Looking at Questions in God’s Word – 5

 Looking at Questions in God’s Word – 5

Subject – Will God Do What is Right?

By Rick Welborne

Genesis 18:24-26 (NIV)
²⁴  What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?
²⁵  Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
²⁶  The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." 

Job 38:1-4 (NLT2)
¹  Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:
²  “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?
³  Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.
⁴  “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. 

Isaiah 6:5-8 (NKJV)
⁵  So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."
⁶  Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
⁷  And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged."
⁸  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." 

--Of course with all that is going on in the world, many of us are wondering if God is really paying attention or maybe He has just turned His back on America like we have Him.

--We, according to His Word, honor Him with our lips (with what we say) but our hearts are far from Him. We serve Him on our terms not on His terms (His Word).

--The Conservative Christian world has been turned upside down by what we have witnessed in the election and with all the changes in our government.

--Many heads are spinning because their favorite prophets prophesied what they wanted to hear instead of what God was truly saying. Yes, heads are spinning and hearts are broken.

--There have been a few apologies from the Christian community and we should be quick to forgive. Going forward maybe our information downloads should come from God’s Word instead of outsourced material.

--Let’s look at the Bible today as we continue the series on Looking at Questions from God’s Word and see what God is truly saying to His people.

1. Will not the judge of all the earth do right?

--My first observation is probably the most important for us as the Body of Christ. Abraham was interceding for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He was concerned about their lives (their souls). 

--Praying diligently (passionately interceding) for America is or should have been the most important thing we could have been doing but so many got wrapped up in the politics. Start interceding now. It is crucial.

--Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? Yes, the Judge of the earth always does right. Abraham asked this question in his appeal to God to spare the righteous and protect them from judgment. Lot was questionable.

--If something God does seems unjust to us, then we are misunderstanding Him. When we question God’s justice, it is because our sense of justice is warped. We do not know God the way we should.

--When we say, “I do not understand how a good and just God can allow such-and-such a thing,” it is because we do not correctly understand what it means to be a good and just God. 

--Many people think they have a better understanding of justice than God. God has such a great advantage over us when it comes to perfect justice…He is God!

--Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? God did what was right by Sodom and Gomorrah…He destroyed the cities. When God does what is right it may not look the way we think it should look.

--Pastor Rick, what is coming on America? Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? He will but it may not look like what we think it should and that is why we should be interceding.

--Let me ask us all a few questions. If America (with this new leadership) murders more babies, if we call evil good and good evil, and if we as a nation we turn our backs on Israel, what should come on America?

Isaiah 59:1-4& 12-18 (NKJV)
¹  Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.
²  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
³  For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.
⁴  No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
¹²  For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them:
¹³  In transgressing and lying against the LORD, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
¹⁴  Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.
¹⁵  So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice.
¹⁶  He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
¹⁷  For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
¹⁸  According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, Fury to His adversaries, Recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay. 

--Many times when the enemies of God were confronted by Him they turned on themselves and destroyed one another. Look at America. Will the Judge of all the earth will do right? He always does.

2. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

--Job is trying to defend himself and he steps over some lines. This question needs to be put in the front of every book promoting evolution or every book on geology.

Job 38:3-4 (NLT2)
³  Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.
⁴  “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. 

--Never in my lifetime have I seen such arrogance and pride from so many. We see it in our nation’s leaders on both sides of the aisle. Left and right. Even in the church. 

--Our nation was birthed with a great understanding that without the help and intervention of Almighty God we were doomed to destruction. 

Thomas Jefferson - "God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever..."

Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)
¹⁸  Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. 

--It is past time for America and those who call themselves Christians to come down from our haughty places and humble ourselves before a great and awesome God.

--Humble yourselves before God and He will lift you up. We act like we are drunk on religious formulas that tell us just to declare what we want when God’s is calling us to repentance.

--God says, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” Why don’t we again acknowledge God to be Lord and Savior of all.

3. Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?

