAP was launched November 8, 2008 as one of The Bridge's five ministries. In January 2011 when The Bridge narrowed its ministry focus to three, GAP became the focus of a missional cell family, with LOTS of spill-over and partnering with other cell families and other churches. It was named Great Adventure Project (GAP) for the scripture Matthew 25:34-36.</div>
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GAP's Missional focus: Community Supervision Center residents and St. Francois County Jail (we build relationships, bring the Gospel message, mentor, teach CA, bring CSC residents to church and help out with a few needs), and we help with Conquering Addiction at The Bridge (see below).</div>
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God continues to bless this ministry, and we are very thankful that more than 2,300 people have been exposed to Conquering Addiction at the following locations:</div>
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The Bridge-Leadington</div>
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The Bridge-Arnold</div>
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The Journey Community Church in Herculaneum</div>
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Kaleo/Genesis Church in Fenton (new in 2013)</div>
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City Church in Cape Girardeau (new in 2013)</div>
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Farmington Correctional Center</div>
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Farmington Community Supervision Center</div>
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St. Francois County Jail</div>
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Aquinas Treatment Center</div>
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For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.greatadventureproject.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.greatadventureproject.com</a></div>
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--Meg Reiner</div>
Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-56723908376293699812013-10-28T08:03:00.000-07:002013-10-28T08:03:37.109-07:0090 Days or 90 Seconds of the Gospel?... Yes!As we studied Acts 22 yesterday, we saw Paul give his testimony to a few hundred Jews that God hushed (as they were trying to kill him just a few minutes before) so that he could speak. He was bloodied and bruised, but had courage. Now, I think that most effective evangelism is done in long-term relationships where we are constantly loving folks with the news of the Gospel, but does that mean that we are never to declare it unless we have been in relationship with folks for a long time? While it may be effective, long term relational sharing is not really what we see in the book of Acts. In there, you see somebody quiet long enough to listen; you see the Gospel proclaimed; you see people repent and believe. They are cut to the heart and saved. I believe that then as they were baptized, they were reminded what Jesus said about if we want to follow Him, we must take up our instrument of death (a cross), deny ourselves, and follow Him. His dead, but breathing, followers then spent all day every day looking for opportunities to talk about their loving Savior. Therefore, the Holy Spirit saved more and more and more. I know that Lance has cracked out the 90 second testimony the last couple of week in Bangkok, so I thought I would remind you what it is.<br />
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I once was __________________. <you fill="" in="" mess="" the=""></you><br />
But, Jesus..................... <give gospel="" of="" the="" version="" your=""></give><br />
Now I ________________________. <quick changes="" of="" rundown=""></quick><br />
But, I still struggle ........................... <we are="" however="" jesus="" know="" not="" we=""></we><br />
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You need to develop this ahead of time. Practice it. Shave it down to a conversation you could have with a grocery clerk or as you pay for gas. 90 seconds. And, ask the Spirit to give you courage. Between now and Christmas is a great time to share Christ. We cannot claim to love people if we remain mute.<br />
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More good news. We are not used car salesmen! God does not say, "Go sell my Son!" He says proclaim the Good News - the Gospel. Our job is to observe with folks that we are mess and hopelessly in need of a Savior, that the Savior Jesus came and lived sinless, that He died sacrificially to repair the damage and dysfunction, to forgive the wrongs against a Holy God, and was raised again to conquer sin and death and show that we can trust that HE is God. If we get a second or a third audience with folks because we have relationship with them, it is good to start with the fact that God created all things GOOD - perfect! But, we messed it up, AND there is a day coming when ALL things will be restored to PERFECT - to GOOD! Gives them the whole story - that things did not start with sin and death, and things will not end with sin and death. The Holy Spirit goes to work and reveals that proclamation as truth and does the saving. We are but a conduit. A messenger. A herald of Good News!<br />
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Stayed tuned because we are going to be discussing and asking the Holy Spirit to train us to be able to contextualize the Gospel to this Post-Christian culture that we live in. You may have noticed that the conversations have changed out there. It is time to start giving Gospel answers to the questions that people have today, not the questions we want to answer. Stay tuned, lots of discussion coming.<br />
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But for now, over 3 million believers have come to faith in China using the 90 second testimony in just the last few years. Why not here? Why not now?Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-9298698330253784652013-08-27T05:40:00.000-07:002013-08-27T05:40:22.357-07:00Lazarus Was Surely a Christian, Wasn't he?I was speaking at the Plant Midwest Quarterly yesterday and all of a sudden I started talking about the difference between Gospel transformation and moralism. It just seems that a church youth program with chastity as a goal and not DEEP Christ transformation or a Biblical 12-step with sobriety as a goal and not a DEEP Gospel resurrection feels like we would deem it possible that Christ said, "Lazarus, come out!" and a formerly dead cat walked out of the tomb, past Jesus, said thanks, and never thought of Him again. Implausible as that sounds, we must so focus on the power of Christ to not only clean up some behavior but to save souls as four new Conquering Addiction courses take off so that someone leaving the 15 week "sober but going to hell" is just as implausible. <i>Please Father, don't just dust off some wandering sheep; cut them deeply to their soul and save them for Your Glory. May we present such a glorious Jesus that it may be so.</i><br />
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<b>Sober, but going to hell, is not acceptable.</b>Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-40436235900228282582013-07-25T19:06:00.000-07:002013-07-26T05:36:41.006-07:00Porterbrook St Louis is HereI believe that quality churches really pay attention to 2 Timothy 2:2:<br />
<i>"and what you heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."</i><br />
So, if church leaders are serious about releasing teaching of Gospel, counseling in the Gospel, leading in the Gospel, planting churches in the Gospel, they should take this 2 year course and bring the folks they are discipling and releasing to the course.<br />
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Steve Timmis, co-author of Total Church, which originated much of the contemporary discussion of Gospel-centered and missional, is the primary developer of the Porterbrook material. I, personally, do not know of a more Acts 2, 1st century approach to theology and church planting than the Gospel-centered, missional approach of Porterbrook. If it radically changed that world for the glory of God, then that is the way to roll now. Click on the syllabus below and you will see four areas of study: Character, Bible & Doctrine, Church, and World. A student receives four one day conferences at the Porterbrook STL learning site which is in Arnold. Then, the student will study at home and with a local study group in their local communities. We are hoping to have local study groups meeting in Cape Girardeau, Farmington, Arnold, St. Louis, St. Charles, O'Fallon, and Edwardsville, IL.<br />
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This training is very cost effective. Each year contains 12 courses of curriculum and 4 superb conferences for only about $500. This is the best $500 that can be spent toward the "making disciples who make disciples" Great Commission!!! Send your interns, send your ministry leaders, send your missional community leaders, send your elders, send your pastors, send your moms and dads!<br />
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We can change the world for the glory of Jesus!<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #363030; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px;"><i>“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,..."</i></span><br />
<i>Acts 17:6</i><br />
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Lots of ways to follow Porterbrook St. Louis:<br />
Porterbrook STL website is <a href="http://www.porterbrookstl.org/">HERE</a><br />
Porterbrook STL Facebook is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PorterbrookStl">HERE</a><br />
Porterbrook STL Twitter is @porterbrookstl <br />
Worldwide Porterbrook website with syllabus is <a href="http://www.porterbrooknetwork.org/syllabus/">HERE</a><br />
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<br />Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-21165884950588014322013-04-24T08:43:00.000-07:002013-04-24T08:43:19.983-07:00Tass Saada, Once an Arafat Man, coming to The Bridge!!Tass Saada will be appearing at The Bridge Community Church <a href="http://www.bridgelife360.com/">www.bridgelife360.com</a> on July 15. We are partnering with our friends Mike Harrison and Parkland Chapel of Farmington to make this happen.<br />
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The following are excerpts from the foreword by Joel Rosenberg of the Joshua Fund to Tass's book <u>Once an Arafat Man</u> that will be available for signed purchase at the event:<br />
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<i>Tass Saada was a killer.</i><br />
