FCC ONWARD! AN URGENT APPEAL

June 30, 2015

 

Dear Friends of Faith,

Greetings in the name of our Righteous, Risen, and Reigning Savior--Jesus the Christ!     

     
As the blitzkrieg against Christian Civilization continues to mount, I'm identifying more and more with the Apostle Paul who said, "      

 

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;      

we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken;

cast down, but not destroyed.  2 Corinthians 4:8,9     

     

I have written a post at "ONWARD!" regarding what I now expect after the Supreme Court's endorsement of homosexual marriage.  You can click the link to see that. http://pastorrickjones.blogspot.com/2015/06/now-what-do-i-expect.html

After praying and reading the Scriptures, here's our plan:     

   

1. PRAY!  We will have the doors open before every service--Sunday Morning 10:30am, Sunday Evening 6:00pm, and Wednesday Evening 6:30pm for God's people to gather to pray.  We will gladly pray for physical needs, but the burden of this prayer will be for a Great Awakening in America and a revival in the Church.  We will pray that God's people will grow deeper in their faith, higher in their love, and wider in their obedience.         

2. LOVE!  It is not coincidental that the Gospel of John tells of a Savior who was full of "grace and truth."  Notice the God-inspired primacy of "grace!"  That's first! We must show grace and love to every lost soul. The "god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."  If our Gospel is hid, the Apostle reminds us, "It is hid to them who are lost!"  2 Corinthians 4:3ff. 

       

Our Lord taught us and showed us how to love the vilest of sinners. His Word tells us that "love suffers long and is kind..." and as Christians we are determined to sacrificially love even those who are at odds with us.

     

3. SPEAK!  We must utilize every means possible to "speak the truth in love."  We are ready for a defense of the Gospel.  We are determined to faithfully warn this generation, "Flee the wrath that is to come."  We will preach in the Church and on the Streets.  We will teach in the classroom and in the homes.  We will utilize media as God's enables us, to proclaim the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.  We will not shut up, give up, or let up!   

     

4. RALLY!  When people come together to show support for a cause it's called a "Rally!"  That's exactly what we must do.  When the doors of the Church open for services--It's Rally-Time!  When your car is in the parking lot the world drives by and takes note--those are the true believers!  When you're worshipping the LORD inside the Church, your Christian brothers and sisters are encouraged to stay true to the Cause. As we set aside the busy-ness of daily life to focus on eternal life our faith is increased and our cause is advanced. 

One of my mother's heroines was veteran missionary Louise Robinson Chapman (Africa 1920-1940).  Sister Chapman was marvelous speaker and a devoted servant of the Lord.  She told of a young pastor in east Africa who was martyred for his faith.  Found among his papers was this handwritten testimony:     

     

"I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. 

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.  The decision has been made.     

   

I'm a disciple of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

    

My past is redeemed.  My present makes sense.  My future is secure. I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

    

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.  I don't have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded.  I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.

     

My face is set.  My gait is fast.  My goal is heaven.  My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.

     

I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

     

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary.  I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

     

I won't give up, shut up, or let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. 

 

I am a disciple of Jesus.  I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.  And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me.  My colors will be clear!

 

AMEN! AMEN! AND AMEN!

 

OUR IMMEDIATE NEED

The handwriting is on the wall.  We simply must do all that we can to strengthen our hand in this increasingly hostile environment.  For FCC that will not only include stepping up our soul-winning campaign and ministry, it means that we have to get our financial house in strong order.  To that end we have two goals. 

 

Our immediate goal is to raise a "DARING FAITH OFFERING" of $25,000.  At the beginning of June we explained the need to repair and seal our parking lot ($5000), repair and replace key parts in our HVAC system that must be done soon ($5,000), purchase equipment and fund Live-streaming of the services ($3,000), cover the costs of Bible School & Great Commission Outreach expenses ($2,000), purchase improved lighting ($1000) and meet our $9,000 monthly costs. 

 

To date we have received a total of $6,976.88, including a $1000 Daring Faith Offering pledge and a $100 Daring Faith gift.  We barely had enough to pay our mortgage today. Thank the Lord we made that!  We ended June needing $3800 to cover monthly costs.

