I walked into the lady’s restroom at school today and something on the floor caught my eye. What looked like a large piece of lint, turned out to be a ladybug. I watched this little insect scurry across the tile floor and smiled. The tiles on the floor are about twelve inches across and twelve inches high and it took the ladybug a minute to walk across one. Seeing this ladybug trek across the tile floor made me think of our Christian walk. I can walk across the restroom floor in about twenty paces, but it may very well take the ladybug an hour to cross it. The same can be said for our Christian walk, we all learn, grow, and live at different paces. My friend might be three steps ahead of me and another friend might be five steps behind me, but we are all on the same path with the same goal, Heaven. We all want the same thing, Salvation. A lesson that I am learning now, you might have learned years ago, but it is still a lesson, that God’s love is everlasting. We all fall down during our walk, but it does not matter that we fall, it just matters that we get back up. We meet all kinds of people during our walk, some we make our friends, some we do not, as some people are walking the opposite direction we are. A lot of things try to stop our journey and turn us around, namely the enemy. The hardest part of the walk may be going against the grain. But knowing what is waiting on the other side, knowing who is waiting to bring me home, knowing that there will be no more sorrow, I can’t help but do what I do. So even if I’m just like a tiny ladybug on a floor which seems to go on for endless miles, I’m gonna keep on crawling.
The other day, my friend sang at a small café. She invited me to attend, and I jumped at the opportunity to take a break and watch her sing. The café was a cozy little place, very welcoming. My friend and I went up stairs while the equipment was set up. We saw two chess boards and she asked me if I wanted to play. I told her I was not very good, and we decided to play checkers instead. Yesterday, while I was driving, I was thinking about chess. I enjoy the game but I have a hard time with anticipating my opponent’s next move, and I have a hard time building a strategy as I go. Then I thought to myself with a giggle, God must be a really good chess player. He can anticipate everything we do because His relationship with us is so profound; He knows what we are going to do before we do it. To some people that may sound crazy, but it’s true. God knows every detail of every day of our lives. He is our Father. He created us in His image. He knows everything about us. He knows when we hurt and when we are happy. He knows when we need help and when we succeed. He is there for us to lean on. No one knows you better than the Lord, and I take great comfort in knowing that God knows where I’m going even if I don’t always. He has a plan for every one of us. We just have to yield to His will. That may not be an easy task, but it is diffidently one of the things I want to accomplish in life. Brandon Heath has a wonderful song called “Wait and See”. It talks about how God has a plan for all of us. So as we move across this chess board that is life, remember the pawns are critical, move one to the other side of the board and the pawn is now a queen.
Having trouble with this audio. … I’ll work on it later.
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The door: doorway between the physical world and the spiritual world. We livbe in the physical world, but is there a spiritual world? A Heaven? A God? Life after Death? … If you have read the Narnia books, including the last one, then you may understand this slightly better. If you have not read the Narnia books, I recommend that you do. And unless you have read The Last Battle (or if you do not mind spoiler, highlight until the next set of tildes (~).
In the middle part of The Last Battle, the final book in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, there is a door. One side of the door is in the wall of a small barn, a shack. When someone looks in from this side, that person (or animal or combo) sees pitch black disparity. The people on this side of the door believe that a horrible beast, Tash, is on the other side. For many, this is true, but for others, there is a vast green land with rolling hills and high mountains. Aslan is there. King Peter and King Edmund and Queen Lucy are all there too. It is paradise for those who have made it there. … The ones who do not go there fair a little differently. Some are eaten by Tash, but many are still alive in the world they know. … For those who make it to the paradise, the door is there, in the middle of nowhere. No walls with it. No roof. Only the door in it’s door frame, just sitting there in a beautiful field. Open the door and see more lush, green land. … That door really is a doorway between physical and spiritual worlds. ~~~~~~~~~~~
Nobody knows what it’s like beyond the door by his/her own understanding, but we can know what is beyond the door because God has revealed Himself to us. God has revealed some what is beyond the door
Romans 1:20 – But the view we get is incomplete. It’s distorted a little. This physical world is like an image you might see in an inadequate mirror, a funny mirror at the circus. Everything is there, but it’s distorted.
Psalm 147:19-20 – Special revelation: God has disclosed Himself directly from behind the door. He has slipped notes under the door to the people of Israel. He even cracked the door open a little (Numbers 12).
Luke 2:29-32 – The door has opened! And behind the door was a baby! This baby is Jesus. He did not stay behind the door, He came through the door!