<i>Tass and his closest friends murdered Jews in Israel. They murdered civilians and soldiers alike. They attacked Christians in Jordan. Sometimes they tossed hand grenades at their homes. Sometimes they strafed God-fearing homes with machine gun fire. They once tried to assassinate the crown prince of an Arab country. They nearly succeeded. And they did all of this willingly. They did so eagerly. Tass certainly did. His nickname was was once <b>Jazzar</b> --- "butcher." It was a moniker he relished.</i><br />
<i>He was raised in a world of radical Islam and by his teenage years Tass was a cauldron of seething, roiling hatred. His family was close to the Saudi royal family. He once met Osama bin Laden. He became personal friends with Yassar Arafat, a man he once regarded as a hero, and happily killed in his name.</i><br />
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If the story ended there, we would obviously hesitate to bring Tass to The Bridge and into our homes. But it doesn't end there. More from the foreword:<br />
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<i>In his amazing grace, God gave Tass Saada a second act. And a third.</i><br />
<i>....a story of a violent revolutionary who was radically transformed one day by the power of the Holy Spirit and became a man of peace. At its core, Tass's story is a story of the greatness of our great God. It is the story of a man who fell in love with a Savior who loves Arabs as well as Jews.... His love is so amazing , so divine that he actually offers all of us -- Jew and Gentile alike -- the free gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He wants to adopt us.... He wants to bless us. He wants to take care of us. He wants to heal us and make us like him. And, then he wants to empower us to be a blessing to others. Tass said yes to that love, and he was changed forever.</i><br />
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Tass will tell us about sharing the Gospel with Yasser Arafat, and even about sharing the Gospel with his parents and brothers, AS THEY WERE ACTIVELY TRYING TO KILL HIM. The stories of Arabs and Jews who were both violently trying to kill each other before salvation that now hug and work together for the glory of Christ will bring you to your knees. We will hear of huge amounts of Muslim conversions in the Middle East. And, we will hear how we need to actively support and pray for folks like Tass and his ministry partners who are actively carrying out the Great Commission in a hostile, still deadly, environment. It takes great courage to bring the Gospel and to plant churches in the middle of the Muslim world. I love it. <br />
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The is easily the greatest conversion story that I have ever been around, and it just keeps bringing great Kingdom fruit. Folks who attend that love Jesus will be blessed, but I believe that God will do great work in the hearts of unbelievers if they will hear the Gospel from this man.<br />
July 15 at The Bridge. An evening that I don't think we will soon forget. Put it on your calendar and invite all that you know.<br />
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<br />Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-62092274014082298762013-04-06T09:56:00.000-07:002013-04-06T09:56:20.200-07:00Checklist for Mission Cell Family LivingI put myself through a checklist for missional cell family (missional community) living yesterday. This is far from a comprehensive list, but it is a continual battle to learn and then teach out the difference between missional living and "1 hour a week, 1 Bible study a week" living.<br />
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Check these out:<br />
1. Did I take time to pray for the members of my missional cell & for the future members of my cell?<br />
<i>Can we really claim to love somebody deeply, as a family member, if we don't pray for them? I did pray for one specific member of the group this week that is having financial issues. When we understand community, I understand that their financial woes are my financial woes. I don't have to stress over them, but understand how the Gospel addresses the stress for us to trust Christ, and let the family know that I care.</i><br />
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2. Did I make contact with the members of my missional cell other than the two hour meeting on Thursday night? <br />
<i>This family thing is 24/7. This is where we live out the New Testament "one anothers." You know: serve one another, rebuke one another, love one another....."</i><br />
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3. Did I center my interaction with the missional cell on the Gospel?<br />
<i>The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the centerpiece of all of this interaction. I don't want to give them good advice; I want to point them to Jesus, to the cross. I don't want to just pray for them; I want to acknowledge that Jesus is the one to receive glory in HOWEVER He answers the prayers.</i><br />
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4. Do I even love these people?<br />
<i>Nuff said. Heart check.</i><br />
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5. Did I interact with our target mission?<br />
<i>We welcomed new folks into a fresh start missional cell this week, so it is a great time to engage our culture and our missional target which are the neighborhoods around our home and our new church building. I did ask some folks to come and join us.</i> <br />
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6. Are we planning a party, something social, to make connections with new people and grow our group?<br />
<i>Yes, but are you? It is a great time to have a neighborhood bbq as the weather changes and engage your neighbors or co-workers with just an invitation to food and drink.</i><br />
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7. Do I see all areas of my life: work, school, social, play, grocery shopping, etc. as mission opportunities to invite to missional cell? Where am I developing friendships with non-believers so that they can come into a safe environment and learn about Jesus? And, is this because I truly love these people that I am establishing relationships with or just because I want to have a big group? A claim to be missional?<br />
<i>We are all loving missionaries all the time.</i><br />
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8. When we did get together this week, did we worship? Did we learn to obey the commands of God (Matthew 28:20) or in other words Gospel-center the Bible? Did we get to know our folks better? Did we point to the Gospel? Did we seek God in prayer? Did we just hang out with some food and drink to the glory of God? Did we observe communion? Did we love on non-believers in the group without backing off of Biblical truth? Was there such an excitement about Christ that folks cannot wait to return? Did we do anything for the children present to teach them the ways of Jesus?<br />
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9. Did you have non-believers present? If not, why not?<br />
<i>We have had in recent weeks, but they did not show up this week, so it is crucial that we make contact this week and love on them in some way.</i><br />
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<b>See how different that is than a Bible study or a Sunday School class.</b><br />
This thing is hard work, bloody, messy if it is lived out like we see in Scripture, but it is empowered by the Holy Spirit. And, man, it is worth it when we see people coming to Christ, baptisms, and then disciples making disciples for His fame.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-91810851897415027452013-02-25T14:00:00.000-08:002013-02-25T14:00:23.072-08:00Good Reminder - We Are in the People Business Planting churches is a crazy, busy life - emotionally, a roller coaster. It is hugely rewarding and worth every minute though. Those of us that lead do need to remember that while it is for the glory of God, it is a PEOPLE thing -- loving God, bringing Him glory, proclaiming His magnificent Gospel, yes, but also loving people. I sat down with most all of the members of our church in individual coffee meetings (yes, coffee is a membership requirement, ha) over the month of January and some of February. This was VERY time consuming, but we limited each meeting to 30 minutes, and worth every minute. The most surprising thing was the depth of the conversation in that short time. What helped is that I did not hit them with any 'churchy' agenda. I just asked them to pray for me when they left, and then I shut up and <i>listened</i>. I reminded them to pray for me when they got in the car when they left, and I prayed for them according to how I heard them describe their life in the Gospel. IT WAS AWESOME! <br />
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This is a letter from one of the members that says it all:<br />
<i>Hi Tim. Thank you for taking the time to sit down, share, listen, & pray with us this past Monday evening. We enjoyed it very much and continue to be blessed because of it. I feel like I really know you now, and hope you feel like you know us a little better as well. Your love and support of our family means so much! We are praying for you for continued good health and wisdom in decisions that are coming up, and also for you, Kelley, Justin, and Virginia as you continue to adjust and grow in His will.</i><br />
<i>We look forward to to being a part of God's plan and sharing in His ministry along with you and our church.</i><br />
<i>In Jesus' Love,</i>Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-80465832701995271032013-02-21T17:15:00.000-08:002013-02-21T17:19:57.645-08:00Keys to Successful Missional Communities1. Provide good toilet paper.<br />
Nothing says "don't come back" like some Big Lots #8 grade sandpaper.<br />
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2. If you throw a party to invite new folks, don't wear a wife beater and short shorts.<br />
That is unless it is an "Eddie from National Lampoon Vacation" party. That is a bad gig. For chicks, a formal dress with a pearl necklace like a bad episode of the "Young and the Restless" is bad gig also. <br />
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3. Don't serve extremely cheap coffee. Nothing says, "GO AWAY" like the dark roast from Dollar General. I'd give 30% of my income to churches who serve Dunkin Donuts.<br />
