What Do You Say?

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

It is so easy to let words fly off our tongues and spew out of our mouths unchecked and unthought of…. We are all guilty of this, and I often – more than most. The above verse hit me like a semi skidding into a jackknifed position against oncoming traffic! Why? Well, I have noticed a terrible trend among believers today – with the need to stand up and speak truth, we have forgotten the need to “be gentle and patient, able to teach – even when we have been wronged.” And, for some ungodly reason, we feel it is a right to fly off the handle without regard of the damage it does to those listening – not just the one who needed a good stern rebuke, but the on listeners that are in earshot of the conversations.

So we understand what is meant here by Paul, as the Lord led him, through the Holy Spirit to write to the Ephesians, here are the definitions of some terms in the above verse:

Corrupt Communication = rotten – worthless – putrefied thoughts – talk – topics – reasoning – motives – expressions

Building Up = architecture, structure, confirmation, edifying

That it May Give = ministers – brings forth – delivers – yields

Same goes for the right kind of discourses and discussions. There are times to lay the foundation, to check the materials, to take out the mismeasurements of terms and premises, and certainly the tones and motives. Some edifying means some correcting and confrontation that will build back the right way and set the right direction.

I think you get the picture. So, what should we do then and how should we say what needs said? It is rather simple – if it lines up with the Scriptures, the Truth and the Holy Spirit – then say it in a grace giving way…. And if it comes from anything else – don’t say it.

Besides, this passage goes along with a parallel Scripture that is even more pointed:

Ephesians 5:3-4  But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

So – let’s consider what we say and not speak carelessly, let’s say what needs said and avoid what doesn’t and remember to be holy in our conversation and not horrid with our mouth – after all, what we say, says a lot about our hearts…. And some things just should not be said, let alone thought and harbored like a ship in our hearts.

By Jesus’ Grace,
Pastor Daren

Well – on occasion one runs across something simple yet deeply profound… as we are getting ready to study spiritual warfare and the devils devices through the C.S. Lewis’ “The Screw Tape Letters” (and of course the Scriptures) I thought I would simply share a devotional I recently read about Stephen the martyr:

He Only Had Eyes for God

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed — he only had eyes for God!” (Acts 7:55 The Message)

“But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55 ESV)

It is one of the great, dramatic moments in Scripture — Stephen giving his defense before the High Court of Israel. His presentation was masterful and respectful. His recall of history was exact and compelling. The case he presented was flawless and clear.

But as he spoke he saw the smug indifference etched deep into the faces of his judges. Their hearts were hardened by pride, their eyes blinded by bigotry. Stephen, realizing that nothing he could say was going to change their prejudice, shifted gears and got straight to the point.

“You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears!” he cried. “You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”

As any student of the pugilist arts knows, no champion ever relies on a single punch to knock out his opponent. No, he peppers him with jabs, rocks him with a one-two combination, and then drops the bomb – a left hook and a blinding overhand right. BAM! Stephen does the same.

While the council was reeling from his stunning indictment, Stephen continued, “Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?”

Before they could compose themselves to reply in religious double-speak, he delivered the knockout blow – “Just as your fathers killed those who told us that the Messiah would come, now you, their sons, have betrayed and murdered the very Messiah Himself!”

The Bible says, ” Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” One translations puts it this way, “At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective.” We are then told, “At this the council members covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.”

Amazing, isn’t it, the depth of evil that lurks in the hearts of religious people? From the moment Cain murdered Abel, religion has found no other way but violence to force its claims against those with whom it disagrees.

Oh how quickly those esteemed as holy and impartial judges turn to nothing more than a band of alley thugs. What craziness in the courtroom. What absurdity in the assembly of the astute. What rage erupting from the righteous…..excuse me, I mean to say the religious! For righteous and religious are not one in the same. Indeed, they have nothing in common. One is true, the other false. One is freedom, the other is bondage. One is kind, the other cruel. One is from God, the other comes straight out of hell.

But now, set in sharp relief against this dark backdrop, get the point of our opening text: “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed — he only had eyes for God!”

