A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Judy Mandl reflects on Proverbs 30:5 and Psalm 12:6 and reminds us that God’s Word has been tested and proven to be true. We can trust what he says and know that He is faithful.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Are You A Murderer?Thursday, August 24, 2020
Hey church family… One of the shortest and simplest of the Ten Commandments is the sixth one: Found in Exodus 20:13 it simply says “You shall not murder.” If you’re like a lot of people, when you hear that commandment, you think, Okay, the other commandments are relevant to my life, but I don’t have to pay much attention to this one, because it has absolutely nothing to do with me. It’s easy to think that until you consider Jesus words in His Sermon on the Mount.
In Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus said, “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” With those words, our Lord broadened and widened the definition and consequences of murder. It’s as though He was saying, “You think murder is simply an action that begins in the hands; I’m telling you it’s an attitude that starts in the heart.”
The Greek word for anger in verse 22 refers to a brooding, seething, nurtured anger. It’s holding a grudge against someone. Most of us haven’t gone out and killed someone, but by this expanded definition, there’s a good chance that we’ve all committed murder. Verses 23-24 reveal the remedy for this attitude: Jesus said, “So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift.”
Read through your Bible and you’ll discover fairly quickly that worship is something that is important to God. But in this case, Jesus says if you’re coming to worship and you realize that there’s an issue of forgiveness that needs to be worked out between you and someone else. Jesus says, TIME OUT… Go and deal with that issue that needs to be resolved first and then come back and worship God afterwards. It’s okay, God will wait for you to make things right. That’s how important forgiveness and reconciliation are to God.
We’ve all committed murder in some form or fashion. Any time we tear down or destroy another person, it’s serious, and we must deal with it. If you have hate in your heart, it will eventually destroy you as it eats away at your spiritual life and hurts others in the body of Christ. No one gets away with murder.
When it comes to this issue let’s ask the Lord for clean hands and a pure heart. Receive the forgiveness that He so freely gives to you and me, and then share that with others. May we all commit to do what God calls us to do in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.”
Judy Mandl reflects on Psalm 46:10 and reminds us that the command to “Be still and know that I am God” is not a call to inaction.
A message from the series “Stay Positive.” Sermon Manuscript: Stay Positive Message 2, The Cure For ComplainingSermon preached by Dr. Rick Mandl, Eagle Rock Baptist Church , August 22 & 23, 2020
Hey church family – great to welcome you as we continue our new series called “STAY POSITIVE.” Today talking about… The cure for complaining. Do you ever get sick and tired of negativity? I know that a lot of you do, because I hear you complain about it. And even if you’re not a complainer, odds are you know somebody who is. In fact some of us have to limit the time that we spend with certain people in our lives – even people we love – because so often we walk away from the time we spend with them, with negativity. It seems like it’s human nature to complain. Sometimes it seems easier to complain than to look for the positives. And that’s sad because Gratitude is good for you. Complaining…not so much.
I came across an article that talked about the psychological benefits of gratitude in our lives. According to this article, there are at least five different ways that gratitude can positively impact your life.
Gratitude eliminates toxic emotions.
Gratitude reduces pain,
Gratitude improves sleep quality,
Gratitude aids stress regulation
Gratitude reduces anxiety and depression
This may be part of the reason why God tells us in our Memory verse for this week from Philippians 2:14 “Do everything without complaining and arguing…” Some of you look at that and you wonder…What’s wrong with complaining? Some of you may feel like it’s your spiritual gift. But the fact is that complaining is a symptom of something deeper. It’s a symptom that you’re focusing on, and preoccupied with, the negative, and the bad things in this life. Not on the things, that God wants you to be focused on. Not on the blessings, in this life. And when you continue to complain on a regular basis, then it becomes a negative trait in your life and when that starts to happen, then people begin to refer to you as a “complainer.” And that’s why Paul said – “Do everything without complaining and arguing.”
We need to remove complaining from our life because it’s destructive. It’s a rare thing to find a person who voices one complaint and then they are done. What happens more often is that — one complaint becomes two. Two becomes three. Three becomes four. And before you know it you are “a complainer” and you are inviting others to complain around you. Why Is Complaining So Dangerous?
Two reasons there on your notes… If OFFENDS the HEART of God. If there’s one group in the Bible that is known for complaining more than any other, it would be the children of Israel in the O.T. You know the story… They were slaves, in bondage to the Egyptians and they had one prayer, ‘God, get us out.’ And God answered their prayer. God raised up a leader, Moses, God went and did 10 miraculous plagues. God changed the heart of Pharaoh, And Pharaoh let them go. The children of Israel walked out of Egypt, but then Pharaoh changed his mind and he sent the army after them and they were surrounded… On one side by sea, on the other side by these mountains, and here came these armies. So what did God do? God parts the Red Sea! The children of Israel walk through on dry ground, the Egyptian army follows, God closes the sea, washes them all away. Now at long last the Israelites are free. Once they are in the wilderness… God feeds them miraculously, God pulls water from a rock, Their clothes never wear out, And what do they do in response to this provision from God? They complain because they don’t like the food and they say, ‘We wish we would have died back in Egypt!’ And that offends the heart of God.
