Step Two~Mourning over the Consequences of Sin

Interactive Sermon Notes

Sermon Video

Step One; Taking Personal Responsiblity For Sin

 Interactive Sermon Notes

http://bible.com/e/1Yc7

Watch the Sermon

http://vimeo.com/102472043

A Solution to a Broken Resolution

A Solution to a Broken Resolution

While many of us made New Year’s resolutions, chances are good that many of us have already broken them.   So why is it that we struggle to achieve the resolutions we set for ourselves?  There are a number of reasons but if you think about it, even our best resolutions are self-serving and total dependent on our willpower for success.  The battle that selfishness brings to our resolve proves too powerful and we give up. Is there any hope? Is there any solution to a broken resolution?  Throughout the bible we are taught that true change comes through repentance. Repentance is best described as a sorrowful change that is brought about from our desire to honor the Lord.   Repentance, not resolution, brings real change in lives.   If, for example, we want to lose weight we can make a resolution to eat less, but our selfish desire for food will always be there challenging our willpower with messages like; “You deserve the joy that food brings”.  But when we repent, we acknowledge that over eating is harming our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit. This sorrow brings about a change not for the sake of vanity or health but to honor the Lord.  This not only changes our perspective, it gets God involved giving us supernatural results.  Instead of a resolution, why not get God involved in your life through repentance.  As you do, don’t be surprised if the words of Philippians 4:13 begin to be realized in your victory;  “I can do everything through him (Christ) who gives me strength.” (Holy Bible, New International Version)

God bless,

Mike Frazier, Minister
Cornerstone Christian Church, Etowah River Rd, Dawsonville
If you would like to comment about this article or you have questions, you can email, mike@mycornerstonecc.org

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THE END

For several years now, many have been telling us that the Mayan calendar has predicted December 21^st as the end of all things as we know them.  This prediction has brought with it a fascination that has swept through our country.  Hollywood made a movie about it, people have built doomsday shelters, and others have accumulated food and supplies.   On December 21^st I will start my day much like I do every day.  I’ll spend some time with God, see what is taking place on Facebook, read my favorite news feeds, go to the church, and not really give the prediction much thought. I really have no faith in the Mayan calendar prediction but I believe it is a great opportunity to ask; “Are we ready for the end?”  Not an end of the world as predicted through a man made calendar, but an end that is promised by an eternal Lord.   Forty days after Jesus rose from the grave he went to join God in heaven.  As He was ascending the disciples stood staring into the sky until an angle spoke to them; “… This same Jesus, … will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11 New International Version)  We have a promise that Jesus Christ will return and the end will come.  We are also challenged to always be prepared.  God is not asking us to build bunkers or store food but to prepare by giving our lives to Him. Nobody knows when, but every day is one day closer, could it be the 21^st?  Absolutely! It could also be today!  I’m ready, are you?  ~Mike

Religion and Politics Part 1

 Religion and Politics Part 1

How often we have heard that… “Religion and politics don’t mix.”

We have heard it so long, that many people have come to believe it without question.With the presidential election so near, this week I've spent a lot of time thinking, praying, and researching that idea. And you know what I discovered that religion and politics have the same source…God.

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Romans 13:1 NIV

In other words, God is the source of political governments and because God was the source of government, the early Christians were to treat government and its leaders with respect and obedience.

  "Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right." 1 Peter 2:13,14 NIV

Governmental authorities are to be obeyed not because they are always right…or because it will be easier for you…but because God “appointed” them.

Why did God call these early Christians to such a response?  Better yet, why is God calling us to a Christian Response to our elected officials today?  I think the reason is, and this is very important, are you ready?

Government just doesn’t happen, God orchestrates and establishes it.

 So to say “religion and politics don’t mix” is to deny the divine origin of government is God.

Our founding fathers understood this.  The very people, who formed this country and lead it in its infantry, believe that it was God that brought us together. As a result, God must be remembered above everything else.

Patrick Henry wrote;

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

 In his own memoirs, The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, John Jay wrote these words,

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." (John Jay, , The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnams Sons, 1890), Vol. IV, p. 365.

Doesn’t sound like John Jay believed that politics and religion weren’t to mix. By the way, does anyone know who John Jay was? He was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

During the War of 1812, the House and Senate passed this resolution requesting that the President James Madison recommend a day of national public humiliation (repentance) and prayer, which President Madison passed on July 9, 1812.

"Whereas the Congress of the United States, by a joint resolution of the two Houses have signified a request, that a day may be recommended, to be observed by the people of the United States, with religious solemnity, as a day of public humiliation and prayer…"

Can you imagine a bipartisan Congress putting aside their political differences and calling on the president to proclaim a national day of repentance and prayer? In fact in our self-centered arrogance, we  have moved so far from the truth that repentance in no longer tolerated.

