Community Bible Institute and Seminary

Finding Clear Guidance
Psalm 25:12 “What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.”
How can you be sure you’re making the right decision? Sometimes it may feel as if God plays hide and seek when you’re trying to know His will, but that’s not the way He operates. The heavenly Father wants to give His children clear direction. The real question is, what do you need to do to hear His voice?
1. Clear the pathway - 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
We have two main obstacles that hinder our discernment: sin in our life and our strong desires about the situation. To receive the Lord’s guidance, we must repent of all known sin and make our desires secondary to His.
2. Exercise patience - 2 Chronicles 20:17 “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.”
Sometimes it takes a great deal of strength to stand still when everything within you is shouting, “Hurry! Time is running out!” But if you rush ahead of God, you may miss His will.
3. Persist in prayer - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
The Bible clearly instructs us to keep coming to the Lord with our concerns. As we continue to pray, He will gradually w**d out anything confusing until we come to His conclusion about the matter.
4. Search the Scriptures - John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
The Word of God has an answer for every need, and the Holy Spirit knows just how to point us in the right direction. I remember times while I was reading the Bible that a verse jumped off the page and supplied the exact answer I needed to make an important decision.
So often when we’re faced with a critical choice, all we want from the Lord is a quick answer. But He delights to meet with us to deepen our relationship with Him. Don’t let the urgency of your need keep you from enjoying the intimacy of God’s presence as you seek His will.

Are you a person of Biblical Faith?

Can you be a person of real Biblical Faith? Absolutely!! We think of FAITH, like many other spiritual attributes, as belonging to someone else; but, just not attainable by us. Nothing could be further from the truth. You ARE a person of faith! Today – right now – Let's consider this together...... what is faith??

Hebrews 11:1"NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"

First, just a minute of necessary Bible study ---- Hebrews 11 is the great faith chapter of the Bible. The word "faith" is used in this chapter 25 times. The chapter tells us what faith is – – then it "calls the role" of Bible characters who walked by faith.
Note this carefully – – The chapter ends by telling us that without Christians in future generations "walking by faith", this record would not be perfect or complete. This means that we, YOU, can walk by faith today – the same FAITH by which our forefathers walked!!!

Now, let's "talk" about this FAITH that you have as a believer:
• We cannot be saved without faith.
• We cannot live victoriously without faith.
• By faith, we received Jesus as our savior.
• By faith, we find comfort in time of sorrow.
• By faith, we overcome temptation.
• By faith, we climb our own "Jacobs ladder" of prayer, to the throne room, and lay our petitions at Jesus feet.
• By faith we can have victory in life, and when our time comes to leave this world, we can have a victorious crossing into Heaven, the promised land.

The hymn writer, Fredrick Faber, was right when he wrote that great song, "Faith of our Fathers." That faith is truly "LIVING STILL" -- today!! May this be a week when we truly enjoy "walking by faith"..... Everyday!!!!!

Are Your Prayers Being Answered?

John 14:12-14 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."

Jesus taught many things about prayer and its central role in a believer’s life. He also promised that our petitions will be answered when we meet certain requirements.

One condition is mentioned in John 14:14 “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” After receiving Christ as our personal Savior, we have the right to present requests in Jesus’ name, which means praying something that the Lord Himself might pray. To exercise this privilege, we must come to the Father, depending not on our own good works or character but on the merits of Christ alone. Jesus’ atoning death on the cross is the only basis for approaching God and being assured of receiving an answer to our petitions.
A second requirement is separation from all known sin. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” This refers to ungodly behaviors and thought patterns that we know are wrong but refuse to give up. Remember, God looks at our heart attitude. If we struggle against our sinful ways, grieve over them, and ask for forgiveness, He will hear our cries and respond. But when He sees a hard heart, He is not obligated to listen.

Next time you pray, start with words of praise to God for His sacrificial love and gratitude to Jesus for dying in your place .1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Express that you understand why your prayers are heard—because you have a relationship with the Father through Christ, and not because of anything you have done. Confess all known sin and ask for forgiveness. Then present your requests to God with anticipation and trust His answers.