Oh how quickly those esteemed as holy and impartial judges turn to nothing more than a band of alley thugs. What craziness in the courtroom. What absurdity in the assembly of the astute. What rage erupting from the righteous…..excuse me, I mean to say the religious! For righteous and religious are not one in the same. Indeed, they have nothing in common. One is true, the other false. One is freedom, the other is bondage. One is kind, the other cruel. One is from God, the other comes straight out of hell.

But now, set in sharp relief against this dark backdrop, get the point of our opening text: “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed — he only had eyes for God!”

Wow. How wonderful it must be to “hardly notice” the dumb, outrageous, banal, and vindictive attacks of the devil through people and circumstances around us. What is the key? How did Stephen manage to remain so detached? The word says, “he only had  eyes for God!”

O Lord, give me eyes only for you!

Fighting the Good Fight,

As Christians we should work every day to be more like Christ.  I know that this is easier said than done; after all, we are only human. We are sinful by nature, and many of us lack self-control, especially when we get angry.    A good example of this is being quick with the tongue and saying things we shouldn’t out of frustration or anger.  I am guilty of this because I let anger get the best of me.  Now, I have gotten better over the years, but it still happens on occasion. 

Now add a two-year-old.  They’re like little sponges soaking up everything they see and hear- listening and repeating what you say.  Often times I don’t think we realize how bad the things we say or do are, when in the presence of other adults, but it hits you pretty hard when an innocent child repeats your words or actions. It becomes very clear just how far from Christ-like you’re acting and how poor of an example you’re setting for them.  In Proverbs 22 vs 6 it says, “teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  That’s a good reminder that as parents it’s even more important to be more Christ-like as the little ones are always watching.  We should also exemplify the fruits of the spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

So, my prayer, for myself and anyone else who needs it, is that we remember that the little ones are watching and listening and we must make a great effort every day to be more like Christ. 

Andrew Hervey

Spiritual Ministry Team Member

Again, here we are – it is the end of the year and the beginning of another, and WOW has the last 365 days passed by like a morning mist…. I have been noticing the busyness of life and have mentioned it before, it seems as the very hours of each day are being cut short. Have you found that it seems like there are not enough minutes in the moments? Have you felt the sense of time running down by speeding up? Have you been sensing the seconds ticking by at a slipping pace? I am convinced and convicted it is time to assess the time and our own lifetime before our time fades away and eternity dawns. Here are a few passages of Scripture that come to mind to assist us in being circumspect regarding our days, our time, and the expedient fleeting nature thereof:

Genesis 6:3  Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

 Psalm 90:10-12  The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

 First – the Bible tells us that God limits our days and life spans. Give or take some years, we don’t have all the time in the world – we have a terminal condition that God has ordained for each one of us. Now, as recorded in Genesis, God saw the evils of mankind due to sin and the fall, he literally gave Noah 120 years to get the ark ready before the flood; yet, God also limited man to only living individually about 120 years after the flood. And if you check the genealogical records found in the Bible, one finds that the years decreased incrementally as the generations went by until it even fell below the 120-year mark. This means each of us, you and I have a very short time on earth. I find it important to keep this in mind as we age so we do not make the mistake of thinking we still have tomorrow or that we somehow will never die.

Ecclesiastes 7:15-17  In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

 Second – how we live impacts the allotted time God has given each of us. And, depending on what we do, on our attitudes, on our worldview, and on our perspective on life. In the above passage, the idea of moderation is apparent. That extremes of evil and trying to be righteous on our own will wear us out and shorten our lives. Wickedness kills us early and trying to be perfectly self-righteous destroys us. Jesus is the only righteousness we can gain through grace, and He said His yoke is light…. We make ourselves heavy laden when we try to do it right on our own. And wickedness – well, it comes natural and we need delivered from it or we will wear ourselves out early and die young.

  Third – it is prophetic that time seems to be going so fast. It is not just to speed things along, but God does it to help His people. No flesh and nor human would be saved otherwise it says. Time is to go quicker and quicker and days shorter and shorter for our sake.

