From Gary... What is it?

Here is something I have never seen before - an ANGEL cloud.  For that matter, I have never seen an angel before.  We take a lot of things on faith and don't realize it; I remember being told as a kid that the man in the moon was formed from green cheese-- and believed it (for awhile).  Then, there are angels; God's heavenly messengers.  I have never seen one, so I can guess the cloud looks something like one.  When I think of angels, I think of this passage from the Gospel of Luke... 

Luke, Chapter 2

 1 Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  3 All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.  4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;  5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant. 

  6  While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth.  7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.  8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.  9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.  11 For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”  13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying, 

  14 “Glory to God in the highest,

on earth peace, good will toward men.”

I can only imagine what it must be like to actually SEE an ANGEL, so I am not in the least surprised that the shepherds were terrified.  But the news the angel announced was (and still is) wonderful.  Consider, The Creator of all the universe took on human form to help us with our transgressions (sins) against God.  It is no wonder that at this proclamation a multitude of heavenly hosts praised God.  If beings who are in the presence of God realized that something extraordinary was happening, we should as well, because we are the beneficiaries of the sacrifice that he made thirty some years later!!! Now, the cloud in the picture may just be a coincidence and the real ANGELS may look different, but the important thing here is that God loves me and really did do what the Scriptures said HE did.  I don't know about you- but I will continue to look at the clouds and wonder why God would even want to love me.  I believe HE does and that's what really matters!!! Are you looking at the clouds yet; if not, today is a good time to start!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... THE SULK, FAVORITE WEAPONS OF TYRANTS

THE SULK, FAVORITE WEAPONS OF TYRANTS

King Ahab owned half the country for pity’s sake. Summer houses here, autumn houses there and winter palaces elsewhere. What more could he want? He wanted Naboth’s vineyard! 1 Kings 21:1-4. He saw it, made more than a fair offer for it but Naboth couldn’t part with it, didn’t want to part with it and so he wouldn’t part with it.

And what did the king do? The land baron went home to his palace, to his bed and there he lay in a royal sulk with a huge bottom lip. “Leave me alone. Don’t want any supper!” Nothing he possessed—list what he had why don’t you?—nothing he possessed made him happy; if he couldn’t have that one little piece of property next door he couldn’t enjoy anything he had. The respect of his troops couldn’t keep him out of bed. The praise of the architects and builders who were impressed with his marvellous building achievements couldn’t deliver him from that huge pout. The text tells us he lies with his face to the wall—poor thing, bad ole Naboth won’t sell him his garden so nothing else matters. “Yes, yes, I’m blessed beyond imagining but what good are the blessings? What does it matter that a host of people please me and want to continue to please me? What they do and think isn’t enough to keep me from being unhappy. Wah..wah...I want...” And did his thumb slip past his jutting bottom lip into his whimpering mouth?

We don’t begrudge Ahab his wanting Naboth’s vineyard but because he can’t get it he runs home to his bed and lies there pouting with his face to the wall—in a palace?

If a tragedy occurred to one of my dearest I’d be gutted even though there'd be much that remained as other sources of rejoicing. If you have five children you truly love and in some tragedy of some kind—whether in death or some other way—you lose one, your pain is not to be trifled with; it’s too deep for that! It doesn’t help a lot when good friends remind you that you still have plenty to be thankful for. Five beloved children minus one doesn’t = plenty. Do you think this is the kind of thing I’m thinking about when I talk about Ahab? No, that’s not what I have in mind. We mustn’t hurry people out of their grief even though in wise love we’ll do our best to help them toward better emotional health.

No, I’m thinking of that super-sensitivity that sees every refusal as a personal insult; that childish tendency to childish tantrums, with or without the visible signs of tantrum; that juvenile attitude that uses the pout as the lever to move a home or a church out of a happy path. I’m talking about that make-up that has to have everything its own way or the nearest and dearest will pay! I’m talking about a heart that mustn’t be confronted or a week-long silent treatment begins. There’s no physical violence but the dread that some families live in lest they say the wrong thing or don’t say the right thing often feels worse than physical abuse.