 

If you can give a DARING FAITH OFFERING online please go to our webpage and click on the PayPal donate button.  www.FCCStLouis.org   If you can mail an offering to FCC, 2969 N. Lindbergh, St. Ann, MO 63074 we would be so thankful. 

 

Our longer range goal is to retire the $490,000 mortgage that is costing us $2900 a month.  Perhaps some reading this would remember FCC in their estate planning--stocks, bonds, life insurance, farms, cash, or real estate would be such a help. We have a lawyer who can help at no charge to our donors.  I have never been so impressed to pray that our church would be free of any indebtedness.  Thank you for joining us in this prayer.  I know this is huge.  But so is our God!  And DARING FAITH attempts great things for God, and expects great things from God!      

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL BEGINS TUESDAY, JULY 7 at 6:30 pm.  "CAMP COURAGEOUS!" IS COMING TO FCC.  Don't miss this exciting week.  We have classes for pre-school through elementary school ages.  Sorry we are not set up for middle or high school students.

 

GREAT COMMISSION ST LOUIS BEGINS TUESDAY, JULY 7 AT NOON!  It is such a joy to see our great young people on the front lines witnessing and helping with VBS.

 

If you have a moment for a 5 minute "TruthBit," an excerpt from last Sunday Morning's message you can click this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGX4dgy33H0

We have had a number of people sharing this video across the nation.  The entire message will be up online soon.

 

Then listen to this great hymn, "I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED!"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l54EAF1Unf0

 

BE ASSURED OF OUR GREAT LOVE AND APPRECIATION! 

 

We are so thankful that God has brought us to the Kingdom for such a time as this.  Our times are certainly no surprise to the Sovereign of the universe.  May God help us to PRAY, LOVE, SPEAK, and RALLY together until the KING appears!

 

Onward!         

Pastor Rick Jones
FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH + A CRUSADERS USA CONGREGATION
2969 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Ann, MO 63074   Cell Phone (314) 607-1424; Fax (314) 298-7442
BLOG: www.PastorRickJones.blogspot.com ; WEB: www.FCCStLouis.org

PREACHING SERVICES SUNDAYS 11AM & 6:30 PM

NOW WHAT DO I EXPECT?

Today's Huffington Post Headlined, "American Civilization Is Still Standing, Despite Predictions Of Marriage Equality Opponents." 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/29/marriage-equality-opponents_n_7688154.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

I don't know of any Bible believing Christian who predicted that the day sodomite marriage was sanctioned by the United States Supreme Court our nation would suddenly collapse or suffer cataclysmic disaster.  Not one of the predictions of the so called "marriage equality opponents" have suggested that.

Here's what I expect...

...Armed with this new definition of marriage ("people who love each other")  there will be calls for plural marriages--Thruplets, etc., and a move to sanction marriage with minors.

...Traditional marriage will diminish.  Divorce will remain common.  And living together without the benefit of marriage will be the most popular.  We will continue to divide what God has joined and join what God has divided. 

...Child abuse will continue to plague the nation.  Parents who are more concerned for their own self-fulfillment and pleasure will neglect, ignore, and abuse their offspring.  Deviants will take advantage of children and justify themselves--"It's consensual and loving."

...Life will be cheap.  Abortion will continue take the lives of millions before they are allowed to breathe.  Researchers and fertility specialists will discard hundreds of thousands of fertilized ovum as unwanted or unfit.  And suicide will be normalized and subsidized as life loses its divine significance.

...American productivity will continue to fall as pleasure and ease are subsidized and work and industry are taxed. The traditional family unit is the undisputed leader in instilling a strong work ethic and responsibility into the character of children.  By taxing the ideal, and subsidizing the less than ideal, we will continue to produce fewer qualified applicants to fulfil the needs of our economy.

...American fascination with entertainment--from gaming to games, from shows to showing off (our latest styles, tats and piercings), from licentiousness to libertine pleasures (think the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh) will prove corrosive to character.  "If you live after the flesh you will die," the Scriptures warn.