Hebrews 1:1-13 – Christ is the exact representation of God. He is God in full revelation!
John 3:13 – When Jesus had grown up, He showed us more who God is. … He told Nicodemus that to get to Heaven we must be born again. Nicodemus did not unnderstand this so Jesus tod him His credentials: He is the only to have come from Heaven.
1 Corinthians 1: 7 – The door will open again someday! We wait in Faith.
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So, I drew some picture notes for this sermon, but haven’t drawn them on the computer yet. There’s seven of these pictures, all have a door in a door frame:
The first one is a closed door.
In the second image, the is slightly cracked open.
There’s a crib in the doorway with the door wide open in the third image. This is Jesus.
The fourth picture has a cross in the doorway.
The fifth has a man in the doorway. This man is the resurrected Christ.
In the sixth picture, the door is closed again.
In the seventh image, there is that man again. This time He has his sword. He is ready for combat against evil. It is Christ’s second coming.
Recognize that God is the ultimate source of all good things in your life (Deuteronomy 8:17-18; James 1:16-17).
Don’t focus on the secondary sources/causes. … If you were writing a research paper, you would look for primary resources, not resources based off of primary resources. … Robinson Carusoe was amazed that grain grew in front of the cave he was living in until he realized that he had shaken the seeds out on the first day … If a pipe came from Heaven and money started rolling out of it, would you be more thankful for the pipe or for whoever is rolling the money down it? Be thankful for the pipe, but be more thankful for the person at the other end of the pipe. America is the pipe. Your job is the pipe. Your friends and family consist of the pipe. God is at the other end though.
Concentrate on what you have rather than what you don’t have (Proverbs 14:30; Hebrews 13:5).
Advertising creates this desire within us to focus on what we don’t have. … The Bible words for this are “envy” and “greed.” … Envy will rot your bones and is the enemy of thankfulness. … It’s good to have goals and ambitions, but be content with what you have because God will never leave or forsake you. … Restaurants in Mali scrape the extra food from orders into a bowl for kids who can’t afford meals.
Remember where you came from (Deuteronomy 24:18).
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Remembering where they used to be helped them enjoy the promised land. … We were slaves to sin. We were on the road to Hell. Now we are free to live for Christ on the road leading to Heaven.
Focus on spiritual blessings rather than material blessings (Ephesians 1:3-8).
Be thankful for the material blessings. Nothing is too small to be thankful, but don’t focus on the material blessings. … We will never lose our spiritual blessings, but we might lose our material blessings.
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He interviewed me for this sermon. Here is the entire interview from the email:
1. You are a student at MTSU. What are you studying, and what do you hope to do when you finish school? I am a Computer Science Major. I’m thinking about minoring in business because I’ll need most of those classes anyways. …. After graduation, I plan on going for a Masters degree and then maybe a doctorate in Computer Science. My main objective after graduation though, is to get a job so I can afford to do that. I would also like to create some free programs for Bible study (I made sure to keep all the notes from your class), I do realize that QuickVerse and other programs are already out there and offer much more than a free program ever could without heavy donations, but they can be pretty expensive and somewhat complicated. 2. I know you enjoy soccer and clogging. What are your other interests or hobbies? I really enjoy playing around on the computer, messing around with website designs and stuff. I’m beginning to develop a hobby for writing programs. I enjoy writing poetry and reading some poetry, but it just feels more “special” to write it myself. … I also really enjoy playing video games, mainly sports games. I think the reason I enjoy the video games is because I can blow off some steam by playing them sometimes instead of taking it out on other people. Soccer can do the same.
3. What is the name of your disability and what are its effects? Cerebral Palsy is the name of my “disability.” … What happened is that when I was born, a cord had somehow wrapped itself around my neck, cutting off oxygen to my brain. As a result, part of my brain does not function correctly. … The part that has been affected is the section that controls my upper limbs and voluntary/involuntary movements. So now I can’t really use my arms or hands with the same effectiveness that an “ordinary” person can. I put quotes around “ordinary” because it’s impossible to truly define that word. 4. In spite of your disability, you are always smiling. You always seem to be positive. How do you focus on the positive things in your life rather than the negative? For one, my parents have always been there for me, always helping me and supporting me as I, and they, have tried to come up with various solutions to the everyday problems I face. My parents have also set extremely good examples for me by trying to always be polite and positive about everything even when they are fighting for something they know could help me in life. My brother has been the same way, only he might not admit it, but he’s been a great example for me too. … And church has always been there for me too. Even before we started coming to FBC, the church we attended was very loving and caring and just supportive really. FBC has also been extremely loving and caring and supportive. The friends that I have made here are ones that I know I can count on whenever I really need something and I thank the entire church for this.
