Back to It

Two years since I last posted something.  I'm going to start posting more often.  Maybe, nobody will see it or maybe they will.

Falls Creek Preview

Falls Creek is 47 days away.  It seems like it was just about 12 months ago that we were preparing for 2010 Falls Creek.  In anticipation of the upcoming morning Bible studies, I have a little preview for you.  We are going to talk about some of the friends of God.  Particularly, we are going to look at one of the characteristics of these individuals that made them stand out from the rest of God’s people. 

1.       Enoch, a man of faith who pleased God.  “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”  Gen. 5:24.  “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.”  Heb. 11:5.

2.       Moses, a man of humility that God talked to like a friend.  “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.”  Ex. 33:11a.

3.       David, a man of worship.  “But now your kingdom shall not endure.  The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”  1 Sam. 13:14.  “So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the hose of the LORD and worshiped. “  2 Sam. 12:20.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."  Col. 4:2

What does Paul mean to "devote yourselves to prayer"?  I asked the youth last night and heard some great answers.  Actually, I asked what the word "devote" means.  The responses were: commit, focus, no distractions, etc.  I answered that it meant to give something a high priority.  Then, we discussed why is that we all agree on the importance of prayer but not necessarily the reverence of prayer.  Do we really realize that we are speaking to the creator of the universe, when we pray?  He listens and pays attention to us.  We act like we are talking to a friend.  I don't mean to pray and communicate with God like He's not your friend.  Just remember that your friend is the savior of mankind.  Your friend is, "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by Him all things were created...all things have been created through Him and for Him." Col. 1:15, 16. 
At the same time, be excited about your prayers because He listens to you.  Maybe, we need to stop and realize not just the importance of communicating with God.  We need to stop and realize the marvel and appreciation of communicating with God.

The Steve

My Friend’s Birthday

Last night, I went to dinner with some friends. On a side note, the “Never Ending Pasta Bowl” at Olive Garden is amazing.

Anyway, at this dinner were several friends, including two that both had birthdays on the same day. One turned 25 and the other turned 92. It was incredible to see how amazingly God has worked in both of their lives. One at such a young age and the other at 25.

Both are Christians that God brought into my life many years ago. Both have profound influences on those around them. I pray that God will continue to use both of them for many more years and that we can all share many birthdays with them in the years to come.

Jesus is Savior

I want to look at Jesus as Savior first because this is how we come to know Jesus first. When we realize that we are dead in our sin (Rom. 3:23), we know that we need a savior. Jesus is that savior (John 3:17, For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. NASB). Jesus’ purpose in this world was to bring salvation through His death and resurrection. His death paid the penalty for our sin, and He gives us the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23) through His resurrection. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 2:4-7 (NASB).

Salvation happens once. We do not continually have to recommit our lives to His salvation of our souls.

Lord and Savior




A friend asked me to look at the question can Jesus be either Lord or Savior and what does the Bible say about it. It’s an interesting question that can’t be answered with a simple, “Jesus is both. Or Jesus doesn’t have to be both.” So, where to begin? Why not with an exact phrase match.

The only place in the NASB that the phrase, “Lord and Savior” is found, is in 2 Peter (2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 18). In those passages, the phrase relates directly to Jesus Christ and is used in speaking to Christians. The understanding is that someone who acknowledges Jesus Christ as Savior also acknowledges Him as Lord.

So, if the Bible only puts the phrase together in these places. Let’s break them apart and see what there is to see.

Prophet and Mercy




Prophet – Proclaiming truth. The motivation is to reveal unrighteous motives or actions by presenting God’s truth. The prophet needs to cultivate and exercise a clear conscience. This will enable the prophet to speak the truth boldly with love. The motives need to be clear and positive to further God’s kingdom in love. Rom. 12:9. Peter is a good example of a prophet, impulsive and brash. Love without hypocrisy. Abhor evil. Cling to good.



Characteristics of prophets –

a. Need to express themselves

b. Quick impressions of people

c. Alertness to dishonesty

d. Desire for justice

e. Open about their own faults

f. Wholehearted involvement

g. Loyalty to truth vs. people

h. Willingness to suffer for right

i. Persuasive in defining truth



The misuses of the prophecy gift –

a. Exposing without restoring

b. Jumping to conclusions

c. Reacting harshly to sinners

d. Being unforgiving

e. Condemning themselves

f. Being impetuous

g. Cutting off people who fail

h. Lacking tactfulness in rebuke

i. Dwelling on the negative




a. Truthfulness – Eph. 4:25. Speaking truth develops trust in those who listen. Learn to be a reliable messenger. Gain approval of others without misrepresenting the facts. Face the consequences of a mistake.

b. Obedience – 2 Cor. 10:5. Fulfill instructions so that God and the one I am serving will be satisfied. The prophet needs to be able to submit to authority, even when they don’t agree. You may have to yield the right to make the final decision. A mature prophet has learned to work with others and delegate authority.

c. Sincerity – 1 Pet. 1:22. Eagerness to do what is right with transparent motives.

d. Virtue – 2 Pet 1:3. The influence that God is having on others through my life regardless of past failures. Build personal moral standards which will cause others to desire a more Godly life.

e. Boldness – Acts 4:29. Confidence that what I have to say or do is true and right and just in the sight of God. Base words and actions in the authority of Scripture.

f. Forgiveness – Eph. 4:32. Learning to demonstrate Christ’s love toward an offender. Remember how much God has forgiven you. Learn to see spiritual value in the hurts God allows through people.

g. Persuasiveness – 2 Tim. 2:24. Using words which cause the listener’s spirit to confirm that he is hearing truth. Guide people to important truths around their mental roadblocks.



Mercy – The basic principle that someone who is motivated by mercy needs to cultivate is moral freedom. This protects the one with this gift from improper relationships. John is a good example of a mercy. Weep with and rejoice with.



Characteristics of a mercy –

a. Deeply loyal to friends

b. Need for deep friendships

c. Empathize with people who are hurting

d. Decisions based on benefits

e. Deeply sensitive to loved ones

f. Attract people in distress

g. Desire to remove hurts

h. Measure acceptance by closeness

i. Attracted to prophets



The misuses of the mercy gift –

a. Taking up offenses

b. Becoming possessive

c. Tolerating evil

d. Failing to be firm

e. Leaning on emotions vs. reason

f. Defrauding opposite sex

g. Reacting to God’s purposes

h. Failing to show deference – they treat everyone the same

i. Cutting off insensitive people



The mercy characteristics…

a. Attentiveness – Heb. 2:1. Showing the worth of a person by giving undivided attention to his words and emotions.

b. Sensitivity – Rom. 12:15. Knowing by the promptings of God’s Spirit what words and actions will benefit the lives of others. Avoid danger by sensing wrong motives in others.

c. Fairness – Luke 6:31. Looking at a decision from the viewpoint of each person involved. Learn to gather all the facts before making a conclusion. Look at a situation through the eyes of each one involved.

d. Compassion – John 3:17. Investing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts of others.

e. Gentleness – 1 Thess. 2:7. Showing personal care and concern in meeting the needs of others.

f. Deference – Rom. 14:21. Limiting my freedom to speak and act in order not to offend the tastes of others.

g. Meekness – Ps. 62:5. Yielding my personal rights and expectations to God.



You can see how all of these characteristics, regardless of motivational gift, can be utilized/cultivated by all Christians.