Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

“And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt. 5:2-3)  I don’t know about you, but I remember reading the Beatitudes over the years without really giving serious thought to what these phrases such as “poor in spirit” really mean. A few years ago I finally realized that, if I want blessing that is promised in a verse such as this, I need to fully understand the principle that God is teaching here. The verses in Matthew 5 contain important principles for every believer; one might say that the Beatitudes are actually a series of “attitudes” that should “be” in every Christian’s life. I could stand in my pulpit next Sunday morning and tell the congregation to go out and be “poor in spirit” during the following week. Most of them would leave wanting to do just that because of the blessing of God that is promised in this verse. But if I asked each person in that congregation exactly what it means to be poor in spirit, I imagine I would get a lot of blank looks and shrugged shoulders. The majority of us would probably have a hard time defining it. But if God wants us to practice it, doesn’t He want us also to know what it means? After all, He promised a fantastic blessing along with it. Let’s look at what it means to be poor in spirit, starting with what it is not.  The particulars First of all, being poor in spirit does not mean one is poor financially. There is a lot of confusion today regarding Christianity and wealth or poverty. Both of the extreme views are wrong; just as there are those who incorrectly believe in a prosperity gospel, there are others who incorrectly believe that a Christian should own almost nothing. In fact, God has ordained varying levels of material success in people’s lives. I know some great Christians who have very little and some great Christians who have a great deal by the measure of this world. So if you think to yourself, “I don’t have a dime in the bank. I must be poor in spirit,” that’s not necessarily the case. Being poor in spirit does not mean one is poor-spirited. If you watch almost anything on television or in movies these days, you will see a Christian portrayed usually as either a wild-eyed fanatic or a weak, milquetoast personality. The same goes for many people’s perceptions of television evangelists and preachers. A lot of unsaved people view the typical pastor as a stiff guy who resembles a funeral home director. These extreme personalities are not what God intended to represent His people as a whole. Being poor in spirit does not mean one is poor spiritually. Some people try to justify their lack of spirituality by telling people that they know they are not what they should be and that’s just the way they are. They never try to improve their spiritual lives. Confessing what you don’t do does not make it OK with God to keep on avoiding what you know you are supposed to do. The Lord doesn’t want you to make excuses for being a weak Christian; He wants you to become a strong Christian through Him. So what does it mean to be poor in spirit? Simply put, a person who is poor in spirit is someone who is completely emptied of self and ready to be filled with Christ. This is a person who can truthfully say, “Not my will, but thine be done.” I know very few people who are bankrupt of self and filled with the Spirit of Christ. The blessing contained in this verse is rarely received because the requirement is one that very few people attain. The Bible says in Rom. 13:13-14, “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” To put on Christ, we must take off self. To have the Spirit’s fullness, we must be empty of vain and selfish desires to fulfill our own flesh.  The proof Most of us, if we are honest, already know where we stand in this regard, and what areas should be marked “pass” or “fail.” We can all probably think of categories in our lives that we should surrender fully to the Lord and have not. But for those of you who say, “I think I’m poor in spirit,” here are some questions to ask yourself. Do you have a daily walk with God, where you spend time with Him in prayer and He spends time with you through His Word? You cannot know the mind of God until you invest yourself in the Word of God. If you neglect that regular time spent with God through Bible reading and prayer, there is no way you can know His will for your daily life because you have not gotten your instructions from Heaven. Do you easily become frustrated and angry when things do not go your way? Notice that I did not say “ever” because it happens to all of us at one time or another. I’m talking about those who routinely have the two-year-old temper tantrum at the age of 32 or 42. I know people who cannot function outside of their controlled environment. As long as they know what is coming and their expectations are met, everything is fine, but when one curve ball is thrown into the mix they come unglued. That’s a sign of childish immaturity, which is really just the flesh taking control. A toddler is supposed to act in the flesh because there is no knowledge of how to walk in the Spirit, but when a supposedly mature Christian throws a fit it’s a different story. Do you become hostile when criticized? That is a tough one. No one in their flesh wants to be criticized. How many times have each of us when someone dared to tell us what we should do or not do? I believe that we see an example of this with Peter, who repeatedly grew agitated at certain things said to him by Christ and others. It wasn’t until he completely surrendered and dead to self, which came after the Resurrection, that he got over that. No one likes unconstructive criticism, but even that can be helpful. Of course, many people do not even like constructive criticism. I am amazed at how often people will come to me for counseling only to get mad at my counsel – when they sought me out in the first place. All I did was give them something from the Word of God. Husbands and wives often have trouble talking to each other because one gets so offended when the other suggests that they need to talk about a problem area. When I perform a marriage ceremony, I think neither the bride nor groom has any idea what they are saying when they repeat the “for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer” vows. They don’t understand the hard times that are coming just as they have for every married couple since the dawn of time. But a few months after they meet at the altar they have issues that bring them nearly to blows. A married person, man or woman, should help his or her spouse become more like what God intended, and that is not always easy. As a pastor, I don’t tell people things to make them feel good. I try to help them. Sometimes I will get onto a person who has been out of church for a month because I know that person needs to be there, even if he doesn’t realize it. But there are some members of my own church that I approach with fear and trembling because I know how they will react to me before I even open my mouth. So many people have left a church over something so small because they were hostile to any type of criticism. If I can’t call one of my best friends and expect that person to be honest with me, there’s not much use to having friends. I don’t need a cheering section all the time. I need people who will tell me the truth and help me. The final proof of a “poor in spirit” attitude