Teach Us to Pray
(“Lord, Teach us to pray”)
• Why? Because we have not because we ask not (James 4:2)
• Why pray? To keep us from falling into temptation (Matt 26:41 – “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak”)
• Why? Because we have an enemy (“Deliver us from evil…” Matt 6:13)
(“Lord, teach us to pray”)
• Pray in Jesus’ name (John 14:13, 14)
• Pray according to the will of God (1 John 5:14, 15)
• Pray in Faith ( Matt 11:22-24)
• Pray for God’s glory (John 17:1f)
Love y’all,
How to Live the Kind of Life that Pleases Our Lord
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Introduction: Pleasing our Lord should be #1 on our list. Right? Is it possible? How? Everyday? Failures, faults, and fears can block us. But inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul lays out to the Church of Ephesus and to us today, (5) ways to LIVE a LIFE that PLEASES the Lord:
1. Watch your step CAREFULLY! (Eph 5:15)
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.”
• “Circumspect” – (Latin- means ” looking around”)
( Greek- means “accuracy & precision”)
• Cautious- yellow light
2. Use your time WISELY! (Eph 5:16)
” Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
• “Redeem”- buy back (wouldn’t you like to do that?)
• “Days are evil” – pulled by the world, flesh, devil
3. Fill your tank DAILY! (Eph 5:18)
” And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”
• “Be filled” ( Greek word – plerusthe )
• Present tense- continuous action- go on being filled (we leak!)
• Plural in form- for everybody (not just Charles Stanley) me & you
• Passive in mood- can’t fill ourselves – need God
4. Sing from heart to the Lord JOYFULLY! (Eph 5:19)
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
• When praises go up….
• Blessings come down
5. Thank God CONTINUALLY! (Eph 5:20)
” Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
• Thanksgiving is thanksgiving
• Notice – “for all things”
1. Admit we can’t
2. Believe & trust Him to enable us
3. Cooperate with the Holy Spirit
It is possible; otherwise, the Lord would not have had Paul to write it down for us.
Not perfection, but PLEASING!
Strength for the Journey
” Now after the death of Moses….the Lord spake to Joshua…Moses’ minister, saying, Moses is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan…and all this people unto a land which I do give to them.”
• Passing the baton
• God makes a way
” Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have given you.”
• Take back the territory
• Enlarge your coast
“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so shall be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage.”
• Stand against the enemies’ attack
• Go get your possession
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but meditate…day and night…observe to do…all that is written for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and have good success.”
• “Meditate” – pictures a cow lying down chewing cuds
• Obedience brings blessings
” Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and if good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
• “Strong” means be firm, resolute, prevail
• “Dismayed” means break in pieces, shattered
grand parents… every family, every Christian, needs STRENGTH and COURAGE! If we are going to “cross over,” “possess our spiritual possessions,” “drive out the enemy,” and be “blessed and prosper” by the Captain of our Salvation (Jesus Christ), then let’s hear, trust, and obey Him…. get ready for success….. spinach can’t help us like God’s Holy Spirit Power can!
The Key to Contentment
” Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved….stand fast in the Lord…I beseech Euodias, and Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.”
• Philippian’s division
• God’s provision
“Rejoice in the Lord always….Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known unto God. And the peace of God, that passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
(“Careful” – full of care, “Keep”- garrison – guard)
• Remember reasons to rejoice
• Practice prayer as a priority – the cure for care = prayer
” Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, ….honest, …just, …pure, …lovely, …good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
• Fear, Negative thoughts, Bad attitude
• Faith, Positive, Good attitude
Love y’all,
Saved to Serve
“Paul departed…and came to Corinth: And found a certain Jew named Aquila…from Italy, with his wife Priscilla…they were tentmakers.”
• Time management
• Spiritual disciplines
• Discipleship
• Mentoring
• Death to SELF
• LIFE to Holy Spirit Power
• Paul is in prison
• Priscilla & Aquila – TEAM PLAYERS in the work of God
Becoming a Man or Woman of God
• Understanding the times – Faith in God
• Unconditional love for all of God’s people
• Living out!
• Pouring in!
” For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee brother.”
• Love gives
• Love receives
• Just getting by?
• Going above & beyond!
“Wronged” is in the aorist tense- meaning past event – with Onesimus.
“Oweth ” is in the present tense- meaning still owes.
• 2 Wrongs
• Don’t make a Right
• Praying for others
• Needing them to pray
Hills, bumps, curves and plenty of u-turns can be expected along the way. Although not always pleasant, to be a man or woman of God is the ultimate calling. One last note; our Lord Jesus’ measuring stick can be found in the little book of Philemon.
Love y’all,
There’s Hope in Jesus
• Bad news – bad decisions, sin addicts
• Good news – Jesus
• Eternal Life – no lie
• Abundant Life – no lie
” Looking for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of our great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” ( v. 13)
• Look up
• Look out
Love y’all,
Turning Bad Into Glad
The word “tribulation” is thlipsis, which means pressure, trials. Do you feel any pressure? Why?
• Bad predicaments
• Bad people
• Bad problems
•”Blessed” is the word eulogetos, which means to speak well of, or in this case, speak of God
•”Comfort” is the word parakaleo, which means to come to one’s side
“…That we might be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
• Bad turned into Glad
• Bad turned into Glad if we don’t get MAD
Love y’all,
Reasons to Believe
” And beginning at Moses and the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” {Just a few out of hundreds}
• Predicted ride on a donkey (Zech 9:9)- fulfilled (Luke 19:35-37)
• Predicted betrayed by 30 pieces of silver (Zech 11:12)- fulfilled (Matt 26:15)
• Predicted 70 years of captivity for Jews (Jer 25:11)- fulfilled (Dan 9:3; 2 Chron 36:21; Ezra 1)
• Predicted Jesus (Messiah’s) death (Dan 9:26; Is 53:1-12)- fulfilled (Luke 23:32-47)
• “Inspiration” is theopnuemotos – God breathed.
• “All” means every single part of the whole – from Genesis to Revelation
• “Scripture” is graphe – writings
” The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
• “Quick” is zoean which means zoo – alive
• Dead Sea scrolls – verify
• Artifacts – coins, etc.
• Jesus claimed to be God (John 10:30; 14:9, etc.) and demonstrated
• Jesus affirmed the Scriptures (Luke 24:27)
• Others said He was God (Peter, John, Paul, etc.)
Even though Peter was an eyewitness of Jesus – His miracles – he testifies & emphasizes how much MORE important are the Scriptures! “For we have not followed cunning devised fables….we have a more sure word of prophecy…no private interpretation…for prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
• “Moved” by the Holy Ghost( 2 Pet 1:21). The word “moved” is pherosen – picked up and carried. The thought is a sail boat being blown by the wind.
• “Private interpretation” is the word epiluseo – a right way and a wrong way, unpack it correctly, proper meaning.
LEARN it,
LOVE it, and most importantly
LIVE it!
Love y’all,
Breakthroughs Over Strongholds
• Disciples defeated
• Prayerless Christians
= Powerless
“The disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?… And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:28, 29)
• Doubt and do without
• Doubt turned into Desperation (Mark 9:24)
“The father cried out… with tears, Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” The word “HELP” in verse 22 means instant but “HELP” in verse 24 means continuous.
Speaking of the demon, the dad said, “….he taketh him, he teareth: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away.”
• The Strongman’s Stronghold
• Deadly demon’s destroying – convulses, shrieks, wasting away
” Bring him to me…. if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth…. I charge thee, come out of him.”
• Get people to JESUS
• Demons must obey