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Hospitality is a spiritual gift. Let's use it, so that hopefully someday a person who actually agrees to set aside personal preference and come to your home to hang out with a bunch of "hypocrites" might actually sit on a comfortable couch and hear about a glorious Savior and His great Gospel.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-11350450562507470632012-10-18T07:28:00.000-07:002012-10-18T07:31:11.871-07:008 Hours in Gospel, Community, MissionWe have developed this IDENTITY series at The Bridge that shows our identities as a faith community. There are lots of ID's of every faith community, but for us, they all center around Gospel, Community, & Mission. And, those three all point to the person and work of Jesus. All of our material is online at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/http//www.bridgelife360.com">The Bridge Church Website</a>.<br />
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Yesterday, we witnessed these three function in an extraordinary way. Our Imperial Missional Cell (Community) has begun to serve the community on MISSION at a local pregnancy center. A young lady came in to pick up some maternity clothes as she has found herself pregnant with her fourth child. The first three children are 12, 8, and 4. She also got assigned to be counseled, and our cell member and the counselor had the great joy of presenting her the GOSPEL. They talked extensively about the sinless life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus for the redemption and restoration of sinners. This young mom was cut to the heart. She repented and believed the Gospel and received Christ.<br />
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In all of the tears and laughter of this extraordinary turn of events, it became evident that she has no COMMUNITY. So, she received an invitation to the Imperial cell last night. She showed up with three children in tow and they ate "with glad and sincere hearts." And, we studied the "Apostle's teaching, we prayed, we hung out and talked, we found common ground." (Acts 2). This community scattered, this missional cell family, will be life for her in her pursuit of Christ as she works on Sundays and so her ability to join the large group community gathered will be rare. However, she will be able to go on MISSION with us in her new life of a 'disciple who makes disciples.'<br />
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Within 8 hours, we saw the Gospel take root from the Community going on Mission. But, if this young lady had met Christ and not had a place to connect, where would she have gone? Instead, we saw the Community re-introduce the Gospel as the means by which the Holy Spirit will raise up a disciple as she was invited to join a family. This is truly one of the most astonishing things I have seen since planting a church, and I have seen a glorious God do extraordinary things - things that Him famous - Glory to God. Gospel, Community, Mission - all pointing to Jesus - Wow!Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-29998671715015954442012-08-30T13:55:00.001-07:002012-08-30T14:59:37.524-07:00Persistence with Gentleness & Respect<br />
There are models of how to love well as you evangelize. Let me tell you about one, and this is like Jesus - it would a take a library to tell stories like these if we recorded all the ones out there. Through the entirety of my college coaching career at Mineral Area College, Murphy Thomas was the scorekeeper at the basketball games. I am a little embarrassed about that now as this serious man of God had to think, "What is he doing?" as I would rant and rave at officials and players, using some language that I can't even think of now, but I am sure flowed out. I do want everyone to know that I was calling those officials to repent; I was just unsure of how to go about it. I guess commenting on their mother's status was a bad evangelism method. Murphy was so patient and so sweet; he was excited when I did show up to church, even if I spent the majority of the time drawing basketball plays on the offering envelopes rather than experiencing the majesty of Christ.<br />
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He did go out of his way on occasion. If he did not see me in church for a while, he would ride his bike to my house which was as death-defying as planting a church in Somalia or Iraq because if you have ever ridden a bike down Hillsboro Rd - which people think is I-25 - it meant that he really cared. He would ride up and just pretend to talk about basketball or the weather, but church and the Gospel were on the back of his tongue. I so appreciate it now, but in those dead in my trespasses days, on occasion, I would hide in the closet and pretend not to be home. It is a good thing that God is merciful.<br />
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He was just so winsome (I really don't care about the Bridge-Arnold folks who don't like that word), so persistence with gentleness and respect. (By the way, for you B-A clowns that word means to win over with a child-like charisma, like a 1 year old wanting her daddy to pick her up, good word). But, Murphy just stayed the course. I hope it felt good to him when I was regenerated in 1996 and answered the call to shepherd God's people in the Gospel, and then later to become a church planter. He has been there every step of the way, from cleaning up half eaten fried chicken and whiskey bottles (not mine) as we set up for church in the banquet center to welding the caps on the beams some 40 feet off of the floor in a small elevated bucket - he is in his late 70's - when we did all of our own construction work on the new Bridge building. He now sits on the second row enjoying the glowing song presentation and Scripture proclamation of his precious Jesus with most all of his wonderful family around him. <br />
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I have never met anyone with such a heart for lost people. I have seen him invite waitresses at Ryan's to put on a ballcap and go to a men's conference with us to hear about Jesus. Just this week as he was having a rather serious heart attack in the hospital, he turned his pain-ridden face to the side and winsomely asked the nurse, "Do you have a good church? Do you know God?" Same as he was being prepped for his quad-by-pass surgery - wearing the doctors and nurses out with talk of church and a glorious Gospel. He loves Jesus, he loves his bride, Mary, really well, and he loves Jesus' bride - the church. I am glad he is going to be with us for a while. He, more than any other human, probably had more to do with my redemption than anyone; he is like a dad to me; he is my friend; he is my partner in the Gospel. I hope he feels much better very soon because I love him very much.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-22590507592431503292012-07-26T13:10:00.000-07:002012-07-26T14:20:45.618-07:00Sin is Crouching at the DoorOK! There are no super Christians. There are only jacked-up sinners full of wickedness and selfishness, some of whom have been changed and redeemed by a glorious Jesus. Anything good comes from God, and sin is our natural way. I say that because pressing into that glorious Jesus is the solution to going to war with this sin that 'so easily entangles us.' And, a slide can be subtle.<br />
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If I had been scheduled to preach last Sunday, I would have needed to decline because I was in midst of the equivelent of a small self-absorbed child that has just been denied Twizzlers in the check out aisle at Wal-Mart. Spiritually, I was on the floor throwing a fit of self-absorption -- NOT pressing into the Gospel, NOT realizing the grace and Spirit that had been gifted me made this thing called not about me. Sin can be defined as me <i>forgetting that I am dead</i>. Well, like most of us, our worst sin happens in private in our minds, and so I did not blow anybody up or act a fool except in my own mind and somewhat with Kelley. Basically, I spent three days alone and while I was not alone (thank goodness that Christ never leaves me or forsakes me regardless of what an idiot I am), and I should have taken advantage and just spent time with the sufficient Christ. Instead, Satan got a little foothold on a pity party and my remnant selfish heart chimed right in. The result was a depressed state of funk. There was no porn fest (have no temptation with that stuff). no inappropriate interaction with the opposite sex, no drunkenness. But, I ended up not being worth anything to the Kingdom until I confessed all this sin, repaired damage with Kelley, and pressed into the Gospel on which I stand and live. Grace is a great thing, but sin crouches at the door for all of us, so let's press in close to that which we know.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-38251477668285269182012-07-12T15:48:00.001-07:002012-07-12T15:48:47.713-07:00Life Lessons #3What stirs your affections for Christ?<br />
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What robs your affections for Christ?<br />
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I have never really had a lot of hobbies. I dabbled with the old cars a little bit just to have something to with my dad when he was alive. I have thought about doing that again with Justin, but there is just no desire there except to spend some time with him. I played a little golf, but never like everyday. My idolatry extended to my career success and my personal glory, but hobbies were never a big deal. Competition can be an idol because I DEPLORE LOSING - in the past, did most anything, short of serious cheating, to avoid losing.<br />
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The only hobby I fool with at all anymore is fantasy baseball. I know. I know. Sounds stupid, but I have always loved baseball statistics. When I was five years old, I knew the batting averages of all of the Cardinals, and honestly a lot of all of baseball. So, when the world of fantasy baseball started where all of the competition is based on player stats, I really enjoyed it - really fun. Yeah, I know, NERD! But, this is one of those morally neutral items that does not appear to have any inherent sin traits. I mean if I go out on the street and buy heroin and shoot up, that is clearly not morally neutral. If I cheat on my wife, that is not morally neutral.<br />
