Inconsistent Packaging (Jun 29)

The other day, while I was picking some things up at Wal-Mart, I bought a jug of oil and an oil filter because I knew it was time for an oil change in my car. This weekend, I finally had the time to do the change, so I pulled my car into my oil-changing spot and started the job. After I had the oil drained and had removed the old filter, I pulled out the new filter. Now, when I pulled out the filter, I noticed that something was different. I always buy Fram oil filters, which are orange and have black grippy stuff painted on the end. This filter, although in a Fram box, was blue and lacking the grippy stuff. As I took a look at the filter, I noted that instead of a Fram filter, I had an AC Delco filter. Being a different brand, it also had a different part number. It appeared to be the same shape and size, but I wasn't sure that it was the right one for my car. Somebody had evidently swapped them out at the store, paying for the AC Delco box and taking home the Fram filter. I couldn't run to Wal-Mart to replace the filter because my car had no oil, filter, or plug. We ended up cross-referencing the numbers and found that it was OK for my car, so I finished the change, washed the car, and put it away. But it got me to thinking. I bought that filter based on the outside of the box. I never even thought to open the box to check to see if the stuff inside matched the label on the outside. I determined what I had based on the label, when in fact something different was inside. As I thought about it, this has happened before, where something is labeled one way, but you get something else.

Like it or not, we all have a label (or many labels). Today I want to take a look at the times when our labels (or someone else's labels) are inconsistent and don't line up with what's inside. Do we have a "label" calling ourselves "Christians", yet somethings inside our hearts or in our lives don't line up? Are things inconsistent? Does everybody remember those little stickers that used to be on computers that said, "Intel Inside"? My friend had a sticker that said, "Jesus Inside", and I think I've seen the same thing as a t-shirt. So, I could go around wearing this label that says, "Jesus Inside", but maybe something in my heart is inconsistent with that label. Do you see how it is important to have more than just a label on the outside, but to also have consistent righteousness inside? (The Jesus Inside label is true for my friend, btw)

I also want to look at the inconsistent packaging from another angle. What about someone else's inconsistent label? Now, I'm not talking about judging someone else's heart. It clearly says in the Bible not to judge. What I'm talking about is having discernment towards a pastor, teacher, ministry, book, another persons opinions, etc. Perhaps you are reading a book or a devotional. It has a "label" that says that it is a Christian book or that it is portraying ideas from the Bible. You need to check it out with the Word and pray about it to see if it really does or if it is off base. What about a sermon that you might hear. You can download hours and hours worth of sermons from the Internet to listen to, but what if some or many of them are a little bit twisted from what the Bible says? They are packaged as "This is what the Lord says..." but they may have inconsistent packaging!!! You need to be able to discern right and wrong with these things that claim to be the Word of God. I may say something in my lesson that isn't accurate. You need to check these things out with the Bible and see for yourself that it is true. If you find something to be in error, you need to come to me, take me aside, and point it out. We can then study it out, pray about it, and if I was in error, then we'll bring it to everyone's attention so that people are not led astray! If it was just something that you misunderstood or were wrong about, then you'll have to accept that and receive the truth! When we listen to a sermon or lesson, when we read a book or printed message, or when we view religious material on-line, we need to discern whether or not this really is consistent the the Word of God (as it says on the label). Along those, lines, people may come to us and tell us that what we are hearing from this ministry is not consistent with the Word. Well, let us use the same means to discern the teachings of this ministry. Perhaps the naysayers are correct. We need to know for sure. If we check it out and find it to be consistent with the Word of God, then we can rest assured that we are receiving the pure Word of God, as advertised.

Acts 17:10-13

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.

Jude 3-4

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Make a Joyful Noise (Jun 22)

Psalm 98

1 A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

7 Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Psalm 100

1 A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

All of this past week, there has been a carnival in town. Late into the night, there are bands that perform to the crowds. They play their music very loudly and on some nights, much of the music is just screaming and making awful noise. Many of the lyrics are also not godly at all. In past years, they didn't have as much live music, but you could still hear all of the people at the carnival yelling and screaming with glee as they rode the rides and did other carnival activities. There are many places in the Bible that call us to make noise, shout, proclaim, etc., and I got to thinking about the contrast between this joyful noise and the world's noise. The noises coming from the world are actually quite disgusting and vile-sounding. Often times it sounds like noises of fun and happiness, but even then it is empty and lost.

Matthew 12:33-37

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

What are the noises that come from your mouth? Do you make a joyful noise unto the Lord? Do you praise Him? Do you sing to the Lord and proclaim to all the people around you the greatness of God? Or are the noises that come from your mouth bitter words, complaining words, or whining? Do you praise God in church and grumble all week at school or at your job? Do you say nice things to people's faces and nasty things behind their backs? Do you sometimes rejoice and other times complain? I'm not bringing this lesson to you to try to convince you to always be optimistic or to always have a smile on your face and be singing praises. I'm not coming to you today to try to convince you to never growl or be grumpy—to never allow a non-joyful noise to escape your lips. Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What's in there is what's going to come out. So, instead of making a point to beg you to change what is coming out of your mouth, I will instead just encourage you to come today and discover the greatness of my God.

