February 23, 2005
-
Last Night’s Bible study was awesome, Ephesians 2. Our pastor preached the salvation message, pointing out that we are saved by grace through faith. And the Greek meaning of grace implies God-given power to help turn our lives around.
We were laughing as he got the idea of bench pressing. Saying that our sins can kill us much the same way as a person who cannot bench press 500 pounds could sufficate under the weight of the barbells. He said that Christ will come close to you when you are struggling under the weight, if you refuse his help, he will step back for we have free will to choose. But if we keep struggling and start suffocating, and call for His help, he will come forward and lift the weight of sin off of you. That he is capable of doing it with one hand tied behind his back.
Net result of the analogy is that five guys (burly ones at that) got saved on Tuesday Bible study! It always amazes me how our pastor is led by the Holy Spirit to use the exact words that will reach the hearts of those who need help. And it is wonderful to hear the salvation message, never can hear it enough.
He also pointed out that he can take no credit for anything that he does as a pastor because it is only through the grace of God that he is a pastor. He grew up in a Baptist home with a father who was a pastor, so he had biblical upbringing, and turned his back on this for years and years, a professional musician, drugs, etc. and then he talked about how satan tried to tell him that he had squandered his life away, and would be of no use to God. But fortunately, our pastor chose to listen to the Holy Spirit and God, and became a pastor. He is mightily used by God.
Another analogy he used was a person struggling with an addiction, and trying to find one that no one in our church had, he came up with scratching addiction (turns out someone in the congregation was cured of that). He pointed out that when we get saved, our flesh can lag behind our spirit which is new. That we have to take our mind, emotions, and will and link them to the spirit. It is a deliberate choice on our part. As a new believer, and even him and us at times, sometimes chooses to listen to the accuser and act on that. And then there is a need to repent and again choose to link to the Spirit. With scratching addiction, he pointed out that your flesh will try to tell you it is a good thing, feels good, relieves stress, etc. Your spirit will tell you that you can be healed of this. And he was going back and forth on the altar, sort of like having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, and the dialogue with the self. Once the person has enough of listening to the devil, then turns to the Spirit and asks for help, the Spirit will say let’s link your faith to the Spirit and the Grace of God will give you the power to overcome this scratching addiction. He says that at times you may have to make this choice a few times, if you backslide, but over time the spirit will become stronger than satan. That we must work at feeding the Spirit with the Word of God and the spoken Word of God.
I am writing this from memory, so if I got an analogy wrong, forgive me, and please feel free to correct an error. Any error is mine, not my pastor’s.
Heather
Comments (25)
Ah, amazing grace.
I remember the first time that the passage in Ephesians 1: 17-21 really sunk in…
Ephesians 1:17-21
“17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”
That we have access to the power that raised Christ from the dead!!!! It still blows me away and I use so little of the power that I have access to. I wish I knew how to access it more…
Thank you so much for your continued sharing of these wisdoms that you are learning. Your journal makes me think and grow and has blessed me beyond belief. As have you.
Be blessed today Heather…
Marlene
Sounds like you have a very gifted pastor, who thankfully is using his gifts to advance the kingdom. Thank you for writing those words.
A few years ago I was addicted to chewing tobacco. It was all the more sinful because I tried to keep it secret - which of course it really wasn’t, it was a lie I told myself. It had a power over me which I loathed. I tried to quit a dozen times. I prayed and prayed. Then one day I prayed and I meant it. I turned it over to God and admitted I couldn’t quit on my own and He’d have to help me if he wanted me to have freedom. Going down the highway at 60 mph I tossed the can out the window (okay, so I littered) and praised God in faith it was really over. In that moment I heard what I say sounded like a choir of angels singing Gloria – it lasted several minutes. The radio was off at the time, and there were no other cars near me at the time. I’ve been free ever since. You told it perfectly. The Lord is a true gentleman. Ask if you want to receive, because he’ll respect your wishes if you refuse to ask.
Thank you for the insights from your pastor. That power, the life he breathes in to us, the dead from sin, is definitely His grace. I guess where you pastor and I might be slightly different is I don’t see that we were alive, struggling under the weight of sin.. the sin had finished us off. We were already crushed, unable to even call out for help. It’s His Spirit that breathes the life of grace into our lungs, that we may call out to Him. From that point, I do believe, with all my heart, His grace continues to give us the power to obey.
I can appreciate the benching analogy. I got stuck under my Dad’s weights once.
Thank you for stopping by, and don’t worry about it. Of course I do always light up when I see your name there, but I’m not sitting at the computer 24/7 either – lol. I sneak it in a few minutes off and on through the day. Some days I get a little less sneaking in then others.
Hi Heather, so glad you write what is taught to you. Thank you! My daughter was a scratcher! You are growing more every time I visit, I can see it. Praise God. He is using you and you are blessed. Believe it. Hugs, Sandy
Can I steal your pastor? Seriously. Just leave him in an unlocked and running SUV, and I’ll be right over. ((wink!)) ‘Cause he’s a keeper.
I am truly blessed with this pastor. I know that it is the Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin, but without this pastor, I don’t think I would have listened. He has such a gentle spirit around him that he breathes joy into his teachings and shows the true love of Jesus.
momidaze he also said that we were dead in sin, that it did not matter if we were still walking around, eventually we would die, and our decisions before death would determine where we spent eternity. I think he used the struggling under the weight as an illustration for the ones who came forward. He said so much more than could be condensed into a few paragraphs. He also went into the fact that good works won’t do it, that we all sinned, etc. even one lie destroys our sin free existence. But I figured that most who read this knew these salvation points, so I covered what was awesome.