5. Do you ever get frustrated because you can’t do something? Yes, I do sometimes get frustrated because I can’t do some of the same stuff that other people are doing. For example, I would love to try to play paintball or laser-tag, and I could probably shoot a marker with my feet, but then I wouldn’t be able to move and that would make me that much more vulnerable to be hit. … I also don’t like to ask for help when I need something because I don’t like to bother people, but some times I have to ask becsause whatever I may be trying to reach might be too high for me to reach safely with my feet.
6. Are you ever angry with God? Sometimes. I’m not really sure how to expand upon this answer without answering thr next question.
7. Do you ever ask God why this happened to you? Yes, mainly for reasons in my answer for question 5. … I get angry sometimes and so I ask, “why me?” … I always get the same answer. It’s me because God knew that my parents would raise me correctly and that I would be determined to do what many people said I could never. I can walk and talk even though the doctor said I wouldn’t. I believe God knew this and wants me to use what I have been able to do, with His help, to glorify Him and inspire other people to do stuff they don’t think they can do or that someone has told them they cannot do. 8. Do you consider yourself a thankful person? Why? Yes, I’m thankful everyday for having such an awesome family and group of friends that I know I can count on as well as all the aids I have ever had who helped me get through school. 9. How has your faith in God helped you in your life? Well, whenever I wonder why me or get angry because I can’t do something I want to do, I just pray and remember the promises of Heaven. The promise of a glorified body and everlasting joy. 10. What would you say to someone here today who is discouraged or thinks life is unfair or thinks they have nothing to be thankful for? To those who think they can do nothing: “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” – Matthew 19:26 and “I can do all things through Him [Christ] who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13 (Both are NIV). … To those who think life is unfair: It’s not fair, but all we can do is trust God and make the most of our circumstances. … To those who think they have nothing to be thankful for: Jesus DIED for you! You now have the opportunity to go to Heaven and spend eternity with God in a place more glorious than any place on Earth and there’ll be everlasting joy. .. And I’m going to add one more group of people if that’s okay. To those who worry a lot: Jesus has told us not to worry. “Then Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
My answer to number 3 is slightly incorrect. The cord was not wrapped around my neck, it was just pinched every time my mom had a contraction. The same effect.
There’s a battle between good and evil. It’s a cosmic battle that comes down a battle for the name of Jesus. For the character of Jesus. … There are two sides, not neutral zone!
In B.C. Rome, the people worshiped dead emperors (Caesars). Eventually, around 44 B.C., they began worshiping the living emperor once every year. However, Jews were exempt from this duty to the Caesar, and even after Christ’s death, the Christians were just thought of as a sect of Judaism. Eventually though (around 90 A.D.), the Christians were separated from Judaism and were no longer exempt from worshiping the Caesar once a year. … If they did not bow down and worship the emperor, they were persecuted.
What goes around comes around. … Jesus says, in today’s terms, “if you stand up for me, I will stand up for you in Heaven.” “If you defend, fight for, me, I will defend, fight for, you.” … These people persevered and endured all sorts of persecution for the name of Jesus! … They did not deny His name. They were faithful to His name! They said what they believed! … It does matter what we say, even if we don’t mean it. We must stay true to the name of Jesus!
Some people believe this prophecy only applied to the time that is was written in (preterit). … Others believe the prophecy is for all time periods (idealist). … Others believe the prophecy applies only to the future (futurist).
And still others believe it applies to all three. … There could (and I believe there are) be multiple fulfillments of this prophecy.
The Devil is a liar, a deceiver!
The Dragon => the Devil
The Beast 1 => Anti-Christ(s) … Perhaps the emperors of Rome were Anti-Christs. Maybe Hitler was an Anti-Christ. And What about Saddam Husein or Osama Bin Laden? Could all these people be Anti-Christs? … And nobody knows who the Anti-Christs of the future will be … 1 John 2:18 says there are many Anti-Christs
The Beast 2 => Anti-Holy-Spirit … Imitates the Holy Spirit. He will encourage you to worship the first beast.
