Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 26, 2019 at 03:25AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church https://ift.tt/2XaTRYc
via IFTTT "I am" What a powerful name! There are so many aspects to this simple yet profound statement. I "am"... Meaning present day. God is saying that He is the God of today, everyday. Not "I was". Not "I will be". Not just yesterday not tomorrow, but today! He is eternally the God of every day man faces. He is here, right now, today just exactly the same as He was here for the children of Abraham in the old testament days, and just as He will be here tomorrow for your children. "I am " is a statement of eternalness. No beginning and no ending. Always there when you need Him. Always watchful over every generation of His creation, including you. "I am"... Meaning I do exist. "I am real". The decedents of Abraham were near hopeless. 400 years they worked day after day as slaves to Egypt. Trying to hold on to hope of a prophesy of deliverance that never came. God tells them "I am real, and I am here for you". He exists, and His promises are true regardless of circumstances. You can imagine many were dispairing, given up. Egypt is too strong now, and we are too weak to ever escape this oppression. But God says "Have hope, because I am!". A message the rings as true today as ever. Regardless of your circumstances, God still exists and watches over you! "I" am... Meaning I alone. There is no other God beside me nor above me. God says "I am sovereign, I am in control, I rule the stars of the sky and the cells in your body. God is god over all and proclaims this in His name. There is nowhere else to turn, no other path, no higher power, no other source of strength. God is not "a god" but He is "The God". His name of "I am" is a declaration of supreme power and control over all that oppresses us, over every situation that we face, over ever day of our life. He alone is God. The simple name that God gave Moses is a powerful statement indeed ! "I alone am the source of your deliverance and strength because I rule over all of creation as sovereign and eternal, watching over each and every generation, each and every day, and will not only deliver you but keep you under my wing, forever. Even in your darkest hour, know that I am real, I am all powerful, and I am with you always" Wow! What a promise! Do you ever reach a point where you wonder, is God real? Do you ever think that maybe He forgot you? Do you ever feel alone and deserted in a dark world? Do you ever feel hopeless, too far gone? In those moments remember... "God says - I am". I am real. I am now. I am always. I am sovereign. I am watching. I am working. I am eternal. I am the only one you need. I am. Turn to "I am" in your moments of distress. Turn to Him and trust in His promises. God, is God.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 24, 2019 at 03:37AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2WYGF3J
via IFTTT The kingdom of God does not consist of words, but of POWER! The gospel, the kingdom, is not about education, learning, thinking. Those are actually things of man. Man speaks, man thinks, man learns. But God moves! God makes things change! God is a God of action, results, creation. Not ideas, but power! We all love a good sermon, one that touches our heart, quickens our soul, but a sermon that does not bring change, is just flowery words. What good are words without power to change? Why learn if we end up the same as before we knew? Jesus come to give life. Abudan't life. That requires change, requires action. Contrary to modern thought, it is not about learning. It is about walking in power. Abundant Life is a life so bright with God's love and power that everywhere we go is brightened, everything we do brings change. The world is a dark and dismal place. Man bumping around in the dark trying to find his way, but always suffering from this or that. The world is desperate for power , not just nice words. Paul says here, after a long discourse about ending division and worship of human idols, that he will come for a visit and see who is living in the power of God. Who is walking rightly with God in truth will be walking in the power of God daily, and it will be evident. He who is serving self, living for self, spreading lies will not walk in the power of God. There was another man, a prophet, who stood against the crowd of evildoers and declared "show me the power of your god". He set up a demonstration. Two sides. Each built an alter to their God and did whatever was necessary for their God to "show up" and burn the alter with fire. Whoever was able to demonstrate the power of their God was serving the real God. Elijah stood that day in power. Elijah's God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob showed up and demonstrated his mighty power for all to see. Power. Reality. The alter burst into flames from fire falling from heaven. This is power. Paul is setting up a repeat of Elijah's challenge. "I will come and we will see by their power". This stuff is real. It is not just pretty words, but what we speak of is power, the power that created all that is. The power that hung the sun into the sky for us. This power is available to those who walk humbly before a holy God, seeking Him first. "All the things that I do you shall do, and even greater things shall you do". That is a promise of Jesus. Power. Power to DO. God is doing things every day, in the lives of His servants. Life is amazing! We are constantly impressed and awe struck by the actions God takes in the lives of his believers. He is moving and doing. Miracles that boggle the mind and empower the heart. Seek Him first and His righteousness, and you too will see the power of a Holy, living, caring God work through His power.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 22, 2019 at 04:07AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2JdJOYP