 Romans 13:11  Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

Ephesians 5:15-16  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Fourth –  We each are called to think about time and to walk with its nature in mind. Clocks tick away not tick in addition. We are called to make the most of each opportunity…. The days we live in are evil, ill and sin sick. Each minute and second is another chance to know Christ better and share Christ more, each day is another day to serve God and others and grow in wisdom with our walk with Jesus at the center… are you circumspect about time and opportunity?

James 4:14  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Fifth and finally – at least for the time being…. Each of our lives is but a fleeting vapor that dissipates as soon as it appears. Oh, sure some live in a fog and others bring the haze, but you and I dissolve more and more each day. Or at least we should in the warmth and heat of the Son of God. As he dawns in the heart and enlightens the mind – He should increase, and we should decrease. I often think about this verse in these contexts but also in the reality that one day we will be gone. Sooner rather than later, and what will we leave behind? A good and godly memory or will we vanish with the time that others have remaining….

Either way, take time seriously – if not, time will seriously take you.

Counting the Days Until Jesus’ Return,

The Truth may bind you to a tree

The Truth will always set you free

The Truth found wrapped in swaddling clothes

Having come to a world full of trouble, filled with sorrow and woes

A heart that is willing will follow: regardless the cost

A heart wounded and broken will wander; it’s lost

The power, the strength, all healing – comes from above

The cost of salvation: a price, paid out of love

Today as you ponder the stable scene that night

“Fear not” says the child; “I am with you, fight the good fight”

Light has come into the world, for all men to see

From it darkness must scurry, it must in the presence of righteousness – flee

The dark has not understood it

And has cleverly tried to use wit

Disguising, deceiving – being driven by blind grit

Alas, those who embrace it; will with it enter the pit

The truth – Christ the Savior, the Redeemer was given a call

He would cause some to stumble and others to fall

Their cause, they will not loosen: don’t good people always win

But stubbornness, lust – pride – greed covers them in the remnants of sin

Stature will pass as this world withers away

There is a judge who is coming; – very soon, any day

And the world will take notice of what he will say

The truth can bind you to a tree

The truth when spoken can set men free

The truth in the light will help blind men to see

The Truth born in a stable – He came for you, and for me

As darkness sets and the light rises and shines

An opportunity arises for a renewing of your heart and mind

Be reminded all peoples bedazzled by things of the night

That when morning comes, with it comes first light

Look upon the face that came to be near

To lead you, to guide you to free you from fear

To Him you are priceless; by His heart it is clear

You are a treasure, one He holds dear

I cannot fully proclaim who he is or of his love

But I will gladly tell you: grace and mercy come from above

There is none other like him, He himself: is Love

The Truth – He will bind you to heaven above

Turn your eyes towards the tree, to the flight of God’s dove

To Him and by Him power given to rule

Oh, you may to yourself, but to Him never fool

Is your eye on the starling or does it rest on the dove

He is the Way, He is the Truth, and the Life: His only!  Is True Love!

It is the time of year to pause and consider thankfulness and encouragement. And it seems good to me, and I believe the Holy Spirit also, that a study of a short passage of Paul’s letter to the Romans regarding how to be this way towards one another is in order.

Romans 15

1  We who are strong have an obligation to bear (through the idea of removal – lift, endure, carry, take up) with the failings (a scruple of conscience, infirmity, be feeble in any sense, be diseased) of the weak (unable, impossible, impotent, not strong), and not to please (through the idea of exciting emotion, be agreeable or by implication seek to be so) ourselves.

Many times we forget how weak one another we all can be. God calls us to humbly help lift burdens of those bogged down by scruples’ pressure and the painstaking struggle to obey in Christ, not just our own working power. And honestly, it takes a lot of help from one another to learn to rest in Jesus for sure!

2  Let each of us please his neighbor (near man, close – fellow, countryman, Christian, friend) for his good (benefit, wellness), to build up (architecture, structure, confirmation, edification). 3  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

Oh, what a world of difference it would make if we looked to be benefits and builders of others and not just our selves…. I am convinced that if we did assist one another to edify, confirm and structure our selves towards one another towards Christ in light of His Word and Way – church and family, community and vocation would be far more blessed. All could be enjoyed not just endured.

