Pastor's
Harbor
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Antioch
Lighthouse
Here
at Antioch, we are Disciples for Christ, the Church of
Three Ships: Worship, Friendship, and Fellowship; Where our worship is produced by our daily devotion with God,
Where our friendship is produced by our love, Where our
fellowship is produced by our relationship with Christ.
Here at Antioch, we are Kingdom Building.
Rev.
Michael E. Coleman, Pastor
Staff/Writers:
Bonnie Frizell, Rosemary Jordan, Shelly Robinson
Editor:
Stella Thomas
December 2001
Volume X
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| Generational Cursing of
Blessing There is a question we must ask ourselves
as believers. In what category do we fall - Cursing or
Blessing? Look around at your family situation and honestly ask
yourself are we obedient to God's Word? Now, I want you to
be clear. I am not talking about a time of perfecting.
When God brings things into your life to strengthen you. I am
talking about God taking an action against you because you have
decided to disobey Him.
How shall we then live in light of God's forgiveness
as a basic Christian principle? This question can be asked
concerning ;many of our principles. Yet, I believe we confuse
god's forgiveness for weakness. The psalmist tells us that God
is full of mercy. We need to know that this is true and that we
can depend on His mercy. Where then does the judgment of God
come in? What does God want from those who are his people?
This is a question for those who know Him as their Savior.
Anyone who knows God as savior can testify of His mercy in their
lives. So, these same individuals, believers, should be able to recognize
when God is displeased with their lives. In our churches there
are some practices that we need to address. When I say in the
church, I am talking about in our homes. The disobedience of
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children. The pleasure seeking
of adults. The scourge of divorce. These are just a few,
there are many more. Paul speaks to this in Corinthians 11 :
29-32, "for anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing
the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That
is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have
fallen asleep. But if we judge ourselves, we would not come
under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being
disciplined so that we are not condemned with the world."
The Word of God is really clear. God is a God of mercy and
this is unmistakable. We must come to the knowledge that God is
our Father and it is not beyond Him to discipline us. God has
washed us clean n the blood of Jesus and He works to keep us in the
blood. We must do some work also. Obedience must be the
hallmark of the Christian life. The consequence of disobedience
is discipline. The results of obedience is blessing. In Deuteronomy
30:1-3, God tells Israel that He has set cursing and blessing before
them and at the heart of this is obedience. If they are disobedient
they will be scattered among the nations. This is a picture of
disunity. When the people of god are at the mercy of the
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inhabitancy of the land. Our
disobedience gives us no power to understand the culture around
us. We become a laughing stack instead of truth in the public
square.
Our highest desire must be to walk in the will and way of our
God. We must remove anything out of our lives that is no
in line with the teachings of Christ. Look at your life
again. Take a hard, hard look. By what measure are you living?
The things around us are strong magnets. They constantly work at
pulling us away from our center which is Jesus Christ. If
disunity is a clear indication that we are out of the blessings of God
unity should be a measure of our obedience to God. There
should be unity with our children. There should be unity in our
marriages. There should be unity in our flesh. I am using
unity to represent our agreement with God in these areas in our
lives. If the problem is with your children give them to the
Lord and walk godly before them. If the problem is with your
spouse give them to the Lord and Walk godly before them. If your
problem is with yourself go to the Lord then purpose to raise up and
walk godly before the Lord.
Generational Blessings Are In Our Obedience!
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Below is an article written by Maureen Eha, associate editor of
"Charisma" and Spirit Led Woman" magazines that I received in my
e-mail which I thought was worth sharing. I thought the article could be
used as a mirror to reflect back and see if our Christian values, actions, and
attitude are in line with that what exemplifies Christ, as well as a tool to
measure what steps we need to take to get in line with the word of God
admonishes us to do.
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
In some liturgical circles, yesterday, December 2, marked the beginning of
the season of Advent for the year 2001. This, the period beginning four
Sundays before Christmas, is the time of ;year during which we prepare to
celebrate the coming of the Lord. On a natural plane, we decorate our
homes and buy gifts for family and friends; on a spiritual plane, we purify our
hearts.
The spiritual tradition dates back to the days of John the Baptist, a
man who was appointed by God to announce the coming of Christ and "prepare
[His} way" (see Mal. 3:1) by encouraging the people to repent of their
sins. The Bible tells us, "The word of God came to John the son of
Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the
Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is
written in the book of words of Isaiah the prophet, saying. 'The voice of
one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths
straight"'" (Luke 3:2-4, NKJV).
