Following Jesus Son of God …

How do we do face the hostility of life?

More specifically, what do we do when faced with attack by our enemies?

And … even more specifically, what do we do when the people attacking were once our supporters and friends and have now become our enemies?

This evening we turn to Psalm 3 for some solid, biblical direction to this spiritual and emotional turmoil.

The historical context of the psalm: “A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.” We find this account in 2 Samuel 15.

I began a new study in the Psalms three weeks ago, but only began recording yesterday.

Message Title: Salvation Belongs to the Lord

Message Text: Psalm 3

Message MP3: Psalm 3 Salvation Belongs to the Lord FFC dave scott 120714 PM

Message Outline …

(1) NO SUGAR COATING: DAVID BRINGS HIS SERIOUS PROBLEM BEFORE THE LORD, 3:1-2.

• I have many foes / I have many people rising against me / I have many people saying that my cause is hopeless, 3:1-2.
• How did Absalom almost topple David’s kingship? He built a conspiracy based on the unhappiness and dissatisfaction of the people, 2 Samuel 15:1-12.

(2) KNOW WHERE GOD IS: DAVID PUTS HIMSELF IN GOD’S HANDS, 3:3-4.

• The LORD is his shield / his glory / his Savior.
• The LORD spoke to David from his holiness, 3:4.
• How did David defeat Absalom’s conspiracy? He didn’t, but God did.
• David still had some loyal friends, 2 Samuel 15:13-22, 27-27.
• ***David honored God by trusting him, 2 Samuel 15:23-26.

(3) RELY ON YOUR SALVATION: DAVID MOVES FORWARD BASED ON THE SAVING NATURE OF GOD, 3:5-8.

• He did what was physically necessary, 3:5.
• He determined to be courageous no matter the odds, 3:6.
• He asked God for help, 3:7.
• He proclaimed the LORD’s salvation and blessing, 3:8.

Hello to You,

Thank God It’s Friday! Right? And thank him for every day. 🙂

Sometimes (probably often) we need to place our lives in the perspective of eternity. The Bible teaches us that we are mere vapors, mists, frames of dust.

AND YET … the tremendous opportunity that we have in our time on the planet which is less than a speck on the scale of eternity.

You dig, man? Yes our time here is so brief, but God in his grace gives us opportunity to impact eternity AND … to partner with him in doing this.

If you are not blown away by now, you should be. (Like “blown away” as in awestruck at the greatness of God and his grand and glorious plan.)

Our lives are on “the big screen” for less than a moment in time, and there is no rewind. No do-over. As Dr. Ken Nichols would say, “Life is not a rehearsal.”

So fully equipped by God himself, let’s turn full face to God and live in view of the coming glory!

God has given us amazing roles as fellow servants of Jesus Christ in his grand production:

The Great Day of God!

Wow!

• PDF 20 Those Whom He Justified, He Also Glorified : Romans 8:18-30 : FFC : dave : 120714 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF 20 Those Whom He Justified, He Also Glorified : Romans 8:18-30 : FFC : dave : 120714 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Hello to You,

Do you ever wonder where we get such a spirit of fear as we listen to each other within our evangelical and fundamental circles? I hope we are not in denial. Surely we see it. A fear that sometimes grows into an angry and bitter spirit.

• Fear and anger from that fear that cause us to disobey God when it comes to honoring those in authority over us.
• Fear and anger from that fear that rob us of the peace of Christ.
• Fear and anger from that fear that make us forget who we are and forget the powerful, amazing truth that God has brought to us.

Where did the fear come from? From a spirit of slavery. Where did the spirit of slavery come from? From our following our humanity – sinful and otherwise – instead of following the word of God and the Spirit of God.

We are not to be a fearful people. We are told to fear God and tremble before him, but never are we told as believers in Christ to fear man, or fear his political systems, or fear his anti-God legislation.

No! We are exhorted to be strong and courageous! So isn’t it about time that we embraced the truth about ourselves as children of God per the holy word of God and start living it?

Message Title: The Spirit of Adoption as Sons!

Message Text: Romans 8:12-17

• MP3: LESSON 19 The Spirit of Adoption As Sons : Romans 8:12-17: FFC : dave scott : 113014

Hello to You,

And Happy Thanksgiving! Is it pizza tonight? 🙂

——————

Have you ever noticed the amount of fear that we spread to each other within our evangelical, fundamental circles? Where does that come from?

Multiple times throughout Scripture God exhorts us to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid, Old Testament, New Testament.

So where does the fear come from? We really do need to ask.

Does God really want us trembling in our boots because a Democrat is president? Or that your state legislature passed pro-homosexual or pro-abortion laws?

We have done this to each other for so long that we have begun to think this is the right thing to do. But what would God say about our “spirit of fear?”