--The Lord is talking to Isaiah and He is telling him that He needs representatives on this earth who are willing to go and to speak on His behalf.

Isaiah 6:8 (NKJV)
⁸  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?"  

--Once Isaiah got a glimpse of Who God really was he went thru a process of repentance. If we have a vision of God, it causes us to see how great we are instead of how great God is. 

Isaiah 6:5-7 (NKJV)
⁵  So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."
⁶  Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
⁷  And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged." 

So what is the result of this encounter and repentance. "Here am I! Send me." Once we have been transformed and cleansed by God we become His missionaries. Sharing Christ wherever we are.

--The Lord says, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Who is willing to stand today and say…Here am I! Send me!

Never Stop Praying – 3

 Never Stop Praying – 3

Subject – Hyperlinked

By Rick Welborne

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT2) ¹⁷  Never stop praying.

1 Kings 18:41-46 (NKJV)
⁴¹  Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
⁴²  So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
⁴³  and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again."
⁴⁴  Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.' "
⁴⁵  Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
⁴⁶  Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

--I was close to changing the direction of what we have been preaching for the last several weeks…I kept reading, studying, and praying for a new series. I even had people ask me if I was continuing the series.

--I truly believe any of these messages can stand alone but I also believe God has spoken to me that He is building a foundation of faith in each of us to see walls come down. Keep circling your walls in prayer.

--Last time we talked about Martha’s faith when Lazarus had died and the declaration that she made:

John 11:21-22 (NKJV)
²¹  Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
²²  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

--Her declaration of “even now” moved the heart of Jesus and she witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.

--Elijah had endured three and a half years of drought and obviously had bouts of depression but was able to believe God that “even now” God can send rain again.

--I wonder how many people’s faith was hyperlinked to Elijah’s miracle to see the rain come. If God did it for Elijah, He can do it for me. Whatever it is. 

--It is not a stretch to believe that one miracle is more than likely hyperlinked to another one…If God could send a quail-storm for Moses, He could easily send a thunderstorm for Elijah.

1. Our most powerful prayers are hyperlinked to the promises of God.

--Isn’t it true that when you are praying the promises of God (His Word), you can pray with a holy confidence that God, not only hears, but He is going to answer those prayers. 

--When we are praying prayers that are not backed up by the Word of God we are praying on thin ice. When we pray God’s Word and will, we know that we have a strong foundation.

Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)
²⁴  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
²⁵  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
²⁶  But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
²⁷  When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” 

--It is the difference in praying tentatively and praying tenaciously. You don’t have to second guess yourself because you know God wants you to double click on His promises. 

--The couple I talked to you about 2 weeks ago from the DC area whose son totally lost his speech and they wondered if He would ever talk again. The diagnosis of high-functioning autism dropped them to their knees.

--During a meeting with their pastor (it could have been any of their Christian friends) God spoke to the pastor and told him to give John and Heidi this verse:

Isaiah 59:21 (NIV)
²¹  "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD.

--The pastor shut his Bible and said, “I guess that settles it. Your child will talk.” John and Heidi now had a promise from God that was hyperlinked to God’s promise in His Word. It became a Rhema right now word.

--Did that mean there would be clear sailing from that moment on…of course not, but when that Word was given walls came crushing down and a promise from God came rushing in. 

--They had disappointments and set-backs but because they knew God’s promise was hyperlinked to God’s Word…they embraced and highlighted that promise in their Bible and kept their son in prayer. 

John and Heidi – God gave us a promise, and no matter how many times we have to keep praying, it’s settled!

Mark Batterson – You’ve heard the adage: “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” Here’s a fresh take on an old truth: God said it, I’ve embraced it, and that settles it.

--John and Heidi believed that promise for 10 years before they saw any changes but the changes came. Don’t give up…don’t quit…don’t stop circling.

2. It is finished.

John 19:30 (NKJV)
³⁰  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. 

