When Douwene and I disembarked from our visit to South Africa we were still in our winter clothes. Quickly the 93 degrees Fahrenheit reminded us that we were now back in summer. My mind went back to Genesis 3:8 (ESV) — 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden IN THE COOL OF THE DAY, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

For the last 3 weeks, we have been walking with our God in the cool of the day. How very blessed we were! It was amazing how quickly God’s creation was able to pull Douwene and I back into the awesomeness of His Majesty. Once again, we became the people God has forever desired – a people that would look at Him as a toddler looks at its parents.

Friend, are you able to walk with our Lord and Savior? Do you see His majesty in His creation? Do you begin your day walking with the Lord in the light of His Word? Simply seek and you will find. Listen and you will hear. Jesus is ready to walk with you in the cool of the day.

 

The state motto of KY is United we stand, divided we fall.  Our fore fathers knew long ago that unity is very important for any organization to prosper.

In Genesis chapter11 the people all spoke the same language and were all united in their actions.  They wanted to build a tower that would reach into heaven so they could make a name for themselves.  In verse 6 God said “Because they all speak the same language, there is nothing that is impossible for them to accomplish.”  God went down and confused their language and scattered them all over the earth.  All that we do should be for God’s glory and not for that of man

In John 17 Jesus prayed to his father for unity for his disciples.  Jesus also prayed that the Father and Son would glorify each other, and that all believers would be united in their faith and their love for one another.

In John 13 Jesus showed his love for his disciples by washing their feet.  Jesus did this to show their unity, that no one was better than the next person.

I believe that, as God said, because the people were united, Nothing they put their minds to do was impossible.  My dream for Summit is that we would be united in our love for each other and our service; that we love to do God’s will.  If we unite our talents and skills, as we have proven, we can accomplish great things.  You may think you have nothing to offer, but when your abilities, large or small, are united with others the Lord can use them. Don’t wait to be asked to help; take a step of faith and volunteer.  If you see a need ask someone to unite with you and God will help you find a way to fill that need.  It takes everyone working together to help Summit reach out to the community.

We should strive to have the unity of the early church.  In Acts 2 all the believers were united in one accord, willing to give of themselves and their possessions to help those in need, to help spread the gospel.

Brothers and sisters of Summit, united we stand, but divided????

Will you choose to stand with us?

 

When it comes to sin, the New Testament’s teaching is clear. Romans 1:26–32 (ESV) — ²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; ²⁷ and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. ²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Look at that list of sins? I am sure we can all find ourselves, as currently or in our past, struggling with one of these sins. So, what do we do? We confess and repent and allow God to break the chains that seek to ensnare us.

Leviticus 26:11–13 (ESV) —¹¹ I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. ¹² And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. ¹³ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Are you bent over ensnared to your cell phone? Similarly, you may be bowed down ensnared to sin. God has freed us. HE lives with us and HE LOVES US!

Instead of hatefully and arrogantly judging each other, let us rather together strive to break the chains that enslave us to our past life and then gently help our fellow sinners.

However, let us NEVER declare something to not be a sin that God has called sin. Nor let it be said of us that we “give approval to those who practice them”.

 

James 1:25 – But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

It’s hard to believe that 2019 is already halfway gone.  Or, maybe we still have half to go, depending on how you want to look at it.  If you think back to the beginning of the year, were there things that you wanted to do, places you wanted to go, goals you wanted to accomplish? The good news is you still have plenty of time.

Identify one thing that you want to accomplish by the end of the summer, or the end of the year.  Today is the best day.  Now is the best time.  You don’t need more time; you just need to decide.  Your future self will thank you for something you did today.  Even if you are not sure where it will lead, today is the day to begin.  At the end of the year, it will be great to look back and think, “Wow, I’m really happy I did _______ this year.”

What can you do right now to become a better disciple?  Can you read more of God’s word each day?  Can you spend a little more time in prayer? Spend more time with God’s people? Michael Whitworth challenged us all last week to commit ourselves to being in a Bible class for the next four weeks.   Then, at the end of that month, ask, “Am I better off than I was?”

What can you do today that your future self with thank you for?

 

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. – James 1:22

This weekend the Summit family turns our attention to the teaching and learning of the Word of God in the Teaching Rocket program.  This is a great thing for us to focus on because the Word of God is the foundation of our hope and everything we believe.  Knowing how to better learn it and teach it is vital to our spiritual health.

As we consider how to better learn the Word, let’s remember to allow it to change us.  The Word is the chisel in the hands of the master sculptor that shapes our minds, hearts, and actions into the image of Christ.  A chisel is of no use at all until it is applied to the block of stone.  God can take the hardest, most misshapen blocks of stone and create beautiful lives, only if we permit his Word to act on us.

Don’t deceive yourself by learning the content of the Word while missing the power of the Word.  The Word is living and powerful, much more than an instruction manual for a happy life.  In the loving hands of God, it will chip away the worldliness inside of you, revealing the beauty of Christ living in you.

 

On the Bible App this week, Genesis 15:6 was the Verse of the Day on Monday.

Genesis 15:6 (NIV) “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited to him as righteousness.”

Although Abram had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, it was his belief in the Lord that made Abram right with God.

We too can have a right relationship with God by trusting Him. Our church attendance and outward actions of prayer and good deeds will not by themselves make us right with God.

A right relationship with the Lord is based on faith.  Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ by having an inner confidence that He is who He says He is and does what He says He will do.

Jesus offers us salvation as a gift because He loves us, not because we have earned it or even deserved it.  He is strong enough to save us no matter how weak our faith is.

 

We live in a day where the Bible is once again being called “hate speech”. And, if you declare loud enough, the whole counsel of God, it could get you thrown into prison. This is exactly what happened to the family and forerunner of Jesus – John the Baptist.

Luke 3:18–20 (ESV) — ¹⁸ So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

John’s message was simple: Hey, King, you cannot be married to Herodias. Your brother is still alive; therefore, she is still his wife (cf. Romans 7:1-3).

Today, people want to believe that you can swap out your partner for a newer model. So, at the first hint of “irreconcilable differences”, instead of seeking counsel some couples will renege on the vows they made before God and man.

• Is your spouse sick, why not get a healthier one?
• Is your spouse poor, why not get a wealthier one?

Yet, Jesus says there is only one reason for divorce: Matthew 5:32 (ESV) — ³² But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Friends, where would you and I be if God forsook us every time we were unfaithful to Him? Hold to God’s unchanging word and hold high His whole counsel.

 

In a Bible Study this week someone told me something that shocked me: “I don’t like that scripture”. In speaking to the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul never shirked from giving them the whole counsel of God. I am sure they too did not like all they heard. Acts 20:27 (ESV) — 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Even though these truths were presented with tears and through trials, Paul still spoke up.

Acts 20:19–21 (ESV) — 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The result of preaching the whole counsel of God was profound:

Acts 19:4–5 (ESV) — 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus… 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Friend, are you proud of God’s Word? Or are you ashamed – preferring instead the popular and politically correct message?