Think about it this way… Those of you who have children, Have you ever done a lot for ONE of your children only to have them whine about it? You know, you bless them in so many ways and they just come back at you, “Oh, I’m so bored, I’ve got nothing to do,” “My life stinks!” And you just want to say very tenderly, with all the love of the Lord, “You ungrateful little brat!” You know, I imagine that’s how God feels sometimes when we complain. In Numbers chapter 11 we read these words from the children of Israel. From the people that God had delivered out of slavery and bondage in Egypt From people that He was leading into freedom. We read that…“Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. What happened next? Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them.”
Their complaining made God so angry, it so offended Him that He shot fire and burned the outskirts of the camp. Why???? Because when we complain, we’re rebelling against God. We’re saying…“I know God is all powerful, and that He’s in control of all things, but He’s not doing a very good job of running things.” “If I was in control I’d do a better job.” When we complain, we’re questioning God’s….
Wisdom
Care
Goodness & His
Provision
One time, Moses was talking to God about the people who were complaining, Moses said “I can’t handle this God, all these people keep complaining about me.” And God set Moses straight and told him “Moses, you’re wrong! The people may be complaining TO you but they’re complaining ABOUT me.’ God takes our complaints personally, it offends the heart of God.
A second reason why complaining is so dangerous is because… It CAN ROB us of BLESSINGS. Look at what happened to the Children of Israel. In Numbers 14 God spoke to Moses and he said to him, “How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me. Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live…You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you.” Numbers 14:27-28, 30 God said to Moses, tell these people that the very thing that they wanted… To enter into a land of their own…To enter into a land that I was preparing for them…Tell them that they won’t live to see it. God spoke to Moses and he said, “Aside from Joshua and Caleb, none of the people among you will set foot in the promised land.” He said “You’ve complained so much, I’m not going to bless you with what I wanted to bless you with, and I’m not going to give you what you wanted most of all.” Now, I can’t prove that God is ever going to do that in your life. But, because He did it here, I believe that there is a fair chance, that there is something that God really wants to bless you with. Or there’s something that you really want and God would love to give it to you. And yet your complaining is keeping it from coming your way.
Complaining Offends the Heart of God. It Can Rob us of Blessings. What’s the cure for a complaining heart? The cure is to Develop An Attitude Of Gratitude. How do I develop that? Let me give you three statements, which, I believe if you add to your thinking will help you to develop an attitude of gratitude.
I’ll remember that every GOOD GIFT I have comes FROM GOD
James when he writes in scripture says this…“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 I would challenge you to recognize this and to thank God for it.. The goodness of God and the gifts he gives is something we see all throughout the pages of scripture. God in his dealings with Noah, gave him the plans for an ark and he gave him the ability to build it. You look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, and not only did God give her an historic assignment that would set her apart from all other women, but along with that he gave her the faith to say yes to that. You think of the wisemen in that Christmas story, and you realize that as they came seeking Jesus God gave them a star to lead them. And to you and me God gives us his only son, as a sacrifice on the cross to pay the price for our sins and then as Jesus completed his mission and returned to heaven, he said, I’m going to leave with you my spirit – the Holy Spirit who will be with you and guide you and comfort you and counsel you.
Why is it so important to realize that every good gift we have comes from God? The reason is because when we recognize that everything we have is a gift from God, it will move us from an attitude of entitlement to an attitude of gratitude. I’ll remember that every good gift I have comes from God. That’s the first statement
Here’s the second …
I will not let WHAT I WANT blind me to WHAT I HAVE
There is nothing wrong with trying to better the situation you are in. If there are things that you want, and I’m talking about good things. Things that God would be pleased for you to have…And it’s within your ability to work to try and get those, that’s great. But, if your pursuit of those things is blinding you to the good things that God has given you, then that’s a problem. The writer or Ecclesiastes said it this way…He said…“Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.” Ecclesiastes 6:9 It’s better to enjoy the things that God has given you than to spend your time thinking about the things out there that you hope will somehow may you happy.