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I had never competed and won a fantasy baseball league where the players were really serious. But last summer, I found myself with a good team and a chance to win. Suddenly, I found myself not just enjoying the hobby, but obsessing over balls and strikes of games that did not even involve the Cardinals. This was now not morally neutral. Robbed affection for Jesus. I wasn't getting high or lusting, but I was lusting, wanted to WIN. And, I won the league. I don't know if that was good or bad. God did not care if I won or lost, so He obviously did not supernaturally move some pitches around so I could have success. But, he did care how if it got between me and Him, and how I reacted to the win.<br />
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Hobbies can actually stir your affections for Christ. They can rob also.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-18373279499841132642012-07-05T07:12:00.000-07:002012-07-05T07:20:41.456-07:00Life Lessons #2As I contemplated the meaning of Independence Day yesterday, I thought of one of the great honors of my life. My dad, Lester Gray, was a WW2 hero. He sat in tail of a B-17 taking flak for 37 missions. I don't mean the kind of flak a pastor takes if he preaches too long and the Baptists beat us to the buffet. I mean rip you to shreds kind. He saw a lot of tail gunners, not carried out of the plane, but flushed out of the plane by a giant waterhose upon their return. One of them was his commanding officer who bumped Dad off a mission. I guess I am a little lucky to be here.<br />
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So, in 2004, our entire family, plus the famous Cole Allison, traveled to Washington DC with Lester for the dedication of the lifetime-awaited WW2 Memorial. Dad actually fought a little with senator Bob Dole to get 20-some tickets when each person was only supposed to have 2. Man, that dude could negotiate the price on a car and get things done - Ferris Buehler way before time. At the ceremony, there were lots of wheelchairs and walkers, but thousands of WW2 vets made it in for what was a beautiful day and a magnificent celebration. I don't think I have ever been such a proud American.<br />
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I have always been a proud American -- never flinching at saying that I would fight and die to fight tyranny in any form. Isn't that really what the patriots did in the 1770's to bring about the signing of that great Declaration? I even cry when some weed-head like Michael Phelps has the Star Spangled Banner playing over his gold medal ceremony. I get excited when the US even scores a goal in World Cup soccer even though I have never seen a soccer match in person. I want kids to know the Pledge of Allegiance, and I don't want the flag touching the ground, let alone burned. I love this nation!<br />
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That being said, I am a citizen of two Kingdoms. America is a neat thing, but that citizenship will never take precedence over being in the Kingdom of Light. Let me put that in perspective for you. I was asked the other day why we did not have an American flag on stage at The Bridge. Let me answer that this way -- I am very proud that the church we planted in on American soil. This affords us great opportunity. But, if we were to put up flags inside the church, they would be from every nation on earth because God does not see an American superior in any way and so in Kingdom work, we cannot either. We must be just as vigilant about bringing all nations, races, and peoples to the throne of the most High God as we go about Kingdom of Light business. The Gospel does not cry at medal ceremonies. It penetrates hearts and never sees the color of skin on its way in.<br />
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Last thought -- I hear people say that they feel so lucky as Americans to be free to worship. I have news - the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be suppressed, even by tyrannical nations such as North Korea or China. Lovers of God will express their love for God no matter if it is under a light bulb in secret in the state of Orissa in India where persecution is at an all-time high. Can't stop the worship of God, and after worshiping with them, I think they appreciate God more than the average American church-goer. Much more than freedom to worship, what we Christians have been given by these great patriots of the past are the freedom AND the resources to go on mission and carry out the GREAT COMMISSION. This is the great American blind-spot. When General Washington gave orders to cross the Delaware into Trenton on that frosty winter day, they did not have many resources, but they had courage, perseverance, and belief in their cause. Christians should set down their I-Pads and contemplate the orders of the glorious Lord Jesus, <i>"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” </i>(Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)<br />
For the American, there has been a lot of blood spilled to make this possible, both Holy and honorable blood.<br />
<br />Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-73293173153326745812012-06-29T15:21:00.001-07:002012-06-29T15:21:47.816-07:00Life Lessons #1I am going to write a series of blogs chronicling my life experiences of the last 50 years. Although I did not repent and believe the Gospel until I was 36 years old, I see God keeping His promise in Joel 2:25 <i>"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,...</i>.<i>" </i>Kelley & I notice all the time that God used life lessons to help me understand God, to contextualize the Gospel to sinners, to relate to narcissistic people, to love lost and hurting people, etc. Some stories will be fun, some tragic, some awful, some funny, some downright scary, some without clarity, some not redeemable about a man lost in sin without Jesus, but all part of who I am when looked at through the lens of redemption.<br />
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In 1979, I was a nineteen year old kid, and my dad lost his mind and sent me to New York City into Manhattan to help supervise a crew that was doing the cost estimation on building the entire cable television system into the entire NY metro area (all the boroughs) - about a $1 billion project. This was my summer job between my freshman and sophomore years in college. He sent me with a whiskey drinking partner and his own car, stating that if I returned the car without dents after driving there for a month, there would be a bonus in it for me.<br />
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The stress was unbelievable. I did not drink in high school at all as I was a really serious basketball, but when I did not play much at the beginning of my freshman year (too thin and couldn't guard a kitchen chair), I figured, "what the hell, might as well fit in with alcohol and weed, not getting to live out my sports idolatry anyway." My morals were not as a result of God transforming me; they were circumstantial. Desire to be a great athlete - all about me - no drugs or alcohol. Really kinda homely and too skinny - no sex. So, back to the story, as we drove off the island everyday into Queens, the Bronx, or Brooklyn and back, taking almost two hours to go ten miles and then seeing the insane things we saw trying to do the job (another blog later), when my partner suggested a lot of bourbon as we ate dinner in bars to calm each day, I was in. Even though I thought I was a Christian AND had led my church youth group, it was easy to fit into a Greenwich Village lifestyle of relying on anything but Christ to handle getting the job done and the speed of the city -- the stress. The speed of the city was just a 'little' different than House Springs and even St. Louis, where I had grown up. Same nation, different world.<br />
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Those were some blatant negatives. Some apparent positives were that my self confidence soared, I realized that I was very capable and talented, and that I could handle a lot of responsibility. I remember jumping on the subway to find a street basketball game in the Bronx. I handled the city AND the game (the brothers had never seen a white dude dunk quite like that), and my opinion of myself soared. I found that while the job was difficult that I had enough natural talent to get it done. My opinion of myself soared as a I never gave a second thought to God. One day right before we were to return to Missouri for a couple of days and while on Coney Island in Brooklyn, we saw boats come in full of lobsters. We found coolers and negotiated with owners of boats bigger than Leadington for a cooler full of lobster to take home to family and friends (who does that?). And, we worked in neighborhoods that more resembled war-torn Beirut at the height of war there than an American city. We never prayed over that - we just became street savvy and capable, once again presenting the facade that I did not need the power of God. The world loved me, cheered for me, paid me well. This only heightened my idolatry of self and drove me farther from the Gospel.<br />
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There are funny stories about accidentally straying into gay bars, not noticing that there were all men in the place until we had talked to at least 3 or 4 dudes, and into 'Devil's Kitchen' after dark that reveal the providential protection of God's sovereignty. I should be dead. Not from the gay bar - that was actually just very interesting, but from some violent places. I "escaped from New York" with a great sense that I was pretty awesome, and no sense of any need for God in my life because of my awesomeness.<br />
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God has used a lot of the life experiences here now though as He has redeemed the time. The Gospel makes us fearless, and by His grace, I am given some opportunities to occasionally preach the Gospel to Muslims and Hindus on THEIR turf. If I have a moment of fear about that or boarding an in-country plane in India (not real confident in their maintenance programs), God has fun reminding me that he took care of me the day that when I was playing on a court that no sane person would have been on. He says, "I was taking care of you when you were paying no attention to me. Be bold -- The Gospel eliminates fear - I got you."Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-3855457282255164922012-06-23T07:03:00.000-07:002012-06-29T09:47:29.842-07:0010 Places God's Money Goes From The BridgeWe give because Jesus gives.
Jesus is the ultimate giver, so if we going to be like Him, we must give also. Jesus <b>gave</b> His very life upon a cross to <b>give</b> glory to the Father by <b>giving</b> a way of redemption. We give not to impress God or attain any righteousness -- Jesus gift handled all that -- but, we give in response to what has already been given.