Have a great and blessed day!
Great post. Your pastor sounds awesome.
And I agree with FKI professor – about the praying and meaning it. SO SO true.
Anna, not if I can get there first … lol
Just wanted to give you some (((hugs)))
<3
Anna – lol
Heather, I think there may be a free for all brawl over your pastor. He does sound awesome. Too bad he couldn’t be slightly more south, like say on a fish shaped island on the southern tip of the empire state.
Whispers thanks for the hugs, I can use them. I wanted to post some encouragement on your site and saw that you had banned posting. So know that I care and miss writing to you.
Heather
i’m sorry to appear so dense, but is your comment meant literally or figuratively?
Christianity 101?
are you a Bible scholar or a Jesus follower? yes, you can be both. but you can also study the Bible without having a relationship with Jesus Christ. i still don’t understand where you are coming from. the lessons you share are excellent, but there are more than just interesting stories with unique facts. they are truths given to us by the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. their purpose is to secure us as His children and provide a plan for redemption and to allow us to have confidence in our eternal security. “if it doesn’t work out?” there is no other way. Jesus said “I am the way.” there is no other way except to reject His plan spend eternity apart from God. all other roads lead to destruction!
Have an awesome day!!
Momc2u, I meant that I am so new to Christianity that I am like a beginner, so the Christianity 101, I am not a Bible scholar, but do study the Word and listen to a lot of great teachers of the Word. I love Jesus and am glad that I am saved by Him. But as a new Christian, I am still sorting out what it all means, and learning more about Christ along the way. I have my ups and downs in faith.
Hope that helps.
Heather
suicide is a serious matter. i am aware that one needs to take someone who is extremely depressed very seriously. i agree with you. i guess what i was feeling was a clash of cultural expectations out of me. i have been taught that dealing with emotions is a private matter. i know what it is like to be “suicidal”. i have close people to me who were once this way. in my class, the main method used for counseling suicidal individuals was troubling to me, because i am just not used to asking direct questions. it does not come naturally to me, because i have been conditioned not to ask questions and be silent. but also, inside of me, there are many questions…one of those questions have to do with loving a person. counseling to me is essentially loving the person. and, there are various ways to show that. i didnt mean to complain, but some of what i was feeling was frustration with this method.
i do want to be open to new ideas. but it’s a process i think, to break out of that mold. i have much to learn, and unlearn.
thank you for your thoughts. thank you for sharing about your experience.
sincerely, joy
Jumping on the “I want your pastor” bandwagon…thank you for sharing your Bible Study with us…
Thank you for your kindness. I have learned to embrace brokenness. It is the way of the Cross. I have learned so much more of Jesus through the brokenness and I pray for more, every day. He gives more as He sees fit (in His timing), but my hearts desire is for more of Him and I know that in order for Him to increase in my life, I must decrease. This is His work alone, all He asks is for me to be willing to yield, to surrender. I desire to just be a vessel for His use, that I may be yielded and available to Him, that others may see Him and not me. For His glory. For His Kingdom to come and His will to be done. May the Lord draw your heart ever closer to His. Blessings!
Thanks for stopping by my site and thank you for this blog.
5 people getting saved at a bible study Haleluiah. My friend,s pasttor said he believed this would be a year of people getting saved and I believe it too.
I’ve already got a great pastor, but wanted to borrow your weight lifting analogy to share with another. Do you mind? And keep on growing!
The weight lifting analogy was my pastor’s, I am certain that he would love to see it used. I never get tired of hearing him teach because he really tends to use words that are so Spirit filled. It was funny because he had a whole different teaching prepared for last night, and the Spirit told him that he had to teach on this. He obeyed the Spirit which is so good.
Five people being saved at a Bible study is awesome. And what I really like is that there is teaching afterwards. He gave each of them a Bible, answered questions and offered to meet with them. He makes sure they are paired up with believers who will walk alongside of them. What is cool is the wonderful mix of people at our church, and all are welcome. We have people who have been delivered from so many different addictions, no one is turned away, and they even send out buses to pick up people who could not otherwise get to church. And our pastor also meets with other pastors to try and form a group of pastors who help each other out and seek out programs that all churches can participate in.
You would love our Friday Bible study, my husband who said sinner’s prayer last night (but did not go forward, but praise God he said sinner’s prayer) loves coming to this Bible study, it is a pot-luck luncheon, at noon on Friday, and we have had to rearrange tables to make room for more seating, the study is so crowded, at least 25-30 on an afternoon study. And my pastor is so wise, he talks about my husband’s CD ministry. My husband recorded many of the Bible studies and put them on CD’s which he has given out at the Bible study. He is now going up and talking with people, is coming to both the Friday and Tuesday Bible study. I am so praising God, and my pastor says that my husband is almost at a breakthrough point. We have been praying for him for three years.
I want to say that I am loving everyone’s comments because it just makes me learn so much more. I have so much to learn. I know that sometimes I express doubt and fears and have a problem trusting God in some areas. For those who do not know me, check out my Dec. 31, 2004 entry, it will give you an idea of what I have been delivered from. I still have a lot of areas to work on though, but one thing is true I do love Jesus and I do love learning from the Word and from people who have so much to teach. Please bear with doubts and fears, compared to a few years ago, they are so lessened.
Have a blessed night!
Heather
Amazing grace, indeed! And praise God for the 5 souls that were saved this past week!
Your pastor definently seems to have his way with words. Thanks so much for sharing the analogies. I espescially liked the weightlifting one.
<><