via IFTTT Man's wisdom says "take care of yourself", "fight to get ahead", "if you don't fight for yourself, no one will". Lies! In this story we see a crippled man, unable to care for himself. No family, no friends, all alone in the world. No one could help him. this pool of water, supernatural healing powers, was his only hope. Tradition says that daily an angel would appear at this pool of water, and when the angel stirred the waters, the first person to touch the water was healed. Wow! If he could just get to the water, this poor man could be whole and well again! Daily he watched others come and receive. The story was true! Whoever touches the waters was healed. One. The first one. The one that was at the front of the line. The one that fought to get ahead. But this man could not. He was too weak, too frail, incapable of winning the race. He could not get to the water before someone else raced past. So he sat. Mere feet from success, day after day. Watching others walk away well, because they raced past him . But one day Jesus showed up. Now envision the scene. Many sick people laying around the pool. Waiting, anxious to press ahead. Ready to fight to get what they needed. Who did Jesus go to? The one man who kept loosing! The one that could not, would not fight others to win. Winning implies a looser. One can not win unless someone else looses. How is that "loving your neighbor as yourself"? How is winning at the expense of others any form of love at all? This poor suffering man who people ignored, he met Jesus that day. Sure... He received his healing, but more importantly HE MET JESUS! He was the only one! All the others, those stepping past or even over this man to get ahead, they didn't meet Jesus. Maybe those individuals got what they wanted, their own healing, but they didn't meet Jesus. They didn't look into his eyes. They didn't feel Jesus hand helping him up. This man, he met Jesus. Jesus is not at the front of a line. He is not there to bless the one who fights others less capable. Jesus is at the end of the line, to those who need Him most. Jesus meets the humble, the helpless. Have you spent your life fighting to get ahead? To get to the front of the line? Have others had to wait so that you could enjoy some blessing? Did you meet Jesus in that win? Did you come away from that experience with more than you fought for? If not, try life God's way. Love your neighbor. Put others before you. Step aside and let one less capable go ahead. Help someone into the healing waters instead of stepping ahead. Love. And in this, you too can meet Jesus. The world is wrong. Success does not come from winning over others. Success does not come from "winning" at all. That is a desperately selfish, wicked view of life. That is Satan's way... Win! No, not win, but love. Put others first. Seek to meet Jesus instead of win. Seek to watch others get what you want. Help them succeed. Give up your place for them. And meet Jesus.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 19, 2019 at 03:44AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2KqTFgB
via IFTTT God brings the growth, not the laborers. Simple concept, but do we truly believe it? Or do we look with stary eyes at the particular laborer we prefer and attribute success to their efforts? I fear this is all too common. Men are often associated with the success, the growth, that comes only through God Himself. When gardening, there are many tasks. 1. Prepare the ground, break the soil, remove the weeds. 2. Choose the proper seeds 3. Plant the seeds into the soil properly 4. Fertilize the soil 5. Water the seeds 6. Nurture the seedling and protect it 7. Continue weeding and watering 8. Harvest properly But none of these steps causes growth. These steps facilitate growth, making it possible, but do not cause it. Growth happens due to creation's mechanisms ordained and controlled by God, not man. Man only manages the environment, God brings growth. Interestingly, man can cause growth to end, due to mismanagement at any step. Man can cause damage through neglect or mistakes. However, man can not actually guarantee growth. It is not in our control. All we can do is set everything right for growth and wait. Life is the same. Church is the same. Family is the same. All the laborers can do is set things right in the environment, and wait for the growth God brings. It is not the laborer not the manager, not the leader who causes growth. It is God. Yes, we must be diligent to do all we can as our part to facilitate growth, but never think that we can "make it happen". We must remain humble and obedient to the one ultimately in charge. That is all we can do and all we are asked to do. We don't have to bring success, we only have to set the environment right! For example, many parents have errant children. Sure, sometimes it is their fault, some part of the process that they neglected or did wrongly. But other times the parents did all they could, did it right , and still the child goes astray. Peace is found in the truth that we are not in control of the results, only our part of the process. Adam and Eve walked with God personally, had no peer