is this: Do I thank God for what I have or complain to God about what I don’t have? Someone who is poor in spirit will say, “Well, I don’t have much but, thank God, I have all I need.” A person who is not poor in spirit can drive a Mercedes, live in a $500,000 home and wish for something else. Someone who is poor in spirit will look at the old car in the driveway and the next week’s menu of beans and rice (which is the same as last week) but just praise God for everything in life and not want to trade places with anyone. A person who is not poor in spirit will – after acknowledging that the family eats out too often, spent too much money for Christmas gifts and just has it better than their parents in every material category – pray for enough money to have that one more thing on the wish list. Being poor in spirit means being satisfied. It means that you are thankful for what you have and what you don’t have. We all complain about things from time to time, but there are those who complain constantly about what is not being done for them or what they don’t have. A person who is poor in spirit says, “Lord, I have all I need. Thank you for what you do for me.” If more of us were poor in spirit, we would be less in debt to Visa and Mastercard.  The process James 4:5-8 says, “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw night to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” The first step in the process is to relinquish control of one’s life to God. Since I finally gave everything to Him, there have been so many miraculous things done in my life, but while I still tried to control things I just drove them farther and farther into the ground. I didn’t listen to wisdom and instruction from my father, my pastor or other people who loved me, but I paid too much attention to the world’s influences and went deeper into the pit. If I were not a preacher today, I would be a bus driver. That is a noble profession and one I have enjoyed in the past, but it is not what God had for my life. For me, it’s much better to be a preacher than a bus driver. So how did I become a preacher? I just said, “Lord, here is my life. It’s not much, but take it and do what you want with it.” From there, He directed me to go back to school, and I wound up at a school I never thought I’d attend – up north in the cold, a run-down campus – after God arranged a trip for me to visit and spoke to my heart about it. But at tiny Midwestern Baptist College in Pontiac, Michigan, I was able to rub shoulders with Dr. Tom Malone, a giant of the faith, in his last years on this earth. I had the privilege of working for him on his staff for a year, and from there the timing was right for me to answer the call at my current church in Texas, where I’ve been for more than a decade. When you surrender your will to God, He does things you can’t imagine. Before I became a preacher, all I did was drive buses and dig holes. Now that I am a pastor, I can still drive a bus if I want to (I have no desire to dig any more holes). The second step in the process is to resist the devil. Resisting means that you are not inviting but you are pushing away. Some of us have a lot of trouble spiritually because we are letting in too much worldly influence and it weakens the spiritual influence in our lives. Not everything we do for amusement or entertainment is wrong, but we must limit what comes in so there is not a constant feeding of the flesh. We have to concentrate on feeding the spirit; the flesh is always there. Anyone who looks, talks and acts like the world is probably controlled by the world. So if something is obviously of the world, we should desire to get as far away from it as we can. That is how you resist. The third step is to have a relationship, as illustrated in the phrase “draw nigh to God.” When you find yourself a long way from God, you purpose in your heart to do what He wants you to do and take a small step toward Him. In return, He takes a giant step toward you. That passage in James promises that, when we make an effort to get close to God, He will do the same. The journey from our flesh to His holiness is an unattainable goal. But it is one we are to strive for. Many people say, “I can never be as good a Christian as so-and-so.” That is not the goal. We are to be as much like Christ as we can, and every time we take a step of faith in that direction, God takes a much bigger step to meet us where we are. When I gave my life to God, I was a million miles from Him. But He was just a couple of steps from me. All He wanted me to do was turn toward Him and then He closed most of the distance between us so that I could walk with Him. But He did most of the walking. The fourth step is repentance of sin. You cannot expect to walk with God and keep a close relationship with Him while you’re also keeping unconfessed sin. The closer you draw to God, the finer the examination becomes. After the “big” sins are put away, and you grow deeper with Him, the “little” sins bother you even more. The problem in America is that we have dumbed down Christianity to the point that sin is not pointed out in churches anymore and we feel comfortable in our condition. Years ago people who were living in sin were convicted of it whenever they went to church. Today they can go to church every Sunday and feel good about what they are doing. The fifth step is to have some reality in your Christianity. I would rather you be openly hostile to the things of God all the time than to be that way during the week and then try to come to church on Sunday pretending as though everything is all right. When I was in high school, I was part of a group at my church that wasn’t considered the best-behaved teenagers, to put it mildly. There were several of us who were on the “do not date” list of many parents with teenage daughters. This was fairly well-known. But at the same time, there were some who sang in the choir and did all the right things at church on Sunday while hanging out with us on Friday night. Many of us who did not pretend to be anything but what we were back then have become hard-core fundamental Christian adults because we were so far gone that we knew we had to get right. But some of those who put on a show at church have drifted into liberalism because they kept pretending – they just carried it to an extreme level. Don’t try to do it halfway. Either get in all the way or get out. Lose the double-minded attitude and get real.  The promise For this we go back to the text verse, which ends with, “for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” This does not mean that being poor in spirit will get you to Heaven. The only way you go to Heaven is by trusting Christ and being born-again of the Spirit of God. This verse is not talking about what you get when you die. Instead, it refers to the reality of living on this earth in a place where Christ rules and reigns in all of your activities. No matter what your physical address is, you are living in a place where you always know that God is on the throne and in control, regardless of what happens to you. You recognize His divine hand in every aspect of your life, and you have a peace that passes all understanding. When are fully surrendered to God and completely empty of self, He will make certain that nothing happens in your life that is not for your good and His glory. That is what being poor in spirit is all about.

