THE CONDITION OF THE HEART

What is your potential?

God created you in your mothers womb. He knows all things about you, your body the way you think. He knows your motives inside out, front and back(Ps 139).

What drives you? What compels you to do the things you do? Perhaps what you are doing is right, perhaps it is wrong. Maybe you realize what you are doing is right or wrong. Maybe you don't know at all. You could be confused not knowing if what you do is just or unjust.

What is right, what is wrong? Who could know but God(Is 40:13-)? Yet we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16).

It would be wise for you to always do what is right, but you are a sinful person, and sin crouches at your door,waiting to have you (Gen 4:6).

Unfortunately for most people "it takes many things done right to prove you are wise, and one thing done wrong to prove you are ignorant." (Pastor Bill)

How can you keep your way pure? What is the condition of your heart? Stop and think about it...
Nothing great ever comes easy. Your INTEGRITY is at work (Phil 1:3-7)!
The Lord is your strength, love Him today because your potential you cannot fathom.(1Cor 2:9)

Profound quote Nov 18,09

The level of your relationship with God will determine the level of effect you have to the people in ministry. (Fiona)

Enemies that attack the faith

Sunday Oct 25, 09
Guest Speaker from Mexico friend of Pastor Tony's.
Notes:
So who really are the enemies? Ephesians 6:12-16 reads "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers,against authorities, against powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of FAITH with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

These enemies have a strategy to attack us daily. There are 3 enemies that attack our faith.

1. Doubt- is a natural enemy. James 1:6-7 It becomes a super limitation from allowing super natural to become reality. See without faith you cannot please God (Heb 11:6). When we come close to Gods presence 2 things should happen. One you believe God hears your prayer. Two be sure there will be an answer/reward.

2. Laziness- Prov 13:4 "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." This is not only to talk about natural laziness, but comfort. Comfort in expecting that a spiritual life will be easy. There are people who spend years in churches, but until they go to another place where they can lose their security, they do not understand the security they can have in the Lord. As children of God we need to be sure that where ever we go God is with us. We live in an age where we want everything fast. Microwaves, high speed internet, jets for travel. The problem is when we bring this fast pace mind set into our spiritual lives and think things have to happen quickly. This quickness hinders patience and perseverance. Heb 6:11-12 Carry out your faith in diligence. See many things will take time, but do not get discouraged. Joseph the dreamer. When he was 36 he was in jail from injustice, alone, without money or family. We would look at him and say "awe poor guy". But one day can make the difference. Wait on the Lord. A lazy attitude of "I don't have to do this it should be easier", or "God cannot be calling me to this it is impossible," but where has the desire gone that is beyond our limitations? *Work hard and diligently for something worth it. An old dutch saying "the harder I work the luckier I get."

3. Fear- is a silent and secret enemy. The problem is it can be a result of a tramatic experience in your life, or very hard discipline that was not at all pleasant. But Prov 29:25 explains how fear can be a prison of physical bondage that prevents us from the freedom in Christ. Christ who can give us Love. 1 John 4:18 says "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." How can we overcome failure? Thinking of the day Peter caught the many fish. Why did God come on a day that it was difficult for Peter, a day when he couldn't provide income, a day not sucessful? Because God wants to take us back to that place where our fears made us feel incapable of lifes expectations. Jesus takes us back to that place to show us how much we need him. You must defeat fear in Jesus name. Put your foot down on the enemies neck, let doubt, laziness and fear be cast out. Amen.

Its going to take faith

Don't have my own car, full time job or mortgage to pay for. No girlfreind I'm dating and I'm 21. I guess they'd say I'm not successful and a loser, or maybe we don't see whats going on.

rift

I'm by the Nith River creek haven't been here 3 years now, at least not in the summer life keeps going on. I like it here fermiller place this is where I grew up. My families here and I feel at home.

Course

Yeah don't know what's going on.
Help us God we don't know what's going on.
Some rich some poor some samrt some not, whats going on?
I'd rather die than live, what's going on?
Yeah it takes faith cause we don't know what going on.

Counrty boy might go back to the City
Childrens ministry teaching lessons on the street.
Kids have ruff families, poor education.
Gangs, drugs living in the ghetto for many it is all they know.

I gues they'd say there's no hope or no future for these children...
Or maybe we don't see what's going on.

Chorus

Yeah don't know what's going on.
Help us God we don't know what's going on.
Some rich some poor some smart some not, what's going on?
I'd rather die than live, what's going on?
Yeah it takes faith cause we don't know what's going on.