pressure, no television, no drugs, yet their child murdered his own brother. All through history good parents suffered watching their own children go horribly wrong. Such is life. We are not in control of results, only process and environment! Now, when we do things wrong, when we act selfishly and neglect our responsibility or even rebel, then we are responsible for damaging growth, for causing a bad outcome. Yet, we can repent of those mistakes and rebellions and be free from the guilt. God who is Lord of the harvest can correct our mistakes and bring about good. It is in hHis hands, not ours. All we can do, even after grave mistakes, is to repent, trust, and obey. That's it. We do not have to power to bring new growth. So relax, concentrate on repentance of mistakes, and obedience, humility, trust for the future. Do what is available to do to set things right and leave the rest in the hands of a God who speaks light into existence. Herein is peace. God is ultimately in charge, not you, not your favorite personality. Trust and obey.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 17, 2019 at 03:30AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/31FwdBF
via IFTTT Christianity is not a "mind thing", it is a "heart thing". Unlike religion, the Gospel can not be learned. No amount of study or understanding can bring a person into an understanding of our God and Creator. No amount of debate can convince any of us of the truth of the Gospel. Why? Because the Gospel is not an understanding of the mind. It is not about memorizing scripture or learning Bible stories and their meaning. The gospel is about a relationship between our spirit and the Spirit of God. Paul is saying here that it is pointless to try to attain this relationship with God through work of the mind, through learning, understanding, or memory. Those are things of natural physical man. Those are the things that Adam tried to use to become like God in the garden...knowledge of good and evil. Wow, consider this....trying to attain holiness through knowledge is the sin of the garden that brought sin and suffering into our world! Trying to attain holiness (being like God without God) through man's abilities is the basic sin of humanity. Yet most religions tout this as the method to use. Learning. Mindfulness. Understanding. These are sin! These are why we suffer today. Man chose to attain holiness his own way, in his own abilities of mind and body. The Gospel says "man is hopeless, learning and understanding are hopeless, only an act of God can bring man into holiness". That act was what Jesus did on the cross. By dieing in our place, and paying the debt for our sin, we can be made holy (sinless, guiltless) in God's eyes. Then the Spirit of God can again inhabit our spirit and we are alive with understanding and knowledge beyond comprehension. You see, it is not knowledge itself that is the sin. The act of sin is in man attaining knowledge on his own, without God's action and oversight. Man grabbing the fruit of the tree and eating by his own power instead of relying on God to enlighten him. Did God want man ignorant of the ways of God? Is that why God forbid "the knowledge of good and evil"? Of course not. It wasn't even that knowledge itself was evil. God said "do not eat or it", an act of man attaining the knowledge without God. God wanted to be the father, graciously and carefully guiding man into truth and knowledge. But man was impatient and proud, and chose to do it his own way, without God. It's not knowledge that is evil, it is how we attain it! When reading something, watching something, or hearing something, it is the Holy Spirit that brings understanding not through our thoughts, but through our spirit. It is not the words, not the speaker that give us understanding, it is the Spirit of God. So a person not washed clean in the blood of Jesus can not attain understanding. It's impossible because understanding truth is not a mind thing done by man, but a God thing done by and in spirit So, what is the conclusion? Pray. Seek understanding through spirit, from the inside out. Whether reading, listening, or watching, seek understanding from the Holy Spirit. He is the one who opens our eyes, from the inside out. We know truth in our hearts before we can explain it in our mind. It is an act of God, not man. Understanding is granted, not achieved. Bottom line? It's all Jesus. Only He can turn teaching into understanding. Turn to him regardless of the source of the lesson, ask Him for understanding. It's all Jesus.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 13, 2019 at 03:22AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2F7gL7H
via IFTTT Demonstration of the Spirit and of power, not persuasive words of wisdom. Does your church follow this example? Everywhere the apostles went, the Spirit of God manifest Himself in demonstration of power. What are these manifestations of power? They are listed later in the letters from Paul to this same church. Sadly, today we seem to have mostly moved away from the power of the Spirit and ask people to rest their faith on words of wisdom. Why? There is a variety of reasons, most not good. I grew up watching such demonstrations of power. As a teenager, I witnessed weekly or even daily miracles of all types. Healing, deliverance, words directly from Heaven, authority over evil, etc. It was a regular occurrence. It was commonplace. In the beginning these acts of God drew in people. "This is real!" Was the cry. Things were happening! Not just Bible