The Lord's Anointing, Sunday Jan. 25th, 2009

This weeks sermon came from 1st Samuel ch. 16. In this passage Samuel travels to Bethlehem to anoint David king over Israel. All of Jesse's sons were brought before Samuel but none of them were Gods chosen. Finally, David the shepherd boy, was brought before Samuel. The Lord said, 'Arise and anoint this one as king.' Ray Boltz sings a song titled, 'When others see a shepherd boy God may see a king.' From that time on the spirit of the Lord was upon David with power.

The Lord's anointing is so important. I can remember when I preached my first sermon. I took the anointing of the Lord for granted. I assumed that the Lord would be with me. But, when I got up to speak I was powerless and actually forgot every word I had planned to speak. It's because I was not living a life of purity and seeking the Lord's anointing. When I was 18 years old I was living a lie. I took Gods anointing for granted. I felt like Samson in the arms of Delilah. When Samson had broken his life long Nazarite Vow, or life long fast, is what I call it. He was no longer anointed by the Lord. He went out to slew the Philistines like he had done countless times before; but he did not know that the spirit of the Lord had departed from him. This has always been my biggest fear. I have always feared that I would get up in front of a crowd and it just be me standing before a multitude of people without the Lords anointing. This is why I pray for Gods anointing every day. I ask God to anoint my ministry and my preaching. Not only that, but as Christians, we must seek to live lives of purity. We need to pray for the Lords anointing in our own life and in the life of our church. Without it we cannot be effective at spreading the gospel.

The good thing is that you don't have to be a king, preacher, or a Samson in order to receive Gods anointing. Because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ we all have access to the Lord's anointing. All we have to do is ask for it and seek the Lord with all of our hearts. If we do this as individuals when we come together as the Body of Christ we will be able to accomplish amazing things for the kingdom.

Sunday, Jan. 18th, 2009 -- "What makes a Cup a Cup?"

Have you ever wondered what makes a cup a cup? We have so many different kinds. Different shapes, different sizes, tall, short, fat, skinny. We have bra cups, athletic cups. and even sipi-cups for kids. But, what characteristics does a cup have that qualifies it for being a cup? I know this is deep. But, the answer is obvious; it's just a cup! We know when we see a cup. We know when we see a glass and we know when we see a bowl and even though they can do the same thing as a cup we still don't call them cups. This illustration's just for fun to help us understand another obvious truth.

What makes a servant a servant? The answer is simple. We know when we see a servant. A servant of God sticks out in a crowd. They are separated from the majority. Christ said these people were his friends. In John 15:15 Christ says, "I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead I call you friends." In John 12:26 Jesus says 'where I am my servants will be with me.'

I believe our church is full of servants who would qualify to be friends with God. This is why I believe our church has such an amazing future in Christ. If we continue to put Christ first and serve him faithfully our church will grow and further the kingdom of God. This is a basic truth, not only for churches, but for our own lives. If we are faithful to serve Christ our lives will be blessed. Jesus said, "What you do for the least of these you do unto me."

Make a commitment to serve Christ daily. Pick up your cross every day and follow him. Where Christ is served and lifted up Christ is exalted. I pray he will be exalted at Shiloh Community Church.

Sunday, Jan. 11th, 2009 "Everyone Lies"

Dr. House is a rude doctor with charisma with very little confidence in the honesty of humans. He says, "Everyone lies." Even though he is a fictional character his statement has got me thinking about whether or not this could be true. Does everyone lie? What about the common white lie? Forrest Gump says, "Momma always says a little white lie won't hurt nobody." Are they common practice in today's culture? James 1: 22 says that if we only listen to the word and do not obey it that we are lying to ourselves. We deceive our own spiritual nature when we allow our bodies to run rampant and disobey Gods word. Eventually, as this continues it becomes easier and easier to step across the line and break our boundaries. As time goes by, our defenses become weak and before we know it, we wake up one day and realize were pretty shallow Christians. Who we thought we were on the outside does not match who we really are on the inside. Have you ever found yourself in this condition? Paul did in Romans chapter 7. His soul wanted to do one thing; but his body continued to do another. He was miserable. But, later on in the book of Romans he confessed that it was only by the grace of God that he could overcome this spiritual problem. However, he also doesn't totally rely on his faith. Strong faith and an honest spirit requires discipline and study and a devotion to the fundamentals of being a Christian.

No professional athlete made it to where they are without strong determination and a dedication to the fundamentals of the sport. They would not have made it by faith and hope alone. If you ever find yourself in a spiritual slump make a commitment to go back to the fundamentals of being a Christian. Things like Bible study, prayer, fasting, meditation, church attendance. All of these things will reveal to you your true identity. After spending time in Gods word you will begin to see your reflection. Our goal in life is that our reflection begins to resemble Christ.