I believe that a believer is way on his way to the Gospel working out a new heart in him, when this open handed generosity with our financial means becomes a 'get to' instead of a 'have to.' So, why do we give? What do we give to? Why do more people need to give? Why do we need to become more sacrificial, generous, and cheerful? I noticed that Mars Hill this week kinda gave some general ideas of how our financial giving assists God in the Gospel "growing and bearing fruit all over the world." Colossians 1:6 So, here are our ten in no particular order. Here is where the money that is worshipfully given and collected at The Bridge goes:
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<b>1. New Christians</b><br />
One reason that we plant new campuses and help churches plant churches that plant churches is that more people come to know Christ in new efforts. Money creates MANY venues where people can hear the Gospel proclaimed from missional communities (cell families), air war Sunday celebrations at church plants, Bridge Kids events, and missionary trips and church planting all over the world. We must preach Christ crucified, the Gospel, the resurrection as the only hope to a dying world. Churches that we support have baptized new believers on 3 different continents, the Caribbean, and Central America. It takes money to get churches planted and the Gospel to people who have not heard it.
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<b>2. Our Families</b><br />
We have a real passion for young families with young children. We budget and staff as much as we can to provide the Gospel in Bridge Kids and training for parents to do the real work of teaching their children the Gospel, then discipling their children in the Gospel. We deeply desire young regeneration, not just moral behavior. This happens by presenting Jesus Christ as the change agent to a beautiful life and eternal life for our children.
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<b>3. People Just Across the Street</b><br />
We invest heavily in staff and training for our cell families (missional communities). People come to Jesus where the Gospel is proclaimed in homes. People are best discipled to make more disciples when they are LEARNERS of the Word, SERVANTS of each other and people in need, FAMILY with a smaller body of Christ, and MISSIONARIES to their missional target. It takes money to send high schoolers or college students on mission even down the street because they don't have any.<br />
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<b>4. People Across the Globe</b><br />
We support the taking of the Gospel 'to the ends of the earth.' Acts 1:8 We invest heavily in India where there are many people groups that have never heard the Gospel. We fully fund two pastors there of church plants in states where it is illegal to proclaim the name of Jesus. They eat and have a place to sleep only because we send money in the name of that same glorious Jesus. We help plant churches and support an orphanage in Haiti (James 1:27). We help bring the Gospel to Project Chacoente in Nicaragua. And, we have big efforts in the African countries of Liberia and Cameroon. The big news is that we are working at planting campuses of The Bridge in Bangkok, Thailand in 2013. <i>"For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:13-15 ESV)
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<b>5. People Just up the Road</b>
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<i>'And, in Judea & Samaria.'</i> Acts 1:8. We will continue to plant churches all over our region. Some of these will be campuses of The Bridge. Some will be like our assistance in helping to plant Journey Church in Herculaneum. But, we are going to plant churches that plant churches. This takes money. We will have partners on the endeavors, and the churches will eventually self sustain and start to plant churches themselves, but it takes faithful giving from established churches to get these started.
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<b>6. The Music to Our Worshiping Ears</b><br />
We have music that rivals the largest churches in American. The excellence (why would we do it any other way?) comes at a cost. We want to not only present excellent music that brings people into the presence of God, but we want to write and produce music that brings the listener - both the regenerated believer and the first time visitor that God has not redeemed - into that same presence.
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<b>7. Technology That Takes Us to the World</b><br />
Because we broadcast our celebrations live and then share them via social media, by the end of the year, thousands of folks have seen our broadcasts of the Gospel. We have accomplished this on a shoestring budget, but even though we have not overspent here, we have spent and will continue to spend. We will do just about anything short of sin to get the Gospel and the Glory of our Great God in front of people.<br />
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<b>8. Teaching Church that Helps Other Churches</b><br />
God has blessed us with excellent training in the Bible, so I think we teach it well. It was a joy to go and show pastors in India how the entire Bible is about Jesus and the entire Bible is God's story that He invites us into. Also, we are willing to do just about anything to help folks help folks meet Jesus. We can help guide a church plant. We can help a fledgling church in music and technology. We can help show what Gospel-centered and missional means. We can train about how cell families (missional communities) make disciples that make disciples. We have never charged any church for any training. We have a Kingdom view and so we joyfully give so that Jesus may be glorified in other churches. We want other churches to grow.
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<b>9. Future Leaders Trained</b><br />
The Bible is clear that God must have qualified leaders, and it is God's desire that all good churches have quality leadership. We are very intentional as we have invited men into elder track, women into discipleship training, cell family leaders into training, and folks from other churches into training in CA, missional community leader training, elder training, and church planting training that we are serious about doing this. We are very serious about planting churches, so we are using partnerships and many training venues to train up future church planters. Some churches try and make money off of these efforts. We give away all of training, so our generous giving makes this possible.
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<b>10. Meeting Places and Spaces</b><br />
We own some of our facility in Leadington (the bank owns the rest), and we rent facilities in Arnold so that the Gospel may be presented to as many people as possible. We are good stewards as all of our facilities are not showy, but are useful and simple.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-9995351290356397122012-04-14T08:07:00.002-07:002012-04-14T08:33:59.577-07:00Our Marching Orders - How are We Doing?I have come to a stark realization. God has blessed the peoples of this great nation that we live in TO FULFILL HIS GREAT COMMISSION -- that is ONLY reason that He would ever make a people this prosperous if He is only into the business of making much of His Great Name throughout the nations. Think about it. The United States is the most prosperous nation in the history of civilization AND there is a church on every corner AND Jesus gave us our marching orders, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” When you put those things together, God has blessed the US with the resources to accomplish his marching orders which is to make disciples that reproduce disciples in ALL nations. It appears to me that we doing lots of other things with the resources. So, that begs the question, “How are we doing?”<br /><br />Let me personalize this because if there is failure in this endeavor, it is due to bad leadership, so I need to seek my own failures to model this as a leader. I met a young man that does not attend The Bridge (the church that God has challenged me to lead) a few nights ago who was wanting to go to India to teach the Gospel to unreached people groups. So, if I am of God’s Kingdom, is it not a legitimate question to ask, “Is it acceptable for this young man (who is willing to risk his life to do what we have been commanded to do) to maybe have to turn down the opportunity due to lack of funds while I pay for cable tv and wireless internet in two different homes?” You can plug your own idolatry into that equation. First, this young man needs to dig deep into his own world of western materialism and fund as much of his trip sacrificially as he can, but then the richest nation needs to step in. What the western church has done in the past is force this young man to spend 18 months going around begging for money or throw 20 ‘chicken & dumpling dinners’ to raise money for HIS mission trip. Whose mission trip is it? Well, first it is God’s and then God charges you and me to understand that it is ours. God doesn’t directly fill this young man’s bank account with resources to go do what he has asked him to do. And, it is no more the responsibility of the local church that this disciple attends to send him than it is that of The Bridge. God asks ALL of His people to send this young man -- generously, cheerfully, and sacrificially. God says, “Get him there. People are dying and going to hell.”<br /><br />The challenge to all local churches is this: “Are we developing the kind of disciples that will go short term, intermediate term (Platt calls this the Mormon-length mission of two months to two years), or long term to people who have not heard the Gospel, and are we, as the richest civilization in history, funding these folks?” I don’t want to seem dismal; there are great things going on out there. The sovereign God is working. I recently told The Bridge about bumping into a set of newlyweds who were on their way to plant churches in Iraq to spread the Gospel among the Islamic people. The young man, (24 years old and his beautiful 23 year old wife may die doing what God has asked them to do) said to me, “Your church sounds like the kind of place that is developing people that might join us,” and he gave me his card. I asked the folks of The Bridge, “Well, are we? Will we raise up people whose lives are so caught up in the glorious Gospel of Jesus that they will go and will the church properly fund them?” I don’t know about Iraq, but I think so; however, there are next steps to take. We have had many, many people now go short term. And, these accumulate and multiply over time. We had a family ready to go Mormon-length (trust me, that is just a term of mission length, the Mormons do not have the correct Gospel of Jesus Christ and we are sending folks who do) into Africa, but instead God directed them to move their family to the Arnold church plant to raise up more disciples for now. The Buckinghams show a nice balance between global and local missions. We raise up disciples locally to fund and send them globally. And yet, I bet they end up in Africa at some point. Also, we see Michael and Melissa Goldsmith now going to Haiti for two months this summer and bringing down short term teams to work in CHURCH PLANTING AND DISCIPLE-MAKING there AS they take care of widows and orphans as well. Who is next to go from short term to intermediate or from intermediate to life-long?