The Lord has made His salvation known. He has not kept Himself hidden. He has openly shown His mercy and truth in your sight. If you embrace His Love today, your new heart will not be able to help but sing praises before Him.

He Will Save You (Jun 15)

Psalm 17

1 A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.

3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

7 Shew thy marvelous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

10 They are enclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.

11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

David calls out to God in confidence for continued salvation. He knows that God is one that saves. "You save by your right hand those which put their trust in you from those that rise up against them. David goes on to describe those that oppress him: his enemies. He describes them as greedy lions looking on their prey. They are deadly; they are looking for a way to destroy David. You may have many enemies that surround you and look for your destruction. I think one of the biggest enemies is when we let our self (our selfish desires, our ideas instead of God's ideas, etc.) get in the way of what God has called us to in life. So often we want to blame our spiritual stumbles on other people and temptations, but in many of those times, we may just find that our own self-control has gotten in the way and tripped us up. But we do also have many temptations around us and, of course, the devil doesn't want us to come to know God closely, so he will send things into life that may be close to destroying us.

David was calling out to God with a pure heart and mouth. He wasn't coming to God half-heartedly or lying to God. He wasn't pretending to be a Christian or "going through the motions" at church. He wasn't just praying so that he could shed his enemies and then get on with his selfish plans. "You have proven my heart," he says. God saves those who trust in him. And he trusts in God: I shall be satisfied. I will behold your face in righteousness."

You Are My Everything (Jun 8)

Psalm 63

1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

O God, You are my God! You are my everything! Can't you hear King David saying these words? I think that there are so many people that believe in God and, as Christians, are filling the churches, hearing sermons about God, and telling other people about God, but how many people come to the point of saying, "God, you are my everything"? Sometimes people will proclaim that God is their God, but their life and attitude declare something different. I believe that if you call God "your God", your life will declare the same thing. Your very being will declare, "God is my everything!"

God is willing to be called "your God", and He is desiring for you to be called "His people".

Jeremiah 30:21b-22

21b ...and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD.

22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Look again to Psalm 63 to see David's desire for God. He really, really wanted God. He makes a decision, a commitment, to come to God and be His servant. I will seek you early. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you. I want to see your power and glory. I will praise you because of your lovingkindness. I will bless you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands to you. I will be satisfied by you and will rejoice when I remember you. I will follow hard after you. You uphold me. I think of you in the night... These are the words of someone that is completely given to God. God means everything to this person. God called him to his heart and he responded. He came to know God and there was no other reaction in him than to be amazed and completely consumed. This was HIS God. This was his EVERYTHING.

Does this describe your heart? Do you want God to really be YOUR God? Decide in your heart to approach Him. Come to God and pour out your whole heart to Him. Give everything to Him and say, "I don't want to live for me anymore. I want to be yours." He will say, "You will be my child. I will be your God." He will be your EVERYTHING.

Come to the River (Jun 1)

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Larry Thomas sang a song that has been stuck in my head for awhile: "There is a River". Here are the words:
There is a River that flows from deep within.
There is a fountain that frees the soul from sin.
Come to these waters; there is a vast supply.
There is a river that never shall run dry.

There came a sound from Heaven like a mighty rushing wind.
It filled their hearts with singing and gave sweet peace within.
Then the Prophet gave the promise: He said the Spirit would descend,
And out of your innermost being will flow a river with no end.
(Repeat chorus)

We've read the first psalm in a recent lesson. It speaks of a righteous man being like a tree being planted by a river, constantly watered and nourished. This river can be a picture of the Life from God, flowing freely for us. Without this water from God, we are dead and dry. We will not grow, and we will not produce fruit. Picture a tropical plant or tree trying to grow in the desert. It's not going to last very long. Now, if there were a river running through the midst of the desert, then many beautiful things would be able to grow, blossom, flourish, and produce fruit along it's banks. Life is often a desert, without rest from trials, shade from the beating sun, or protection from storms. The Lord is the protection from the storms, the rest from trials, the shade from the beating sun, and the river running through the desert. If you are thirsty, come to the River.

God doesn't want to leave you in the forsaken desert of life. He wants you to come near to Him and receive the life that He has for you. There is a vast supply. It will not run out. It is enough to wash away every bit of filth and enough to nourish you forever. It is enough for you, for all the people you know, and for all the people all over the world and from all ages. God is a great God and continues to pour out His mercy and His Love...if you are thirsty, come and be refreshed and renewed!

Revelation 22:1-2
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

John 7:37-38
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Psalm 46:1-6, 10-11
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.