Wise Reactions to Criticism
Philippians 2:1-11

How should we face the upsetting comments of other people? What is the right response to criticism?

First, when criticism arises, maintain a quiet spirit. Do not become defensive or loud, and restrain any outburst, though that may feel right at the moment. Some people will use the excuse, “I just have a short fuse. That’s how God made me.” This is a poor argument; we can’t blame the Lord when we fail to control our own bad temper. Such responses are unhelpful, unhealthy, and unacceptable.

Second, we should not attempt to defend ourselves immediately. Pride, not genuine honesty and reflection, usually motivates this response. Whenever possible, it’s wise to allow time for the initial shock and irritation to pass before offering any defenses or theories.

Third—and this is a tough one—we must ask the Holy Spirit to show us if the problem is our fault. Are the accusations true? Is it possible that a loving friend was led by God to reveal something unpleasant about us? We do not like to think that we are ever wrong; however, we know that as sinful men and women, we cannot be right all of the time. For this reason, there is always a chance that a conflict in our lives may actually be our fault. When people care enough to confront us in this way, we should be gracious about receiving and considering their perspective.

The Lord often speaks to us through other people. If He is trying to communicate something to you through a brother or sister in Christ, challenge yourself to be open to His message—even if it hurts.

I have been preaching on steps to Rivval for the last four weeks. At least two more to go. Our alters have been full each week. I was reminded that if revival will ever come, it will have to start in the pupit and work its way out. I have been asking the Lord to search me. I have been trying to pray for pastors, Evangelist, and missionaries every Sunday morning. Will you join me?

The Battle of the Mind
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Do you understand how Satan works to bring down believers? Although we may think of his attacks as external, the real battleground is in the realm of ideas. If he can get a church to believe erroneous doctrines, unbiblical philosophies, and false assumptions about God, he can lead it away from the truth and into error.

And the Enemy uses this same tactic on individual Christians as well. The battlefield is our mind, not our circumstances. As the father of Lies, he knows that deception is an effective tactic. His goal is to influence our thoughts because how we think determines our attitudes, emotions, desires, and actions. Therefore, he seeks to twist our thoughts in order to gain a foothold and wreak havoc in all areas.

Any thought that is contrary to God’s Word needs to be taken “captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; “And Jesus showed us how: In Matthew 4: 1-11 we see that every time Satan threw a temptation at Christ, He answered it with an appropriate Scripture. Warning, we cannot simply wave our Bible in the air, hoping to scare the devil away. To effectively defeat his lies, we need a good working knowledge of God’s Word so that we can fight deception with truth, whatever the situation might be.

For instance, if you struggle with fear and anxiety, cling to verses that affirm God’s trustworthiness and care. If envy is the problem, the answer is Christ’s sufficiency for your life. As you fill your mind with God’s Word, Satan’s lies will become easier to identify, and your attitudes, emotions, desires, and behaviors will align with truth.

“ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Are You Walking in the Light?

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

If you’ve ever lost power at night, you know how disorienting it can be to try and find your way to a flashlight or candle. You think you’re heading for a doorway but unexpectedly bump into a wall. This is what our life was like before we met the Light of the World. In fact, we didn’t even know what real light was and had become comfortable in the darkness because it kept us from seeing how sinful we truly were.

An amazing transaction occurred when we finally believed the gospel, repented of our sins, and confessed Jesus as our Savior. We were rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Light. And now Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, has come to dwell within us, Ephesians 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,).”

So how are Christ’s followers supposed to live? Ephesians 5 outlines three basic responsibilities:

1. Walk in love – verse 2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” If we are at odds with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we can’t claim to be walking in Light.

2. Abstain from sin – verse 8 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”. Believers aren’t sinless, but they don’t habitually practice deeds of darkness.

3. Learn what pleases God – Verse 9 “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)” These should be displayed in our character, conversation, and conduct when we are living out our faith.