The Beatitutdes- Living For Christ In An Un-Christlike World

Last night I saw some very vile things written about a conservative leader in our nation.  It started me thinking how hateful and angry the attitude towards truth is in this country and reminded me of Jesus teaching on the Sermon on the Mount.  The following is the first in a series of articles on The Beatitudes!

“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,” (Matt. 5:1-2)  This is the beginning of the longest recorded sermon of our Lord in the Bible. Because of this, I believe that we should pay special attention to what He is trying to say to us in these verses and the ones that follow. I am so glad that we can find a self-help book within the Bible. You can go to the bookstore today and find the shelves overflowing with books on how to achieve your goals and follow what they say are the right principles. People are making millions of dollars by telling other people how to live. This is true in secular as well as Christian bookstores. But right here in the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus is telling us, “Here is how you should live. This is what you should do.” The greatest way to help yourself is to realize that you cannot help yourself; you need to allow Christ to work through you so you can be what God wants you to be. God has better plans for you than you have for yourself. When you lead your own life you will go right into a world of trouble, but when you let the Lord take the reins of your heart and lead your life He will take you to places that you never dreamed or imagined. In these passages that we will be studying throughout this book, God is simply trying to get you to give Him control of your life. “What will happen if I do that?” you might ask. I cannot answer that question for certain, but I can tell you that your life will turn out much better with God in control than if you try to control everything yourself. As we look at the introduction to this great sermon there are a few things we should consider. First, let’s look at the preacher. The opening verses of Matthew 5 use only the pronoun “He,” but we learn in verses 24-25 of the previous chapter that the speaker is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not just a prophet or preacher, but the Preacher’s Preacher and the Prophet of His own church is the one speaking here. It’s one thing for me to tell you something, but it’s a whole different ballgame when God says it. If I tell you something from God’s Word, you are not accountable to me for how you respond to it; you are accountable to Him. But in this passage we have the very words of Jesus from His own lips. If you have a red-letter edition of the Bible, virtually three entire chapters of the book of Matthew (chapters 5-7) are printed in red. I believe that all of the Bible is the inspired Word of God, but I also think that we should pay special attention to the actual words of our Lord that are spoken directly to us from His earthly ministry. This was not just any preacher. In Christ we find the wisdom of God. Matt. 7:29 says, “He taught them as one having authority, not as the scribes.” When Jesus spoke on a particular subject, you literally had the mind of God on the matter. You knew what God was thinking, because all of the wisdom of God was personified in Christ. So if you have a problem and you want to know what God thinks about it, look in the Word and see what Jesus said about it. I am amazed at how often we will listen to Dr. So-and-so or some “expert” and take their word as gospel without ever consulting the true Gospel. We believe without reservation the words of someone who has a TV show. But if Christ said it, we can rest assured that it is the wisdom of God. When you hear what Christ said, you are hearing what God wants you to know for your life. In Christ we see the Word of God. John 1:18 says, “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. You say, “I haven’t seen God.” Neither has Oral Roberts. No one living today has seen Him. But the people listening to this sermon saw God when they saw Jesus. It is so hard to wrap our minds around what God is. He is the eternal self-existent One. We cannot comprehend that because everything we understand has a beginning and an end. The human mind is controlled by time; all that we do must have a start date and an end date. We cannot comprehend Someone who has no starting point or ending point. Did it ever occur to you that nothing ever occurs to God? We smack ourselves on the forehead and say, “Wow, I didn’t know that.” God has never done that. He has never been surprised by anything. Since we cannot ever understand the bigness of God, He personified Himself in the form of a man when He sent Jesus, so we could better understand His love for us, His ministry, and His desires for us. We can look at Christ and see all that God wanted to reveal to man. In Christ we see the work of God. The Bible says in Rom. 1:4, “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” When Christ arose from the dead, He proved Himself to be not just another prophet, but the eternal Son of God. So when looking at Christ this way, is there any question about the importance of what He has to say? I submit to you that we will never experience the fullness of life until we find out what God says, what He wants us to do, and we begin to live as He instructs us in His Word. Every person reading these words can have the fullness of blessing, the promises of God, and the exciting Christian life that God wants for all of us. We can have joy in the midst of trials and hope when there seems to be no