--It was settled on the cross when Jesus said, “It is finished.” Hear me though…It wasn’t just the final installment on our sin debt; it was the down payment on all His promises.

--No matter how many promises God has made…they are made “Yes” in Christ Jesus!

2 Corinthians 1:18-22 (NKJV)
¹⁸  But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.
¹⁹  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us--by me, Silvanus, and Timothy--was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.
²⁰  For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
²¹  Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
²²  who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

--Someone needs to pray like God’s promise to them is “Yes”. I know God’s answer to my prayer is “Yes, the miracle is coming!” As we pray the will of God the answer is yes and amen in Jesus. It is finished.

3. Your answer to prayer may be hyperlinked to someone else.

Joshua 1:3-5 (NKJV)
³  Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
⁴  From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
⁵  No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.

--Look at how remarkable this is…God’s promise to Joshua is hyperlinked to God’s promise to Moses. The promise was originally given to Moses and now it is transferred to Joshua.

--Now I know this can be abused but it doesn’t have to be…let me explain. You need to not only read God’s Word…You need to pray through the Word of God.

--As you are reading God’s Word with a deep attitude of prayer…Holy Spirit can quicken a word that was given to someone else…to become yours. 

Batterson - What if reading became a form of praying and praying became a form of reading?

--We can be sure Joshua was in an attitude of prayer when he knew he was taking over for Moses. God’s Word to Moses became his. Joshua could lay hold of those promises.

Joshua 1:6-7 (NIV)
⁶  "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.
⁷  Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

--Moses got his promises from God…Joshua received the promises that were hyperlinked to Moses. It does not end there. The people were hyperlinked to Joshua, Moses, and God!

Joshua 1:13 (NIV)
¹³  "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.'

--While you are hyperlinked to God and His Word, who is going to be able to link their faith to yours…who will you leave a legacy for…I pray it will be those following you. 

LEGACY – Leading Every Generation – Adults – Children – Youth.

Never Stop Praying – 2

 Never Stop Praying – 2

Subject – Living an Un-Offended Life

By Rick Welborne

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT2) ¹⁷  Never stop praying.

Matthew 11:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
²  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
³  and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"
⁴  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
⁵  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
⁶  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 

--Listen to the context of this setting with John the Baptist: Jesus is doing miracles everywhere He goes…He is healing diseases, casting out demons, and restoring sight to the blind.

--Unfortunately, it seems that poor John the Baptist is missing out on the miracles and he definitely needs one in prison. Jesus is rescuing almost everyone except His most faithful follower. 

--Wow, instead of rescuing John Jesus sends him a message thru his disciples and tells him about all the miracles that are happening. Instead of rescuing him He sends him this message:

Matthew 11:6 (NKJV)
⁶  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.

--Have you ever felt like God was doing miracles for everyone else (even people who obviously did not deserve it) but you were being passed by? God seems happy to answer others prayer but not yours.

--I wonder if that was how John the Baptist felt? What do you do when you feel like God is answering everyone else’s prayer but not yours?

1. We try to live our lives unoffended by God. 

--Of course we are not in prison waiting for our heads to be cut off but Jesus promises us that we will be blessed if we aren’t offended. It is so easy to be offended or to take up someone else’s offense.

Luke 17:1 (NKJV)
¹  Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 

--Offenses are going to come and we have to make sure that we guard our hearts from being offended. It is a choice. Be careful who share your mess with.

--You may get over it in a day or so but the person you share it with may carry it for a lifetime. Be careful running home and telling mom and dad what a jerk your spouse is…they pick up that offense.

--John Bevere’s book…Bait of Satan is a wonderful tool in training you how to live a life unoffended by people. Today we are talking about not being offended by God or toward God.

Jeremiah 12:1 (NLT)
¹  LORD, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You don’t see when they close their doors.

--There are many couples or individuals this could apply to you or maybe you feel like it is you. God has used people in incredible ways to pray for and see miracles in other people’s lives.