1 KINGS 18 and 19 by Bill Willson

The Fight After The Fire

Power Point: God will either work through you or around you, it is your choice.

18:23 when God does this nobody will question who it was but know it was God's doing. (18:40) Elijiah fights for his love for the work of God. He gets the victory doing what God asked him to do. God was working through him.
19:2 Jezebel heard about what Elijiah did to the people and sent a messenger to tell Elijiah " what you do to my priest I'm going to do to you." She spoke negatively over Elijiah's life. Within 24 hours Elijiah goes from shouting for joy with victory to being depressed and fearing Jezebels message, hiding in the cave. 19:9 God confronts Elijiah asking why are you in this cave? Elijiah complains about having a zeal for God, he thinks he is the only godly person left, but doesn't answer God's question. Then in 19:13 God confronts him again with the same question, but Elijah again responds the same not answering the question (v.14). Notice God does not ask the question a third time. Interesting...
So in 19:15 God tells Elijiah to go back and train others to destroy the enemies. God is replacing Elijiah with these others, and using Elijiah to train them for what he was originally supposed to do.

Elijiah was a great person with great gifts. First he FOUGHT and got the victory, but then when trouble came he FLED and then FORFEITED. He missed it. Elijiah did not understand even in v.11-13 with the fire how powerful is the Lord. If God cannot work through you he will work around you and find someone else to get the job done. You better know when you have got something to do, you better stay in the presence of God the Son and the Dove and not lose track. If a man like Elijiah missed it....then you really better be on your guard! God will either work through you or around you, do not miss it, it is your choice.

Questions and Answers by RT Kendall & Bill Willson

How can you know if a desire you have is coming from God or yourself?

RT Kendall
Use the acronym of peace:
Providential- did the door open or did you have to knock it down?
Evil- what would Satan want you to do? Do the opposite.
Authority- Holy Spirit will never lead you contrary to scripture.
Confidence- does the opportunity increase or diminish your confidence?
(Bill adds "Confidence will grow, how long are you going to wait for the burning bush? No get up and "GO" before it is too late.")
Ease- in your heart do you have an ease about the option?
Romans 14:19 things that make peace do not ever go against scripture.

How does one deal with PRIDE?
Bill Wilson
We live in a society where everyone wants things quickly. We will regularly produce a quick form of pre-judging people weather it be racial or status. Bill says "I must remember I am still the 12 year old boy who couldn't talk sitting on the street corner when my mother left me. Every week when I pick up those kids on the bus, guess who I'm picking up? Find yourself a humble corner, do not forget where you come from. Also remember you do not deserve anything from God, but you may have earned it." God owes you nothing, but if someone is at their low of lows realizing they have nothing but desperately need something. Maybe in such a humble position they would cry out to the Lord and God would show his mercy, and mercy triumphs over judgment.

RT Kendall
I far prefer God's praise than a peoples. After a sermon or act of godliness a persons opinion or praise should be much less important than that of God's because God is really the one who knows what is just, and only his approval can give you the assurance of your deeds being just. Fear and please the Lord rather than people. We cannot save anybody but we are called to be his hands and responsible to working for the Kingdom(1 Cor 12).

What is meant by the REST described in Hebrew 3 and 4?
RT Kendall
The rest here is not referring to heaven, if it where than salvation would be by works. You go to heaven because of the blood and perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. However Christ living in you will compel one to do his work. The "rest" in Hebrews 3 & 4 is talking about the rest of the soul in this life. Take the yoke of obedience. You enter this rest by delighting in the faith and faith goes hand and hand with works. This rest is a place of intimacy with the Holy Spirit.
Bill Wilson
The will of God is resting in Jesus. I will get rest by serving others. We will wait on the Lord as in a waiter who serves its guests. Also see (Heb 6:10).

What are your views on women as being preachers? Relation to 1 Tim 2:11
Bill Wilson
I believe in women preachers, but not Pastors. Pastor is one in authority of a church.
RT Kendall
Now in the time when the book of Corinthians was wrote it was during the time when doctrine was being formed. God only uses men for this, it is a role for only man. God determined that men should be authors of scripture and it is quite clear in 1 Tim that only men be Preachers, Elders and Deacons of the church. It is not to say a man is better or more important than a women, or higher up than a women, it is simply a mans role because of how God created man. Woman also have very important roles see Titus 2 and Proverbs 31.

Bill Willson team work

John 11 Lazarus
Martha knew Jesus had the power to heal her sick brother Lazarus, but he didn't, so she was angry. She had seen Jesus, had fellowship with him but did not understand who Jesus was.