If you can’t discern truth and evil now, then you’re in trouble. But if you can discern truth and evil now, then you will be able to in the end times. … The tool to use for discerning truth and evil is the Bible, the Word of God. If something doesn’t fit what the Bible says, challenge it.
It’s pretty scary that the factor that will separate Christians from everyone else is economics. If the mark of the beast is not on your forehead or right hand, you won’t be able to buy anything in stores, but I imagine there might be an underground market… We better get our priorities right if we don’t want to fall to the Beast. … I want Jesus’ name on my forehead, not the Beast’s.
Oh the irony! Everyone thought Jesus would be a Warrior King in His first coming, but He was was a suffering servant, humble and rode on a donkey. Now people think He will be meek, lowly, and mild, but He will ride in on a white horse, be here to make war, to judge! His eyes will be like blazing fire, and He will wear many crowns. … He has a name nobody knows. Why is this important? Because to name someone or to know someone’s name indicates authority over that person. Adam was given authority over the animals when God told him to name all of them (Genesis 2:19). And what about kids? Parents name their kids. (Don’t name something or someone you don’t know or have any authority over.) … Nobody will know the name on Jesus because nobody has authority over Him!
Jesus wins this battle the same way He created the universe, with a word spoken from His mouth. … I want His name on my forehead…
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There are only two sides in this battle that began so long ago. The time choose sides is now. It’s hard to change when you’re in the thick of battle. And this battle will get very thick in the last days. Choose now! The time to prepare yourself is now.
Jesus == Savior. … The name God told Joseph to give to Mary’s son.
Lord == Master and God.
Christ == Messiah and Promised King and Anointed One.
In the New Testament, these titles for Jesus are used many times in several combinations.
Jesus Christ is used 135 times.
Christ Jesus is used 90 times.
Lord Jesus is used 103 times.
Lord Jesus Christ is used 60 times.
Followers of Christ could be called Jesusites. … Or Lordians. … But the one that has stuck is Christians. …The term “Christian” is only used three times throughout the entire Bible, all three in the New Testament. … The church began in Jerusalem, then was scattered because of persecution. The scattered church began teaching Gentiles as well as Jews. To the surprise of many believers, a lot of Gentiles converted to this new Faith. … The church in Antioch is where the term was first recorded as being used.
What does it mean to bear this name?
To bear the name of Christ means you identify with Him and you commit/belong to Him (Acts 11:26). … In a marriage, the wife (typically) takes the last name of the husband. The Identify with each other. … If you own something you believe to be valuable, you put your name on it, like a stamp in a book. … What if there was stamp on your forehead that says, “This person belongs to Jesus Christ.”? Would people be surprised or would their knowledge of you be confirmed? Would you change the way you live your life? … Well, your body is not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). … Your body is a temple of Christ. You were bought at a price. Jesus’ death and blood was payment for you!
The name likely came about because the Christ followers were called this by outsiders and people needed a name to use to make fun of them with. A name to persecute believers with. … How did they get the name? They spoke about Christ! They acted like Christ as much as they could! They did what Christ would want them to do! … People saw this and gave them the name of Christian, which was probably a derogatory term to begin with, but it stuck for some reason or other. And now, I, like many others, am glad to bear this name that was once a derogatory term! … What we be called if we were being named today? Would we be called Christians? Or might we be called hypocrites? I think it’s hard to tell. So many claim the title “Christian” today, and a few are just hypocrites, but for some reason, those few show up more then the “non-hypocritical” Christians. Like a sore thumb.
To bear the name of Christ means that you have been persuaded to believe in Him for salvation (Acts 26:28). … It’s a conscious choice. … I don’t know where you live, but here in America, there is not an official religion. The government does not regulate whether or not I go to Heaven. Some countries have Christianity as the official religion of the country, but that does not mean that everyone in the country is saved. That only means they all go to church and act like they believe it even if they don’t.
To bear the name of Christ means you participate/fellowship in His sufferings and His glories (1 Peter 4:12-16). … That first verse is important. Many new believers think that it’ll be easy. It isn’t! Satan attacks you, puts you through trials, and makes you suffer. Rejoice in the sufferings! This way you may be overjoyed when God’s glory is revealed! … To be insulted on the behalf of Christ is an honor! It means that the Holy Spirit is upon you! … Don’t blame Christ when you suffer for dong wrong. You should suffer for that. … But take no shame in suffering as a Christian. Praise God that you bear that name!
It’s like joining the Air Force. If you join, you will fly. If you become a Christan, you will bear the cross of Christ. … It’s in the name.
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