teaching, but God was moving and proving Himself. Then, it changed. The constantly evil heart of man started looking for and praising the miracles more than the miracle worker. Men started thinking they possessed some supernatural power at their command. People craved the signs more than the sign giver. Greed, selfishness, idol worship. And the result? God quit. The signs and wonders quit. The miracles quit. So man decided to "keep it going" under his own power. Preaching, words of wisdom. Some even cheated and started fooling people to appear to still be walking in God's power. But it was a lie. Today we see the fruits of that lie. Big ministries rooted in cash flow and promises of blessing, not cross carrying. People who are no more sanctified than their neighbor, people who claim to be Christian but live like pagens. So now what? We live today in the aftermath of all this. Just like Israel. They were mightly blessed, but went astray. God left and they were defeated, exhiled until their hearts returned to God. Then they had to return and rebuild what once was. Today is that day. The church in America must rebuild. The people are hurting, suffering, desperate to find the truth, a touch from God. The hunger is back, the city now needs to be rebuilt. All across America there are small pockets of truth sweeping over the land. A call to return to the message of the cross, to lay aside the eloquent preaching of man and rely on the Holy Spirit and power. The city is being rebuilt. Soon, once again we shall see demonstrations of the Spirit and power at the center of the church, but God first must change hearts so that this new generation does not fall into the same trap of pride and sin. God is working on the exhiles, preparing us for the days ahead of building, of returning, of seeking God and His holiness first. What a glorious day! Pray that it come quickly, that our hearts are made ready, the harvest is ready, waiting for workers. It is time. Storm clouds are gathering threatening to wipe out the harvest. The stage is set. What will you do? Pray, seek to be ready. Submit your heart to the refining fire of the Holy Spirit. Lay aside all the entertainment, fleshy desires, world passions for money and pleasure. Ask God to make you ready to be a conduit of power from heaven to your neighbors. Seek Him first and all these things shall be added to you. Demonstrations of Spirit and of power.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 10, 2019 at 03:15AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2WvmY8p
via IFTTT "I am of " is a dangerous phrase if it ends in anything but Jesus. I am Catholic. I am Baptist. I am Lutheran. I am Episcopalian. I am ... The list is long and distinguished. Why does man feel the need to identify with individuals and organizations of his own making? Is this not the sin first indulged in back within the garden. "I will become good MY way". The "forbidden fruit" that makes one wise, like God. Sound extreme? Well, what does Paul say? Was Paul crucified? Martin Luther? John the Baptist? Mary? The Pope? That favorite TV preacher? Of course not. Only Jesus. THE church is HIS church. The people involved are nothing. Jesus is everything. If He is everything, EVERY thing.... Then there is nothing left to share in the glory. It's all Him. We need to keep our favorite personality or group in the proper perspective. Don't let pride and judgementalism allow us to create idols of man. No preacher, no group can take any credit for... Well... Anything. If all good is from God, if none are good but God, then how can we raise anyone above anyone else? How can we identify with anyone but Jesus? In fact, that is the question raised in this scripture. Where is your identity? Is it your career? Is it your school? Is it your church? STOP! All of that is nothing, filthy rags of imperfection. We find our true value in Christ and Him alone. Our identity is in Him. After all, WE died and HE lives in us. Our prior identity was rooted in man and man's organizations, but as a new creature in Christ, we live in and through Him. Who are you? A child of God, washed in the blood of Jesus, baptized into His name, who happens to attend xyz church. Where you go to church has no bearing on your salvation (or the lack there of). Did the church "save you"? Did the church conquer evil and pay the price for your sins? Of course not. It is nothing in respect to your salvation. Nothing. It's all about Jesus and only Jesus. Any group, church or secular, that claims to own you, or that claims they have the only path to heaven, or claims any measure of control over your salvation, is flat wrong. They have become evil by placing themselves on the place of saviour. They have cheapened the marvelous work of the cross and resurrection by inserting themselves into the path between you and God. You are not saved because you go to xyz church , you go there because you are saved and looking to serve. Let us keep in perspective the value of the cross and empty tomb. We are not "of" anything but Christ.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 07, 2019 at 03:15AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2I33gIo
