NOTES FROM BROTHER TIM:

"Come NOW, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18---- the "greatest" invitation. Sunday School 9:45am-Worship10:45am

We need to be careful of how we treat people. We never know what is going on in their life. YES...the world needs Jesus but often He will be seen in our actions even though we're a work in progress. An encouraging word is always needed to help someone along the way....and yes there is a time for "telling it like it is" but we need to make sure we've gotten the "2by4" out of our eye so we can see clearly how to help our neighbor. Hmh....sounds like i've heard something similar to that before. :)

Looking back in my life...I can see the fingerprints of God at how He loved me...how He cared for me...how He gave me such a curiosity of who He was even as a toddler watching my Grandad(Floyd Lockridge) preach God's word. As a young boy raised by a single-parent Mother life was very difficult. I can remember walking my sister across town to Dr. Crawford's office at 6 yrs. old to see she was taken care of. I remember that there were many occasions of being exposed to violence and all kinds of vulgarities...but God had a plan for me like He does for you! At 11yrs. old my Grandparents adopted me and that very same year things really started looking up. They took me to Sharon Hill Congregational Holliness Church were in that very same year on a glorious Sunday morning I felt the drawing of the Holy Spirit and as Bro. Granniville Young preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He preached that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"..."that the wages of sin is death BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." I wanted that "gift" so when the invitation was given i got up from the pew and went to the altar and got on my knees and prayed "Lord save me" and He did! As a teen coming up in High School I went away from the Lord...trying to fit in with "the crowd"...BUT thank God that wouldn't work out. After graduating from Jacksonville High School I went to work and later met my beautiful bride Kristy. We had a rocky start to the marriage after losing after our first child after he had lived eight days. We later had been told by several medical test and doctors that my wife couldn't have chidren and we might consider adoption. BUT God had different plans! With our 1yr marriage about to crumble...OH praise the Lord Kristy's uncle... Walter Collins who is a pastor came and visited us. He told us that God had sent him to our little apartment that evening. He prayed for us and told us that God was restoring our marriage...healing her body and that God was gonna give us another baby. THE NEXT DAY SHE TOOK A PREGNANCY TEST AND LEARNED THAT SURE ENOUGH...WE WERE GONNA BE A MOMMY AND DADDY AGAIN. At 12 yrs. old God called me to preach...I ran from that calling but after all the venemous words that i'd said to God after losing "Tim Jr." and how the Lord with His compassion took the time "for us" to give me my hearts desire(to be a dad) I immediately made the vow to Jesus Christ that I'd preach His word as long as there is breath in this body! Now...we have not one..not two..but three more beautiful children. WOW what a "Glorious Savior" and a "Mighty God"

There are so many people "shackled" tonight by drugs and they have to take more drugs to offset the side effects of the prior drugs they were taking. So many people....families are hurting right now and are so weary by the toll addiction has on their loved ones....but Lord I know you helped me when i could not help myself...you've given me strength when i felt like i couldn't go on. Heavenly Father the grace that you've shown me and the strength that you've given me...i ask that you'd in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ intervene tonight with that one who is at their "wits end"... that one who cannot help theirself. May they realize tonight that You alone are their only hope and through the power of the Holy Spirit they recieve your strength. In Jesus Name....Amen!
 

“Love ’Em Like Jesus”

How are we treating people? People are important to God. (John 3:16) Offending and being offended do have the same root. Persons who are easily offended are usually offenders themselves and the product of these offenses is paranoia. Satan will then begin to put foreboding thoughts in our minds (thoughts that are not even true) and gets us to entertain these thoughts. There is a way to be resistant to offenses:

Psalm 119:165 – Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusted in thee.

Some Christians walk in continual bondage to hurt, often being referred as having a “chip” on their shoulder. That chip often causes them to misinterpret situations. Sometimes we blame offenses on others, but fail to recognize our own faults. This is usually caused by deeper wounds; emotional scars and insecurities which we must allow the Lord Jesus Christ to heal. It is these harbored sins of un-forgiveness towards others which have caused the root of bitterness.

Hebrews 12: 14, 15 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (v.15) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.

The antidote to offenses is this: Die to SELF. “Dead men never get offended!” Become totally immersed in the identity of Jesus.

Philippians 2:5-7 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (v.6) who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (v.7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
 

“Meeting Others at Their Point of Need”
 
“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” Acts 17:22-23
 
Many people are inclined to talk about God today. As a matter of fact, we live in a religious society, but the ongoing questions still remain…”Who is God?” and “How can I know Him?”
 
Paul’s address is a good example of how to meet others at their point of need. He didn’t woo the Greeks with his extensive knowledge of Jewish history. He began building a case for the One True God, using examples they understood. (Acts 17:22-23) He established common ground by what they knew about God. Finally, he moved his message to the person of Jesus Christ, centering on the cornerstone of the Christian faith. His message declared a personal Lord and Savior they could know. Finally the climax of the message in (verse 31) is that this One whom God hath raised from the dead will also judge the world in righteousness.
 

“Becoming Content”
 
Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath saith, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
 
How is it that we can learn to be content? Especially with the economic hardships that families are struggling with presently. Having more month left than money left…owing debts that we just can’t pay.
 
First things first…we all owe a spiritual dept that we could not pay. The Philippian jailer in Acts 16 was spiritually bankrupt. He asked the Apostle Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” In verse 31 the Apostle Paul simply said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house.” Only the Son of God made the sufficient payment to cover our debt by giving His life on the cross. We must acknowledge His salvation as the only way we can be spiritually debt free. (Ephesians 2:8, 9) God’s love and the realization of His sufficiency in all things is the only antidote against our insecurities. Remember that money and possessions will all pass away, but those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their only contentment are rich in Him.

 

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