When the people responded to John's call to repent and be baptized, the
evangelist discerned that many of them had not experienced a true change of
heart; they were simply trying to escape judgment. So he exhorted them
to show evidence of their salvation by bearing "fruits worthy of
repentance" (vv. 7-8)-- in other words, by living differently than they
had before. He warned them, "Even ;now the ax is laid to the root
of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut
down ad thrown into the fire'" (v.9).
The people were so convicted by John's warning that they implored him to tell
them how to demonstrate that they were truly changed." 'What shall we
do them?'" they asked him (v. 10). Fear of God's "ax made them want
to become fruit-bearing trees!
The answers John gave them were keys to "preparing the way of the
Lord" that I believe apply to our lives today--keys we can use during this
season of Advent to prepare our hearts to received Him in a fresh way.
The first key is to share what we have with those who are less fortunate.
"'He who has two tunics, '" John said, "'let him give to him
who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise'" (v. 11)
Throughout the Scriptures we are admonished to give; what better way is there
to show that we are Christ's disciples? Jesus gave the ultimate offering--His
own life--for our benefit. Throughout the year, but during this season
in particular, we should be encouraged to sacrifice so that others will be
blessed.
The second key is to avoid greed. When the tax collectors asked
John what they could do to bear fruit "worthy or repentance," he told
them, "'Collect no more than what is appointed for you'" (v.
13). Many of them were in the habit of extorting more money from the
citizens for taxes than was required by law and pocketing the extra so that they
could live well at others' expense.
Most of us are not in a position to extort money; however, we are often
guilty of continually seeking more in the 2way of material goods. This is
the sin of greed--the excessive acquisition of 'things.' It is frequently
evidenced at Christmas time, when we purchase more than is needful, sometimes
with money we don't have, simply because we want it--or because someone we love
has pit it on his or her wish list. Parents who inundate their children
with gifts at the holidays are in danger not only committing the sin themselves,
but also of planting the seed for it in their offspring.
But we don't have to give in to our buying impulse and our constant quest for
"more." There is a better way--a way that will help us prepare HIS
way. And that is to be led by the Holy Spirit in all our
purchasing. He will tell us WHEN to get WHAT and HOW MUCH, if we
take the time to listen to His direction.
The third and final key is to walk in love in our relationships with
others. John told the soldiers who asked him, "'And what shall we
do?'" not to "intimidate anyone or accuse falsely'" (v.
14).
Obviously, the soldiers had authority over the citizens and were in a prefect
position to lord it over them--even to arrest them under false charges if they
wanted to. But John admonished them not to exercise their authority in
harmful ways. To bear fruit worthy of repentance, they had to treat the
people fairly.
Not may of us are soldiers. But we are definitely prone to developing a
pecking order and to looking down on those we consider lower in the social (or
spiritual) structure than ourselves. When we set ourselves up on a self-constructed
pedestal, we intimidate those around us. Yet the Bible says we are to "do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit:; instead, we are in "in
humility consider others better than [ourselves]" (Phil. 2:3, NIV).
This is part of what it means to "love your neighbor as yourself"
(Matt. 22:39)
John the Baptist's message is still current. Let's respond to it
today by repenting of our sins and giving evidence that we have turned away from
them by sharing with others, avoiding greed in all its forms and walking in
live--in essence, doing the opposite of whatever sinful behavior we have been
exhibiting. What a great way to "prepare the way of the Lord".
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Message From Superintendent Starks
My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not
slipped. I call on you, O god, for you will answer me; give ear to me and
hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your
right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the
apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. (Psalm 17:5-8 NIV)
The word "steps" implies some direction we are taking
in our lives. It is often suggestive of a position move in the right
direction. For example, a baby's first step is one of the precious moments
parents live for. but what about each step our children take thereafter
the first one??
David's writing does no suggest that he is living a life with no
slipping but instead he holds to the fact that when he puts his trust in god and
walks in the way God would have him to work, it is then that he does not slip.
David's life was a life of both ups and downs as will be ours,
but knowing God helped him to stay on the fight track.
Do we not realize that our children and grandchildren, nieces
and nephews, too will wonder off of God's path? Do we not realize that
with little or no knowledge of God and His will for then, that they will slip
and not find refuge (peace) in God, simply because they do not know where to
turn?
make a commitment today to make sure that your children or
grandchildren know that they too can be the 'apple" shining in God's
eye. What peace and joy there is in knowing that God sees you and everyone
you love as the apple of His eye".
Take the first sep and send the children in your life to
Sunday School...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Holidays to all.....
REMEMBER ------- JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Antioch Baptist Church
Rev. Michael E. Coleman, Pastor
426 Sumner Street
Waterloo, IA 50703