4  For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction (learning, doctrine, teaching), that through endurance (patience, cheerful – hopeful constancy, waiting, in continuance) and through the encouragement (comfort, imploration, exhortation, solace, consolation, invitation, calling near) of the Scriptures we might have hope (anticipation, expectation, confidence, faith).

Everyone can learn something from anyone! And if we took this approach in our thinking of and relating with one another endurance would rise and encouragement would carry us into great expectations of God and each other. Challenge yourself to take the Scriptures and apply them for not only instruction, but to build endurance, gain encouragement and excite hope’s faith of the future. And share it with one another in that exact same manner.

5  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony (like-mindedness, same sentiment – opinion, exercise the mind,  mentally disposed interest oneself, set affection, regard, savour) with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6  that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7  Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

I take this portion as more than a simple call for unity – but a direct reality that comes from all of the above! Our minds should move from our own set of principles and rules, opinions and sentiments to Christ’s way of seeing and thinking. In fact, if the Holy Spirit is heeded , and we all drink from the same fountain, their should be a lot more likeminded interaction than differences. I have often thought, that many of the differences come between us when we do the thinking for ourselves rather than listening to the Holy Spirit…. What a wonderful thing it would be to see this in our day! To see the abandonment of self and the embrace of Spirit. All those things of men would melt away and God would truly be glorified!

Thankful for You and the Grace of God,

In Christ Jesus, Love –

Pastor Daren

The world continues to change, and with each day it seems the cost of living goes higher. We rarely leave Walmart for under $300 anymore, and to fill the pickup with fuel costs well over $100. We know everyone around us is also feeling this pinch, and it is something we have discussed often amongst each other. Money is not the first thing any of us want to address though, and we definitely don’t like to discuss what is the “right” way to use it with fear of being seen as a hypocrite. But a question I am sure we are all trying to answer is, “How do we keep giving to the church & those in need when we have less and less ‘extra’?” We can find several references to money throughout the Bible, and we can also find that the hearts of men have not changed since the very beginning. In reading about Cain & Abel this week, the Lord makes it very clear how seriously he takes our offerings.

Genesis 4:2b-7

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. ³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. ⁴ And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵ but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

‘The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering’; so, what was so different from Cain and Abel’s offerings? Abel gave his FIRSTborn while Cain only gave SOME. This can be applied to several areas of our life, but in particular what of our goods (today that would be mainly our money) are we giving to the Lord. Are we giving first and taking for ourselves second? Or are we only giving when we have “extra.” This could also be a lesson in how we spend our time and our energy. If we are not diligent, we will put our time, energy, and resources (money) towards other things first, and not even realize we are dishonoring God.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

⁶Remember this:  The one who plants few seeds will have a small harvest.  But the one who plants a lot will have a big harvest.  ⁷Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give.  You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give.  God loves those who are happy to give.  ⁸And God can give more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything.  You will have enough to give to every good work.

As I write this, it is a lesson we have to learn in our own home, too. We are not always giving first, although it is very clear throughout the bible that we should. We live in a society where selfishness is glorified and we need to practice being more selfless. As uncomfortable as money conversations can be, it is clear we are all living in the same world where decisions have to be made; and as we talked about during CED last week, God takes all of our actions and thoughts very seriously. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts chp 5) were struck dead for being dishonest with the Lord about their money (the price of the land). We must to be honest with our money, as the Lord knows all. He gave His life for us; what are we willing to give for Him?

By Andrew Hervey, Spiritual Ministry Team Member

In recent days, I have had extraordinary opportunities to hear several sermons, conference messages and other believers share some profound yet simple things that really caused me to consider much needed ideas and truths that I want to share.

Let’s start with the following – “What offends me, reveals me”.

I started with considering my own offenses and what bus me. God’s Word tell us “it is to a man’s glory to overlook an offense”. (Proverbs 19:11b) Well, Jesus said “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45) So, note the truth about what is held in our hearts will come out in what we say and what offends us…. That means likewise whatever we keep, store, consider – they all point out exactly who we really are, therefore what offends us also tells us a lot about what idols we have, what things we care about and what is important truly to us. Do these things that offend us line up with what bothers God? Do the offenses line up with what Scripture tells us should offend us? Either we are a pile of grudges and grumbles about pet peeves and fickle feelings or we are rightly bothered by the things of God and of His Word.