--They prayed for the salvation of another family’s prodigal and God answered. They prayed for a friend’s healing and they were healed. A friend was going under financially and God showed up as you prayed.

--You even have family or friends who live ungodly lives and we feel God should judge them severely and they win $150,000 thru a lottery ticket. I know that person! Just not fair.

--If we would be honest with one another…many of us live in this place where we are wondering why God can be so good, so generous with others, so merciful but not with us…where are you, Lord?

2. We live in the ellipsis of life.

Ellipsis – is the triple dot punctuation. Ellipsis indicates a pause in speech or an unfinished thought.

--Every time I write anything…I have always used ellipsis but just did not know what it was called. When I pause for effect in my sermons I am using ellipsis. 

--When we are waiting on God to answer a prayer for us, we are in a period of ellipsis. It is a divine pause where we are simply waiting on God to complete the thought…to complete the miracle.

--We usually use the NIV for this portion of scripture because it says plans…but listen to it in NKJV.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
¹¹  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

--For whatever reason God has chosen to uses ellipsis for His honor and His glory. What makes no sense to us and what seems so unfair to us is just God being sovereign. 

Isaiah 55:8-11 (NKJV)
⁸  "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
⁹  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰  "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
¹¹  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 

--What would have happened to Joseph when God made him wait 22 years for his dreams and visions to come to pass? A pre-mature deliverance may have put him in the wrong place. 

--I am sure Joseph asked God more than one time…what is going on in my life? Did I really receive dreams from you or was it just my own desires coming through?

--Even ungodly Egyptians seem to be blessed with their servants and overabundance of food and luxuries. He was in a pit, sold into slavery, accused of adultery, forgotten in prison. It is not fair!

--Could it be that this is one of those ellipsis moments where we can say with Esther and Mordecai…For such a time as this. God is not as interested in our comfort as He is in His will.

--Listen to what Joseph had to say after approximately 22 years of abuse and what appeared to be abandonment by God…you see he chose not to be offended by what God was doing…he lived unoffended.

Genesis 45:4-8 (NIV)
⁴  Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
⁵  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
⁶  For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping.
⁷  But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
⁸  "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 

--You see, the last chapter has not been written…God is still working on your book (on your life) and He is still working everything for your good if you love Him.

--Listen to the testimony of this couple from an Assembly of God church in the Washington D C area. They were used mightily by God to pray miracles for others but struggled having their prayers answered.

John and Heidi – Living an unoffended life is not some Zen-like experience. It is living a life surrendered to His sovereignty, His majesty, and His love. Jesus promises blessings if we are not offended when He does things for others. And if He does it for them, He might do it for us. I don’t know why God does what He does. I do know that 100% of the prayers I don’t pray won’t be answered.

--You can give up or you can hold on. You can let go or you can pray through. You can get frustrated with God or you can choose to live an unoffended life. Never stop praying!

3. Even now!

John 11:5-6 (NIV)
⁵  Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
⁶  Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

--What? Lazarus is dying and Jesus knows it but it appears He purposely stays where He was two more days… He intentionally let Lazarus die and then had the gall to say He was asleep…let’s go wake him up.

--What kind of God-man is this that even death is sleep to Him…notice the only people who were upset or potentially offended had no idea what Jesus was up to. 

John 11:2-4 (NIV)
²  This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.
³  So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
⁴  When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 

--Watch this…Jesus owes Mary…she had shown ultimate humility and worship when she poured perfume on His feet and wiped His them with her hair. Sometimes we feel God owes us for some reason.

--The two sisters even use psychology on Jesus…Lord, the one you love is sick. That is funny to me. Jesus knew Lazarus was sick and obviously Jesus loves everyone. 

-- Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."  Listen to Martha’s declaration of an unoffended life.

John 11:21-22 (NIV)
²¹  "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
²²  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

--Most of us would have stopped with v 21 if you had been here Lazarus would not have died. Martha adds the conjunction but I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

--Even when it seems like God is four days late, it’s too soon to give up on God. Even when it seems like your dream is dead and buried, it’s too soon to give up. Even now!

