March 17, 2007

• Uncovering Buried Treasure Continued by Pastor Ted

  Well, yesterday we had a major snowfall, our picnic table on the back deck has about 17 inches of snow. My daughter was to march in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade,

                                                                      

  but the school canceled the trip due to dangerous driving conditions. I am glad for her safety, but she is a bit sad because she was looking forward to a shopping trip with her friends after the parade. Today is her birthday and one of her friends had baked cupcakes for the excursion. If my husband gets up some pictures of the snow I will share them, it is beautiful and my oldest son is now uncovering the buried treasure of our front steps. (Sorry, couldn’t resist). It was snowing so hard that Friday’s Bible study was canceled, something that seldom happens.

  Continuation of Pastor Ted’s Bible study on Uncovering Buried Treasure

  Pastor Ted pointed out that we need to stand by faith. God’s word will come true, his Word will not return void.

  Matthew 12:33-37 Jesus said, Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

  (Heather’s note, every time the bible mentions IDLE words, I keep thinking IDOL words because so often when we are speaking from the pomposity our ourselves we really are making our words IDOLS.)

  Pastor Ted asked us, “When is the day of judgment?” It is not just the last judgment, but it is everyday. We are being judged daily for what we do and don’t do, say and don’t say. What is the fruit of our words and actions? We are judged for our idle words. Remember, the Bible tells us that judgment begins with us. God does judge His Temple (us). When our words are confused, we cannot move in the realm of God because of what we speak. Do we speak doubt and unbelief? God cannot honor that.

  We are taking back the kingdom of satan. We can’t do it within the confines of church walls, we have to be out there where satan is functioning. When we are not speaking the things of God we lose power over the kingdom of satan, and satan will then come and attack us at our weakest points. We are supposed to make an impact in the world atmosphere, something we can’t do if we are hiding behind the walls of the church. The fire of the Holy Ghost will overcome darkness, and it flees at light.

  Pastor Ted stated that we are anxious for the world to end, for the rapture. He said that we need to realize that the world will end when we come to the end of the world. That God is in control. And God chooses to do things through His people, His Holy Nation. The Revelation of Jesus Christ comes within us.

  Somehow Saul of Tarsus came up, and Pastor Ted asked us what the name Saul in Hebrew meant. (Heather’s note, it appears to mean asked, 7586 in Strong’s). Pastor Ted pointed out that it comes from roots of Sheol the word before Saul in Strong’s. Sheol is hell, hades, and Pastor Ted pointed out that Saul fell into that nature.

  He also pointed out that many people say that the Gospel is so easy that a child can understand it. And in one sense it is true, but God wants to move us from the milk of the Word to the meat of the Word, and to do that requires study and digging into the Word. Jesus also pointed out that a babe in Christ is greater than John the Baptist, who was the greatest prophet according to Jesus. The reason being that we have the Holy Spirit.

  Jesus spoke in parables and most who heard them did not understand what He was teaching. Even the disciples did not understand much of what Jesus taught when He taught it. And they were uneven in their understanding. In one breath Peter was commended for recognizing Jesus as the Christ, in another breath he was telling Jesus not to go to the cross, and Jesus told him, “Get thee behind me satan.” Much of what Jesus taught regarding the resurrection the disciples did not understand until afterwards.

  Peter chopped off an ear of a servant in the Garden, and Jesus healed that ear. Peter did not realize that if Jesus had not healed that ear, then Jesus would have had an area that satan could have accused Him about. Jesus will later tell Peter, John 21:18  Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.

  As we grow in Christ, we decrease, and Christ becomes big in us. We are set apart. We need to realize that He who began a good work in us will be faithful and just to complete it.

  God is in everything we do.

  Matthew 12:37 Jesus said, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

  We are justified by the blood of Jesus. What words we speak will either be justified (through Jesus) or condemned. Now there is no more condemnation in Christ.

  Pastor Ted asked us, whose words are you listening to?

  So often we believe something because they make us feel a certain way, they feel right to us. But if you really listen, you may realize that they are not in line with God’s words. We do not want to listen to words that God would condemn. It is important to take every thought captive. Faith without works is dead. We can’t see faith. We can’t see the air in the room, but we can trust that it is there. God gave us all a measure of faith, and all it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains.

  God plants the seed, the Word of God, in the garden (we are the garden). The seed matures, is watered, and begins to mature. The Word of God and faith, produce more faith. The Word continues to grow and flows out of us like living water.

  Pastor Ted pointed out that the church needs to understand the things of the Spirit. That it is more than just reading the Word of God, but of being obedient to the Word of God. God gives increase. He does not judge according to our timetable. He is ordered and timely, and God gives revelation in His own time. The wind blows and we do not know where it comes or where it goes. We are in God’s hands and He will fulfill His purpose through us.

  Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

  We need to sell all that we have, all that is not of God. Remember the field is the world, and it’s treasure is being stored for us. Jesus told the young rich man to sell all that he had and give to the poor. God wants us to give up whatever holds us back from Him. He wants us to not just take the milk of the Word, but to eat the meat of the Word. We cannot dig deep into the Spiritual things and still be connected to worldly things.

  Jesus told us that we would do greater works than these. We need to realize that it is not just about physical healing – it is also spiritual healing. It isn’t just about opening blind eyes to see the physical, but also blind spiritual eyes.

  When you walk by faith in the Spirit of God, you walk in awesome power.

  The son of perdition, is also our human nature, the man of sin. When it is revealed to us, than it can be destroyed. Apostasy will fall away when God comes in. Without Christ we are dead in our sins.

  Why did Jesus promise us power if we do not have to exercise that power here on earth? Jesus gave us power to take authority over the world of satan. The Church is longing to escape the earth in the end times, but God wants us to establish His authority here on earth.

  Pastor Ted pointed out that most take the passage “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,” to be a statement of what happens when we die, it also applies to us while we are on earth. To be absent from the body (flesh) is to be present with the Lord (Spirit). We need to realize what realm we are dealing with, the flesh or the spirit. Let the Lord move you in faith, don’t become a rocking chair Christian. Begin to see the Walk as Christ is in you.

  The prophet releases a word into His people. If that word is not spoken, there may not be a manifestation of it. We were sent to overcome the world, and that means that we need to change our thinking.

  I hope this blesses you. There are a lot of challenging thoughts to chew on.

  Have a blessed day,

  Heather

  • 11:38 am
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