hope. God has a plan and a purpose for your life, but until you find and follow God’s plan you will never have the benefits of God’s plan. In Matthew 5 as Jesus sat down to teach His people, I believe with all of my heart that it was one of the most powerful times God and man have ever enjoyed together, because the Lord was declaring His very heart to the multitude. While we did not sit on that Galilean hillside and actually hear the tone of the Master’s voice as the words spilled forth from His mouth, we have His words and His teaching with us in the Bible. Christ came so that we can have eternal life, but He also wants us to have abundant life. I feel so sorry for those who struggle through the Christian life while fighting and refusing to fully surrender their lives to God. They get just a taste and know there is something more, but they never get completely into what God has for them. They live their whole lives in a kind of hit-or-miss Christianity and they miss the fullness of blessing. Now that we have examined the preacher, let’s look at the place. No one knows exactly which mountain is the one described in Matt. 5:1-2. Scholars have determined that it is in the Galilean area, and some have called it “the New Testament Mt. Sinai.” We all know that Mt. Sinai is the place where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Look at Ex. 19:10-21. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.” On this occasion, God gave Moses the very letter of the law carved in stone. I have noticed several parallels between Mt. Sinai in the Old Testament (the letter of the law) and the Mount of the Beatitudes in the New Testament (the spirit of the law). In the Old Testament, God said, “Thou shalt not.” In the New Testament, Jesus told us why. In the Old Testament, God said, “Don’t do that.” In the New Testament, Jesus said, “This is the better way.” In the Old Testament, the Lord came down to the mountain. In the New Testament, the Lord went up into the mountain. In the Old Testament, He spoke with thunder, lightning and smoke. In the New Testament, He spoke with that still, small voice. In the Old Testament, the Lord warned the people to keep their distance and not even touch the mountain lest they die. In the New Testament, the Lord invited the people to draw near to Him. In the Old Testament, the law was given in stone. In the New Testament, it was given in spirit and in truth. In the Old Testament, the letter of the law was emphasized. In the New Testament, the spirit of the law was emphasized. It does not do you well to keep the letter of the law and have the wrong spirit about it. The Pharisees kept the letter of the law, but Jesus rebuked them sharply as they were xxxx sepulchers. Look at 2 Cor. 3:6-9. “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” The Lord is telling us that while the Old Testament way was good, now we have something great. Now you can understand the spirit of the law and know how to have liberty as a Christian. You are not bound by the law; by grace you get to keep the law – not as a way to get salvation, but as a byproduct of having received salvation. This place is not a place of bondage. If you in your Christian life have never gotten past the rules, you have never gotten into the spirit. You must get to the point that you serve not just to please God, but because you see it as a privilege to know God. We’ve got too many people who look at the Christian life as nothing more than drudgery and duty. You’ve got to move past that into the joy of liberating service. How can do anything but serve Him after all He has done for me? The very least I can do it give back a small portion of what He has given me. So many of us look at the Christian life as a long list of DOs and DON’Ts to keep us miserable, but those of us who serve in liberty and grace realize that the letter of the law protects us from losing the glorious liberty of living as Christ wants us to live. It’s not to keep you from having joy, but to keep the devil from stealing your joy. I know some men and women who wish they had kept some rules in the past so they could have the joy they once had, but they let some things go and lost the spirit that they enjoyed in the past. Real bondage is not living in the will of God for your life, and real joy is living in the spirit of the law – not being so upset over the things we can’t do, but being thankful that God has put some boundaries in place to help us be what He would have us be. Some of the Old Testament rules look pretty good now. I’m sure there are moms and dads who sometimes appreciate the one that says a teenager is to be stoned for sassing his parents. But that law also said that whoever takes the name of the Lord in vain should be stoned to death. All of us who have done that at some point are suddenly glad that rules is not enforced today. The Old Testament law emphasized immediate death for many forms of disobedience. The New Testament talks about grace and mercy, and how Christ is ever interceding for us. So many verses talk about forgiveness and help that we find when we seek His face. I’m so glad for that mercy and grace in the New Testament. Now let’s consider the people Christ saw in this place. There were so many people here; the Bible does not say, but it could have easily been in the tens of thousands. There were at least three distinct groups of people in this multitude. The first group came to see the man. “I’ve been hearing about this Jesus,” they said. “Let’s see what all the fuss is about. Let’s check out the show.” Some of these people were no doubt in attendance because they had heard about