DO IT AGAIN, LORD!

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By Pastor Jason Murphy

We had our Freedom Celebration on Sunday July 4th. And the Lord blessed mightily. We had over 800 in attendance, and over 300 of those were first time visitors! Nine people prayed and ask Jesus Christ to save them. A business park and a bank allow us to use their parking lot to facilitate all the people. A lot of planning went into this, and I believe any Pastor who wants to reach his community can do the same thing, if he will capitalize on big days.

We do this 3 times a year at Open door; Christmas, Easter and the 4th of July are the best times. We have seen many people saved and added to the church as a result. It gets your name before the community. If people don’t know your there they will never attend your church, this is one way to do that.

We were able to have many first time visitors because we contacted the public schools district offices and asked them if we could have an invitation to our “freedom celebration” given out to all of the kids to take home. To our surprise every district said yes as long as we put their disclaimer at the bottom of the flier.

When all was said and done we sent out over 16,000 invitations. We also went to all of the apartment complexes in our area and met with the managers, asking them to distribute our invitations to their tenants and leave them in the cabana for people to take. 90 % percent said O.K.

It never ceases to amaze me what God can do if we are willing to think outside the box, to pray and work to reach people. I also want to thank all of the faithful people at Open Door that worked so hard to make this happen; it is a tremendous privilege to work alongside you as we serve the Lord.

Note: Pastors, I encourage you to contact Pastor Murphy for ideas you may be able to use to reach others for Christ. http://www.opendoorbaptist.com/

SAMSON, THE SUCCESSFUL FAILURE

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GOD’S PLAN FOR SAMSON

By Ken Blue

“And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.” Judges 16:30-31.

The parents of Samson had to be delighted and proud of their little boy. The nature of the announcement by the Angel of the Lord, and the fact that he was a Nazarite from his birth must have kindled all manner of hopes in their heart.

But Samson was a paradox and an enigma. He had the power of God upon his life, in spite of the times he broke the Nazarite vow or disobeyed Old Testament Scripture. He was a man of great faith and is named among those in Faith’s Hall of Fame, in Hebrews 11.

God had a plan for Samson to deliver Israel from Philistine oppression. We are confident that Samson was unaware of that plan. However, one thing we learn is that God can take man’s failures and disobedience and use them to accomplish His overall plan. God’s will was to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Samson seemed to care less that he lived under slavery and idolatry. His only revenge on the Philistines was for their mistreatment of him. He would get even.

First of all, he married a Philistine woman. This must have severely grieved his parents. But, that did not matter to him for he said, “Get her for me.” That short marriage ended in disaster and death to many, including his wife and her family.

Then we find him spending the night with a harlot in Gaza. She, no doubt betrayed him and informed the Philistines of his presence. Then there was another woman by the name of Delilah. She too, would betray Samson for a large sum of money and deliver him to the Philistines to be put to death. It is obvious that Samson had serious moral and women problems. Evidently, none of them loved him.

Samson broke his Nazarite vow when he touched the dead lion and the jawbone of an ass. Only one prayer of his is recorded, and God answered it. Also, his vow was broken when his hair was cut. It was at this point “…he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.” Judges 16:20.

What a sad story. Here he is, the great Samson, who could have done so much more for the Lord. His head is shaved, he is bound like an animal, and his eyes have been gouged out. He is as helpless as a child. All the lords of the Philistines have gathered at the great coliseum to celebrate and praise their God, Dagon and be entertained by the enemy of their nation.

A youth leads Samson from his place of confinement. He asks the young man to allow him to lean against the pillars that support the coliseum. It is there, Samson calls upon the Lord to avenge his two eyes and let him die with the Philistines. This was Samson’s last act, and he brought the house down.