So I ask, “What would God say about the fear-mongering that prospers in the pulpits and the Christian media in our country?”

What happened to “be strong and courageous” and “don’t be afraid?” Is courage no longer possible? And what about the peace that Christ promised? Is our day just too dark and overpowering for us to anchor our hearts and minds in Christ’s words of peace and assurance? Did he not take this into account? Didn’t realize how bad things were going to get?

C’mon, man!

Scripture tells us …

• (1 John 2:8 ESV) At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

But you could never tell it by listening to us. I know it isn’t all gloom and doom in our pulpits and in our Sunday School classes and on Christian radio. But way too much of it is. And I cannot imagine that God approves as I read his word.

Today’s text is crucial in reeling us in to the truth of God’s word. Time to stop listening so much to each other and start listening more to God.

• (Romans 8:15 ESV) For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Message Title: The Spirit of Adoption as Sons!

Message Text: Romans 8:12-17

• PDF 19 The Spirit of Adoption As Sons : Romans 8-12-17: FFC : dave scott : 113014 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF 19 The Spirit of Adoption As Sons : Romans 8-12-17: FFC : dave scott : 113014 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Message Title: And Be Thankful!

Message Text: Colossians 3:12-17

• PDF And Whatever You Do – THANKSGIVING : Colossians 3:12-17 : FFC : dave scott : 112314 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF And Whatever You Do – THANKSGIVING : Colossians 3:12-17 : FFC : dave scott : 112314 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Message Title: There Is Now No Condemnation!

Message Text: Romans 8:1-11

MP3: LESSON 18 There Is Now No Condemnation : Romans 8:1-11 : FFC : dave scott : 111614

Hello Everyone,

Almost Friday!

Our text this week tells us “for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus.”

How do we live in that freedom? What does it mean? How do we live by the Spirit? Walk by the Spirit?

How?

Message Title: There Is Now No Condemnation!

Message Text: Romans 8:1-11

• PDF 18 There Is Now No Condemnation : Romans 8:1-11 : FFC : dave : 111614 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF 18 There Is Now No Condemnation : Romans 8:1-11 : FFC : dave : 111614 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Good Monday to You,

Paul wants to set something straight. The law is good.

• The law reveals our sinfulness.
• The law reveals the extent of our sinfulness.
• The law reveals holiness.
• The law reveals our false perceptions of life and salvation.
• The law leads to life.
• The law (writings of Moses especially) leads to Christ, cf. John 5:39-40, 45-46.

MP3: LESSON 17 The Battle Rages but the War is Won : Romans 7:7-25 : FFC : dave scott : 110914

Hello All,

The Apostle Paul wants to clarify some things in this week’s text. The law is good, really good, even holy. Just in case we were getting the wrong impression. The law is not the problem. We are the problem, the sin that dwells in us.

• (Romans 7:12 ESV) So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

We are in a terrific battle with sin that we would surely lose … but “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In spite of all the darkness in our battle with these sinful bodies, we must remember at least two things. One, we may lose some battles but we have won the war. And, two, we have a strong Deliverer in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

Message Title: The Battle Rages but the War Is Won!

Message Text: Romans 7:7-25

• PDF 17 The Battle Rages but the War is Won : Romans 7-7-25 : FFC : dave : 110914 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF 17 The Battle Rages but the War is Won : Romans 7-7-25 : FFC : dave : 110914 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Good Morning to You,

Election Day around the country. So thankful that I am one of the elect of God Most High, Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. Amen!

Here is a PDF of a sermon by Francis Schaeffer. A MUST READ for all who want a realistic view of the world around them. Extremely helpful in our personal relationships with believers and unbelievers alike. We are great and we are a mess. We must embrace both.

dave

First an excerpt, then the PDF download.

• THE WEAKNESS OF GOD’S SERVANTS
  If someone asked us, “What is the Bible?” we probably would not begin our answer by saying, “The Bible is a realistic book.” Yet in the twentieth century this might be the best place to start—to stress the realism of the Bible in contrast to the romanticism which characterizes the twentieth-century concept of religion. To most modern people, truth is to be sought through some sort of leap from which we extract our own personal religious experiences.Many feel that the Bible should portray a romantic view of life, but the Bible is actually the most realistic book in the world. It does not glibly say, “God’s in His heaven—all’s right with the world!” It faces the world’s dilemmas squarely. Yet, unlike modern realism which ends in despair, it has answers for the dilemmas. And, unlike modern romanticism, its answers are not optimism without a sufficient base, not hope hung in a vacuum.

  So we should say at once to twentieth-century people: the Bible is a tough-fibered book.

   

• The Weakness of God’s Servants: PDF The Weakness of God’s Servants – Schaeffer – No Little People