this man raising people from the dead. If you heard today of someone who actually did that, you’d go see what was going on. If you knew there was actual healing of afflicted people at these meetings, and not just some of the nonsense you see on television, you’d want to see it. The second group in attendance wanted some of these miracles performed on them. There were likely a large number of blind people in the region who went to their friends and said, “Please take me to that Galilean hillside where this man Jesus is speaking today. I heard of another man who had his sight restored by Jesus. I’d sure love to get close enough to get some of what Jesus has.” The third group was comprised of people who wanted to hear his message. They had heard that He claimed to be the Son of God. They had been looking for so many years for that Old Testament prophet who would pave the way for the redemption of Israel. Their hearts were excited because this man Jesus brought the message of salvation. There are similar groups in your church every Sunday. Some are just there to see what church is all about, because their friends invited them. Maybe they saw a change in their friend’s life and it made them curious about what was happening at that church. Some people are there because they need something desperately. They need the hand of God to reach down and provide a healing touch. It could be a bad marriage or family issues; perhaps there are serious financial difficulties. Maybe there is a health crisis. You just want God to touch your mind, your heart, or your family in a great and mighty way. It’s good that those two groups are there. But there is a third group that wants to get past the hand of God and find the heart of God. They want to get as close to Him as possible. Just like on that mountain, where eight of the 12 disciples wanted to be close to Jesus (one of the 12 was lost), but there were three who wanted to be right at His side and under His breast. We should all strive to move from the periphery to the inner circle and straight to the core. No matter what our reasons are for being there, all are good reasons. Someone might show up at church just out of curiosity or looking for a miracle and go home with Christ Himself and a new life. When Zaccheus heard that Jesus was coming down the road, he couldn’t get near enough to see from the ground so he climbed into a tree. Jesus looked up and said, “Come down. I’m going to your house today.” By the time dinner was over that night, Zaccheus was a completely different person. Finally, let’s look at the purpose for the Sermon on the Mount. In the Old Testament, a rabbi would sit, not stand, when teaching a group of people. A lot of Jesus’ teaching was done as He and another man or small group of people were walking from one place to another. It was very informal and practical, very similar to the way many of us mentor other people today. But on this particular occasion, Jesus found a place to sit down, encouraged others to do the same, and began teaching in earnest. It was as if He said, “Listen carefully. This is very important.” These were not casual comments, and Christ wanted the audience’s complete attention. By sitting down to teach them, He emphasized the purpose of His sermon. I have found three places in the Bible where the Lord works as He sits. One of those is Mal. 3:3, which says, “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” A refiner works to remove dross and other imperfections so that only perfect silver remains. Of course, a purer metal is much more valuable. The refining process is a long and repetitive process. Christ’s sermon was a kind of purifying process as well. Through His words, He was showing His disciples and others in the crowd how to live pleasing, holy and acceptable lives before God. He wanted to refine them, and take out the things that did not belong in their lives. He began with the Beatitudes, showing them what they should be and could be for Him. The Christian life is a constant purifying process. If you think you’ve made it, I’d like to meet you and learn how you did it. I’ve never heard of someone getting to that point. There will always be trouble spots and stumbling blocks along the way. It’s a constant battle, and the closer you get to Jesus the more detailed the refining process is. Another example of the Lord sitting is in Ps. 9:4. “For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.” He is a sitting judge. But in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ took the time to explain what we should do so He might not have to judge us on some of these things later. Isn’t it a good God who gives you the answers to the test before you take the test? The third time the Lord sat down was as the rabbi or teacher. Isa. 54:13 says, “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” There is a lady in my church who has taught children for decades and still receives great joy from it even in her later years. I love the idea of taking someone who doesn’t know something and watch that person “get it.” God does not expect you to automatically know what to do. That’s why Jesus came to teach us. If you go through life trying to figure everything out on your own, you will never get it. There is no such thing as a self-made man. If you think you are, your life is probably a mess. It is not the goal of a teacher to see the student fail. Nearly every teacher wants his or her students to succeed more than anything. So Jesus sat down to teach us how we should live. He doesn’t want you to fail. Listen to the Teacher. If you have a question, ask Him – or open up the Book.