Let’s make it our aim to move ever closer to the Light, letting Jesus expose and remove any areas of darkness so we can reflect His glory and goodness.

Ephesians 2: 4-10
On the basis of God’s character, what assurances can we depend upon every single day?
1. God will extend His loving kindness to us.Sending His Son to die in our place proves the Father’s love for us, and His unchanging nature confirms that He will love us forever 1 John 4:10 reminds us: Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to bethe propitiation for our sins.
2. The Lord will help us do what He requires of us.He provides not only the spiritual wisdom to carry out our tasks but also the inner strength to complete them. We will receive from Him everything that we need. Hebrews 13:21 reminds us“ Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom beglory for ever and ever. Amen.”
3. God will limit the temptations and pressures He allows in our life. Like a master craftsman, He knows what force can be applied to shape us into Jesus’ image without breaking us. 2 Corinthians 4:8 says: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we areperplexed, but not in despair;”
4. God will strengthen and protect us so we do not have to compromise or yield. Though we are weak, He understands how strong we can be when His divine power is working in us. And the Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual strength to say no to temptation . 2 Corinthians 4:8 tells us: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we areperplexed, but not in despair;
5. Our Father will forgive our sins. He stands ready to receive our confession, forgive us, and bring us back into fellowship with Him—every time Thank God for 1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
In addition to these blessings for our days on earth, we also have assurances about the future. We can trust that life does not end when our earthly body dies 2 Corinthians 5:8 says: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Life certainly has trials. But when challenges press in, think about all the reasons we can depend upon God.

Growing In Faith – Part 1
Matthew 8:28: 23-26 “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”
We all know that the Christian walk begins with faith in Jesus for the salvation of our soul. But faith is not a onetime act—it’s a lifelong path. And Hebrews 11:6 tells us why that journey is so important: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
The faith of some is immature and often restless because there isn’t a deep understanding of the heavenly Father. Therefore, when trials come, the tendency is to look at the problem rather than at God. But as we spend more time studying His Word and growing in our knowledge of Him, our confidence in the Lord begins to increase. The more we learn what pleases Him, the wiser our prayers become.
Another way faith matures is through trials. In today’s passage, Jesus’ disciples became frightened in a storm and cried out to Him for help. Most can relate to this —at one time or another, we all have found ourselves in a desperate situation with no way to extricate ourselves. And the words Jesus spoke to His disciples could probably be said to us as well: “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”
We’d all like a problem-free life, but that’s not possible. The silver lining is that trouble can strengthen our faith in the Lord. It’s one thing to read about God’s faithfulness in His Word, but we also need to experience it in our personal life. Each time we’re able to trust the Lord during a trial, we know our faith is genuine.

God, I Need Your Grace Today and Everyday
Acts 15:7-11

As believers, we readily attribute our salvation to God’s grace, but what does “this grace in which we stand” mean to us now? Romans 5:2 “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” How does it work out in everyday life, especially when we’re going through periods of trial or suffering?

1. The Lord’s grace releases His supernatural power within us, so we can endure life’s hardships with a godly attitude. In fact, we’ll even be able to rejoice over what He is doing in us through the adversity - James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”

2. Grace builds our confidence in the sovereign Lord. Nothing looks hopeless when we focus on Him instead of on our problems - Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

3. We discover the assurance of God’s sustaining presence as He walks with us every step of the way - John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

4. Because we’ve experienced His care for us, we can show empathy and love to others facing hard times - Luke 10:37 “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

5. During fiery trials, grace works to transform our character so that others can see Jesus reflected in us -Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Difficulties in life are unavoidable. So, we need a daily dose of God’s grace to walk through trials with confidence that there is great reward on the other side. If we rely on our own strength, however, obstacles will appear insurmountable, leaving us discouraged and ready to give up.

Too often believers rely on Christ for their salvation but then try to go solo. If God’s grace was needed to save us, then logic says we also need it for the rest of our days. Only through a continuous infusion of His sustaining power can we live a victorious Christian life - 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”