Work from God's perspective

1) work is a command (Gen 2)

work became toil because of sin

do it with right attitude

a) obedient and submissive (employee)

b) fair and just (employer)

2) work is a means to our transformation

we are tested, tried, transformed through our work stress and pressures

To love your boss, we need the Cross in our hearts

3) work is a platform for my ministry

- do you feel God's pleasure for what you are doing now?

- one common ministry (the ministry of reconciliation)

the real test is the focus of our hearts (do we seek first the kingdom of God?)

(are our hearts on things eternal or temporal?)

Is our work our calling?

one side of the pendulum - catholic distortion(exalted the sacred and sees the secular as support for the all impt sacred)

the other side - protestant distortion (exalted the secular by saying our work is our calling but cannot be true if your work is prostitution or selling illegal drugs)

Note: the call divorced from the caller is meaningless

If God is not our focus, our work is meaningless (no longer a calling but the work has replaced God)

Ultimate result of the call is the satisfaction of God

Purpose - our primary calling - a call to be (a call to Someone, to relationship, to fellowship, call to the Caller who is God)

Function - our secondary callings - calls to do (these may and can shift over time)

in order to know your calling, do what you are already doing and God will lead you to the next step.

The Delight of Discipline

There are 12 judges in the book of Judges
A OT judge is someone who brings people into a right relationship with God. Each judge is a picture of Jesus' deliverance ministry (the enemies then, are all enemies that are within us now)

The judge Shamgar (Judges 3:31) used an oxgoad to defeat the Philistines
(Philistines were iron makers who strove with Israel since the time of Isaac that is at the wells of strive and oppression - they depict the soulish emotions of the flesh)
An oxgoad is a farming instrument of discipline for the ox to keep it in line

2 Sources of Discipline
1. God's discipline (receive it) - pain brings obedience.
Holiness now, happiness later Heb 12:5ff

2. Self-discipline (reign over ourselves)
To have self-discipline is to get the grip of (take hold of) oneself

The bridge between potential and performance is discipline

How to have self-discipline
1. Be a Word-driven person (not driven by emotions)
Obey then feel good
Buffet the body not buffet it
Have mind over mattress
Practice makes permanent

2. Build a house of excellence (be the best you can be)

discipline -> decision -> desire
(Discipline helps us to make right decisions that will lead us to have right desires)

5-4-3-2-1

Five kind of fools
The unlearned
The unrestrained
The unabashed
The unrepentant
The ungodly

Four calls
Discouragement is a call to rise up (to get up)
Discontentment (a sin) is a call to change
Depression is a call to let go
Disappointment is a call to return to reality

Three sayings
(to move out of depression)
Say I believe
I belong
I bless

Two kinds of people
Some people are like rechargeable batteries
every so often (once a week) they need a charge

Some people are like car batteries
They charge up as they minister and serve
(Be in this category)

One thing
Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever

Word for the Weary

1. Comfort means " to breathe again "

2. To rise up from depression:
Say I believe
I belong
I bless.

3. God is great -
He has Unchanging Promises
Unlimited Power
Unchallenged Plans

4. Wait on the Lord:
1) Rely on God's Strength
2) Rest on God's Sovereignty
don't flap your wings like the crow
soar on the wind of the Spirit like the eagle
3) Relinquish your Shoes (rights) to God

Of Faith, Faithfulness and Freedom

Faith = Revelation (rhema) + Personal Conviction + Action
The Holy Spirit takes the rhema and convicts us so that we rise up acting in faith.

We can only be faithful in keeping what we know.
We need to have faith in moving to what we do not know.

Freedom from Fear (root cause of sickness) -
God's perfect will is not to heal you but that you don't get sick (Ex 15:26 Deut 28:1)
Fear is sin. Perfect love cast out fear (1Pet 4:8, 1 John 4:18)
Faith at communion - the body for healing and the blood for forgiveness (1Pet 2:24, 2 Tim 1:7)
Antidote to fear is to trust in the Godhead - power (Holy Spirit), love (Father), sound mind (Jesus the Word)
Condemnation is of the devil; Conviction is of God (Rev 12:10)

39 roots of disease (eg anxiety, fear, self-hatred, self-rejection, guilt)
anxiety often the root cause of hyperthyroidism
Healing - do you want to be healed? Then believe and rise up in faith.

The Seven Churches

1.The loveless church Rev 2:1-7
*2.The persecuted church Rev 2:8-11
3.The compromising church Rev 2:12-17
4.The corrupt church Rev 2:18-29
5.The dead church Rev 3:1-6
*6.The faithful church Rev 3:7-13
7.The lukewarm church Rev 3:14-22

The Need To Meet

Heb 10:19-25

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Matt 18:15-22

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ¹⁶ But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that `every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

^{MT 18:18} "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

^{MT 18:19} "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

^{MT 18:21} Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

^{MT 18:22} Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

The verses above show us the need for us to meet each other (in a small group manner) though we may not want to. It is a matter of the will to decide even if my body, mind or emotions do not want to.

I have found out that 9 out of 10 times when I willed myself to go to a small group (cell) meeting, I am blessed with renewed strength, faith, commitment and a joyful hope. The 10% is often due to my own walk – I have not yielded an area, or I was in a bad attitude that day.

I also found that my presence at a meeting often makes others stronger, gives them hope and increases their faith. This is the encouragement that God desires one of another.

We can easily make the excuse that we need to do this or that or whatever (too busy due to work, family etc) BUT if we are WILLING, God will make a way. Let us decide that we will commit to help one another on this journey of faith.

Remember the example of Jesus our Lord. He met his disciples in a small group. This model from the Lord is clear enough to show the vital importance of cell life. The cell allows God to minister to each individual as well as allow each person to minister one to another. Let us not deprive ourselves of such a blessing. Let us pray and encourage all whom we know need to be involved in cell life.

The habit of regular cell and celebration life is critical in our growth in the Lord – to know Him and to make Him known.