God provides...no excuses!

I am preparing for my lesson tonight and found this that I wanted to share today. God expects us to share Him with others as told by the great commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. But we even see this back in the day of Moses when God told him to go to his people Israel and tell them God wants them to trust Him and be freed from Egypt. Guess what Moses did? Made excuses! Just like we do when told to share Jesus with others!



Here are the excuses of Moses:



1. What if they don't believe me?



Exodus 4:1-5



4 Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”

2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

He said, “A rod.”

3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 5 “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”



Now for us, God has said plant the seed, He will take care of the rest! Share the gospel! It is not our job to worry about if they believe us or not!



2. I can't speak well!



Exodus 4:10-12



10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”



How many of us have tried this one? haha Look what God says directly to us about this:



Luke 12:11

11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.



Now this directly refers to if we are arrested for our faith and trying to defend ourselves but God also will provide the words when we share our faith too! We also should be studied up about out faith to be prepared to share!



3. Please don't send me!




Exodus 4:13-16

13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. 16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.



We also want God to use someone else. Did you see how it made God? Angry! Don't miss the blessings of doing God's work! Share the gospel, someone elses eternity may depend on you!



No excuses! God will provide what you need!



Tom

Imitate Christ!

For you Duck Dynasty fans, Sadie and a friend have a you tube channel that they are posting weekly devotions on aimed at teenagers. If you have a teenager point them in that direction. The channel is called "the new different". Good to see a godly role model. From their devotion is where I grabbed this verse:



Philippians 3:17-20



17 Join in imitating me, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, 20 but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.



Also keep this verse in mind:



1 Corinthians 11:1

Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.



We are to be like Christ in every area of our life. Imitating Him to the best of our ability. Are we? We are even warned in the Philippians verse that many are living as enemies of the cross of Christ and then lists some of the problems. Food and drink is first..what goes in the belly. Drunkenness and gluttony are sins and keep you from being a example of Christ. Second, we see glory. So many want to be seen and glorified. Sports are a good example of this, look how great I am!! The bible says God hates pride and seeks the humble. Where do you fall here? Third, we see focus on earthly things....money, material things, drugs, sex outside of marriage, ect. We are then told where our focus is to be...on heaven and our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.



So this morning are you imitating Christ? Or are you living as an enemy of the cross? Examine yourself and I will myself! Lord may we all imitate you and give you the glory in everything we say and do!



Tom

Parents, please teach your kids properly!

Being in youth ministry for so many years it amazes me how little parents teach their children about God. Then I get the calls about Johnny or Mary who are making bad choices and the parents wonder why. It is not hard to figure out. Bringing them to church once a week, is not the only training they need. The devil is busy folks! He is seeking to destroy you and your children and to be honest He is doing a pretty good job. You are the parent! Not their best friend. You are responsible for training them in the Lord, oh and guess what? As long as they live in your household, it should not be an option to miss Sunday School, church, youth bible studies, and any other discipling of Jesus Christ you can get them on top of the training you are to be giving them at home. Yes I said at home!!! Look at these verses:



Deuteronomy 6:6-8

6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.



Parents are to teach their kids about God constantly! Your job! The church supplements this!



Psalm 53:2

God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.



Are your children seeking God? Are you showing them how?



Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.



God has given you the responsibility to raise your children. They are a reward.



Proverbs 4:1 [ Security in Wisdom ] Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding;



God warns children to listen!



Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.



The best inheritance is godly wisdom, are you leaving anything to your kids in godly wisdom?



Matthew 19:13-15 13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.



Are you hindering your kids of coming to Jesus? Are you putting ball or something else as a priority before God?





Ephesians 6:1

[ Children and Parents ] Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.



Children are to obey you, You are the Parent!



Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.



Dads take heed to this! Training of the Lord!!!! Ball won't get them right with God!



Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.



1 Timothy 3:4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence



Honestly today many homes are run by the kids, this should not be so!



Parents please listen to God's Word. We are losing our kids and it is our fault. One day you will stand before God and give an account for how you raised God's gift to you! That's right, our children are gifts from God, for us to train and bring up in the Lord. How will you fair before God? Think about that!



Tom

God loves you!

Just a simple reminder this morning that God loves you. No matter what the day may bring, God loves you!



John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.



John 16:27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.



Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.



Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.



Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.



Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.



Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,



Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.



Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.



2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,



Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,



1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.



1 John 4:9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.



1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.



1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.



It is so refreshing to see how much God loves us. Just dwell in that thought today! God loves you!



Tom

Obey God!

God wants us to do many things as followers of Him. If we can get the basics down the rest will fall into place out of pure worship and love for Him. Let's look at a few commands from scripture:



1 Samuel 15:22



22 So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,As in obeying the voice of the Lord?Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,And to heed than the fat of rams.



First, God wants us to obey. Just like any good Father, He desires us to obey Him out of respect but also because He knows best! He knows what will fill our souls with peace and joy. When we obey Him in all areas, we live as He has designed us too! Notice He did not say not to sacrifice because he has great delight in that but obeying was first priority!



Hosea 6:6

6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.



Second, we see God wants us to be merciful. If we are true followers of God we will show mercy, as God has given us the example by the mercy He shows us daily! Again we see here, God would rather see mercy that sacrifice, but he does enjoy sacrifice!



Third, we see God wants us to know Him! How do we do that? Bible study, preaching and prayer. Are you faithful in these three areas? God's desire is for us to have knowledge of Him not just a vague understanding but a deep personal knowledge. Then once again we see God tell us he desires us to know Him more than a burnt sacrifice. You see if an old testament saint knew God deeply, the sacrifices would be done out of their deep love for God!



Mark 12:33

33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”



Fourth, loving God with all our heart, understanding (mind), soul, and strength is desired by God for our lives! This is the greatest commandment! God desires this more than offerings and sacrifices!



Fifth, loving our neighbor as ourselves is the second greatest commandment. God wants us to love others as he loves us!



So the question is are we obeying what God wants in our lives as children of His? Obeying God should be the highest priority in our life! When we do, all others areas such as serving and sacrificing time and energy will be no problem, it will be a pleasure!



Tom

Worship Seven days a week!

I recently read a quote by A.W. Tozer that really made me think and I want to share it with you:



"If you will not worship God seven days a week, you do not worship Him one day a week." Wheeeeew! He goes on to say many try to meet our so called obligations to God in one day, a trip to church, maybe two but only if we have nothing else to do, and that is suppose to be worship! It can only be worship if you worshiped the other six days too!



Now that is some good teaching there. He did not say you had to go to church everyday but your worship must be a lifestyle not a one day a week obligation.



Deuteronomy 11:16

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them,



Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.



Psalm 96:9 Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.



John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.



John 9:31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.



A good example of true worship everyday in the bible is Daniel:



Daniel 6:9-11

9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.



The government has made a decree to pray to nothing but the King. Daniel did not care what they government said, because his life was worshiping God. So he continued to pray and worship three times a day. It was his custom (life). Daniel was thrown in the Lion's den because of this, but God spared the life of his faithful servant.



So now we must each ask ourselves, do I worship daily? Do I truly worship at all? It is a life long commitment to Jesus not a daily option!



Tom

Be who you say you are!

A brother in the ministry, Billy Lowe, taught this truth to our youth group at our Summer Camp this year..."Be who you say you are!". I want us all to stop for this moment and think....I call myself a follower of Jesus Christ, A Christian, do I live like it?



I am so tired of folks claiming to be a Christian but yet living in outright sin. It is destroying our faith! Everyday I see posts like "I love God", and the next thing they post is something that scripture says is sin!



Look at what scripture has to say about this:



Follow example of Jesus in your life every second of everyday!



Matthew 10:38

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.



Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.



Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”



A true follower knows Jesus voice and obeys and does not listen to the world.



John 10:4-5

4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”



John 10:27

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.



John 12:26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.Follow Jesus and it may be very costly. But He is worth it...are you willing?



1 Peter 2:20-22

20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;



Jesus was a servant to others, we are to be also.



John 13:14-16

14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.



Be a good example! Know your bible for it is the way you know what being a follower of Jesus is! It will correct you if you allow the Spirit to move in your life.



Hebrews 4:10-12

10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.



This sums it all up....sin vs. fruit. Which describes you more?



Galatians 5:19-2

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.



Jesus wants us to be who we say we are. Walking the fence makes him sick so make a decision, Jesus or the devil!



Revelation 3:16

So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.



Tom