Sometimes The Time Gets Away From Me

Hello CCFites!

This is a creative way to remind you that this Sunday, March 13th is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. I can hear what you are thinking, "Is this the good one or the bad one?" It's the bad one, made so by the fact that we lose an hour of sleep. On the bright side...literally...we gain an hour of daylight, which means that we can actually stay out past 5:30PM and not feel like vampires!

The other reason that I am writing here is to clear up a little bit of my teaching tonight. As time is always of the essence, there are times when I rush (BELIEVE IT OR NOT!) in order to finish a tad bit faster. Unfortunately, sometimes that pressure leads some messy explanations and confusing expositions.

Case in point, tonight, I mentioned that the word "judges" comes from the same word also translated "God." God was giving ordinances to be transmitted to the judges of Israel who had been chosen to judge in smaller civic matters back in Exodus 18. Moses' Father-In-Law Jethro had suggested that this body of judges be formed. These judges are later given the title "gods" by the translators, the specific verses being found in Psalm 82:1 & 6. Jesus later quoted from these verses when the religious leaders questioned Him about calling Himself the "Son of God." That is found in John 10:30-36. I had said that this was the justification for the Mormon belief that they will one day be "gods." Being that this refers to judges and not deities, it certainly takes the teeth out of that belief...hey, that rhymes! :-)

I wanted to clear that up before posting the sermon, (notes and audio here) so that when you have the occasion to listen to it, you will have this as a better background for that section. As it is about time for me to feed my daughter Ana, I am again running out of time to tell you what a privilege it is to teach the Word to you all, and how genuinely thankful I am for each of you.

See you Sunday...One HOUR EARLIER!

Remember: It will only FEEL like 9AM...Except to the set up team...it will feel like 8AM!

Blessings,

Frank

An Addendum To Matthew 25:37-40

"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"

At the end of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus describes a time when the nations will be judged. The main criteria in this judgment will be how they (those nations) treated the Lord's brethren. Because the rapture will have occurred before the Great Tribulation, the Church will be gone, leaving the Jewish people here to represent the Lord's desires. This is not to say that there will not be tribulation saints from the nations. I'd believe in Jesus if I saw what they will no doubt see during that time.

This being the backdrop, we can say primarily, that the nations at the end of the tribulation will be judged for their actions toward the people of Israel. 

But this section still draws us to resonate with the heart of God, who calls us to be His hands and feet in this world. How can we take responsibility for those that are within our reach who are indeed Christ's brethren today?

In the church, we know who our brethren are. It's easy to hear about opportunities to serve each other and it's easy to give to people that we trust will use the resources that are given to them with wisdom. It's a joy to be the one that steps in and helps another brother or sister in time of need, whether that assistance would be monetary, physical aid (moving refrigerators from a third story apartment comes to mind! :-) You know who you are!) or spiritual.

But then we see people with signs out in the world around us. How are we to respond? When I gave this message, our discussions afterward focused on this dilemma. It's hard to know who to trust. Are we giving money that's going to go to someone's drinking or drug problem? Am I being scammed?

I heard a Pastor tell a story about seeing a man with a "Will Work For Food" sign standing on the side of an offramp.  The Pastor pulled over and offered to take the man to his church. The man asked him how much he would make, to which the Pastor answered, "About 8 to 10 an hour?" The man got honest and told the Pastor "I make 40 to 50 an hour just standing here and if I give up this spot, I might not get it back!" 

So, a few words that will hopefully help you as you confront this issue. First, we understand that people begging for something may indeed be brothers and sisters who are in desperate need. We need to be sensitive to God's Holy Spirit who will speak to our hearts about whether or not to give. Ask Him for wisdom and He will give it liberally!

Second, notice that Jesus talks about meeting need, not giving money! They were hungry and they gave them food...not money, FOOD! They were thirsty and they gave them a drink, definitely a non-alcoholic concoction! "I need money for clothes." "What size do you wear? I'll go get something for you from the local mall!" Or, "Here: This jacket will fit you!"

Finally, if God has brought a desperate brother into your midst, understand that if He speaks to you about giving and if you do give toward a need, you are doing so to Him. None of us would have a problem giving to Jesus if He were in front of us. Do it unto Him! Even if you get rooked, look at it like this: You have lent to the Lord!

Proverbs 19:17:  "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given."

A few more tidbits: 

- Plan your generosity! Put it in your monthly budget.
- Purchase pre-paid cards to a few different places, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. 
- Per Joe Block: You can put "No-Alcohol" on the back of pre-paid cards that you buy, which will be honored by the store.

Ok, I said finally, but this is the real finally: Only give if you can do so with joy in your heart! God doesn't need a begrudging attitude and He won't honor things done this way. If you feel compelled to give, do so with a heart that seeks to bless the Lord, give unto Him, and be blessed.

See you soon.

Blessings, 
Frank 

The God Of Faith

When one examines the content of Genesis 22, there will be inescapable conclusions that must be made. From a personal historical perspective, there was a real man in history named Abraham, who had a real son named Isaac. They walked to a real mountain and once there, were committed to trusting God.

Abraham shows us that faith will often require that we will to lay down our most precious item on the altar, to demonstrate fidelity and love toward God. Perhaps it's relationship or a dream. Perhaps it would be our identity. If God would ask, our only response would be yes and amen!

Isaac shows us the other side of faith, in that we must be willing to lay our very lives on the altar as a worship to the Lord. Isaac agreed with Abraham and the two went on together. When Abraham laid the wood on Isaac and bound him on the mountain, it was Isaac who exercised the faith necessary to sit under the knife of his 100 plus year old Father. Our faith demands that we willingly lay our lives down as well.

Behind the story that's applicable to our faith is the thinly veiled drama that points to the reality of God the Father's faith. He would really have an only Son that He loved, who would carry the burden of a cross up to that same Hill. Once there, God would not stop the sacrifice. He would allow it to go all the way through to the death of His Son. What Abraham felt on an earthly level, merely typified God the Father's feelings on that day so long ago.

God in not sparing His Son, showed tangibly, eternally, that His love is real. That love shows us that everything He would ever ask us to do, could never compare to what He has already done!