If you focus on what you have, you can give thanks. If you focus on what’s out there that you don’t have you can lose sight of what’s right in front of you. So, let me encourage you…Those of you watching on line…I want to encourage you to put this into practice. Maybe for the next five seconds…Think about something that you’re grateful for and Take a moment, and write it in the chat box, Go ahead and just write something right now that you’re grateful for…Or if you don’t have access to the chat box…Or maybe just say out loud something you’re grateful for. Something you have…Something that God has given you… Something for which you’re grateful…If you’re having a hard time thinking of something for which you’re grateful, then let me challenge you to take advantage of one of those next steps on the back of your notes, and spend some time this week, just taking an inventory of the things for which you’re thankful. This is something we typically do around the 4th Thursday of November each year, but I want to challenge you not to wait. Start working on your Thanksgiving Inventory, and maybe just maybe if you give it a little thought, you’ll come up with your own list of things for which you can give thanks right now. Hopefully if you take your own inventory, you’ll come up with a list of things for which you’re thankful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sojF4NGC898
And hopefully it will include more than chicken nuggets. The Apostle Paul had experienced some highs and lows in his life. Listen to what he wrote… “…For I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. ” Philippians 4:11-13. I want you to notice something there. Even the Apostle Paul said…“For I have learned how to be content.” He knew it didn’t come automatic. Times weren’t always good for him. He went through some really hard times. He ultimately lost his life for following Jesus. Contentment for the Apostle Paul, just like for you and me was a lesson that he had to learn. But Paul knew that that lesson is easier to learn when…You remember that every good gift you have comes from God. When you don’t let what you WANT blind you to what you HAVE
And third … When you …
Turn every BLESSING you have into PRAISE
That’s the third statement that will help you develop an attitude of gratitude. “I’ll turn every blessing I have into praise.” Every blessing, every good thing that God gives me I will turn into worship of Him. Why is this so important? It’s so important because…Of what the alternative is…If I don’t turn every blessing that God gives me into praise, do you know what I do? If I don’t turn them into praise, then what I do is, I turn them into pride. And I start to feel like…It’s all about me. I did this… I earned this…And I deserve this…And suddenly it’s about my hard work, and my cleverness, and it’s not about God. The Apostle asked the question…“What do you have that God hasn’t given you? I’d challenge you to think about that for a moment. “What do you have that God hasn’t given you? The answer you ought to come up with is nothing. Nothing! And then he writes further and says…And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” 1 Corinthians 4:7 It is a gift And when you receive a gift, the correct response is to say “Thank You.” To praise him for the blessing of that gift.
Three statements to help you develop the attitude of gratitude…Here they are again …
I’ll remember that every good gift I have comes from God
I will not let WHAT I WANT blind me to WHAT I HAVE
I’ll turn every BLESSING I have into PRAISE
Nobody wants to be a complainer. Grateful people are happier They’re healthier They’re the kind of people that others want to be around. If you struggle with complaining…Let me a challenge to you this week. It’s there on the back of your notes…It’s on your connection card…And what it is, is our ONE WEEK NO-COMPLAINTS CHALLENGE. Here’s the challenge. It’s to commit that this week you are going to focus in on who God is and what He’s done for you, instead of complaining. It takes a lot of energy to complain, and for one week you are going to accept this challenge and see what God might really do in and through your life… Because you are going to lay the complaining aside and do your best to begin to develop an attitude of gratitude. I think you can expect to see some powerful things happen in your life if you accept this challenge. So I’m asking you to say that for this next week “I am going to accept this no complaints challenge.” I am going to lay those complaints aside and I am going to focus in on who God is and what He’s done. If you feel like this is asking more than you can commit to, then feel the freedom to adjust the challenge… Feel the freedom to modify it. Maybe for you it would be a big enough challenge to say “For ONE DAY I will remove all complaining from my life” Still too much? How about ONE HOUR? You decide. But we grow through the next steps that we take. When you decide to do something different than you always have.
Do you want to develop an attitude of gratitude? Ask God to help you to remember that every good gift comes from Him. Ask Him to help you to, not let what you WANT, blind you to what you HAVE. Ask Him to help you to turn every blessing you receive into a response of praise. Let’s do that together as we turn to him in prayer…
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Spiritual Amnesia Friday, August 21, 2020
Hey church family. Are you a complainer? Are you a person, who will at times grumble and fuss? Do you have a bad attitude?
We might not want to admit it, but questions like these can hit pretty close to home for many of us. They are a lot of complainers found in that pages of scripture. Cain, complained that his punishment for killing his brother was too severe. Miriam and Aaron, the sister and brother of Moses, complained because they thought God was showing favoritism. After the Children of Israel, were freed from their slavery and miraculously delivered out of Egypt they spent the next forty years, complaining about everything under the sun.
You look at their story and you wonder how they could complain. The God of the universe had just brought the most powerful man on the face of the earth, to his knees. God didn’t just humble Pharaoh; he broke his spirit and revealed Pharaoh’s impotence. A slave people, and their God, left Pharaoh and his nation in shambles. This display of power, sent vibrations throughout the entire world, inspiring fear and awe. And yet Israel’s response to this spectacular deliverance from Egypt, was not mainly praise, worship, and wholehearted trust. Instead, Israel responds with grumbling — complaining, murmuring and quarreling. What was their problem?