via IFTTT You were called into fellowship with God's only begotten son. Fellowship. With Jesus. Strong's exhaustive concordance, one of the most time honored and respected studies of Greek language that this epistle was written in, has this to say of fellowship: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fellowship; contribution From koinonos; partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction -- (to) communicate(-ation), communion, (contri-)distribution, fellowship Have you fellowshipped with someone? Spent time sharing back and forth. Sharing stories, thoughts, feelings. Listening and talking, intimately becoming partners through communication? This is how friendships grow deep. Marriage is the ultimate fellowship, truly partnering and becoming one with another person, becoming inseparable through the deep sharing of all that is life. Well, have you fellowshipped with Jesus? Have you shared your inner heart with Him? Have you poured out your emotions openly and fully, holding nothing back. Then have you listened to Him do the same? Have you heard from His heart how He feels, what He sees? Have you become partners in life? Inseparable? Paul makes it clear, that God has called you to into this very sort of relationship. This is not ceremony, this is not rules and commands. This is not reward and punishment. We are talking about an active and constant communication, back and forth, where two hearts touch and merge. This is a true relationship. Prayer is not about telling God what He must do for you, what you need. That's just silly. He made you, does He not already know what you need? Of course He does! Prayer is not about pleading with God to do something, change something. It not about asking at all. Prayer is about communion, fellowship, sharing. Have you listened to Jesus? Have you waited and sought that quiet voice of ultimate authority? Have you felt his arms around you when you are hurting , holding you in a tight hug close to His heart? Have you ask how He feels about that thing in your life? Fellowship is a two way street of sharing. Impossible? No! Is Good dead? He spoke to Moses. He spoke to Elijah, Elisha, Paul, John, Abraham, Jacob, ... The list is long. Jesus rose from the dead, He never returned to the grave and promised that He would be with us always. Why would it seem odd to directly communicate with Him? You are called into fellowship. Will you come? Will you listen to Jesus as His heart breaks over a lost and rebellious generation? A nation that seeks pleasure and prosperity over fellowship with their creator. A nation where families are broken, children are killed and abused, neglected and enslaved for financial gain? A nation where God's laws are mocked and the desires of the flesh are praised. Jesus sees and feels deeper than we do. He sees the depravity in the hearts of men. He aches for the abused poor, the abused children, the lost and blinded walking around in fear. Have you heard His joy over a newborn baby entering the world, an extension of His marvelous creation that has kept going for thousands of years from just the authority of His words? Have you felt the love of His heart to those who turn to Him? Have you baked in the warmth of His stories, marveled at His parables, how life demonstrates life, all interconnected and woven into a huge intricate fabric of existence? Called into fellowship, with Jesus. There is no greater blessing, nor higher calling. Will you get alone with Him now, seek to hear and share hearts? Will you put all aside and answer that call? He stands at the door and knocks. The door of your heart. Open and invite Him in to fellowship. Life will never be the same.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 03, 2019 at 03:35AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2KnvFKH
via IFTTT Repentance. True repentance. Turning away and going in a new direction. True repentance is beyond being sorry, beyond feelings, beyond regret. True repentance means doing whatever is necessary to take a new path. Literally turning you back on what you repent of. The people in this scripture did just this. They repented. In that repentance they brought all the tools and all that represented their previous life to be burned. They did this willingly because they realized how wrong it all was. Their hearts turned to Jesus and they desired to put aside all of their past. Today the message of repentance is often watered down, softened to make it easier to claim to repent and to make it easier to bring larger numbers into the church. But it is not real. True repentance means destroying the artifacts of our previous life. Think through the things of the world. Entertainment, wealth, pleasure, power, etc. Things of the world, not God. these things have no place in the life of the Christian. Repentance in a biblical sense means we bring all those things to the fire to be destroyed. Why? So we will not be tempted. Addicted to moves and entertainment? Destroy the TV. Addicted to substances, trash them. Addicted to self help books? Burn them. Whatever is necessary to rid ourselves of our old life Now, this does not mean that pleasure, entertainment, etc are inherently evil. Of course not. The evil is in living for them making these things the center of our life. God made things to he enjoyed, bit not focused on. Our life focuses on serving God, not pleasing self. America needs true repentance. Many feel sorry but do not repent. They do not walk away. They do not burn their past. They do not die to self on the cross and give their life to Jesus. They may be in church every Sunday, but have never repented. They keep both feet on both sides. Repent of anything that stands between you and God. Anything. Rid yourself and your life of all those artifacts, tools. Do everything possible to turn your back on the old you and rise up clean and purged, not dirty and blind. Repentance is the key