...The day will come when our government will be unable to fund all the programs our crowd-pleasing politicians have committed to finance. Tax revenues will continue to lag far behind expenditures.  Currently we have a national debt of 1,700 billions of dollars. 

...Our military will be weakened as American dollars are spent on hand-outs rather than national defense. Our reliance on technology will make us more vulnerable--think hack attack.  American resolve will be increasingly tested by enemies around the world.

...Furthermore our military will be weakened as Divinity is expelled and Deviancy is enshrined.  Chaplains will be forbidden to preach the Bible, while libertines, homosexuals and transvestites are celebrated in the ranks.

...Our resolve will dissolve as moral strength is mocked and spiritual truth is denied. With no raison d'etre we will cease to be that "city upon a hill" and "land of the free and home of the brave."

...The media will continue to shape the hearts and minds of a clueless population--unable to think rationally.  Emboldened by their amazingly successful 15 year campaign to normalize sodomy, they will continue to undermine and erode any vestige of virtue in the civilization.  What programmers don't think of, advertisers will.  Witness the explosion of sexually explicit commercials on the television and computer screens of this generation.

...The schools--kindergarten through graduate school--will continue to promote tolerance, of everything and everyone except those who truly believe the Bible.  Traditional heroes and values will be tossed out and a "brave new world" devoid of virtue will shape the curriculum and agenda. 

...Liberty will give way to licentiousness.  Os Guiness is right.  Without Faith and Virtue, Freedom will devolve into anarchy.

...A strident self-centeredness will ravage the spirit of cooperation that once was the backbone of our great institutions. Our first loyalty will be to ourselves.  As our thoughtful appreciation of the "greater good" fades our loyalty to great causes will be lost. 

...Moral authority will be ignored, questioned, and violently rejected. The law will be rendered meaningless by judges who have imbibed the spirit of the age. 

...There will be a great falling away from Bible preaching and believing churches. This falling away will lay increasing stress, ( ideological, organizational and financial) on the remnant.  The enemy will do all that he can to discourage, divide, and dishearten us.   

...Bible Christians will continue to be marginalized and finally demonized by a culture that has rejected truth.  This will have implications for Christian employees, Christian students, Christian parents, and serious Christians across the nation.

...FINALLY, I EXPECT THAT THE REMNANT WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL TO CHRIST AND TO HIS CHURCH.  AND I EXPECT THAT THE TRUTH OF CHRIST WILL TRIUMPH.  AND I EXPECT THAT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THIS SINNER WHO HAS BEEN SANCTIFIED BY THE BLOOD OF THE CONQUERING LAMB, WILL ONE DAY REJOICE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IN THAT CITY WHERE THEY NEED NO SUN!

 

RAINBOW WHITE HOUSE

PRESIDENT JOHN QUINCY ADAMS wrote to his wife after his first night in the WHITE HOUSE:

"Before I end my letter, I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof."




HOPE YOU WILL JOIN IN PRAYING FOR OUR NATION TODAY AT FCC.

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

CALL TO FALL SUNDAY - JUNE 28 2015

Fresh from our trip to Charleston, South Carolina, and having witnessed firsthand the tragedy and the response to the horrible slaughter of 9 innocent African American Christians in their church, my heart is full and my thoughts are many. 

It is more evident than ever that THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL to transform lives and to purify hearts is undiminished. 

My first reaction to the SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA requiring all 50 states to recognize homosexual marriage is not anger, nor hate, but it is profound sadness.  I'm not sad because my marriage or the Covenant marriages of God's people are threatened, I'm sad because the Word of God, reason, and history teach us that this will not end well for those who have rejected God's Word and refused God's Authority. 

It is a slippery slope we started many years ago when we decided that it was our prerogative to divide what God has joined.  Jesus said, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh....what God has joined together let not man put asunder." 

And what was the basis of our revelation that it was now permissible to divide what God has joined?  For some it was convenience.  For others it was "you broke your promise so I can break mine."  For most it was, "I just feel different now than I did back when I made my vow."  God is forgiving we rationalized.  God is compassionate.  We all knew He would understand.

Now we have come to another revelation.  Not only can we divide what God has joined, we can join together what God has divided.  Unhinged from any moral authority except our own lights, we have seen fit to condone the marriages of men with men and women with women. 