<br /><br />Here are a couple of facts from David Platt and, in closing, a couple of thoughts from me. The average church member in America supposedly gives 2.4% of his gross income to the local church. Besides the fact that that is the joke of all jokes and must grieve God, I believe the figure is probably more like 1.5%. Then, if you figure that the average local church only gives 1% of their budget to world missions, and probably only 1% of THAT goes to places where the Gospel has NOT been proclaimed, and then when you figure that 70% of THAT goes to administrative costs to the organizations that are supposed to get disciples on the ground, my rough math skills tell me that about 3-5 cents out of every $1000 that a Christian makes actually get missionaries face to face with unreached people groups. America may have missed its God-ordained call. Think about this - the fastest growing disciple-making in the world is going on in China. Is it coincidence that China is also one of the fastest growing economies in the world? This may clue you in. A huge contingent (HUGE) of Ugandan/Chinese Christian missionaries have landed in New York / Los Angeles / Boston in the last two years. Is it possible that things have shifted to where God considers the US to be the unreached people group?Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-40016926557350011142012-03-19T11:17:00.003-07:002012-03-19T14:06:56.556-07:00Missional in One MinuteGod is a sending God, and we are a sent people. Another way to think about IT is that if Jesus was sent by God as a missionary to redeem His people; then, if we are going to incarnate here on earth, be Jesus in the flesh, then we are going to have to be sent like He was. Basically, that all boils down to that every believer in Jesus Christ is a missionary, or is missional. That gives us a good definition of missional. It is any time that we incarnate as Jesus and act like the missionary that he was. Sometimes that is looking after the sick, the poor, the widow, and the orphan, so there is a lot of social justice to be missional like Jesus because He was definitely into social justice. But, Jesus was a missionary way beyond social justice. All of the good works were to point to the Gospel -- the good news that the Messiah has arrived to take away the sins of the world. So, we cannot be missional without being first Gospel-centered AND willing to share that Gospel in every missionary outpost that God sends us which includes everything from family reunions to our place of employment to school to ALL social settings. The question is how do we effectively share the Gospel in a world that apparently hostile to the Gospel and in cultures where everyone think they know all that there is to know about it (when actually they probably know nothing).<br /><br />I have been training some folks that past couple of weeks -- missional cells in Arnold and membership classes at The Bridge -- something stolen from Pastor Ying Kai from China that we got to lay our eyes on at The Verge Conference in Austin -- on sharing the Gospel in a very simple non-threatening manner.<br /><br />I hope I have your interest, but let me back up on two things that must be in place as we understand this. First, we do a nice job at The Bridge in creating landing places for not-yet-believers (folks who have not repented and believed the Gospel) to land in areas of community where they can hear what the Bible really says about Jesus and His incredible Gospel. These havens of team evangelism must be established where a not-yet-believer can sit around a dinner table and a group of people use their Spiritual gifts where some shower concern, others are hospitable, others are giving, and still others are to teach and preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. That way we are not out there on our own as the Holy Spirit works through us to regenerate a man or a woman.<br /><br />Also, our correct theology frees us from the pressure of selling someone on the Gospel or talking them into praying a prayer of "God come into my heart." (Which is nowhere in Scripture by the way). God regenerates lost people and He brings them to repentance and belief. He is the Savior of lost souls. Romans 10 tells us that our role is to be the the missional means by which he does His thing - the Gospel public address system. He tells us to love people and the main way we do that is tell them about the Gospel.<br /><br />Pastor Ying says that we should tell them the Gospel through our story (how God did heart surgery on us) in one minute. I think he may know something about mission as he is responsible for a missional movement that has brought MILLIONS to Christ in 150,000 church plants in just past few years. Let's learn from the best. He says we can do our job in one minute.<br /><br />So, here is what I have been teaching folks to do.<br />1. Develop a one minute testimony of your life that matches the Gospel.<br />Goes something like this:<br />a. I once was....(selfish, addicted, immoral, etc. or all the above - haha)<br />B. But, God....<span style="font-weight:bold;">Jesus<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span> redeemed me<br />C. Now I am....... (quickly list the changes) <br />D. BUT, I still struggle with....<br />Write it out and practice it. It is essential that the name of Jesus be used instead of generic statements like "I met God" or "I started going to this cool church." It is the name of Jesus and His Gospel that the Holy Spirit will use to move in a person's soul. "D" is optional, but shouldn't be. Not-yet-believers are put off by church and its pseudo-holiness. I think it is essential that they understand that we understand that we are only sinners saved by grace that still struggle with sin.<br />2. Tell this 1 to 1 and 1/2 minute Gospel/story to your friends and family. Then, watch God go to work. You have done your job.<br />3. Then, move out to co-workers, neighbors, the nurse at your doctor's office, etc - the people that you see all the time but are not close friends with. Talk about other interests and then throw in the 90 seconds, then move on. You do not have to seal the deal - that has already been done. You have given the Gospel in a story form and used the name of Jesus. That is what you have been called to do.<br />4. Then, watch for the opportunity to invite to one of the landing places that a team will enhance what you have started like missional community (cell) or church where all the other gifts come to play on this person (including psycho preacher Jesus freaks like me). All we will do is give them the same Gospel; there is only one.<br />5. The next step is what I call the "Corrie Ten Boom Step." When feeling empowered by the Holy Spirit, start giving it to the check out lady at Wal-Mart, to the Muslim cab driver, the person next to you on the bus or plane -- anybody that you have two minutes but may not see again. You may not know until you get to heaven what God has done with these encounters.<br /><br />Last point - we can talk about every believer is a missionary, or we can really step up and do it. Jesus spent all of his time talking about Himself or taking care of needs. Let's incarnate - be Jesus in the flesh - and do the same. <br /><br />In the next post, we will discuss being missional by being a blessing.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-2512225286051694792011-10-22T14:56:00.001-07:002011-10-22T14:56:56.845-07:00Letter from JasonDear Bridge Family,<br />First, I want to say thank you for how much you have invested in my life. You all have ministered to me and my wife and kids so much that words cannot express how much I love you all and appreciate you. We came to as damaged goods and you guys have become the most important people in our lives.<br />When Ben & Tim sat me down at PC and said you were going to set me outside and not help anymore (1 Cor. 5, Matt. 18) if I did not repent, I became panicked because I love you guys that much and cannot afford to lose you. You have shown what real church is and been so good to my wife & I.<br /><br />Please forgive me for letting you all down with ministry. You guys invested so much in me and trusted me with so much that when it folded, I had so much shame that I couldn't deal with everything that was going on. My marriage was failing, my kids were not being parented correctly, and I lost a crucial ministry all at one time period and I was crushed. It was 7 years that looked like a total failure and waste of time. I turned to drugs instead of God and became caught in sin that almost killed me and your love has rescued me from this. I am eternally grateful.<br /><br />This place (Teen Challenge) is tough, but intense. We do weekly group studies and my very first week was on "growing through failure." It was a God send for me to try again. I will spend 4 months here and 10 months in Cape (Lord willing). Within 4 months here, we will have done studies on the whole New Testament (every book!) and about 40 scripture memorization verses. We also do this amazing thing called "character qualities" where we memorize different definitions and related verses for each, such as meekness, wisdom, perseverance, gentleness, etc. It is helping me tremendously. We have to have 20 done in 4 months.<br /><br />Please thank everyone there who has prayed for me or helped my family in any way. Thank you all and I love you very much.<br /><br />Also, if anyone wants to write, please send it in a Bridge church address, so I can correspond. I will write again soon, and I am healing well. This week's study is on anger and personal rights -- TOUGH!<br /><br />Love,<br />Jason<br /><br />p.s. Please watch Cindy and the girls for me. Cindy has been through so much. I love her more than words can express.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-45898384535570649052011-08-30T20:51:00.000-07:002011-08-30T21:25:53.294-07:00Couple of Hours with Mark & Friends - 6The past Saturday our board and staff had a retreat in Arnold mainly for the purpose of getting close to God, hearing from God. We were not doing much planning, even though there are a lot of plans to be made. You will hear more about it, but one real blessing of the time spent was that we were joined on Saturday by Mike & Lucinda Harrison. Mike is the pastor of Parkland Chapel and one of the great Bible students and teachers around. He took about 45 minutes and gave us a lesson on how to read the Bible and how to teach people to read the Bible themselves. He challenged us to read all the way through the Bible each year (takes 11.5 minutes a day, so this morning I took off and did 2 Corinthians and will read a bunch in Judges later today), AND to slow down and use some to slow down and really learn to read and study the Bible deeply (IBS, Inductive Bible Study) to really understand what the Bible is saying. This is really what we have been doing with our two hours with Mark, so I thought we might see how what he taught us can apply to our short read of Mark 2:13-17 this week. IBS is a three step process of observation, interpretation, and application. We teach around The Bridge to read, reflect, and respond - very similar.