When Jesus finally shows up he takes the role of the PROPHET(he knows what is coming he sees the future). And if Maratha knew what the prophet knew, she would feel what the prophet felt. This is why worrying is a waste of time.

Now when Jesus entered the room in that moment he went from prophet to PRIEST. He steps into the room becoming one with the suffering, and he wept there with those in the room. Jesus will be with you as he was with Maratha to comfort you in your distress, yet he is a prophet and knows what will happen, but he'll be with you in your sorrows. Jesus was like a real man he wasn't afraid to cry. Jesus at the moment is whatever you need him to be. So he felt their pain he took on the role of a KING spoke and Lazarus woke.

RT Kendall

Acts 3 Temple Gate Beautiful

This passage shows us the importance of word and spirit working together at the same time. There appears in most cases to be two sides in church views.

Church "word" side: honor of Gods name will not be restored until we examine truth of scripture and correct doctrine that is understood as God intended it to be. Which is correct. Then there is the "spirit" side which says honor of God's name will not be restored until we get back to the book of Acts where there was signs miracles, and where the Holy Spirit stuck people dead from disobedience. Which is also correct. Thing is we do not need one or the other they are both correct. The problem with many churches is they stand for one or the other, they are at a divorce with each other and are in need of binding together. Again this passage shows the importance of word and spirit working together at the same time.

It also shows the blessing and advantage of unanswered prayer because the beggar was asking and wondering for years why known would heal him. Have you ever thanked God for unanswered prayer? If God says "no" it is because he has a better idea, and probably better than you could think of. You cannot make God do anything, but you may ask. You must respect the sovereignty of God, His right to do what he wants to do weather you like it or not, he is the Judge.(John 3:8, John 5:19) There is a STRATEGY in everything God does.

We must be aware of the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit. His personality is very sensitive, like a dove it is very shy and peaceful, but you cannot train the Holy Spirit rather you must be trained by it. The easiest thing to do is grieve and hurt the feelings of the Holy Spirit causing it to fly away. Remember as a Christian you would have the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit will not bend rules for anyone, so you must have an open heart to understand what it may be telling you. The great problem with many of us Christians is that we do not know the WAYS of God. You may not like God's ways in fact your sinful nature is in conflict with it but to learn the Doves ways you must adjust to them. If you are able to confess your wrong doings not within, years, months, days or hours, but within seconds, then you just may know the WAYS of God. Be willing to be wrong. "You can accomplish more in 5 minutes with the Dove than 5 years without it." RT Kendall

Peter and John were walking in the WAYS of the Holy Spirit. Nothing is impossible with God, but you must know his ways. Before the fire....yes first the Dove. It is not the gift alone that makes known to you Gods WAYS, you may very well use the gift for yourself to get your own honor. The STRATEGY of the Dove was to give Peter and John a platform. They where not about to take any credit (3:12) but were given a platform to preach the gospel. As Bill Willson says "The Miracle was not in the miracle." Because if we only look at the miracle we do not see the purpose of it, or the STRATEGY. And we will not see the STRATEGY in its full in this life.

Bill Willson

The purpose here for you interns is that you would really have a grasp on life. I do not want to hear any excuses because God can do a lot more in you than you think possible. We know that God chooses nobodies (1 Cor 1:20-31). Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Problem is most people do the talking, but they do not do what they say they will. Sometimes and often times it is because there commitment is not stronger than their emotions.

When looking for a good role model there are 3 things to look for. First we need to look at character, not talent, not appearance, not even your gift because gifts can be at work without repentance for example King Saul. A gift will open a door of opportunity however it is not about the gift it is about character because character will give you sense as to how to go about using that gift properly. You can have the Holy Spirit and not have a clue what you are doing.

Second you look for competence in a person, not giving up. I know a man who would get up at 2 am to do a paper route then go to Sunday school all day so that he could support his family and still be a part of the ministry. He wasn't getting a lot of sleep was he? No. But his Commitment was stronger than his emotions. Maybe this man wondered "How am I ever going to provide for my family, while making peanuts working in the ministry?" But he was willing to do what ever it took and if you want something bad enough you'll figure out how to do it yourself (VUKA Vision). However in thinking this way we must also not be poisoned by the thought that we can do this on our own, no idiot, you need to work with others as a team changing the me to we because it isn't about us, that's why there is the hand and foot, the ear and the mouth (1 Cor 12).

Third of all when looking for a good role model a person needs compassion. If you have character, and competence but your heart is not right, your motive is not right, if you have not love in the things you do, you are nothing (1 Cor 13). And we should know that love is looking to serve others and work together as a team building each other up in the ways and teachings of God.