The next permutation of the deviant is not hard to imagine.

But GOD IS FAITHFUL.  We have seen HIM bring revival and reformation to our nation before.  We will see it again! 

DANCING OR MARCHING?

The distance between who we think we are and who we really are may be extremely wide. It’s hard to know ourselves.

The distance between who we are and who we ought to be may be even wider.

Even if we know who we are and know who we ought to be it is impossible to transform ourselves. Praise God for redeeming, transforming, sanctifying grace that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think!

Identity matters. It’s true of individuals. It’s true of organizations. And it’s true of churches.

So what kind of a Church does God want us to be?

Is He looking for a people who will hide themselves away and isolate themselves from the culture that continues slouching towards Gomorrah?

Is He looking for a people who will adopt the spirit of the age in the name of "relevance?"

Is He looking for a people who will adapt their message and abandon their insistence upon righteousness so that they better fit the times? A place where we can feel good without being good?

Is He looking for a cool church? A place where we wow one another with our tech-savvy, show-time church services, model our skinny jeans, and stand around drinking Starbucks?

Is He looking for a people with a new twist, a new angle, or a new doctrinal accent?

Or, is He looking for a laid back, pat on the back, and "you all come back" church?

The vast majority of American churches fit into one of these models. And yet an honest appraisal of the cultural indicators and the spiritual life of the professing Church is disquieting at best, and frightening at its worst. Tragically the world is transforming the Church. But God is looking for a Church that will transform the world. 

We are to be Crusaders! Lifting up the cross and gathering enlistments wherever, whenever, and whoever.

We are to be a mighty Army. Our only hope is that the Church Militant will stop dancing with the stars and start marching for Cause of Christ.

We are to defeat the devil, disprove his deceptions, and dismantle his domain.

We must give attention to the military code (God’s infallible Word), put on the uniform (no more bending, blending, or blurring our distinctive God given gender or our Commander’s call to modesty), and get moving! The hour is late. The cause is great. 

Rise up oh men of God,

Have done with lesser things,

Give heart and soul and mind and strength

To serve the King of Kings!

FCC MEN'S STEAK OUT THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 20 2015 6PM

HI GUYS... PASS THIS ALONG. HOPE TO SEE A GREAT GROUP... I ORDERED A BUNCH OF STEAKS TODAY!

DARING FAITH + FAITH THAT SPEAKS! + WEEK 3

DARING FAITH + FAITH THAT SPEAKS - Week 3

 

DARING FAITH + SUNDAY SERMON APPLICATION
FAITH THAT SPEAKS TRUTH

WEEK OF JUNE 15-21

To watch highlights of this past weekend at FCC:

 

BELSHAZZAR'S LAST CHANCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82fCzcCEIbE

HOBE SOUND QUARTET SINGING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfQmdD6XNFQ

NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S CONVERSION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VEC2969F3U


DARING FAITH not only stands for the Truth, it speaks the Truth!

We have heard people say, "Speak Truth to Power!" The Quakers originated the saying.  They urged the United States to stand firm against fascism and others forms of authoritarian governments. 

 

Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and the Founding Fathers of the United States risked their lives to "Speak Truth to Power!"  It was Patrick Henry that exclaimed, "Give me liberty or give me death!"

 

As Christians in a culture that has not only neglected Truth, but now has completely rejected Truth, we take seriously our mandate. 

 

All through His long life, the Prophet Daniel spoke truth to power.  He spoke truth to the King's men who were charged to feed and care for him.  "We will not defile ourselves." 

 

He spoke truth to King Nebuchadnezzar regarding his impending insanity, "You will be driven from men and live like a beast until you know the Most High rules!"

 

He spoke truth to the blaspheming Belshazzar, "Your kingdom is finished for you have been weighed in the balances and found lacking!"

He spoke truth to Darius the King.  He prayed three times a day, even when it was against the law, and from the lion's den testified, "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." 

The Psalmist prayed, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."  Psalm 19:14.

In Colossians 4:6 the Apostle Paul urges Christians, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

In Ephesians 4 the Apostle instructs God's people to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  It is "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 14:15) that will bring spiritual maturity and advance the cause of Christ.