--God can reverse the irreversible! Even now He can say Lazarus come forth…dream come forth…healing come forth…prodigal come back to God…Even now!!

--Never stop praying…Don’t give up because there is an “Even now!” on its way! Live unoffended by God!

Looking at Questions in God’s Word – 3

 Looking at Questions in God’s Word – 3

Subject – Important Questions in Genesis

By Rick Welborne

Genesis 3:1-6 NIV
¹Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
²  The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
³  but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
⁴  "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.
⁵  "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
⁶  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 

--Today we are going to look at three questions in the book of Genesis that are still relevant for us today. One question by Satan, one by God, and one by man (Cain). 

--The first question will show us the plan of Satan and his intentions for each of us. 

John 10:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

--The second question will show us the heart of God and how He wants everyone to be saved.

Luke 19:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰  for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 

--The third question will show us our responsibility to others and to the world.

Mark 16:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

--Let’s jump into God’s Word in Genesis and look at these three important questions.

1. Did God really say?

Genesis 3:1 (NIV)
¹  Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 

--Many believe that Genesis 3 to be the most important chapters in the Bible. If you just read 1-2 and then skip to chapter 4, man goes from being blessed in the garden to being cursed. Something happened.

--In 1-2 man is innocent and everything seems to be perfection in the garden of God and the moment you read 4 there is jealousy, anger, murder, corruption, lying, rebellion, and judgment.

--Another question for us is where did it come from? What happened in the garden to change the life and direction of man? What could have been that devastating?  

--Satan shows up with a question to confuse, deceive, and separate man from God. Did God really say? The question is designed to make them question God and His authority.

--You must not eat from any tree in the garden. Look at this logically…why would God create man and woman just to watch them starve to death in the garden. His questioning of God flusters Eve. 

--She even adds to God’s command. He said we cannot eat of the tree in the middle of the garden because you will die and not to even touch it. God did not say that. 

--Satan now has her because he is cunning and crafty so He pushes forward…You will not surely die! He calls God a liar and questions His intentions for Adam and Eve. 

--Satan is doing the same thing today to so many. That is why there is so much compromise in the church. Satan tempts them, they want the forbidden fruit, and he asks, Did God really say?

--Did God really say? The Bible is filled with things God has really said but it is being called into question not only by the world, politicians, the media, but sadly, even the church.

--Did God really say…murder is wrong when it comes to the unborn…they are just fetuses anyway? Did God really say…marriage should be only between a man and woman?

--Did God really say…Do not forsake My house and now many politicians are forbidding Christians from going to church and using Covid as an excuse? Did God really say…Bless Israel and I will bless you?

--All these things are in jeopardy in our nation. Do not get discouraged but keep praying for God’s mighty hand of intervention. 

Luke 18:7 (NLT2)
⁷  Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

--Let’s talk to the church. Did God really say…Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature? Did God really say…Send Missionaries so others can hear the Word of God?

--Did God really say…We should be like Him and we should seek to save the lost? Did God really say…Be filled with my Holy Spirit so you can have power to be witnesses? Did God really say…Obey Me? 

--If Satan is saying to you, Did God really say, you better make sure you know what God is truly saying in His Word. Satan wants to take as many as he can to hell with him.

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (NLT2)
³  But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.
⁴  You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

2. Where are you?

Genesis 3:8-9 (NKJV)
⁸  And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
⁹  Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" 

--Where are you? What a powerful question from God to Adam and Eve. It was more than a question about their location but much more about their spiritual condition. 

--You have given into temptation and you have disobeyed my command (My Word) so “Where are you? Why are so many hiding from God? Many are hiding in plain sight. In church.

--Many are hiding from God behind forced smiles, behind working hard for approval, behind pretentious worship to make people think they are okay. God is saying, “Where are you?”