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<br />1. Let’s start with observation. You are going to see very quickly that this process cannot be done with a large amount of Scripture. Mark 2:13-17 is the perfect size. Before you start, pray that the Holy Spirit (He is the teacher; I am just a mouth, and a big one at that) illuminate your mind. Remember, God wrote the book, so we need to ask the author for explanation. Pray with high expectations that God will minister to you and teach you. Then, as we read, we observe with these questions in mind:
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<br />A. Who wrote it? Who are the major players? Who is the author writing to?
<br />We know this passage is written by John Mark. He is writing to primarily a Gentile audience, but many Jews (who would be targeted as the ‘religious folks’ in the story) would experience this book as well. The major players in this passage are Jesus, Levi, his scumbag friends, and the creeper Pharisees. If you are not familiar with those terms, go back and watch the sermon from Sunday at The Bridge -- http://vimeo.com/28293366.
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<br />B. What are the main events?
<br />First, in vs. 13 Jesus walked out by the sea teaching. This seems insignificant at first glance, but you will notice that while Jesus does some teaching in the synagogue, He is always GOING <span style="font-weight:bold;">OUT ON MISSION</span>. As he acts as a missionary from heaven, as one sent, he goes OUT to the people. He does not sit and wait for them to come to him. What are the ramifications for us just if we are going to ‘incarnate’ our lives, as they become more like His? As we observe closely, we see that He is teaching the masses, not just the select few that He came train -- a public teacher for the crowds. Then, vs. 14 shows us that Jesus walked up, regenerated, saved, and called Levi in a moment, “Follow me.” The Greek word for follow here (akolouthein) leads one into a sense that he is requesting a lot and that it is the only possible response for faith (risk and cost). There was no dialogue to the call; Levi must respond solely to the authority of Jesus. Levi was sitting there doing what tax collectors do, jacking folks for their money. A study of these tax collectors shows that they were bad people, truly slimy as they betrayed the Kingdom and worked for the evil Romans. Levi would have been despised and hated. This man was not welcome in a Jewish home because his touch on that house would render it unclean.
<br />So vs. 15-16 show us the reaction of the Jews to this apparently horrific act by Jesus. This was even more offensive than the touching of the leper because while the leper could not help his condition, the tax collector was ‘unclean’ by choice. We observe in vs. 16, that Jesus did not slow His offense, He actually metastasizes it by going to dinner at the ‘unclean home’ with more of the ‘unclean.’ An interesting observation for you at this point might be to look at the term ‘wicked’ that the Psalms allude to. These folks at Levi’s house being labeled ‘sinners’ by the religious lent itself far more to the term reprobate that we might use today. The wicked or reprobate don’t just occasionally violate the law, they LIVE AND EXIST OUTSIDE OF IT. A close observation of Jesus ‘reclining’ at the table and ‘eating and drinking.’ Jesus sent us a signal that He has solidarity with alienated, sick, and needy people. These, who are living and existing, outside the law are starving spiritually, and Jesus modeled bringing them relationship and the Gospel. We once again OBSERVE the offense taken by the religious folks to Jesus’ definition of the Kingdom. You might observe that the ‘sinners’ have invited Jesus to dinner (a party, a feast kind of like the one that the father threw for the lost younger son in Luke 15), and the Pharisees are horrified and will not join the feast (like the elder brother). Also, in observation, you might note that Jesus’ body positioning, the reclining, shows that he, not Levi, is the actual host of the party. You also might observe that while the teaching of REPENTANCE is never far from the minds of those who are listening closely to Jesus, it is not mentioned much in the book of Mark. Notice that Jesus establishes the relationship and His authority first in the minds and hearts of His followers, He build into them faith in Him, THEN, he will make sure they understand the obedient act of repentance in completely interwoven with the faith He has given. The scandal of this story to the ‘religious’ is that he does not demand moral repentance as a PRE-condition of his offer of grace, love, and acceptance. Rather, Jesus initiates eternal life changing relationship with these sinners as they currently existed. This is a fundamental observation, as the regenerated ones will not leave their life of iniquities (like Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10) to impress Jesus or gain his favor but rather in response because he loved them first. He told Zacchaeus, “I must stay at your house today” without invitation. He initiates the fellowship. What are the implications to our theology of salvation if that is the case? It scandalizes those who try and define the Gospel in terms of morality and causes people to think that they must ‘clean themselves up’ before a relationship with Jesus is possible. We can observe in this passage that he makes clean with His grace; then, we respond. We don’t know how many were made clean from the party because we do not see who has responded with repentance and belief, but what is important to observe is that Jesus has been the initiator of all relationship. This idea is summed up in verse 17. Notice the difference in the mission of Jesus and the mission of the scribes. They come to enlighten; He comes to redeem. Given that mission, it is as senseless for Jesus to shun the ‘sinners’ as it is for a doctor to refuse the sick. Discuss how the grace of God extends to all forms of human depravity and that in a way, the sick sinner may be more ready for Jesus to redeem than the religious zealot because the sinner are more aware of their need for the transforming grace of God. “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (As I observed here, I did so with a commentary open from James Edwards. Sometimes to receive correct context of correct observation, a good outside source is necessary -- tg).
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<br />C. When was it written? Mark was probably written first of the four Gospels. Early 50’s AD. When was it received? Quickly, we believe that the other writers of Gospels had a copy of Mark as they put their works together, so John Mark recorded Simon Peter’s eye witness account and got it out quickly. When did it take place? This calling Levi in this this section happened very early in the public ministry of Jesus.
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<br />D. Why was it written? This particular passage is crucial because the selection by the Holy Spirit to have multiple authors record the selection of Levi shows us that it has significance.
<br />Jesus is in the process of completely redefining the Kingdom of God by showing that we are to rub shoulders with the unclean (not be the unclean; we go to war with sin). This is a major theme of this section of all of the synoptic Gospels. JESUS IS FULFILLING THE LAW, not smashing it, but bringing it into focus and completing it. How has the Bible re-shaped your views in the difference between religion and the Gospel?
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<br />E. How is it done? How did it happen? How is the truth illustrated? Sometimes the answers to these questions force us to observe a parable, or a poem, or some figurative language. In our Mark 2 passage, we have straight narrative. Jesus was teaching the crowds. He regenerated and saved Levi. He called him to follow Him. Levi did. Then, the reformed thief becomes generous and throws a huge feast for his sleazy friends, so they can meet Jesus. In this case, we observe the events.
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<br />Observation includes attention to detail, so we might want to read in multiple translations. And, then re-read. We MUST focus on the immediate context. What happened before, in, and after the passage. There are items in the healing of the leper and the paralytic that affect over understanding of this account. Jesus will not allow His Kingdom to be defined by man. What about cross-references to use? We can even do a Greek or Hebrew word study which I did for you earlier.
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<br />Observation involves knowing the historical and cultural issues as well. We will discuss these in the discussion of the next passage as we finish chapter 2 and begin chapter 3. Also, observation involves meditation. “Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on his law he MEDITATES day and night.” (Psalm 1:1) Therefore, we must have time to turn off electronic media, even put away commentaries, and reflect on the Word of God.
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<br />2. Interpretation
<br />Interpretation is the science of discovering the author’s ORIGINAL meaning as he wrote the Scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
<br />A. What did the passage mean to original audience? In our passage, the reaction would have been shock to the Jews and even some of the Gentiles.