DARING FAITH will require us to speak truth to power.  DARING FAITH will insist that we tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  And DARING FAITH will speak God's truth in the power and Spirit of Christ. 


APPLICATION:

1. Is it possible to really know the Truth, and if so how?

2. Why is it so difficult to "Speak Truth to Power" and to those who are close to us?

3. The Scriptures urge us to not only speak the truth, but to speak the truth in _______.
How can we be sure that the tone of our speech glorifies the Lord?

4. Give some examples of times in the New Testament we see God's people speaking Truth to Power?

5. Give some examples of times in your life when you have seen other's speak the Truth or you have spoken Truth to power.

 

 

 

 

QUARTET MUSIC FROM HOBE SOUND BIBLE COLLEGE & SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE JUNE 14 2015

Here are some links to some GREAT MUSIC and AN OFF THE WALL MESSAGE!

HE SET ME FREE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKR3Kxwocis

I'M FREE! and GLORIOUS FREEDOM!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fStpmpaONw

HOW DEEP THE FATHER'S LOVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfQmdD6XNFQ

And AN OFF THE WALL MESSAGE - Approximately 20 minutes  (Available after 9am, June 15, 2015)
http://youtu.be/82fCzcCEIbE

A LINK TO OUR BLOG "WHAT'S IN A NAME"  Related to Bruce Jenner, the NAACP President, and the Male Mother.
http://pastorrickjones.blogspot.com/2015/06/whats-in-name-anyway.html


FCC SUNDAY BULLETIN - JUNE 14, 2015

MEN'S STEAK-OUT!

 

SUNDAY JUNE 14 2015 - FLAG DAY - DARING FAITH IN DANGEROUS TIMES This morning's message.

SINGING THIS MORNING AT 11 AM!  HEAR THE COVENANT QUARTET

WITH PAUL STETLER.

 

WHAT'S IN A NAME ANYWAY?

The XY sex-determination system is the sex-determination system found in humans, most other mammals, some insects (Drosophila), and some plants (Ginkgo). In this system, the sex of an individual is determined by a pair of sex chromosomes (gonosomes). Females have two of the same kind of sex chromosome (XX), and are called the homogametic sex. Males have two distinct sex chromosomes (XY), and are called the heterogametic sex.  WIKIPEDIA


The leader of the NAACP in Spokane is white.  "Oh well" the chapter leaders replied.  She doesn't look like a CP, she doesn't have the genetics of a CP, but she self-identifies as a CP and that's enough.

The Olympic athlete has XY chromosomes in every cell of his body.  There are no exceptions.  Every one of the billions of cells in his physique identify him as XY.  "No," he protests.  I think I'm XX.  He doesn't have the genetics of a XX, but wants to self-identify as a XX and that's enough.

The male consort of the popular entertainer has signed that he is the "mother" of the pair's adopted child.  He is a male.  But he protests, I'm "Mother."  He doesn't have the genetics of an actual or even a potential mother, but wants to self-identify as a "mother" and that's enough.

SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?  WHAT'S IN A NAME?

In the first book of the Bible we read of a man who discovered that names matter to God. 

On his way home to reconcile with his brother whom he had grievously wronged many years before the man found himself confronted by an Angel, a messenger from God. Fearing that his brother was out to kill him, the man asked the Angel for His blessing. 

The Angel offered to bless the frightened traveler on one condition.  He had to confess his name.

No, the traveler protested. "Bless me!" he cried. 

The Angel insisted.  "Tell me your name!"  "No" the traveler resisted. 

The controversy raged all night.  The traveler was weary but stubbornly refused to admit his name. 

As the sun dawned in the eastern sky, the traveler grabbed hold of the Angel!  "Bless me!" he demanded.

"Not until you tell me your name!" the Angel steadfastly contended. 

The weary traveler craved the blessing, but oh how he despised his name and the truth it represented. 

Seeing that there would be no divine blessing until there was a confession, the traveler blurted out his name--"I AM JACOB!"   His name meant deceiver.  Indeed!  All his life he had been a deceiver.  Tragically, as is inevitable, he was not only a deceiver--he was deceived.