C.S Lewis said you can only commit murder a relatively few times but you can cripple and emotionally wound ceaselessly, and all around you, with that sullen, grieving, dampening spirit that soaks into everyone within reach.

And you’ll have noticed that it’s the persons that give most to these tyrants that suffer most from them. Strangers and acquaintances would walk away from them but their loved ones day after day bend over backwards to please them and day after day have to endure the peevishness and pouting.

In homes the family members walk around whispering and suppressing simple ordinary activities in case they disturb the sulking monarch. Televisions must be turned down too low for comfort, doors must be closed gently, and nobody is to laugh in case his /her majesty thinks his /her colossal sulk is going unnoticed or not taken seriously enough.

In congregations these tyrants must be visited week after week and reassured sickeningly often that their views are taken with the utmost seriousness even if the congregational flow can’t be turned out of it channels for them.

In God’s name, grow up and get over it!

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Examine Yourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5)

                "THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS"

                       Examine Yourselves (13:5)

INTRODUCTION

1. As Jeremiah lamented over the destruction of the city of Jerusalem,
   he called for the people to examine themselves and turn back to the
   Lord - Lam 3:40-41

2. In teaching on the proper observance of the Lord's Supper, Paul 
   wrote that it was to be a time for self-examination - 1Co 11:27-31

3. Paul later challenged the Corinthians to "examine yourselves as to
   whether you are in the faith.  Prove yourselves." - 2Co 13:5
   a. In doing so, he employs the present tense for the verbs "examine"
      and "prove"
   b. Indicating that such examination was to be an on-going activity!

4. This should naturally raise some important questions...
   a. Why should we examine ourselves?
   b. By what standard should we examine ourselves
   c. What sort of questions should we be asking ourselves?

[In this lesson, I would like for us to focus our attention on this 
call to "Examine Yourselves".  As we do so, let's answer the questions
already raised, beginning with...]

I. WHY SHOULD WE EXAMINE OURSELVES?

   A. TO  DETERMINE WHETHER WE ARE IN THE FAITH...
      1. Paul said, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the
         faith."
         a. The expression "in the faith" refers to being a faithful 
            Christian
         b. Thus we are to examine whether or not we are remaining 
            faithful to the Lord!
      2. We need to remember that the danger of drifting is ever 
         present
         a. It is possible to drift away if we neglect our salvation 
            - cf. He 2:1-4
         b. It is possible to develop an evil heart of unbelief - cf.
            He 3:12-14
      3. What our text implies, however, is that it is possible to KNOW
         of one's standing before God
         a. In fact, the Bible was written for this purpose, that we 
            might know
         b. One book in particular has this purpose in mind - 1Jn 5:
            13; 2:3; 3:14,24

   B. TO DETERMINE IF JESUS CHRIST IS IN US...
      1. Paul challenged the Corinthians to consider whether Jesus 
         Christ was in them
      2. That Christ indwells the Christian is a wonderful thought
         a. It was promised by Jesus Himself - Jn 14:21-23
         b. It begins when we put Christ on in baptism - Ga 3:26-27
      3. We may wonder at times "how" He indwells, but the key here 
         is...
         a. To know that He does!
         b. To realize there are ways we can KNOW whether He does!
         -- Which is why we need to periodically examine ourselves!

   C. TO DETERMINE IF WE ARE DISQUALIFIED...
      1. It is a given that Christ is in Christians, unless they have
         become "disqualified"
      2. What does "disqualified" mean?
         a. Here is how some other translations read...
            1) "ye be reprobates" (KJV, ASV)
            2) "you fail the test" (NASV, NIV)
         b. Literally, "not standing the test", and in the context it
            refers to the test of...
            1) Being in the faith
            2) Having Christ in you
      3. This verse is simply another among many that reveal that a 
         Christian can indeed fall away from grace!
         a. Paul warned of falling from grace - cf. Ga 5:4
         b. Peter likewise warned of falling from one's own 
            steadfastness - cf. 2Pe 3:17
         c. Jesus described what would happen to those branches who did
            not bear fruit - Jn 15:1-2,6
      -- Again, through self-examination one can KNOW what their true
         condition is!