There are many lessons that could be learned from the life of Samson, but it is enough to know that God’s plan and purpose will be accomplished. Therefore, Christian, do not fret about the enemy or how it appears things in life are going. God is in charge and his purpose is right on track and on time. Let us be sure that we do not abuse the power and position granted us. We should not overlook all the sorrow Samson must have brought to his family and friends.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COVENANT AND A TESTAMENT

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By Ken Blue

“Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;” Romans 9:4.

There is much disagreement and misunderstanding among Christians concerning a covenant and a testament. There need not be the confusion, and much will disappear when we have a clear understanding of the two words and how they are used in the Bible.

First, we will consider the word, “covenant.” It is used throughout the Old Testament, and our text in Romans states that pertained to Israel; seeing that most of the Old Testament Scriptures are about them.

The first use of the word is with Noah. “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee”. Genesis 6:18. (See Gen. 9:9,11,12,13,15,16,17).

The next use of the word covenant concerns Abraham and the Promised Land. “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” Genesis 15:18. The covenant promises of the land to Israel are too numerous for us to list them here.

At Mount Sinai, God gave the Law to Israel and it was there they entered into a contract with God that they would obey His laws. These were written in a book, which was called the covenant. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” Exodus 24:7-8. God’s future dealings with Israel were based upon their agreement to keep this covenant. He told them clearly what the results of obedience or disobedience would be. (See Lev. 26).

We find covenants made between men and men, between men and women, and between tribes and nations. These are promises and agreements made with others to fulfill their word. God made a covenant with Himself concerning Abraham. (See Heb. 6:13).

The Covenant made to Moses and Israel concerned the Law and was testified to by the shedding of the blood of animals. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” Exodus 24:7-8.

Keep in mind that the covenant was the agreement between God and Israel, whereas, the blood was the testimony of their agreement. This is why it is called the testament. It testified to the solemnity of the agreement.

God promised Israel that in the latter days He would establish a New Covenant with THEM. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34.

The Christian should read and reread those verses until it becomes clear that the covenant is made with ISRAEL and not with his Gentile church. Since Israel rejected Christ at His first coming, most Christians have ignorantly spiritualized the New Covenant and stolen it for themselves. This New Covenant still awaits fulfillment at the Second Advent! The only thing that has been accomplished concerning it is that the BLOOD THAT RATIFIES IT HAS BEEN SHED AS A TESTAMENT! We will say more about that later.

Most covenants in Scripture and in secular life do not require blood. Therefore, it is important to remember that the two; a covenant and a testament, are not the same.

What is a Testament? No doubt you already see the difference; however, I have gone to the original Oxford English Dictionary for some uses and definitions.

“1880 Muirhead Ulpian xx. §1 A testament is the testification of our will, in the form prescribed by law, made solemnly, on purpose that it may be effectual after our death.”
” Ibid. §27 Where an executor named by the deceased is authorized by the Judge, it is called the confirmation of a testament-testamentary; and when the Judge confers the office of executor upon a person of his own nomination, it is styled the confirmation of a testament-dative. 1838 in W. Bell Dict. Law Scot.”
“In Christian Latin use of testQmentum. Orig. a misuse of the word, arising from the fact that Gr. diah–jg, ‘disposition, arrangement’, was applied both to a covenant (pactum, fœdus) between parties, and to a testament or will (testamentum). Prob. largely due to the use of diah–jg (in the sense ‘covenant’) in the account of the Last Supper immediately before Christ’s death, and its consequent association with the notion of a last will or testament.”
“1766 Blackstone Comm. II. xxiii. 376 That all devises of lands and tenements shall not only be in writing, but signed by the testator.
“Hence te”statorship, the position or office of a testator; “testatory a., pertaining to or of the nature of evidence.”
“To bear witness, to testify, to attest.”

Now, here is where the confusion comes in. When Jesus was in the room with His disciples, He was introducing to them the promised New Covenant. He was preparing them for the shedding of His blood, which would be the testament, witness, evidence or signature to the New Covenant God had promised. Since Jesus is God, He not only gave the covenant promise to Israel, He ratified it with His OWN BLOOD!