Their problem was Spiritual Amnesia – their problem was forgetting God’s deliverance and provision — And it is a deadly disease. The people of Israel, on the heels of unthinkable miracles, with their pockets full of Egyptian jewelry, begin to grumble because life in the desert wasn’t as easy as they thought it should be. What we need to realize is that grumbling, whining, and thanklessness, are not ultimately out heart’s responses to circumstances, but rather our heart’s response to God. Israel grumbled at their enslavement, grumbled when Moses came on the scene, and still grumbled as they wandered safely in the wilderness. Their complaining wasn’t rooted in their scenery, but in their heart.
A lot of us have a really hard time letting God be God. We expect God to do our will, and whenever He doesn’t do it our way, or in our timing – we complain. Whether it’s grumbling under my breath or an outright confrontation, where I shake my fist at him. I have complained against God and so have many of you. However, God’s Word teaches us that this is sin.
Consider what Paul writes in Romans 9. “‘Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”‘ (Rom 9:20 NLT) There may be nothing that demonstrates our faith in God more clearly, than resisting the temptation to complain. If I really believe that God is God, and that He knows everything and can do anything, than I need to be praying more than I need to be complaining. If complaining is something that you sometimes struggle with, I encourage you to join us this weekend as we continue our new series called “Stay Positive” and look together at “The Cure For Complaining.” I’m hoping that this will help us to take Paul’s words to heart and… ‘Do everything without complaining and arguing.’
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on Ephesian 5:1-2 & 15-16 Judy Mandl challenges us to be intentional about how we make use of the time that God has entrusted to us.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” You Got This?
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Have you ever used the phrase, “You Got This!” It’s an encouragement that we’ll sometimes give to one another to let them know that whatever the challenge is – they can handle it – they’ve got it under control. And as much as I appreciate it, whenever we seek to encourage one another, the truth is the last time I checked, the only one who has really “Got This” is God.
In John 18, we read a story that from a human vantage point looks to be totally out of control: The place was the Garden of Gethsemane. The death of Jesus Christ was rapidly approaching. It was nighttime and Jesus had gone to this garden with his disciples to pray. And then suddenly one of the disciples, Judas Iscariot, arrives with a detachment of troops, and officers from the Chief Priests and Pharisees. They arrived with lanterns, torches, and weapons and they had come to arrest Jesus.
Can you imagine how intimidating that would have been for the disciples? But Jesus didn’t hide or cower. “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, ‘Whom are you seeking?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am He.’ And upon hearing that …they drew back and fell to the ground”
It’s pretty clear that Jesus was the one calling the shots at this point, but on his disciples, Peter didn’t think so… Because he pulled out his sword took a swing at the high priest’s servant. In the process, Peter cut off his ear. We’re not told this specifically, but my guess is that when that happened, Peter didn’t say, “Got your ear!” My guess is Peter was trying to take off the guy’s head, but he ducked, and all Peter got was his ear. Anyhow, Jesus told Peter to put away his sword, and he graciously restored that servant’s ear. Which, by the way, if you’re ever involved in a Bible Trivia challenge, the restoration of that servant’s ear is often regarded to be Jesus’ last miracle before going to the cross. Be that as it may, Jesus told Peter…. “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
What cup was He talking about? He was talking about His coming death on the cross. In other words, this arrest was all part of God’s predetermined plan that Jesus would willingly offer Himself as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins and rise from the dead. In this life, you and I are going to drink some cups we’re not too happy about. We’re going to find ourselves in some gardens that aren’t peaceful. It’s very possible that we will at times feel crushed by circumstances. And when it seems like things are spinning out of control, you might be tempted to take out your sword and pull a Peter. But Jesus says, “Peter, Put your sword away. I’ve got this.” /////
When it seems like things are spinning out of control, remember God is with us. He is ever an ever-present help in times of trouble. He will never leave you or forsake you. And He holds your life and everything else in His hands. The truth is “You don’t got this.” “I don’t got this.” But “He’s got this.” And for that we should all be thankful.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” ERBC Children’s Ministry Director, Raquel Blanchard reflects on Philippians 4:11-13 and reminds us that even the Apostle Paul had lessons that he needed to learn.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Whatever the greatest challenge is that you’re facing in your life right now, the odds are that you didn’t choose it, nevertheless you can choose how you respond to it. Pastor Rick encourages us to follow the example of David in Psalm 54, and turn to God for help.
A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on Colossians 4:6, Judy Mandl challenges us to take one of the most powerful weapons that God has entrusted to us, and use it for good.