Overreacting To Criticism

I have noticed that many Christians leave the conservative movement as a reaction to criticism from some of the "brethren."  While they were not "liberal" or "compromising" in their beliefs or practices before their attacks, they actually become so when they go too far in their reaction to attacks from their peers.  They now become what they were not because they did not respond correctly to satanic attacks brought by jealous, backslidden, or even lost people who once named them as friends.  I hate to see any Christian or preacher become disillusioned and hurt with fundamentalism because of the anti scriptural behavior of  a fundamentalist. Here are some principles that have helped me when dealing with the foolishness that is in the ministry and our movement.

1.  The fundamentals are right because they are Biblical, even if some fundamentalists are morons!

2.  The local church is what matters, what others say outside your local church is unimportant!

3.  Never let critics determine the direction of your life or ministry!

4.  Don't waste your time defending yourself.  Your friends don't need you to explain yourself and your enemies will not believe you anyway.

5.  Do what God leads you to do and do not worry if the paper, school, fellowship, or if pastor _____ does not like it.  God called you to be you.  

6.  Do not be enamored with all of the "new" philosophies.  Remember there is really nothing new under the sun.  It is just the same waste of time repackaged.  Stay in your Bible and out of the latest book of the month.

7.  Because something is old does not make it right, and because something is new does not make it wrong.  Allow the Holy Spirit to develop discernment in you based on Biblical principles.  

8.  Don't be so ready to "think outside the box." Louis Entzminger's Sunday School material is still the best out there; just use a computer instead of a roll book and filing cabinet.  

9.  Don't be so scared to "think outside the box." The world changes and we have to be aware of changes in order to be affective in our ministries.  Screens, sound systems, padded chairs, and indoor plumbing are not satanic in nature because they were once new.

10. Love God, love people, and preach the Word is still the Bible way to do it.  

I do not claim to have all the answers, but I am at least starting to ask some of the right questions! God bless each of you who labor for our Lord, even if you do it a different way than me!

For several months we have been discussing the need for a second service here at Community because of our lack of seating and parking.  We knew we needed to make the move but I wanted to do something besides just trim down the main service and squeeze it into a slot before Sunday School.  I wanted it to be a tool for evangelism and growth and not just another morning service.  My dear friend Tom Sexton of Cape Coral, Florida suggested that we make the hour a spearhead for ministry and launch an entire growth campaign around it.  At the same time we were also discussing getting a radio broadcast started to help us saturate Pinellas County with the Gospel.  As the two ideas merged together we saw the launch of two great new ministry opportunities at our church! 

Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on 860 WGUL we launched the Tampa Bay Gospel Hour radio broadcast and then an hour later, at 8:30 we launched the Tampa Bay Gospel Hour preaching service at our church!  Both were met with great excitement!  We are now able to offer people two service opportunities on Sunday morning.  That is a great option for people who are coming off the midnight shift or for those who have to go in at noon.  Everyone can now hear good gospel music and straightforward Bible preaching as they get ready for Sunday morning!  We could not have asked for a better launch as we had a good crowd for the Tampa Bay Gospel Hour and then we were comfortably full again in the morning service.  Sunday School was also up a bit in attendance! 

Not only do I see the Tampa Bay Gospel Hour as a Sunday service opportunity, and a radio presence for our church, but I also envision the Gospel Hour to be so much more.  I have a goal to see it used as an evangelistic opportunity in the Bay Area and elsewhere leading in Crusades and Revivals across the Bay Area.  We want people to think of Old Time Religion when they think of the Tampa Bay Gospel Hour and Community Bible Baptist Church.  These are exciting days around our church!  Each week we are anticipating what God is going to do for and through us as we serve Him in this day!

If you able, please join us on the radio each Sunday morning at 7:30 am on 860 WGUL or live streaming on the web at http://www.860wgul.com/.  Or you can listen to our archived broadcasts on http://www.tampabaygospelhour.com/.  You are also welcome to join us for the live service of the Tampa Bay Gospel Hour each Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. on our campus or watch live on the web at http://www.tampabaygospelhour.com/!  However you connect with us we are looking forward to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with you.  As the late Dr. W. A. Criswell said, "I'll see you Sunday with a Bible in my hand, and a message from God in my heart."

Dan and Nancy Davis Are Coming to Community!

I am so excited to announce that Rev. Dan Davis, his wife Nancy, and their son Caleb will be relocating to St. Petersburg the first week of October!  The Davis' are a wonderful family with whom I had the privilege of serving with in Texas for several years before coming to Community!  Bro. Dan oversaw several different ministries in Texas for us including our Christian School, Child Care, Sunday School, Nursing Homes, and Visitation Ministries! We are thrilled the Lord has opened the door for him to relocate from Texas to work with us here in St. Petersburg! 

Both Dan and Nancy bring a wealth of ministry experience with them from their early days at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Orlando under Dr. Bob Ware to their years at Tennessee Temple and Bob Jones University's respectively under Dr's Roberson and Jones.  Dan has experience as an assistant pastor and also as pastor in Americus and Cartersville Georgia before going to Groves.  Bro. Dan holds a degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and has been in full time ministry since his days in the Army (Spanish American War! Just kidding, could not resist!)  Mrs. Nancy holds a Master's Degree in education, teaches piano, and sings in the choir and for special music.  She was also very instrumental in starting our Christian School.  We are blessed to be able to add them both to our Community team!