Next is this – “in God’s plan, small is the new big”.

After pondering this I found that most folks dream of doing big, great things for the LORD…. That is good and admirable, but isn’t it the little things done consistently over time what advents the biggest lifelong changes. The Word tells us “who despises the day of small things”. (Zecheriah 4:10a) and “He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:28), not to mention “He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (Matthew 13:31-33) Each of this indicate a small thing or a person considers as such making big impact. Yeast is a miniscule fungus that impacts food and drink. A mustard seed is tiny, but when planted and germinates grows to bring a tree that gives shade, home and rest. And people who seem unimportant bring many small things into larger than life reality. God takes small things – that over time produce lasting fruit, relationships and changes to lives.

Now – I would like to now share what God gave me – “prepare for prophetic reality looking forward to the future without neglecting the duty of today”.

Think about it…. Looking at Scripture as a whole – many prophecies have been, are and will continue to come to fruition. It tells us to look ahead to Jesus’ return as the seasons of the end times are at hand and in great convergence; all the while not forgetting to “be about the master’s business” while we look forward to “His glorious appearing”. All three in conjunction are necessary to live a full life of service in proper perspective as the Gospel is fleshed out in our lives from faith.

Which one of these hits you right where you live today, in this moment, at this juncture? I confess – all three deeply have affected and have brought about great effect in my life…. Will you let what “the Holy Spirit is saying to the church” move you beyond where you have settled comfortably and into a place of small miracles that certainly have eternal impact?

By Jesus’ Grace, Truth and Love,

Pastor Daren Lee Barnett

Psalm 130: 5-8 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.  O Israel, hope in the Lord!  For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.  And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.  Commentary:  The word hope in our present thinking most often carries the idea of wishful thinking, but in biblical thought, hope was synonymous with certainty.  (Heb 11:1 )The psalmist puts his hope in God’s Word; he is standing on the promises of God.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Commentary: Faith treats the thinks hooped for as facts and places confidence today in what has been promised for the future.  It is an absolute conviction-based on the assurance of God’s unchangeable and perfect character-that God’s romises will be gulfilled.  For the unbeliever, “Seeing is believing.”  For the believer, “Believing is seeing.” (Romans 8:24, 1Peter 1:8,9)

Romans 8: 24-25 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-30 is about future glory)

My great aunt, Annie, and I were talking this week about hope and what it truly means and how to share it with others.  To be able to share with others that hope isn’t just this, “I am wishing for” but true biblical hope is certainty.  I believe we were talking about Catholicism when this came up, how they don’t really “believe” (maybe if that’s the right word” in hope because they don’t fully rely on God’s work.  They kind of read it, (or take parts of it and use) but rely more on other writings/teachings from other “people”.  They don’t really know if they will go to heaven until they get to maybe purgatory? (I don’t quite know all the details about how they believe the “order of things” after death.  Jaden was sharing what she has recently learned about it and we were discussing/discerning some scripture and such to share with Catholics.)  But our main thought was how sad to be missing out on such an incredible part of what the Lord gives us.  Hope!  That hope we can patiently wait for and be certain of.  I’ve been thinking about that a lot since we talked about it, how simple yet profound that is (hope synonymous with certainty) how it’s one more little tool to use when talking about Jesus.  I’m sure I’ve been told that numerous times but this time it stuck.  Sometimes our (my) thick heds have to be told something numerous times before it “sticks”.  I’m thankful for my conversation with Jaden that lead to my conversation with Annie.

Thank you Jesus for suffering the way you did.  For me.  For all of us.  We (I) don’t deserve it in the slightest (and I pray we don’t take it for granted).  But, because you suffered, died a slow agonizing death and then conquered death, we can hope in a future with You.  Praise you Lord, that we can be certain with that. )If we are born again believers.)  And if you aren’t a born again believer…..today is the day.  Right now is the time.  We aren’t promised tomorrow.