The evidence of this arrogance is seen in the response to a prayer delivered by Rev. Joe Wright before the Kansas House of Representatives January  23, 1996

“Heavenly Father, we come before you to ask your forgiveness. We seek your direction and your guidance. We know your word says, "Woe to those who call evil good." But that's what we've done. We've lost our spiritual equilibrium. We have inverted our values. We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We've exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We've neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. In the name of choice, we have killed our unborn. In the name of right to life, we have killed abortionists. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it taxes. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, oh, God, and know our hearts today. Try us. Show us any wickedness within us. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of the State of Kansas, and that they have been ordained by you to govern this great state. Grant them your wisdom to rule. May their decisions direct us to the center of your will. And, as we continue our prayer and as we come in out of the fog, give us clear minds to accomplish our goals as we begin this Legislature. For we pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

Rep. Anthony Powell, a Wichita Republican, invited the Senior Pastor from his church, the 2,500-member Central Christian Church in Wichita, to serve as the House's guest chaplain, offering the opening prayer at a session of the Kansas House of Representatives.   Rev. Joe Wright composed a prayer, reading it at the opening of the legislature on January 23.   Having departed he receive a call on his car phone from his secretary asking him what he had done.  He was unaware of the ensuing controversy he had caused.  One Democrat member walked out in protest, and three speeches criticizing the prayer were delivered by three other democrats, and one more claimed it a "message of intolerance".  Tom Sawyer, House Minority Leader (also a Democrat) asserted that the prayer "reflects the extreme, radical views that continue to dominate the House Republican agenda since right-wing extremists seized control of the House Republican caucus last year." 

Quite a difference from what a bipartisan congress asked the president to do on July 9, 1812. Here’s a little more of that proclamation back in 1812

“I do therefore recommend a convenient day to be set apart, for the devout purposes of rendering the Sovereign of the Universe, and the Benefactor of Mankind. The public homage due to His holy attributes; of acknowledging the transgressions which might justly provoke the manifestations of His divine displeasure; of seeking his merciful forgiveness, and His assistance in the great duties of repentance and amendment; and, especially, of offering fervent supplications, that, in the present season of calamity and war, He would take the American people under His peculiar care and protection; that He would guide their public councils, animate their patriotism, and bestow His blessing on their arms; that He would inspire all nations with a love of justice and of concord, and with a reverence for the unerring precept of our holy religion, to do to others as they would require that others should do to them; and, finally, that turning the hearts of our enemies from the violence and injustice which sway their councils against us, He would hasten a restoration of the blessings of peace.”Given at Washington, the 9th day of July, A. D. 1812   James Madison --[Source: James D. Richardson, A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents (Washington: Bureau of National Literature, 1897), Vol. II, p. 498]

Sounds like President James Madison and the Congress of his day believed that religion and politics should exist together.

In the first farewell address of any president, George Washington wrote;

“Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness—these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, "where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice?"…forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

We have been fed a lie that faith and politics should not mix And we have believed it even though the Bible and our founding fathers said otherwise.

  

 Look at what President John Adams said;
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people...it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Some, like Daniel Webster (known as the defender of the Constitution) believed that a prerequisite for all judges be that be Christians of high esteem;

"The last hope of the innocent, under accusation and in distress, is in the integrity of his judges. If this fail, all fails; and there is no remedy on this side the bar of Heaven. Of all places, therefore, there is none, which so imperatively demands that he who occupies it should be under the fear of God, and above all other fear, as the situation of a judge. For these reasons, perhaps, it might be thought that the constitution has not gone far enough if the provisions already in it were deemed necessary to the public security."(Source: Daniel Webster, The Writings and Speeches of Daniel Webster, (Boston: Little, Brown, & Company, 1903), Vol. III, pp. 3-7.)

Read what they wrote and you’ll discover that most of our founding fathers would laugh at the very idea that politics and religion don’t mix.  They believed that our nation was established with the help of God. And they expressed their conviction that as believers, they needed to be involved in the working of their nation.

Be looking for my next Blog.  Election 2012, A Christian Response Part 2.  if you would like to listen to this sermon in its entirety, visit http://www.mycornerstonecc.org/sermons.html

Still I Believe in the Bible

I believe that Bible because of the countless lives that have been changed.

Hebrews 4:12

¹² For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV 1984 Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™)

The bible is not a dead book, it is 2,000 years old yet it still gets the job done.

 Charles Colson Politician made famous through the Watergate trials tells a story of how he met with Tom Phillips an old friend.  Something was different and decided to find out for himself.  He went on vacation by himself with a Bible, a copy of CS Lewis’ book Mere Christianity, and a legal pad. He drew a line down the middle of the page and wrote at the top, pros and cons.  He studied and studied to decide if this Jesus stuff was for real. 

Do you know what happened?  After a long and intense study, he accepted Jesus Christ, went back to DC confessed his role in Watergate and went to prison. 