Bro. Dan's first responsibility will be to lead the Sunday School ministry here at Community.  With his passion for teaching, strength in organization, and weekly teacher's meetings we believe our Sunday School will outgrow our existing meeting space in a short space of time!  Bro. Dan will also begin the process of exploring options for starting a Child Care ministry and Christian Academy. 

We are looking forward to the Davis Family coming on board and believe that their relocating to our area is just another sign that God is doing some great things at Community!

John 3:16- The Most Exquisite Flower In The Garden of Holy Scripture

I was recommended a book to read on the issue of Five Point Calvinism entitled Whosoever Will, by Steve Lemke and David Allen. The book is a very clear look at both sides of the arguments for and against Five Point Calvinism, "High Calvinism" or what some might term "Hyper Calvinism". I still have a few chapters left to finish but to this point I certainly would recommend the book as an honest look at the issue facing our churches written in a very Christian manner without anger or malice.  The authors do a tremendous job in using the statements and writings of the proponents of High Calvinism to explain in detail their positions on the subject while at the same time they use the Scripture to refute or clarify many of these same opinions.  This is my biggest problem with High Calvinism is that it seems to be found in more papers, books, and sermons than it is found in the Word of God!  Something that takes this much explaining and reasoning from man seems to fight against the simplicity of the Gospel message. 

On that thought one of the chapters in the book that blessed me and so much was the chapter on John 3:16 by Dr. Jerry Vines.  In the chapter, which is a transcribed sermon by Dr. Vines, he breaks down the most powerful and yet simple verse in all of Holy Scripture.  I cannot for time retype the sermon in it's entire form, but the thought of how many isms John 3:16 clears up is incredible. I will share them as follows:

"For God" responds to atheism, which claims there is no God.
"so loved" responds to fatalism which asserts that God is an impersonal force.
"the world" responds to nationalism which says God loves only one group of people.
"that He gave" responds to materialism which says it is more blessed to give than to receive.
"His only begotten Son" responds to Mohammedanism which says God has no Son.
"whosoever believes' responds to Five Point Calvinism which says Christ died for only the elect.
"in Him" responds to pluralism which says all religions are equal.
"shout not perish" responds to annihilationism which says there is no hell.
"but have everlasting life' responds to Arminiansim which says God only gives life conditionally.

The rest of the chapter is tremendous but I wanted to share that portion of it so that it might be a reminder to us all of just how wonderful our salvation is!  Do not make the mistake of making salvation so difficult that even a little child cannot receive Jesus because Jesus would not be please with that.  (Mark 10:14-15) 

Praise the Lord for John 3:16 as it is the gospel in a nutshell,  or as Martin Luther said, the Bible in miniature!

Single Vision Conference 2011

5 Vital Reasons for The Single Vision Conference
Written by John Anderson

Did you know that the Welsh Revival of the early 1900's was mostly led by Single Adults? I had the privilege to preach in Colwyn Bay, Wales...

last Monday afternoon and chat to many people following the service. I was absolutely astounded at the number of church buildings and memorials that were raised throughout the Welsh communities referencing the Welsh Revival. One of the memorials that is not public knowledge is the fact that many single adults between the ages of 18 and 35 were the driving force of this mighty movement of God. They preached, sang, testified, and led souls to Christ while others were taking the more prominent figures and roles as the face of the Welsh Revival. I just read this account last week: "Were it not for the grace of Almighty God and the zeal and fervour of the youngsters, this mighty wind that bloweth would have ceased before it's inception." I still believe that Single Adults can make such a difference in our world today! God is not limited by time, space, or location, He is still the God that sent revival and can send revival again.



The city of London has approximately 13 million people in her greater extremities. The single adult population in London alone is staggering! I have noticed a trend growing up in a good fundamental Baptist Church and serving only in good Fundamental Baptist Churches. The trend is this: we emphasize ministry to children, teens, and adults, but somehow, we have forgotten about a hidden workforce and next generation of servant leaders, Single Adults! Seven years ago when I was working with Single Adults, God put a tremendous burden on my heart to start an annual conference once a year to encourage, teach, and expose Single Adults to the need for faithfulness in the local church and fervor for world evangelism. One year ago this burden turned into reality when I was preaching on a Wednesday night for my long time friend Brent Stancil. We both have shared a passion for a long time to see this next generation of Single Adults reached, taught, and mobilized to reach the world with the gospel. As a result of a need, burden, and prayer, Single Vision Conference has now become a reality! This January 3 -6 in St. Petersburg, FL, Pastor Stancil and the good people of Community Bible Baptist Church are hosting the first annual Single Vision Conference!