--Adam and Eve heard God’s voice in the garden so they hid themselves (as if anyone is truly hiding from God). Guilt and shame have a way of making us hide.

--I believe it is significant that they hid in God’s garden thinking that their artificial coverings would accomplish their intentions. It symbolizes those hiding in the church. 

--Where are you in relationship to God? Are you just pretending everything is alright or are you doing like Adam and Eve and you are putting the blame on someone else?

Genesis 3:10-13 (NKJV)
¹⁰  So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."
¹¹  And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
¹²  Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
¹³  And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

--That woman you gave me, that man you gave me, or simply like Flip Wilson used to say, The Devil made me do it! If we will get healed and whole, we have to stop hiding and stop blaming others.

Genesis 3:21 (NKJV) ²¹  Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 

--God asked, Where are you? He knew and He still came looking for them. There were consequences to their sin but because of God’s love, he covered them. Blood was shed and they were covered.

Hebrews 9:22 (NLT2)
²²  In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. 

3. Am I my brother’s keeper?

--We know the story how Abel’s gift was accepted by the Lord and Cain’s was not. Does not say why but it matters how we give. Cain was jealous and killed Abel.

Genesis 4:9 (NIV)
⁹  Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" 

--Where is your brother? Am I my brother’s keeper? We understand Cain killed Abel (shed his blood – murder) and Jesus shed His blood (redemption). 

--Am I my brother’s keeper? Am I responsible for my brother or my sister? Paul said I am a debtor to all men to preach to them the gospel. Shirts made up in Louisiana for a witnessing tool.

A.E.I.O.U. – Aggressive Evangelism – IOU the Gospel. 

--I am responsible to care about others salvation, not just mine.

Philippians 2:4-5 (NIV) ⁴  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 

Never Stop Praying – 1

 Never Stop Praying – 1

Subject – Prayer

By Rick Welborne

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT2) ¹⁷  Never stop praying.

1 Kings 18:41-46 (NKJV)
⁴¹  Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
⁴²  So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
⁴³  and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again."
⁴⁴  Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.' "
⁴⁵  Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
⁴⁶  Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

--In standardized math test Japanese children consistently score higher than their American counterparts. Are Japanese children truly that much smarter than American children?

--Researchers have found that it may have to do with effort more than with intellect. In one study, students were given a very difficult puzzle to solve. The researchers knew the kids could not solve the problem.

--They wanted to see how long each group would keep trying before they finally gave up. The American children lasted on average 9.47 minutes while the Japanese children lasted 13.93 minutes. 

--In other words, Japanese children tried about 40% longer. Is it any wonder that they score higher on math tests? They concluded it had to do less with their intelligence quotient and more on persistence quotient.

--What does this say…it says that whether it is math, athletics, music, or academics that there are no shortcuts. There are no substitutes. Success is a derivative of persistence. Strong consistent effort.

--Question…Is prayer any different? The best violinist practice 10,000 hours.

Batterson – It is a habit to be cultivated. It is a discipline to be developed. It is a skill to be practiced. And while I don’t want to reduce praying hard to time logged, if you want to achieve mastery, it might take ten thousand hours. This I know for sure: the bigger the dream the harder you will have to pray. 

1. We all face droughts in our lives.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NRSV)
¹³  No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. 

--For three and a half years there was no rain in Israel and no puddles for the kids to jump in.

--This is important to hear and understand…God promised Elijah that He would send rain but like every promise, Elijah still had to pursue the promise in prayer. He had to have persistent prayer.

--After being a youth pastor for fourteen years and a lead pastor for 30 years I still get amazed at the problems people have in their lives…when I think there couldn’t be anything new or strange, there is.

--Being the youngest in my family gave me a unique perspective that maybe my siblings did not have…I could watch and learn from their mistakes and not repeat the insanity.

--Today we have opportunity over and over again to learn from others mistakes and failures and maybe even learn from our own mistakes but we keep repeating the same junk hoping for a different outcome. 