When the Angel heard his confession, He changed Jacob's name.  His new name would be ISRAEL, literally "Prince of God." 

Until the day he died, ISRAEL walked with a limp, a painful reminder of that night he had wrestled with the Angel of the LORD.

In a generation that loves to pretend that they are what they are not, or that they are not what they actually are, we do well to recall God's dealing with Jacob.

There can be no blessing until there is a recognition and confession of who we are.  Even this step can be vexing.  Self-deception is far easier than self-knowledge.  The ancient oracle was right.  The first step to an encounter with the divine is "Know Thyself."

But there is more.  Not only must we know who we are, we must confess it!  Owning up to our name can be difficult. 

Admitting that we cannot change the truth about ourselves is humbling at best.  It's actually humiliating.

But the Angel of the Lord God, has a new name to go with the new You that He has purchased for you. 

The New You is not self proclaimed, it is Christ purchased.

Those who deny who they are will never know the joy of being who God has made them to be!






 

IN ACCEPTANCE LIETH PEACE - By Amy Carmichael

 

 

 

Two great poems with profound truth.

 

In Acceptance Lieth Peace

AMY CARMICHAEL

 

He said, ‘I will forget the dying faces;
The empty places,
They shall be filled again.
O voices moaning deep within me, cease.’
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in forgetting lieth peace.

 

He said, ‘I will crowd action upon action,
The strife of faction
Shall stir me and sustain;
O tears that drown the fire of manhood cease.’
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in endeavour lieth peace.

 

He said, ‘I will withdraw me and be quiet,
Why meddle in life’s riot?
Shut be my door to pain.
Desire, thou dost befool me, thou shalt cease.’
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in aloofness lieth peace.

 

He said, ‘I will submit; I am defeated.
God hath depleted
My life of its rich gain.
O futile murmurings, why will ye not cease?’
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in submission lieth peace.

 

He said, ‘I will accept the breaking sorrow
Which God tomorrow
Will to His son explain.’
Then did the turmoil deep within me cease.
Not vain the word, not vain;
For in Acceptance lieth peace.

 

 

 

In Acceptance Lieth Peace

In acceptance lieth peace,
O my heart be still;
Let thy restless worries cease
And accept His will.
Though this test be not thy choice,
It is His—therefore rejoice.

In His plan there cannot be
Aught to make thee sad:
If this is His choice for thee,
Take it and be glad.
Make from it some lovely thing
To the glory of thy King.

Cease from sighs and murmuring,
Sing His loving grace,
This thing means thy furthering
To a wealthy place.
From thy fears He’ll give release,
In acceptance lieth peace.

—Hannah Hurnard

DARING FAITH + FAITH THAT STANDS - Week 2

DARING FAITH + SUNDAY SERMON APPLICATION
FAITH THAT STANDS

WEEK OF JUNE 7-13

To watch highlights of Sunday Morning's message click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y953d5vNyX0


DARING FAITH not only stands for God's Truth, it acts upon that Truth!  The proof of daring faith is that we act upon the truth we profess to believe.  There's a world of difference between those who are "Fans" of Christ, and those who are "Followers" of Christ. 

MEDITATE ON THESE SCRIPTURES:

Romans 12:1,2  - STAND AGAINST CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Ephesians 6:10-17 - STAND WITH TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

1 John 2 - STAND AGAINST THE LUST OF THE FLESH, THE LUST OF THE EYES AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE
 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
John 17 - STAND AGAINST THE EVIL THAT IS IN THE WORLD
And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 14 - STAND FOR OBEDIENT LOVE
¹⁵ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
¹⁸ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
¹⁹ Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
²⁰ At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
²¹ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
²² Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
²³ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
²⁴ He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
APPLICATION:

1. Who are the people that try to pressure us into conforming to their agenda, rather than to God's agenda?

2. How do we know what stands we must take?

3. It is not only that we stand for truth, but it is important that we stand for truth with grace.  Jesus was full of "grace and truth."  In what spirit, or attitude, should we stand?

4. Tell about a time or two when you have taken a stand for Christ's truth.  What was the outcome?

5. Who stands with those who stand for God's Truth?