<br />B. How was this relevant to the original audience?
<br />C. What are the key truths and/or principles?
<br />D. Does your interpretation fit within the context of the passage?
<br />E. Mike Harrison believes that there is only one correct interpretation, but many applications. I think I agree with him.
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<br />Does your interpretation harmonize with the whole of Scripture?
<br />So, CORRELATION is using the whole of Scripture to illuminate, validate, confirm, and support an interpretation.
<br />NEVER BASE DOCTRINE ON AN ISOLATED SCRIPTURE.
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<br />3. Application
<br />This is embracing God’s truth and the “doing” of God’s Word.
<br />A. How can you, or the church as a whole, apply to the original audience?
<br />B. What are the similarities between them and us?
<br />C. What are the theological principles of the passage?
<br />APPLICATION MUST COME DIRECTLY FROM THE MEANING OF, OR PRINCIPLE(S) OF THE PASSAGE.
<br />D. How can you, or the church as a whole, apply the scriptural truth to your life?
<br />So, what applies to you from the calling of Levi??
<br />-- Application is where the Spirit is most likely to do a personal work in you and through you and through you (impact others).
<br />-- Without application, observation -- observation and interpretation are WORTHLESS.Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-33183069749132009012011-08-29T12:12:00.000-07:002011-08-29T12:22:14.662-07:00"The List"I have had a lot of requests for "the list" from yesterday's sermon.
<br />Here ya go.
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<br />JESUS LOVES SINNERS.
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<br />Therefore, sinners you are welcome here at The Bridge:
<br />So, here we go -- to the guys that want to be girls and the girls that want to be guys,
<br />To the drunks and druggees, to the weirdos, the porn addicts, the prostitutes, the adulterers, to the sexually promiscuous racked with guilt, to the sexually promiscuous not racked with guilt, to the thieves, the liars, the angry dads, the hormonal moms, to those who make their kids idols, to those who view their kids as a curse, the gluttons, the obsessive fans of movies about werewolves or transvestites, to the men who are 28 and living in mom’s basement who don’t have a job but can smoke Madden NFL or Gears of War on the XBOX, to the idolatrous computer nerds, to the whackjobs, nutjobs, the losers, the freaks, the geeks, the rednecks who drink a case of Natural Light, spotlight, and kill deer, to Star Wars groupees, NASCAR groupees, chain smokers (cigs or weed), to women who get paid in $1 bills, to people who text and drive, to radical Democrats and Republicans, to Mormons and any other religious folks that wear strange underpants, to steroid-pumping body builders, to people who wear biking shorts, Speedos and/or thongs, to Yoga instructors, witch doctors, potheads, crackheads, methheads, meatheads, and deadheads, even to tree huggers and PETA members,
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<br />AND to religious people who are upset right now because these subjects were not on the the Waltons, Touched by an Angel, Little House on the Prairie, or in their Christian home school curriculum and don’t think that Jesus drank REAL WINE, I have good news for all of you.
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<br />YOU ARE ALL WELCOME AT THE BRIDGE!
<br />Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8112885318931267480.post-41442088473012718432011-08-22T11:23:00.000-07:002011-08-22T11:29:38.313-07:00Couple of Hours with Mark & Friends - 5Week #5. Mark 2:1-12. Can you believe it? Kids are back in school. Does that help your ability to get these two hour study sessions in or not? Doesn’t matter -- we have to find time to prioritize the King.
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<br />A deep foreboding disturbance has crept into Mark’s description for us. We find that as Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God that he disturbs both the irreligious and the religious. The dark clouds of venom from both sides are beginning to form.
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<br />1. Let’s start by noticing that some sections of the synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, & Luke) have the same story recorded for us. Give a quick read to Matthew 9:1-8 & Luke 5:17-26 and note any differences you might see. Sometimes there is just confirmation of events, and sometimes there are marked differences. I find these slight variations to actually confirm the inerrancy of Scripture as they do not really contradict facts, but they show that these writers worked independently in putting together their eyewitness accounts. In other words, what we would expect to see from independent research and not some copycat scheme. God directed, but human organized and written.
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<br />2. Let’s stir some thought up here and talk about crowds. Coming out of Chapter 1, crowds are obviously a big deal. Mark mentions crowds 40 times before chapter 10. We need to notice though that as Jesus moves from SHOWING what the Kingdom is like (healing, feeding multitudes, etc) to TEACHING what IT is like, we start to see the difference between the visible church and the invisible church. You want to be a member of the invisible church which are the people that God has drawn to Himself, has regenerated, and they have responded with repentance, faith, and all out commitment to Jesus -- the true believers. We will start to see that as Jesus begins to teach on the cost of following him, the visible church (those that like the food and the healing, but not the sacrifice, don't love the Father, the King, the Gospel) will begin to fade away. He cannot drive the invisible church away because there no task too daunting for the true believer. To illustrate what I am talking about, give a quick read of John 6 in your group and talk out the difference in the two churches. There are about 15,000 to 20,000 in church as he feeds them with a kid’s sack lunch. Then, he begins to teach and the teaching about life with Him being one of suffering whittles the mega-church down to a cell family of 11 -- the 12 plus the phony who would betray him. The point is just because the crowds are clamoring about him does not mean that they are following and believing in him. My prayer is that most who pass in & out of the doors our church are being moved by the Holy Spirit into the invisible church. Please stop and pray the same for your cell.
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<br />3. Go ahead and talk about the four men. Do you have community with other Christians to this degree that they would do anything to get you in front of Jesus? This is a great reason to be a part of a healthy cell. A whole lot of this roof would have been baked mud. There is some serious effort to carry a long distance and to hoist onto a roof. I wonder if some members of the invisible church helped them at any point because most people were I am sure clamoring to see Jesus for themselves because he could improve their world - their story. These men are giving a little glimpse of what it means to be a part of the invisible church, where the mission of God and the well being of others supersedes our agendas. This removing of obstacles for people to be able to see the Gospel clearly is a strong indication of faith. Are you putting up obstacles (religious preferences, sin patterns or lack of holy living, no time for people) or are you removing obstacles for people to see Jesus?
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<br />4. I spent most of my time in the sermon discussing the difference between what the paralytic and his friends were probably primarily concerned about as they encounter Jesus, and what Jesus considered the priority. They wanted the man healed (and that is very natural and a neat thing), but Jesus knows that it is VASTLY more important that we be healed in our relationship with him by having our sins forgiven than it is to have a somewhat whole physical body. Discuss your thoughts as you listened to that.
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<br />5. The surprise forgiveness of sins shifts the story from the paralytic to the scribes. What began as a heart warming healing has become a tense battleground for spiritual authority. This accusation of blasphemy is no small item as by Jewish law, it would have carried the sentence of death. So, Jesus has caused a “great disturbance in the RELIGIOUS here.” These men believed that THEY carried the true word of God and they are blind to the fact that they are staring at the WORD (the Logos) Himself. Religion always creates men who believe they can save themselves by their self-righteousness. Discuss how the Gospel disturbs that as It shows that their in NO righteousness outside of the blood of Jesus. Grace alone, Jesus alone, the cross alone is what saves men and women from themselves.
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<br />6. The Gospel (Jesus) also insults the irreligious because they want to be their own Gods and do whatever they want. They hate authority and reject Christ because He is the ultimate authority. Discuss the ability of people to accept the authority and turn from sin outside of the work of the Holy Spirit. We will find out in chapter 3 that these folks want Jesus dead just as bad as the religious folks that he has insulted. The Gospel offends the religious and the irreligious.
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<br />7. I used the words astonishment and awe. Look at this definition of awe -- ‘mixture of wonder and dread: a feeling of amazement and respect mixed with fear that is often coupled with a feeling of personal insignificance or powerlessness.’ Think about and discuss your feeling with this definition when you think about the wonders that the Gospel have brought to both your soul, your mental health, your emotions, your relationships, etc. These people were completely awestruck by the magnitude of what they saw Jesus do. Do we worship like we are awestruck? Why or why not?Tim Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15171203645881008991noreply@blogger.com0