Proverbs 26:11 (NKJV)
¹¹  As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. 

--1 Cor. 10:13 gives us all a promise as we face these droughts in our lives…Paul tells us that many other people have been thru the same mess, and it is assumed that we understand, they survived.

--Paul also tells us that God will not test us beyond our ability or our strength to be able to survive the test. I know all of us have been at that point (including your pastor) when we felt like we passed that point days ago.

--Paul also says something that I find extremely powerful about God…He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. Again it is assuming we do not give up and that we keep praying.

--The most powerful thing that Paul shares with us is that God is faithful…say that with me…God is faithful! Again it assumes that as we trust God in the drought that God is faithful and will bring us out.

--As I was preparing this portion of the message God reminded me of His faithfulness to me and His promise to me. Eleven years ago your pastor was going thru a drought. It was tough and tempting to just bail out.

“I have ordained you to pastor Life Church Assembly of God and I have not changed My mind. If you will trust Me and remain faithful to Me, on the other side of this test (this drought) you will see growth and miracles like never before!”

--Of course, I thought God would immediately turn my drought and the church’s drought into a deluge of God’s mercy and blessings. It didn’t happen that way. I had to keep circling God’s promises. Look at us now!

2. We all have to wait for the cloud to appear.

1 Kings 18:41-44 (NKJV)
⁴¹  Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
⁴²  So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
⁴³  and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again."
⁴⁴  Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.' "

--God had promised Elijah that He would send rain, but like every promise Elijah had to continue praying diligently…he would find out that he would have to pray hard.

--Elijah climbs to the top of Mt. Carmel, falls on his face, and prays for rain. Don’t miss this…God had promised to send rain but Elijah had to do his part and pray.

--I really do not care what camp you are in…pray and keep praying hard or pray once and then start praising God for the answer. Praising is just another part of praying. Elijah knew rain was coming but he kept praying.

Luke 11:9-13 (NLT)
⁹  “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
¹⁰  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
¹¹  “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?
¹²  Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!
¹³  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” 

--The persistent widow kept coming to the judge repeatedly asking for justice…her persistence paid off. Six times Elijah told his servant to go and look for rain but there was no sign of rain.

--This is when most of us give up…nothing happening…I am done. Elijah said I am not moving from this place until the rain comes. I believe Elijah would have prayed a thousand times.

--Something happened between the sixth and seventh prayer…something changed in the atmosphere…Elijah told his servant to go and look one more time. 

--The surprised servant said I see something rising from the sea…I see a cloud about the size of a man’s hand. That’s not much but when God is involved that is more than enough.

1 Kings 18:41-46 (NKJV)
⁴⁴  Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.' "
⁴⁵  Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
⁴⁶  Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

3. We cannot give up right before the miracle takes place.

--What if? What if Elijah had given up after the sixth prayer? Elijah would have forfeited the miracle that God wanted to send. You see, Elijah was not the only one who needed rain.

--We all need to keep praying…we need to pray hard…not just for us but for all those who will be impacted by our prayer. As we have kept praying here at Life Church, the growth and miracles are coming.

Luke 18:1 (NIV)
¹  Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 

Hudson Taylor – There are three great stages to every great work of God; first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done!

--Never stop praying…I see a cloud the size of a man’s hand and I hear the abundance of rain!

Looking at Questions in God’s Word - 2

Looking at Questions in God’s Word - 2

Subject – Why Have We Fasted?

By Rick Welborne

Isaiah 58:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.
²  Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.
³  'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 

--We seem to go to this verse a lot during our 21 days of fasting but with our emphasis on Looking at Questions in God’s Word I believe we will get a new perspective.

--The first question in God’s Word we will be looking at today is Why Have We Fasted? We have a tendency to look at the what and God looks at the why. The people ask why but they are sarcastic with God.

1. The people’s questions.

--The heart of people back then is really no different than people today. The people were frustrated with God because, in their minds, they had fasted and prayed and God had not answered their prayers.