He would be returning to heaven for an unspecified period of time. In His absence, they were to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and observe the Lords Supper till He returned. At His return, the New Covenant aspect would be implemented.
The church today gets the benefits of the TESTAMENT, or His blood. It paid for our sins, but the New Covenant promise was to Israel only.

Thus, a covenant is an agreement between two parties and does not require blood. The testament was a testification of a will, in the form prescribed by law, made solemnly, on purpose that it may be effectual after ones death. It assures that all devises of lands and tenements shall not only be in writing, but signed by the testator. A testament is to bear witness, to testify, and to attest. Thus, Jesus signed, as a testament, the promise of the NEW COVENANT to Israel, with His own blood. “The covenant must be made by sacrifice (Psalm 50:5), because, since man has sinned, and forfeited his Creator’s favor, there can be no fellowship by covenant till there be first friendship and atonement by sacrifice.” (Matthew Henry Commentary).

THE DOUBLE MINDED

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THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE DOUBLE MINDED MAN

By Ken Blue

“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8.

James is showing the importance of faith in God’s faithfulness when one is praying. There is no reason to doubt God’s goodness, presence, ability, or love. We must be steadfast in these truths when praying.

However, the malady of the double minded man not only manifests itself in his prayer life; it contaminates all his decisions. The double minded man has difficulty following through on any decision. His only consistency is his inconsistency. He does not see two things that are identical, he see two different options, and can’t stick with either one.

Every church has some of these confused souls. They commit to becoming a member of the choir, but at practice time, find excuses why they did not show up. Others respond in a revival meeting to go to Bible College and prepare for the ministry, but circumstances are never “just right” for them to enroll.

The double minded man must hit the altar every Sunday, promising to live for God. But, on Monday he is right back to his old sins. The double minded man is always going to….but never does.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The double minded mans only consistency is his inconsistency. He does not see two things that are identical, he see two different options, and can’t stick with either one.[/perfectpullquote]

Let me suggest a few things that may help. Keep a guard on your mouth. Don’t be the first to speak up and be very slow about making commitments or promises. We have all been guilty, in the heat of the moment, of making promises to God; not even the angels could keep.

You don’t have to always say “yes” to people who ask you if you will do such and such. I have seen many of these. They will say yes and respond positively to every need, but they never show up or do it. All this is eroding their confidence.

Pastor, keep your plans, your vision and goals to yourself, until you have prayed and thought everything through. If you announce anything you are planning to do, and then do not do it, your people will lose confidence in your leadership and respect for you character.

James says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” James 1:19. Remember Nehemiah, the great wall builder. He never announced his plans until he had prayed and had the facts. He had a single eye.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

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GODLINESS OR GREAT GAIN

GodlinessBy Ken Blue
“…supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” 1 Timothy.

It is noteworthy that the text is found in the Pastoral Epistles, and the context is speaking of pastors and teachers. One of the ways God allows men to deceive themselves is their assumption that any kind of gain indicates their godliness. This is where the end is built on the wrong premise.

The pastor should realize that there is little relationship between material success and godliness. Some of us have been around long enough to discover that most of the godly pastors have very little in the form of material possessions.

There is the deception that men build large ministries because they have some secret connection with God. That is not the case. Godliness is one thing; material prosperity is quite another. All of us know men who have built large ministries, while living in gross immorality. The problem is that talent and personality are mistaken for godliness.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…godliness with contentment is great gain![/perfectpullquote]

Christian, do not envy the successful. Keep your eyes in the Book and on the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t be fooled or infatuated with pastors who are dynamic speakers or have a ministry larger than yours. You keep your heart right with God. That is what matters. Men do not have larger ministries because of godliness!

Godliness is based on your walk with God. Church growth is based on other factors. These do not have to be in conflict or opposition, but they are not the same. They simply need to be understood and identified. Remember, gain is not proof you are godly; but, godliness with contentment is great gain!