   D. TO DETERMINE IF WE REALLY KNOW OURSELVES...
      1. As Paul calls for self-examination, he asks "Do you not know
         yourselves...?"
         a. We can easily fall into the trap of self-deception - e.g.,
            Jm 1:22-25
         b. The religion of such a person is "useless" - Jm 1:26
      2. Only through periodic self-examination can we avoid deceiving
         ourselves!

[So the need is ever present to "examine yourselves", to "prove 
yourselves".  That leads to the next question...]

II. BY WHAT STANDARD SHOULD WE EXAMINE OURSELVES?

   A. NOT BY THE ESTIMATE OF SELF...
      1. We cannot trust solely upon what we may think of ourselves
         a. We are approved only if the Lord commends us - 2Co 10:18
         b. Therefore even though we might "think" we are right, we are
            not the final arbitrator - cf. 1Co 4:4
      2. We can be wrong in our basic assumptions, which can lead to 
         wrong conclusions about ourselves
         a. Paul had thought persecuting Christians was pleasing to God
            - Ac 26:9-11
         b. There will be many people at the Judgment who thought they
            were pleasing God during their lifetime - Mt 7:21-23
      -- We must therefore look for a standard outside of ourselves by
         which to examine ourselves!

   B. NOT BY THE ESTIMATE OF MEN...
      1. We cannot compare ourselves with others, or trust their 
         approval
         a. To compare ourselves with others is unwise - 2Co 10:12
         b. The approval of others is a small thing - 1Co 4:3
      2. People are often wrong in their thoughts and evaluations
         a. The majority will find themselves lost on the day of 
            judgment - Mt 7:13-14
         b. Even many religious will be surprised - Mt 7:21-23
      -- We must still look for yet another standard by which to 
         examine ourselves

   C. WE MUST TRY OURSELVES BY THE STANDARD OF GOD'S WORD...
      1. Again, it is the commendation of the Lord that makes one 
         approved - 2Co 10:18
      2. It is the Lord who is the ultimate Judge - 1Co 4:4; 2Co 5:10
      3. As the Lord Himself has said, we will be judged by His words 
         - Jn 12:48

[The only appropriate standard to use when we examine ourselves is the
Word of God.  We cannot trust our feelings, or what others might say.
Finally, let me share some...]

III. QUESTIONS TO HELP US EXAMINE OURSELVES

   A. IS CHRIST IN ME...?
      1. Have I put Him on in baptism? - Ga 3:27
      2. Am I keeping His commandments? - Jn 14:21

   B. ARE THE "MARKS" OF DISCIPLESHIP PRESENT IN MY LIFE...?
      1. Am I abiding in His word? - Jn 8:31
      2. Do I love my brethren like Christ loved me? - Jn 13:34-35; 
         1Jn 3:14-19
      3. Am I bearing fruit? - Jn 15:8
         a. Such as the fruit of the Spirit - Ga 5:22-23
         b. Such as the fruit of our lips in praising God - He 13:15
         c. Such as the fruit of good works - cf. Tit 2:14; 3:8,14

   C. DO I HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF THOSE WHO WERE TRUE DISCIPLES...?
      1. Under inspiration, Paul wrote 2Co 13:6; what was his frame
         of mind?
      2. We can glean the mind of a true disciple from Php 3:7-14
         a. We read of his goal in life (7-11)
         b. We read of his attitudes in attaining that goal (12-14)
      3. We will ALL have this "frame of mind" if we are "in the faith"
         and "Christ is in us" - cf. Php 3:15-17

CONCLUSION

1. Other questions might be appropriate to ask when examining 
   ourselves, but I hope this illustrates how we need to use the Word
   of God to "prove" ourselves

2. Consider the sad plight of those who are "reprobate", 
   "disqualified", who "fail the test"...
   a. Paul describes some of them in Php 3:18-19
   b. Because they set their mind on earthly things, their end is 
      destruction!
   -- How much better to be like those described in Php 3:20-21!

To ensure that you will not be "disqualified", then frequently "Examine
Yourselves" in the light of God's Word!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011