Another question we may look at in a future sermon is the question coming from Gideon. He is wondering where God has been in all their dilemma. 

Judges 6:12-13 (NKJV)
¹²  And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!"
¹³  Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."

--I personally believe it is okay to ask God questions if we are sincere. My God, my God why? I believe Gideon was sincere and I believe he was truly in search of answers from God. 

--I believe the same problem with the children of Israel is the same problem we have today. What’s that, Pastor Rick? God’s promises are conditional.

--No, Pastor Rick, salvation is not conditional, it is a free gift. I guess you would have me except for the Word of God. Salvation is free but we still have to do our part and receive.

John 1:11-13 (NKJV)
¹¹  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
¹²  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
¹³  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

--So that is the condition to God’s free gift of salvation…we have to believe and we have to receive. 

--Well, Pastor Rick, God will give me the desires of my heart…I know that is in the Bible and I have heard it all my life. You are right but there are conditions. What?

Psalm 37:3-7 (NKJV)
³  Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴  Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
⁵  Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶  He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
⁷  Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 

--You probably do not want to hear the conditions of getting the desire of your heart. Here are a few…You must trust, you must do good, you must dwell in His presence, and you must feed on His faithfulness.

--There is more…you must delight yourself in Him, you must commit your way to Him, you must rest and wait patiently on the Lord, and not fret or worry. 

--When you do all these things (meet these conditions) God will give you the desires of your heart, He will bring it to pass, and He will bring forth your righteousness (the condition) as the noonday light.

--Well, Pastor Rick, I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength. True but there is a spoiler alert here too. There are conditions to this promise.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NKJV)
¹¹  Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
¹²  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
¹³  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

--The condition is that you have learned to be content with having a lot or having little, to be hungry or to be full, or to abound or to suffer need. I can do all these things. 

--The children of Israel wanted the blessings of praying and fasting but the failed to meet God’s conditions.

2. God’s Questions.

Isaiah 58:4-5 (NLT2)
⁴  What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with Me.
⁵  You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD? 

--God says what good is your fasting when you keep fighting with each other. What are you saying, Pastor Rick? Not me, God. The Lord says it matters how you treat each other.

--Let’s just say it! God will not respond in a good way for you even if you fast and pray if you are not treating your brothers and sisters in a good way. It will not get you anywhere with God. Sobering!

--False humility and simply going through the motions with fasting or anything else will not get you anywhere with God. God is saying the other aspects of your life are important too. 

1 John 4:19-21 (NLT2)
¹⁹  We love each other because he loved us first.
²⁰  If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
²¹  And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters. 

--Here’s the point…Don’t expect God to answer your prayers or to respond to your fasting in a positive way if you are fighting with your brothers or sisters or if you have un-forgiveness in your heart. Listen to Jesus:

Matthew 6:9-18 (NLT2)
⁹  Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
¹⁰  May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
¹¹  Give us today the food we need,
¹²  and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
¹³  And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
¹⁴  “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
¹⁵  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
¹⁶  “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.
¹⁷  But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.
¹⁸  Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 

--Pastor Rick, fasting and praying is hard enough without all these conditions. Forgiving is hard so I am not sure I am ready to let this go. Then, stop fasting and get yourself a good steak and baked potato. 

3. God’s questions and sincere answers to true fasting.

Isaiah 58:6-7 (NKJV)
⁶  "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?
⁷  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 

--God wants our fasting and praying to be pro-active. What do you mean, Pastor Rick? Fasting is more than just doing without food, it is how you treat those who are bound, those who are hungry, and to care for your family.

--It is about denying your appetite for food so that your appetite for God gets stronger. Think about it…fasting is about loving people and it is about loving God more. The results are wonderful when we meet the conditions.

 Isaiah 58:8-12 (NKJV)
⁸  Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
⁹  Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
¹⁰  If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
¹¹  The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
¹²  Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.