I want to share with you Five Vital Reasons for Having this conference:

1. Single Adults Are Not Second-Class

Far too long in our movement have we overlooked this wonderful group of people that God has placed into our care. Just because God has not brought their life's mate into their lives as of yet, does not mean they cannot be utilized and serving God in significant ministry roles! We must remember that it is not always God's will for every person to be married, but it is God's will for every Christian to be used to their maximum potential for God's honor and glory!

2. Single Adults Are Looking For Truth

We have been told by many emerging church leaders, that Single Adults will only come to our churches if we are entertainment driven and relevant culturally in our ministry approach to them. Although I am not against being culturally relevant, I am against it when Scripture is violated and secularism is masked as Scriptural. Christ is preeminent to culture! Sunday night following services in our church here in West London, a single young man and I had a cup of tea together. His statement was so revealing, "Pastor, I am sick of visiting churches where the Pastor attempts to relate to me and act my age, I just want the Bible, nothing else!" He will fit in just fine in our church, and I am convinced there are millions more like him around our world!

3. Single Adults Are Able To Serve Significantly

When working with Single Adults full-time seven years ago, I realized something very important: these guys have the time, energy, and resources to really serve the Lord in the local church! I was thrilled at the end of two years working with Single Adults to know that they were leading the way in ministry, missions giving, and fellowship in our local church. Friends, we have an untapped resource that God has placed at our finger tips, Single Adults who will thrive in ministry if we will train them and allow them to do the work!

4. Single Adults Are Not Afraid To Serve In Missions

Having been involved with missions for some time now, I find that the greatest draw back for many pastors to go to the mission field is their family. They have wonderful families, but they are afraid, like we all are, that their family will suffer and not have the same opportunities that they had growing up. Single Adults are not afraid! I get emails, phone calls, and visits all the time from Single Adults who say something like this, "Pastor John, I would gladly give a year of my life to serve God on a mission field somewhere!" It is my prayer that we will no longer look at these type of statements as youthful zeal, but as a sincere passion to serve Christ abroad. I am finishing criticizing, I want to enable!

5. Single Adults Need To Be Encouraged

There are conferences for every group in our churches except Single Adults. Because of this they are going to shallow, weak, contemporary churches that have compromised the gospel in order to reach them. I firmly believe that the Single Adults that come from the UK and Europe and all across the States to the Single Vision Conference are going to realize that they can still be Fundamental Baptists, love God and love people, and serve God in their local churches and in missions! They will meet with like-minded believers from everywhere that are exactly where they are and can encourage them in their faith and service to Christ! Every speaker at the conference shares in the same passion to really reach the hearts of the Single Adults that attend. I pray that you will visit the website and sign up today for this upcoming conference!

http://www.singlevisionconference.com

test

test

Are Revolutionaries Starting to Recant?

Are Revolutionaries Starting to Recant?

Do Big Events Really Count?

Do Big Events Really Count?

Strengthening Spiritual Decisions

Strengthening Spiritual Decisions

Baptist Friends

I was invited this year to speak at the first annual Independent Baptist Friends International Conference hosted by Dr. Clarence Sexton at the Temple Baptist Church and The Crown College in Knoxville, Tennessee.  As I look back at the meeting, there are several truths that stand out to me that I would like to share with you:

The Truth is the greatest need of this or any generation- John 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

We have the inspired Word of God in the Authorized Version- 2 Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Being around people with the right spirit refreshes your soul- Daniel 6:3  Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

The right friends are critical to your own well being- Proverbs 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

World evangelism is our mission statement- Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The local church is God’s plan for this age- Ephesians 4:11-12  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  (12)  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Bible preaching is ordained of God to share His message- Romans 10:8-9  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  (9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Good music stirs the heart to worship- Psalms 149:1  Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Some people will not be happy no matter what you do- 1 Corinthians 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

We have a wonderful heritage as fundamental Baptists- 2 Timothy 2:2  And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Our message is the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, nothing else- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  (4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

While I can only speak for myself I believe it was a great meeting!  I came away with these tangible changes in my life.

I want to love my people greater that God has given me to Pastor.

I want to study, memorize, and use more Scripture in my preaching.

I want to lead my people to help start churches in America.

I want to lead my people to be more actively involved in world missions by both going and giving.    

It is hard to believe that anyone could be upset about Truth, Friendship, and World Evangelism; but as it goes, I am sure there are some who question motives or decisions about this meeting.  With that in mind, I share one final piece of advice that my father gave me years ago, that Dr. Curtis Hutson gave him, about doing something for the cause of Christ.  He said, “Don’t waste time defending yourself.  Your friends do not need you to and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.”  I pray we go forward with Truth, side by side with Friends, for the cause of World Evangelism. 

Why Young People Stay Faithful

Why Young People Stay Faithful

Posted using ShareThis

Before You Criticize Your Pastor

Before You Criticize Your Pastor…

Posted using ShareThis

Problems with Fun-Focused Youth Ministry

Problems with Fun-Focused Youth Ministry

Posted using ShareThis