Today Charles Colson is out of prison and spends his time sharing Christ with inmates, and authors books in defense of Jesus Christ. 

What changed the skeptic CS Lewis to write a book like “Mere Christianity”?

What changed the wealthy business man Tom Phillips?

What changed a powerful politician and political aid Charles Colson?

Let me tell you, It was the word of God that is living and active.  It not only converts people, it builds us up

In Psalms 19;8-11we read

⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant,  giving light to the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰ They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹ By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (NIV 1984 Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™)

There is something about this book that builds us up and it has been said; "A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person that isn’t."

Are you willing to check it our for yourself and see if God's word can change your life.  I encourage you,  In fact I challenge you to read it and see if you are the same after.  

It's All About God!

For the next few weeks we are going to be looking at what it takes to achieve our “God Potential”.  Our “God Potential” is that potential we achieve when we are in tune with God’s will, direction, and plan.  It’s when we realize that we can truly do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 

To start our study, I want to look at developing a heart that accepts and believes that “It’s All About God”.

By the time we get to Matthew 22 Jesus is reaching the end of his earthly ministry.  He has attracted crowds in every town and has preformed amazing miracles.  He has made the lame walk, the deaf hear and the blind see.  He has cast out demons, and healed the diseased.  As if that was not enough, He has taught as no one else in history, with authority, power, passion, and compassion.  Jesus has made great friends and bitter enemies.  It’s in Matthew 21 that Jesus gets closest to being treated like royalty in what has been described as the Triumphal entry.  It is after this event that his enemies try even harder to discredit and destroy him.  It is in the context of answering his critics that Jesus reveals one of the most important truths of scripture.

A Pharisee, an expert in the law, a scholar, comes to Jesus asking what is really important.  What is the most important commandment? What rises above all else in serving God? What do I need to know to be what God want me to be?

Jesus replies;

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. (Mt. 22:37)

Just as these leaders needed to accept and believe this truth, we need to love God with ALL OUR HEART,

ALL OUR SOUL, and with ALL OUR MIND.

Today let us look at loving God with all our heart.

Basically, if we are going to love God with all our heart, we are going to fall in love with him all over again!

In Revelation 2, John shared the words of Jesus with the church at Ephesus.  Jesus had many good thing to say about the church, but he had one problem that if not corrected would destroy their ability to fulfill their potential. 

Look at Revelation 2

 ² “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance… ³ You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. ⁴ “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!  ⁵ Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. (NLT)

All through the scripture we see a series of what we could call “Spiritual Cycles” in which people go from spiritual revival to spiritual decline.  In this cycle a great leader with a love for the Lord ignites a passion and love for the Lord in his people.  The people repent, turn to God, fall in love again, and God’s greatness is celebrated, the people become great and God is glorified.

 It’s in the following generations that things begin to change.  As the young mature, they do not know of the revival that took place in their parents, grandparents and nation.  They do not have the same heart for God and the slowly begin to turn away.  Slowly the nation falls into decline and eventually tragedy strikes.  In many cases years go by and God’s people are beaten down, at times they were slaves in captivity.  Then God sends one who again falls in love with him and ignites the hearts of the people and the cycle starts over again. 

I remember when I first met Kim, my wife; she was all I could think about.  I wanted to spend every moment with her.  She became everything to me and I thought in “Hallmark Phrases”.  We have been married for 23 years now and our love grows stronger every day.  We have had our moments but as we get older we realize just how much a gift God has given to us. 

Many relationships start out strong but through the years, instead of the love growing, they become distant and even disturbed by the other.  Sadly many relationships could best be described like an illustration a read years ago called the “Marriage cold”  It went something like this;

Year 1:  Honey I’m so sorry you are sick, can I get you some soup, a blanket, some tissues, rub your back.

Year 2:  Hey, it is horrible to be sick, there is some soup in the fridge, and here is a blanket

Year 3:  Hey, don’t you think you need to go to work?  I’ll have some soup ready; when you get home.

Year 4:  Don’t even start!  We have bills to pay so you can’t afford to stay home!  Go to work and go by the store and get some canned soup on the way home!

Year 5:  You’ve got to be kidding!  Get over it already!

According to our Lord, when everything else is gone, these three will remain, faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Let me ask; Are you in love with God?  Is he on your mind all the time?  Do you want to spend every moment with Him?  Is He everything to you?  Do you think his words?  Does your relationship get stronger with time?  Or could you best describe your relationship to God like the “Marriage cold”.

God wants our love!  He wants it to be all about Him and for us to love him with all our heart.  If your spark has faded, I encourage you to go back in your heart to the beginning and fall in love all over again. 

God has something very special planned for us!  We have a “God Potential” but God will not fulfill what he has planned for us until we realize it’s “All About Him” and love Him with all our heart.

Fall in love with God again! Spend time with him!  Get to know him!

Love him!!

~Mike